It had been a Monday. an ordinary Monday like any other. Juliana woke up,
and walked to the bus stop. Hers was the first stop, so the bus was empty
when she boarded. She chose a row in the middle, and scooted over to the
window, leaving the aisle seat open for anyone who chose to sit there. Her
friend Kylie usually took the empty seat, but on this day, Kylie sat down
with Taylor, a boy from their Literature class.
"Oh well," Juliana had thought. "It doesn't matter. I'll see Kylie at lunch."
When they reached the school, Juliana was the only person on the bus sitting alone.
In school, she started noticing things that she hadn't noticed before. She was walking through the hallway, books in her arms, looking at the people she saw. Everyone else in the hall was carrying on as usual; talking, laughing, pushing and shoving. But no one looked at her. No one tried to walk around her. Taylor walked past her and even though his eyes were aimed in her direction, it seemed as though he was looking through her.
"Odd," she said to herself, but thought nothing else of it.
Next Juliana ran into Laura, literally. She was walking down the hallway to the cafeteria, when she saw Laura. Laura didn't see her, apparently, and pushed into her, knocking Juliana to the floor. She stood up, and picked up her notebooks. Laura didn't even turn around to look at her, and just kept on walking.
"Its okay!" she called out after her.
"Well," she thought. "Laura is a very busy person. Maybe she was in a rush and didn't see me."
Juliana continued walking, and found the cafeteria door. She pushed it open, ventured inside, and found the table that she normally sat at. Kylie was there, along with some other girls Juliana had never met. And there, in her seat, Taylor sat and laughed and talked with her friends.
"Kylie!" Juliana said in desperation. "Kylie, what is Taylor doing in my seat?"
Kylie didn't answer.
"Why the hell is he here?" Juliana said, a little louder this time. "Where is my seat?!?" She became hysterical. "KYLIE!! Shit, talk to me, Kylie!! What did I do?? KYLIE!! WHERE THE FUCK IS MY SEAT?!?" Juliana kicked an empty chair nearby, and it collapsed.
Kylie took no notice to her screaming friend or the loud banging of the metal chair hitting the floor. She listened to Taylor, who was calmly telling a joke, and she laughed when he finished. Juliana stood in exasperation and defeat. Finally giving up, she ran out of the lunch room. She burst through the doors and they swung after her, moderately disturbed. Nobody saw her leave.
That was two months ago. Juliana gently rubbed her fingers over the words on the wall of the bathroom stall. Two months ago, she had ran from the cafeteria and found this bathroom stall. Two months ago, she wrote this poem, and it was still unfinished. Now Juliana sat crouched in the same stall, as lonely as she ever was.
Suddenly, she became angry. She shoved the door of the stall and the lock broke apart. She threw her backpack into the mirror on the wall and it cracked into shards of glass. She kicked the garbage can and it thudded to the ground, spewing its contents out onto the pink tile floor.
She backed up into the corner of the bathroom, and slid down to the floor, crying. She surveyed the garbage on the floor and the squeaking door, still rocking on its old hinges. She stood up, and looked in the broken mirror. Her face was distorted and red. She turned the faucet, bent over, and rubbed ice cold water over her eyes.
The bell rang. She stood up and picked up her book bag. With a deep breath, she leaned into the door and stepped out into the hall. It was empty. Slowly, she walked to her algebra class, late again.
"Oh well," Juliana had thought. "It doesn't matter. I'll see Kylie at lunch."
When they reached the school, Juliana was the only person on the bus sitting alone.
In school, she started noticing things that she hadn't noticed before. She was walking through the hallway, books in her arms, looking at the people she saw. Everyone else in the hall was carrying on as usual; talking, laughing, pushing and shoving. But no one looked at her. No one tried to walk around her. Taylor walked past her and even though his eyes were aimed in her direction, it seemed as though he was looking through her.
"Odd," she said to herself, but thought nothing else of it.
Next Juliana ran into Laura, literally. She was walking down the hallway to the cafeteria, when she saw Laura. Laura didn't see her, apparently, and pushed into her, knocking Juliana to the floor. She stood up, and picked up her notebooks. Laura didn't even turn around to look at her, and just kept on walking.
"Its okay!" she called out after her.
"Well," she thought. "Laura is a very busy person. Maybe she was in a rush and didn't see me."
Juliana continued walking, and found the cafeteria door. She pushed it open, ventured inside, and found the table that she normally sat at. Kylie was there, along with some other girls Juliana had never met. And there, in her seat, Taylor sat and laughed and talked with her friends.
"Kylie!" Juliana said in desperation. "Kylie, what is Taylor doing in my seat?"
Kylie didn't answer.
"Why the hell is he here?" Juliana said, a little louder this time. "Where is my seat?!?" She became hysterical. "KYLIE!! Shit, talk to me, Kylie!! What did I do?? KYLIE!! WHERE THE FUCK IS MY SEAT?!?" Juliana kicked an empty chair nearby, and it collapsed.
Kylie took no notice to her screaming friend or the loud banging of the metal chair hitting the floor. She listened to Taylor, who was calmly telling a joke, and she laughed when he finished. Juliana stood in exasperation and defeat. Finally giving up, she ran out of the lunch room. She burst through the doors and they swung after her, moderately disturbed. Nobody saw her leave.
That was two months ago. Juliana gently rubbed her fingers over the words on the wall of the bathroom stall. Two months ago, she had ran from the cafeteria and found this bathroom stall. Two months ago, she wrote this poem, and it was still unfinished. Now Juliana sat crouched in the same stall, as lonely as she ever was.
Suddenly, she became angry. She shoved the door of the stall and the lock broke apart. She threw her backpack into the mirror on the wall and it cracked into shards of glass. She kicked the garbage can and it thudded to the ground, spewing its contents out onto the pink tile floor.
She backed up into the corner of the bathroom, and slid down to the floor, crying. She surveyed the garbage on the floor and the squeaking door, still rocking on its old hinges. She stood up, and looked in the broken mirror. Her face was distorted and red. She turned the faucet, bent over, and rubbed ice cold water over her eyes.
The bell rang. She stood up and picked up her book bag. With a deep breath, she leaned into the door and stepped out into the hall. It was empty. Slowly, she walked to her algebra class, late again.