AN: Chapter was edited slightly. I'll probably work on it again when I get to editing some of the other ones.
She woke up again, but found herself waking up from a dream about Olesya. In it, they were playing among a field of pink flowers, as they ran through the pathways and seeing the flowers that stretched on for miles. However, she could never remember these types of dreams. They were too good for her to remember.
She noticed that every time she even thought of her, her heart began to beat a little faster, wishing that she could see her again right at this very moment. She heard the birds chirping as she stood from her bed, seeing Sonic gazing at her window, watching the birds flit and fly from the trees near her home. He could see a mother bird trying to teach her hatchlings how to fly, as she darted from the air back to the tree.
"Good morning Schiza," he said as he smiled warmly back at her. Schiza couldn't help but smile back. She was glad he was alive again. She wanted to ask him something.
"Sonic, have you ever…liked someone?"
"What do you mean?" he asked, looking back at her. "Of course I liked someone. I like someone right now. I like you."
"No, not that," she whispered, her voice beginning to get small. "I mean…have you ever…liked liked someone?"
"You mean…have I ever loved someone? Schiza, I love you, but…you know, platonically, of course. Are you…telling me that you love someone?"
She nodded. "She's a girl named Olesya. I think I'm starting to love her."
"A girl, huh?" He began to walk from the window to her bed, sitting down and motioning Schiza to sit along with him. "That same girl who thought you were pretty?"
"Yeah." She sat on the bed as well, bouncing a little. "Is it…okay for me to like another girl? Because I…kissed her. And when I did that, she said she had to go and she left."
"She…probably got embarrassed when you did that. But…of course it's okay for you to like another girl. If someone tells you it's wrong, they're the ones who are wrong."
"Because I read in the Bible…" She then remembered what Roger said before about it, and she began to understand it. Everything in the Bible shouldn't be taken too literally.
"Love is still love, Schiza. Whether you love a boy or a girl it makes no difference. And I still love you even if you love Olesya or not. Just remember if anyone tells you it's wrong…it isn't, okay?" He once again gave her another warm hug. Even though she liked Sonic's hugs, she thought it would've been better if this was Olesya hugging her.
"I got to get ready for school, Sonic. Thanks for talking to me." When Sonic let go, she looked up and gave Sonic another kiss on his nose. She then grabbed the clothes she decided she would wear and left her room, shutting the door quietly, leaving Sonic in the morning glow.
He went back to looking outside of the window, as he thought about how quickly Schiza was growing up. He watched as the birds began to fly, following their mother for a while until she seemed to chirp to them that they no longer needed her.
He started to cry, as a single tear slid down his face.
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"I decided for today I would like to get to know all of you. So what we're going to work on class today is write about something you have that you really like and would like to show us tomorrow for show-and-tell. It can be a toy, a picture, almost anything that you have that has a special meaning to you." The teacher began to hand out her papers to the students, a paper with long, thick black lines, along with an empty space at the top of it. "I also want you to draw this thing. Don't worry if you think you're a good artist or not. Just try your best."
Schiza was excited as soon as she heard about the assignment, and immediately knew what to write about.
She tried to make her essay as fanciful as she could, taking some time to write the words in a nice, readable print. She knew she wasn't very good at drawing, but she thought she would try as hard on her drawing as hard as she was doing on her essay. When she finished writing on her essay (which took her 10 minutes longer than the other students), she began to draw and color vigorously with crayons. Her teacher, impressed by Schiza's work ethic, walked near her, leaning over to see her essay. However, Schiza blocked her from seeing it, using her hands to cover it.
"You can't see it just yet, Ms. Langlow. I'm not done yet."
"You really want me to not see your work until it's finished, huh Schiza?" she asked, smiling at her as she was a little amused. "Well, I wanted to say you're doing a good job. You really want this essay to be good, don't you?"
"Yes, and you can't see it until I'm done," she mumbled, still blockading the worksheet from her. She continued to put her hands over it until her teacher left, Schiza continuing to work.
She wasn't sure of how to shade, so she used all sorts of shades of blue for him. She knew it didn't look right, but she wasn't sure of how to erase crayon and wasn't sure of how she could make it look better. She finished her work (the last one to be finished) and still felt proud of it as she handed it to the teacher.
"Alright class, I'll take the time to read your essays while you go out to recess. It's about that time."
