beta'd by Kimmae!


Displaced: Part Two

"Am I making something worthwhile out of this place? Am I making something worthwhile out of this chase? I'm displaced…." - Azure Ray

Storm did her best to comfort me, and surprisingly her best was enough! I thought there were no words in the English language that would comfort me. "Only you can make yourself happy, Marie. You may be tempted to find happiness in someone or something else. 'I'll only be happy if..' wont get you anywhere," Storm had said, "but what you can do is this: find yourself and the light that resides in your soul. Find true happiness within yourself. Don't let anybody take that happiness away and run with it."

I spent the whole night thinking about what she had said and trying to search for this so-called light. I was never much for meditation, but that night I sat down on my bed, with the lights off in my room. I had my eyes closed and I was breathing as smoothly and calmly as possible. I took notice to every muscle and part in my body. My muscles were tense, so I tried to relax them. The more relaxed I got, the more I noticed the stinging pain burning from within my lips. I had bit them so hard….

As I was meditating, I cleared my mind of all the bad. I began thinking of who I am. I am a young woman, a hero, a fighter. I am lonely. I am weak. As I sorted out who I am and how I feel, I came to Logan and Bobby. Sadness made its why back into my heart, interrupting my meditation. It was then I realized what this meant—Logan and Bobby make me sad They don't make me happy, and they wont. I need to get away from them. I need to really run away, and do it properly this time.

It was going to be hard to run away without anyone finding out. When morning came and all the responsibilities with it, I told people I was sick, too sick to do anything. Storm wanted to take a look at me, but I insisted it was just a cold. I sat wrapped in a scarf and blanket, claiming to have the chills. I pretended to cough and said my throat hurt terribly. I even made myself puke, just so it would look authentic. As I played hookie from life, I pulled out a small, black leather notebook. Inside I wrote down ideas of how to escape my current residence, how to hide… how to really hide.

Find someone to cover for me until I'm long gone; Say I have some personal business to take care of, and I'll be gone for a week.

Then it occurred to me, I wont leave at all. At least, they wont notice I have. I'm already on the right trail, pretending to be sick. I opened up the computer in my room and opened voice activated program. Anytime a voice was loud enough to be captured by the computer, it would respond with a recording. For example, I could record myself saying: "not right now, I'm sick," or: "It's getting better, but I still have a headache. Don't come in though, I don't want to get you sick too." This would probably buy me a few days until someone decided to break in (I would have my door locked). By then though, I could be out of the state. Where would I go, though?

I focused my attention on the computer once more and searched "small towns". Many interesting places showed up, but the best one, the one town where I thought I could fit in, was called Rose Village. It was next to a small lake, and the town was pretty basic itself. I could get a house on the outskirts of the town… only go out to go shopping… and I can buy in bulk, so I wont be out too much. Also, to ensure no one finds me, I can give myself a makeover.

It's perfect. Flawless. No one will find me now.

The rest of the day I got to programming the voice activated program. I packed my clothes and anything else I might need. I said my unheard goodbyes, and at 2 a.m. I would leave.

I started walking to the train station where I scheduled a ride from Westchester, New York to Rose Village, Oregon. I was going to have to switch trains and hop onto a bus and then back to a train about a million times, but I should be there in about a day and a half. Before I headed to the train station I stopped into a hair salon.

"I'd like my hair cut," I had said to the tall blonde woman.

She nodded at me and asked how short. I pointed to my shoulders. She began cutting away at my hair. It was odd, and a big change, but I still wasn't satisfied. After she finished I asked her to put some streaks in my hair. "Would you like me to cover up the white one?" she had asked. It took me a while, but I knew I had to say yes. I told her I wanted light brown streaks put in my hair.

Forty minutes later, that was that. I wore a short hair cut with light brown streaks. It was cute and different, and symbolic to my new life. From now on I was me. A very happy me! I just hope this all works out, and that maybe I can keep on this path of looking up, seeing the cup half full. And maybe, one day, I'll be able to return to Xaiver's School for Gifted Youngsters. Until then, they won't ever find me.