Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Mia grew up as normally as possible. Her mother explained to her at age six about why she always did as she was told. "But don't forget that you're very special, and don't tell anyone about this. They could use it to hurt you." her mother said. Those were orders, and Mia nodded in response.
During Mia's first week of school, she really didn't talk much to the other kids, and she was ostracized because of it. But then, she met Hadassah. Hadassah was another first grade outcast, and they forged a friendship when one of the popular girls (if there are such things in first grade) told Mia sarcastically when Mia defended Hadassah, "Bite me!" It was an order, and Mia bit the girl on the arm. The girl screamed, and was taken to the nurse, and Mia was suspended for a few days, but as soon as she returned to school, she and Hadassah were best friends.
As Mia and Hadassah matured, first grade morphed into second, third, fourth, fifth--all the way up through their junior year of high school. They had been best friends now for ten years now. Most friendships went through rough patches over arguments and boyfriends, but Mia and Hadassah's hadn't. They were still the outcasts, and they really didn't mind, especially Mia. The popular kids usually didn't say "please" and it would raise questions if Mia did exactly as she was told all the time for them.
Then one afternoon, the teasing started. Threats, actually. President Bush had declared war on Iraq, and now everyone was treating Hadassah like she was the next Saddam Hussein. She explained to them all that she was Israeli, and wanted peace, just like everyone else. Mia immediately took Hadassah's side in this, as always. The threats turned up in Hadassah's locker the next week. "Look out, Bomber Girl. We're watching you." Crude poems appeared, like: "Blood is red and our flag's part blue. You'd better watch out, or we'll have to hurt you."
Shortly thereafter, the teasing stopped. But not because of the efforts of the administration to protect Hadassah. Because Tim Divine (yes, Divine), one of the popular guys, stood up on his table at lunch one afternoon, and to Mia and Hadassah's surprise, gave a small speech: "Hey, guys, listen up!" he said. "Look, I've been seeing and hearing threats to one of our fellow students--Hadassah. Guys, don't be stupid--Hadassah's not from Iraq, she's from Israel. Stop threatening her, okay? We're taught in history class that America's a melting pot, but right now, this school is just a furnace, devouring innocent students like Hadassah. So stop being a furnace and join the melting pot of San Fransisco!" he sat down, pleased with himself, and for good reason. The threats stopped, and Mia went to thank him.
"Hey, Tim?" she approached his locker after school.
"Yeah?" he closed his locker and turned around. Mia's knees went weak--he was even cuter up close!
"Um..." Mia cleared her throat. "I wanted to thank you for doing that--for Hadassah. It was really nice of you, and compassionate. Thanks."
"No problem. Hey, what's your name?"
"Mia."
"Mia, how would you like to go to a movie with me on Friday?"
"Sure." Mia managed. Her heart was pounding faster than a marathon runner's feet.
"Okay. You live at the restored firehouse on 22nd, right?"
"Yeah." He knew where she lived?
"Pick you up around six, then."
"Okay." Mia nodded. That was an order.
"Bye!" he ran to catch up with some football buddies.
Mia ran to Hadassah's locker, told her the whole story, and they went to Mia's house to look for something for Mia to wear.
"Mia?" her mother called up the stairs.
"What?"
"Can you come downstairs?"
"Yeah. Just a second!"
Mia came downstairs and was shocked to see another woman in the kitchen, calmly sipping some tea.
"Hello, Mia." the woman said.
