by Jaclyn Lewis
Okay, so I was walking to school, and I looked around at the almost-raining weather. I didn’t want to get soaked, and I could tell the skies were about to open up and shower me, so I started to pick up my pace.
“What? You don’t like a little water?” I heard from beside me.
“Hey…” I turned, but it was Andrew. Crap. I’d broken my own rule. That almost made me want to run away screaming curse words, even though I knew I never would. I just shook my head and tried to drop it. It had been an accident, after all.
Andrew smirked. “Wow, it’s good to actually hear your voice for once.”
I scowled. I didn’t need this right before school.
Right when I thought nothing could get worse, it started raining buckets.
I looked around, but I didn’t feel any water hitting me. When I looked up, I saw a water umbrella-like thing.
I looked at Andrew, and he smirked. “Water’s my specialty,” he stated proudly. The water continued to never touch me.
I scowled.
He laughed arrogantly. “What? No one’s going to notice.”
I shook my head, disgusted at him for being so careless. If anyone saw, he would be in trouble. Didn’t he have any self-preservation at all?
I would rather get wet if it meant that no one would see the strange aliens.
He grinned. “Fine, if you wish.” He let the curtain of water fall all at once, soaking me to the core. I also thought he’d made it five times colder on top of just letting it fall; the water was that cold. I was frozen and wet, which was just such a lovely combination, especially a mile from school.
I shivered at the thought, and I started to sprint.
By the time I was inside, my hands had started turning a pale blue. I rushed to the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror. My lips were blue, too.
While I’d been outside, all the water that hit me was colder than it should have been. I knew the reason behind that, but I couldn’t believe he’d tortured me like that when I’d done nothing to deserve it. Actually, I could believe it, but I just didn’t like the idea. What would he do next?
My shoes made little squishy noises as I walked back into the hallway. All of my clothes were soaked, along with my hair. I didn’t have anything to change into.
“ARE YOU OKAY?! WHAT HAPPENED?” Zane screamed into my ear as soon as I was outside the bathroom. I knew he was manipulating who heard him because no one looked freaked out that someone invisible had just yelled at me.
They were, however, laughing softly at my appearance. I was just glad that I didn’t ever wear make-up and that I hadn’t taken my backpack home the day before.
I walked into a deserted library and ran to the back.
“It was r-raining while I w-walked to school.” I said through shivers.
“No, I mean…why are you so cold? It’s warm outside!” he clarified.
“A-Andrew controlled the t-temperature of the r-rain.” I stuttered. I was really cold now, especially in the air-conditioned library.
The air around me warmed up to almost ninety. It was as if I was in a little, invisible bubble that was meant to warm me up. The air inside it was moving, kind of like a blow-dryer, blowing my hair and clothes dry.
“It’s really just a simple convection current,” Zane explained, seeing the question on my face. “I’m just making some of the air warmer and it automatically moves up. I’m also containing it so it’s only around you.”
I nodded, feeling a lot better. I was, at that moment, very happy that my best friend was an alien.
When I was all dry just a few minutes later, I grinned. “I bet my hair looks lovely.”
Zane appeared in human form, laughing. He just wanted me to see his reaction to that one. When he got off the ground from laughing so hard, he said, “Well, I can fix that too.”
He held his hand up, and the air around my hair moved and styled it to look like normal. After a second, my hair felt like it always did. I was amazed, but then again, not really surprised. I knew Zane still had some surprises, but controlling air was something I’d gotten used to. Well, I wouldn’t say I was used to it. I just knew it could happen.
The tardy bell rang then.
I rushed up to Zane and gave him a quick hug. “Thank you,” I whispered, and I meant it. He’d saved me from being freezing and wet for hours.
I was back in the hallway before he could reply.
“Amy,” Mari said, coming up beside me.
I rolled my eyes and scowled. I hurried to my locker and grabbed my backpack and the right textbooks for the next two hours.
“I heard you came to school looking like a drowned cat.” Mari continued, acting conversational. She talked just as if she were saying a dog had a nose or that an apple had a stem.
When I didn’t say anything, she pulled out her phone and showed me a picture of what I’d looked like this morning. Except, the problem was, it was tweaked so I had a black tooth and nerd glasses. It was really the most stupid thing I’d ever seen. I mean… who did that anymore? It was one of the oldest and least effective things out there.
That was when I laughed. It started off slowly, barely audibly, and then it was like a dam bursting. I was clutching my sides and tears were streaming down my cheeks.
