Ruby Diaz
Where the Story Left Off…
The luminous fairy-like lights surrounded me. I was standing, almost levitating, in a radiant forest where the trees shimmered with bright lavenders and blues, the clouds puffed in tints of pinks. The glowing lights emitted a warm rainbow effect onto my skin; it made me feel as though every worry in mind would disappear in an instant. An invisible strength urged me to extend an arm and tough the bright orbs. But just as my fingertips grazed its pleasant edges, a loud alarm rang all around that made my heart jump to my mouth.
I found myself awake in my mess of a bed with an arm still outstretched, trying to grasp something that wasn't there. My glaring eyes shot towards my alarm, it read 5:30. I grunted as I slammed my palm against the snooze button. Knowing I couldn't go back to sleep, I tried in vain to burrow myself in my sheets for at least another minute. The dream was always the same as ever; me trying to reach something that I could never grab. Was it some kind of subconscious force that was telling me something? Was it just another stupid dream that I couldn't shake off or, did it really mean something physiological? These were some of the same questions I asked myself almost every morning. After thinking for a couple minutes I became grumpy and frustrated, so I decided to just throw myself out of bed.
My room was probably the smallest in my house, yet the most spacious. I didn't have much except for a closet, closet, drawer, and a bed. My forms of entertainment were limited to my laptop that was stored under my bed. The only television in the whole house was in the living room and it's the crappiest TV I had ever had the misfortune to own. I share my comfy shelter with only my grandmother and her devil Chihuahua, Princess. Grandma's fifty-nine and I'm fifteen. My grandmother is pretty young but so was her daughter when she became pregnant.
Where I live it is always cold, whether it's raining, snowing, or just bitter cold. Those are the only three kinds of weather there are. Happy Colorado South Park! So as I rubbed my eyes and yawned groggily, I checked my window for today's weather. The sky was a pale blue that day and the trees stood still and bare. I let out a gust of wind as I started my daily morning preparations. I started with changing into casual clothes and then slid on some brown boots. I walked towards the mirror that hung behind my door and began to comb my long dull brown hair that fell over my shoulder. My pale hazy blue eyes scanned my reflection. My grandmother tells me all the time about how I used to look when I was younger, how my hair was a beautiful shade of black and my eyes were striking chips of ocean blue. As I looked at myself right then and there I think how it was impossible that I ever looked anything like that. My grandmother sounded like she was talking about another person, another life. Sometimes I could close my eyes and feel something warm and familiar, but I would always loose grip of it. My memories of my childhood are chipped and incomplete. I could remember insignificant things like picking flowers but I could never recollect any of my birthdays or the face of my mother… I gave myself a mental slap and continued out the door. I knew thinking these things would only lead to that empty feeling I always get from time to time.
Sluggishly, I went to the kitchen where the smell of pancakes filled up. As if instantly revived, I sat down and ate my way through three pancakes. Soft hands stroked the sides of my face. If anything can get me out of the worst nightmare it would only be my grandmother.
Good morning, honey, my grandmother said. I nodded my head in response; my mouth was full with pancake. She bent down and planted a kiss on my sticky cheek which was left smelling of a heavenly fragrance. She sat down in front of me with a look of a gentle angel.
You've grown so pretty, she crooned fondly at me. I smiled goofily and flipped my hair. In a snap, my beautiful angle was gone and was replaced by a steely furious looking devil. Her calm hair was suddenly flaring around her.
You know what I got yesterday? Your report card, she said in a low voice. I froze and was suddenly very interested in my fork. Between the "I can't believe you's", and "What am I going to do with you's" I studied intently on the dazzling silverware that we owned.
"I wonder how many times I have talked to you about the same thing! When will you get it, Aster? I swear you're a bigger hassle than your mother was-" she cut herself off. Before I could give her more time to say something else, I leapt out of my seat and with supernatural speed I never knew I had, I left the house with my back pack slung over my shoulder. My grandmother said the word again, the one forbidden in the house. I knew it wasn't her fault, maybe if I wasn't such a dumbass this would have never happened. Why do I always have to get so worked up over this? I don't even care.
I paced along the dirt road that led to the bus stop. I hated the bus; it was loud and crowded inside and the bus driver got my teeth on edge. The kids don't pick on me or tease me; on the contrary, they are all increasingly annoying and make me go rigid irritation. Of course they don't know this, and thank goodness for that because if they could read my mind I'm pretty sure they would all hate me. It didn't always used to be like this. In another time that I seem to remember, there were no dirt roads, stupid buses, or bothersome people. There was a beautiful castle, miles of lush forests, and the loveliest colorful lights I've ever seen…. HONK! The hideous looking yellow bus had just pulled over and it grumbled at the sight of me. I heaved a great sigh yet again this day, and pushed myself up the stairs of the bus. I went routinely to my usual seat that was placed right in the middle where a little sticker read the letter "b". The seats were placed in alphabetical order and happened to share my seat next to a boy named Kyle Balthazar. I propped my elbow against the windowpane and stared out into the frosted foggy glass. I was thinking about how I forgot my lunch again in my rush, when I felt the side of my seat sinking. I glanced over and saw that Kyle had just gotten on. He was a wiry looking boy that had a pale complexion and shiny large emerald eyes with curly long lashes. The tip of his nose was a rosy pink along with the tops of his cheeks. Bits of his red curly locks fell onto his forehead and then were usually covered by his green hat. I would say we were almost friends. He wasn't quite as annoying as the others, but he still had his moments. I know quite a bit about Kyle. I know that he was the only Jewish kid in our grade, he was the smallest boy on the basketball team, and he was really smart. Because of this, I don't have many classes with him. The only one class we share is drawing class, and from what I have observed, he wasn't a good artist.
"Hey Aster!" he said to me. He was bouncing in his seat and breathing a bit fast.
"Hey Kyle, what's up?" I asked, seeming as though it was only the polite thing to do.
"Well Stan and I went up to Starks River; you know where that is right? Anyways, we got up to the edge and we saw the Mexican Staring Bullfrog!"
There must have been more to the story, but I couldn't have cared less if my life had depended on it. I looked out the foggy window glass again. I didn't like the cold, I'd rather think about those pretty warm lights. They would follow my every step, now that I was thinking back on them I had to really wonder were those really lights? Now it all became fuzzy… Maybe it wasn't something but someone… Maybe that someone was a…
"A BOY!" I shouted, jumping to my feet. I felt sick hot blush creeping up my neck. I looked down at Kyle and cringed at his wide surprised eyes that were filled with a bit of hurt. Fortunately, the bus had already stopped and many people were exiting, but I still felt guilty. I quickly mumbled out an apology but he didn't seem to have heard.
"A boy? You know I am a boy too..." he muttered before he also turned red.
"Ehh… Yeah I know you're a boy Kyle. I was just talking about… someone I thought was a girl," I hastily explained. He seemed satisfied with that and continued on his wacky story. How dumb, I thought. However, now I'm sure it was a boy. A boy in the forest playing with me, yes it all makes sense. I went to my first two classes without any problems, just not paying attention as always. Break began and I somehow bumped into Kyle on my way to the benches were I usually hung around with some other girls.
"How's it goin' Aster?" he asked. I noticed the other three boys behind him looking at me as well. One I recognized as Stanley Macke, football star player of some sort and black haired. The slightly shortest and thinnest one was the notorious Kenneth McCormack, aka, the biggest pervert this school had ever seen. He had a reputational name, the Dirty Blond God. Then there was my least favorite Eric