Right when she said "recess", the students already grew excited, especially Schiza, who couldn't wait to see her friend, Olesya. As soon as she lined up the students to go outside (some of them just waiting to burst out the door, and Schiza felt no different), she went back to her desk, the pile of essays beckoning for her to be read.
She already saw a glimpse of what some of the essays were about, things such as their gaming systems and their music players, but she was curious to see what Schiza wrote, as she wouldn't let her see her work until it was finished, and she was the last one to be done.
Immediately upon finding her worksheet she saw a lot of green and blue, as she colored in grass and the many flowers that were dispersed around them as she wore a white dress and crown, seeming to grin ear to ear, as many different shades of blues were used for a blue, spiky creature, looking like he was shining in the sun.
She thought this was her pet, but then she remembered the only pet she would possibly have that would be blue would be a parrot, and this caricature did not look like a parrot.
She began to read her essay.
MY FAVORITE THING
By SCHIZA MAHOGANY, 7 years old
My favorite thing in the whole wide world is my stuffed animal named Sonic. He is a blue hedgehog. Even though he's not real I play many games with him because I can tell if he was real, he'd love me back. He is very sweet and nice to me. I give him hugs and he hugs me back. I talk to him and he understonds. We went to play in the woods one time and he showed me a very beutaful place. It had shining flowers and a stream, and we played many games until sundown. He is also fast and will do anything for me. He is my best friend and I love him.
She glanced back at the drawing, seeing the multi-colored blue spiky creature. She began to realize that she was talking about Sonic the hedgehog and in the drawings and some of her sentences, she could tell that Schiza thought her toy was real.
She crossed off her misspelled words and decided to give her a A- for her work. She thought it would be better if she didn't question it until she showed him for show-and-tell.
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Schiza quickly dashed across the playground, seeing Olesya sitting near a tree, with a red and black checkerboard. She was flicking round, small black discs across it, hitting the pearly pieces and putting them away.
She approached her slowly, noticing that her heartbeat was becoming faster and her words began to come from her mouth as if her tongue was in a knot. "H-hi Olesya. W-what are y-you doing?"
"Oh, hello Schiza," she greeted, her face becoming a little pink at the thought of what happened yesterday. "I was playing a game I used to play all the time back at my country. Maybe you can play with me and I'll teach you the rules of the game."
"S-sure, I'd love to p-play with you. What's it c-called?"
Olesya smirked a little at her sudden impediment, thinking it was cute. "Chapayev. It's…sort of like chess, except you have to send your pieces against the other person's pieces, trying to hit them. And when someone doesn't have their pieces anymore, the other person wins. It's not really complicated, if you want to play."
She began to sit near her and on the other side of the board, putting the pale pieces back in place. "Okay, I'll play w-with you." She really wished she would stop stuttering.
"Well, the game goes in rounds. At first the pieces are arranged like in chess, and since you're playing the white pieces, you get to move first. You'll try to flick your pieces to hit mine, but when you don't hit any of them or you accidentally hit your pieces, it's my turn. And I get to move until I can't hit yours or I hit mine too. After each round though, the person who is winning gets to move closer to your or my pieces, until around the 7th or 8th round we're right next to each other. Then we pretty much keep going until someone has no pieces left or someone has no place to put their pieces at. It's rather a pretty simple game. So since you're playing the white pieces, you get to move first. Try your best."
Schiza knew she wasn't very good with "flicking" things. She knew when she was younger, she would have snot on her hands she could never get off. But she later learned that she needed to go to the sink and wash her hands whenever that happened.
She began the round, only forcing her piece a few centimeters nowhere near Olesya's pieces. "Good try," she said as she moved her black piece, hitting one of her white pieces with a loud click. And within one turn, she took out two of Schiza's pieces.
Schiza tried again, her piece going a little farther, but still not near hers. Olesya complimented her move, not before she snapped her piece again and hit yet another one of hers, and another she managed to flip upside down. "By the way, if you manage to flip someone's piece upside down, it's your piece. It's called a traitor."
They played silently, as they concentrated on hitting the other's pieces. Olesya was still winning a few moments later, until Schiza wanted to ask her a question.
"Olesya, is there someone in your life that you consider to be…your protector?"
Schiza managed to take out one of her discs, as Olesya once again regarded her turn. "Why would you ask that, Schiza? Any reason?"
"Well, I'm just wondering. Because I have a protector in my life. He was always there for me."
