Like a rose trampled on the ground…
Above all
I used to be beautiful.
I used to have dark brown hair that curled softly down my back. I used to have a cheerful smile; my Daddy had said it could light up a room. I used to have pale, soft skin. I used to have a loving mother and father, a younger sister that I bickered with constantly, and a few friends. I used to take all that for granted. I regret that now; I`ve lost them all.
My unkempt hair stays back in a tight ponytail. I no longer have any reason to smile. My skin is an unhealthy shade of white, with dark shadows under my eyes from the nightmares. As for all of my family and friends: they`re dead. All dead. And it`s all my fault. If they`d not known me, they still might have been alive today.
It was with this burden on my shoulders that I reluctantly rolled out of bed. I still felt exhausted, but the rest of the family would be up soon. I truly appreciated what the Webers had done for me. When my parents were killed, I had been put into foster care, but the Webers, my only living relatives, insisted that I come to stay with them. I would always be grateful for that. Angela was a sister to me- I loved her just like one. The boys were adorable. Mr. and Mrs. Weber were both very kind. It was for these reasons that I could never, ever show them how I felt.
I pulled on my black t-shirt and jean, then tied my hair into it`s standard ponytail. I checked that my Wall was up- I hadn`t let it down in six years- grabbed a muffin from the freezer, and trudged out the door. I was immediately soaked by the pouring rain, but I didn`t mind. The rain made everything glisten beautifully. The soft pitter-patter was like a wild music, free of rules and pattern. So unlike me, but so close. My own world was filled with rules. Don`t look at anyone directly. Don`t speak unless completely necessary. Don`t let down the Wall.
I suppose an explanation might be helpful right now. My Wall is not a hard surface made of bricks. It`s just something I`ve always been able to do. I can subtly make people look away from me when I`m hiding or in a crowd. They don`t realize what`s happening, but they can`t see me. Since I was ten years old, not one person has truly seen me.
I wandered into the omnipresent forest, following a worn trail through the trees. Under here, there was a small amount of shelter, and I was able to see around me more clearly. The rain beat a steady rhythm on the canopy of branches overhead. I sat down on a sturdy-looking log, and leaned against a nearby tree. The bark left streaks of brown on my jeans. I closed my eyes, just listening to the forest around me. After a few minutes of silence, I stood up. The feel of the cool rain on my skin was pleasant, but a nice hot bath would be welcome. A startled squirrel darted away as I began the short walk back to the Webers` house.
"Sophie! It`s suppertime!" Mrs. Weber called from downstairs. I winced, but put down my book. I slid off my bed, shut off my bedroom light, and hurried down the steps. I heard the footsteps of the others heading for the kitchen. The scent of broccoli soup drifted down the hallway. I followed it into the open room. The Webers were already sitting around the table, so I quickly sat down with them. We bowed our heads while Mr. Weber said grace, then began eating. There was no sound for the next few minutes, save the clinking of spoons. After a while, Mrs. Weber cleared her throat.
"So, school`s starting tomorrow. Are you kids excited?"
Angela nodded quickly. I just shrugged. The truth was, I was terrified. So many people… What if a teacher called on me? What if someone bumped into me in the hallway? What if I had to join in the games during gym? The list of worries went on and on. Distracted, I finished my dinner in silence.
The dreaded day arrived far too quickly. Too soon, I was stepping out the door into the pouring rain, stooped under the weight of my new backpack. Angela offered me a ride, but I declined. There was no reason to put my new sister in any more danger. Instead, I began the short trek to Forks High School. It was a good thing I`d worn my jacket; otherwise, I would have been soaked. Even so, my jeans were dripping as I made my way to my first class. I had never taken Spanish before- there wasn`t much use in New Brunswick- so I had been put back with the grade tens. It wouldn`t be a difficult class, at least. Languages came easily to me. I stepped into the classroom and sat down in the middle on the far right of the room. It was a spot that didn`t call attention to me. The rest of the class arrived early as well. No one wanted to be late on the first day. The bell, a nasal buzzing sound, signified the start of class. There were a few people chatting quietly as we waited for the teacher. I opened a notebook and began jotting down the few words I already knew.
Hóla. ¿Cómo estás? Por favor. Si.
The teacher entered as I wrote. She was fairly tall, with curly brown hair and glasses. She wore a brightly patterned long skirt and a matching blouse. Her large necklaces jangled as she made her way to the front of the classroom.
"¡Hóla, chiquos! ¿Cómo estás? Me llamo Sra. Rivera. Bienvenudo a la clase de español. Soy muy contento aquí. Me gusta el español."
We stared at her blankly. What did she just say? She switched to English. She had a strong accent, but I was able to make out the words.
"Hóla, everyone! You`re happy to be here, no? I am Sra. Rivera. Welcome to my Spanish class. Very fun."
She turned to the board, and wrote presente neatly. She then turned back to us.
"When I call your name, you say presente, alright?" She asked us. She pulled out the list and took attendance. She then passed out a sheet for us to work on for the rest of the class.
Next period, I had gym. This was the kind of class I dreaded. It wasn`t that I was clumsy, I just didn`t see the point. No one passed to me anyway; why should I have to play? Worse, what if someone did pass to me? Everyone`s eyes might follow the ball! With fear in my heart, I made my way to the gym. It turned out not to be as bad as I had expected. The gym teacher spent the class explaining what was going to be happening. We would be starting with field hockey (oh joy), then sex ed, then continuing with the sports. Later in the year, we would be learning things like self-defense.
As fascinating as this sounded, I was relieved when the bell rang for lunch. I fell behind the crowd, preferring to have room to breathe as I made my way into the cafeteria. And then stopped.
What were vampires doing at Forks High School?