"Well," she replied as she began to move her pieces forward, taking out yet another of Schiza's. "I always considered my father as my protector. My family. They would do anything for me."
Schiza began to frown, thinking about hers. "I don't like my father. My old one, anyways." Thinking of her father she was able to hit two of Olesya's pieces.
"Good one! But I thought Roger was your father. Are you saying you were…adopted? What happened to you and your father?"
She could only stare as Olesya once again knocked her piece and another that became a traitor. "He raped me."
Olesya immediately stopped her turn, in shock. Schiza wanted to look deep in her eyes, to show her that she was stronger since the incident, but she can only see fear and sadness.
"I'm…very sorry that happened to you, Schiza. My father may be strict, but he will never think of doing that to me." Despite the change in tone, she continued to play, moving her pieces forward and motioning Schiza to do the same. "What did your mother do? I would think if he did that, then…"
"She would hit me and call me names. My dad hit her too. She made her do those things."
"What happened to your parents? Did they tell you?"
She knew she was losing and the subject matter made her not try as hard, but she continued playing. "I heard it on the news. My dad is going to be in jail for 20 years. My mom was sent to a crazy house."
The very thought of a girl like Schiza being abused the way she was made Olesya think about crying. But she held back her tears, but yet her voice began to break off in places.
"I'm…sorry about that, Schiza…I'm very sorry…that you had to go through that."
Schiza only had two pieces left. Olesya thought she should've stopped the game as she didn't want Schiza to lose, but she sent her piece rushing towards one of them, flying far from their board. It was then that they heard a whistle screech.
"Well…thanks for playing with me, Schiza. You tried your best, and sometimes that's all anyone can ask for, so thank you." She picked up the pieces, Schiza helping her. When they both tried to pick the last remaining disc, Olesya's hand was lying on top of hers.
Olesya didn't blush and tried to escape from the situation. She began to wrap her hand around Schiza's, squeezing it.
"Everything will be all right, Schiza. Your protector will make everything better, right?"
Schiza wanted this moment to last forever. Her hand was so warm in her grasp, and she could swear that they were both one, as they could both feel their pulses, their hearts making their blood race a little faster.
"Yes," she murmured. "Yes, he will."
It then came too suddenly to her. When she let go of her hand to pick up the piece, she leaned over and gave her a light kiss on the cheek, as she put her game pieces and board away and she ran off.
The warm feeling of love raced throughout her body. She began to feel secure, that her life was going to be all right, and she deeply loved her new friend, Olesya.
She also thought on how she never wanted to wash her cheek again.
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The thoughts of Olesya wouldn't stray from Schiza's mind. She kept thinking of her, daydreaming about her, that she couldn't pay attention to her teacher's lectures. She kept wishing that she was with her, right now, and she could talk to her and tell her how much she mattered to her. She also thought on how she wanted to return the kiss she gave her.
After school she still thought of her, until she went to her room and met Sonic, when she remembered she had something to tell him.
"Sonic, I told my teacher a little bit about you," she said, as she rummaged through her backpack to get out her assignments.
"You did? What did she say? Hopefully you didn't tell her that…you know…"
"I didn't." Sonic sighed in relief. "But I want to bring you for show-and-tell tomorrow. Because I said you were my favorite thing in the whole wide world. And you are, Sonic. I want to show everyone."
"Well, I do want to see your school. And it's better than staying out here all day. What about Olesya, by the way? Did you see her today?"
Schiza rubbed her cheek, the place where Olesya kissed her. "She kissed me right back, Sonic."
Sonic glanced at her, looking as if he was also relieved at this tidbit of news. "She likes you."
"Yeah. And I like her too. I want to be with her." She couldn't help but turn bright red at the thought of her as she got out her pencil and math worksheet.
"Maybe you can ask her if you want to come over to her house. Like, just do homework there and be study partners. Her parents won't mind, right?"
"That's a great idea, Sonic! I can go to her house and we can study together! I can be with her more than just when it's recess!"
She felt too excited to do her work, but she managed to complete it, while she repeated her routine of speaking with Sonic, eating dinner with her new family, and Sonic telling her a story from her book of fairy tales to get her to sleep.
As he tucked her in and kissed her goodnight, he still couldn't help but worry over the impending arrival of her birthday. I really have to give her a great gift. A gift she will appreciate for many of her years.
He went in her closet and thought, thinking until he transformed back into a stuffed toy.
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She woke up again dreaming of Olesya (but still couldn't remember much of it). When she realized she wasn't there, she couldn't help but feel a little sad, until she realized it was yet another school day.
She saw Sonic at the foot of her bed, unmoving and looking blank. He was a toy again.
She was excited for this day. She would bring Sonic to show-and-tell and ask Olesya if she could spend the night at her home. Of course, she asked her parents if it would be okay, and excited that she had a friend and this would be her first time spending the night at a friend's, they said it would be fine as long as she lets them know of her address.
She decided today she would wear her dress pants and another white blouse, except with small purple and blue polka dots scattered on it. She carried Sonic close to her chest as she went out the door, going to the bus stop and conversing with the other children about him once they recognized what she was holding.
It was suddenly silent all around her. She couldn't help but be afraid when the outside of the school became empty, devoid of yelling children playing or going to their class. She held Sonic closer to her, even petting him to relieve some of the anxiety she felt, but even if Sonic's presence made her feel better, she was still apprehensive about how empty the school seems to be.
She stopped as she gazed at the sky, looking gray as lumps of slushed snow. She could see the sun, shining brightly, as if it wanted to escape from the clouds, but would only be hushed by them. She could also hear the wind trickling through the trees, making them sway and the leaves around her scatter.
She thought how strange it was that the school suddenly became quiet, as if she was the last person on Earth. She also thought it was like a big setup, much like a nightmare shown on her TV. But she kept telling herself that nothing was going to happen. Nothing bad. Just keep walking. Just keep walking…
She began to breathe faster, panting as she at once heard footsteps behind her.
Suddenly, she felt a hand forcefully yank Sonic out of her grasp. She tried to hold onto him, to take him back, but she was afraid of ripping him, like what happened to Lucky back at the foster home.
"Hey you big baby, why are you wearing all those nice clothes? Why are you carrying Sonic like you're a babe, huh?"
She looked up, seeing a black haired, plump but yet tall-looking child, seeming as if he came from the 5th grade, grinning a wicked Cheshire smile, as he rose Sonic in the air, out of Schiza's reach.
"Only dumb autism-types like you would like Sonic. I think I'm going to take him and do what I would really like to do with him. Put him in a wood chipper."
Her hands began to curl into fists. She thought that no one was going to hurt Sonic like that. She would never let him get hurt. But she wasn't sure if she could hit him much like he hit the child back at the foster home. But she wished to see his nose bleed much like John. She thought this bully deserved to get hurt and cry, so he would be taught a lesson. She began to raise her fist, preparing to swing at his gut.
The 5th grader began to utter an oof, as she saw a flurry of fists punching him in the chest and face. The fists also quickly turned into hands and grabbed Sonic, before he could notice that he was gone.
"You're in 5th grade and you're bullying a harmless 2nd grader just to make yourself feel better! Go to the nurse and whine like the coward you are! Mudak!"
She recognized her. The blonde hair and green eyes. Olesya came to save her and Sonic.
The bully kept clutching his stomach, as she punched him quite hard, feeling like he was going to puke his liver. "Maybe I don't know what a 'mudak' is, but I saw you guys out in the playground. You're both such dykes!"
He ran from them, hoping that she wouldn't catch up to him. He also hoped she wouldn't see the tears that began to run down his face.
Olesya never minded him. She only paid attention to Schiza, as she smiled and gently put Sonic back around her arms, Schiza hugging him tightly as she looked back into her eyes.
"Th-thank you so much, Olesya…I-I…"
"It's alright. There's no need to thank me. That bully deserved what he got."
Olesya began to wrap her hand around Schiza's, as she started to walk her to the school, escorting her to her class.
"Olesya, is it okay with your parents that I could come over to your house and we could do homework together? You know, be study partners?"
"Well, I don't know. I would have to ask them about it tomorrow. My parents, especially my father, are a little particular about people coming over."
"And Olesya?"
"Yes?" She stopped walking as she approached the 2nd grade hall, as she glanced over to her.
"What's a 'dyke'?"
She shook her head. "Don't worry about that, Schiza. It's a bit of a nasty word, and you should never use it towards any girl."
She let go of her hand and walked down the hallway, both of them not saying another word.
"I love you," Schiza whispered when she walked out of her sight. She nuzzled Sonic, glad he was in her arms again, then began to stroll back to her class.
AN: "Mudak" is a Russian insult, usually meaning "prick" or "asshole".