Mari looked stunned. That was not the reaction she’d wanted.
I walked away from her, still laughing.
I made it to my seat right as the bell rang. I really had been cutting it close lately. I’d never been tardy before, but I was getting really close to it.
***
When I got home that night, I put my backpack by the door and went upstairs to read.
Zane had said earlier that he would be gone, so I knew I’d have a few hours, or even days, to myself—I never could tell how long he’d be gone.
After an hour of peaceful reading, my dad yelled for me to come downstairs, and he didn’t sound like he just wanted to have a quick chat. He sounded mad.
My hands shook as I placed the bookmark in my book. He hadn’t spoken to me since he’d slapped me that last time, and I wasn’t really looking forward to chatting with him again.
I knew that, even though he hurt me last time, I was still going to stick up for myself. I told myself this as I got up out of bed.
When he called for me again, angrier this time, I sprinted down the stairs and skidded to a stop by the front door, where he was standing with his arms crossed. He looked irritated.
His face was red with anger and annoyance when he pointed to my backpack. It was next to the door, just like it usually was. “Why is this in front of the door?” he asked.
I crossed my arms, defensive. “It’s not in front of the door; it’s beside it.”
He scowled. “Then why is it beside the door?” His voice was getting louder, and he was getting angrier.
I scowled right back. I didn’t know what was making me so brave, but I went with it. “It’s always there. It’s easier to just set it down when I get home.”
He sighed, acting like I was a stupid idiot for thinking like that. “Can I just come home and set my junk next to the door all willy-nilly?”
I smiled at his language but immediately got it off my face. It would irritate him even more if he saw me smiling. “You could if you wanted to,” I muttered, “but since when do you even leave the house?” I looked at my backpack. “It’s not junk, either. It’s my backpack.”
That was when I felt his fist collide with cheek. He hit me so hard… I was standing one minute and, the next second, I was on the floor, covering my cheek.
“Don’t talk to me like that!” Dad screamed. Mom wasn’t home to stop him this time. “Anything I say goes. Do you understand me?”
I was in so much trouble.
He grabbed my hair and forced me to my feet. I squealed from the pain, but I didn’t think he noticed. “Do you understand me?”
When I didn’t reply, he yanked my hair again, and this time he made sure it hurt while he had it in h
is iron fist.
“Go to your room and stay there. You hear me?” he screamed.
I nodded, not able to talk. He just kept pulling my hair…
Then he shoved me in the direction of the stairs, releasing my hair. I fell to the ground, not having any balance, but I eventually made it upstairs.
I shut the door and locked it. Then I lay down on my bed and just cried.
Dad…
He didn’t used to be like that. He used to just never acknowledge me, or would sometimes tell me when I was doing something wrong. Over the years, he’d made it more of a mission to verbally make me feel like crap. Now… he’d picked up on hitting me.
I began to shake even harder at the thought of him hurting me again.
Zane was suddenly there. He didn’t say anything, just hugged me to him and let me cry on his shoulder.
“Are you okay?” he asked after a few minutes. I noticed that he didn’t ask what happened first. He’d asked if I was okay before anything else mattered.
I shook my head.
He pushed my hair from my face and looked at my cheek. He gently brushed his fingers over it. “A bruise is forming.” I noticed his eyes flashed to black, but he got himself under control.
I nodded. I had a feeling it would end up bruised.
He sighed, looking a little upset. “Did…” He paused. “Your dad…” He stopped again and swallowed, forcing the words out. “Did he do this?”
I nodded.
He winced. “Can I ask why?”
I shrugged. I didn’t know why he did; I only knew that he did.
“Are you going to be okay?” Zane asked a minute later. He seemed kind of worried that I’d become mute again.
I shrugged again. I didn’t want to lie and say yes, but I didn’t want to upset him and say no.
He nodded, knowing what I was saying. I wasn’t okay, and I didn’t know if I would be for a while. My father had hit me.
“I don’t know what happened,” I said suddenly, letting it all just spill out as I cried. “I was in here, reading, and he yelled for me. He said my backpack shouldn’t have been by the door. I told him it was no big deal, and that it didn’t matter, but… he just kept getting more and more angry. Finally, he just punched me. Then he pulled me to my feet using my hair.” I shivered. The sobs soon followed.
Zane’s face showed his horror. “I can’t believe he would do that.”
I nodded. “He’s hit me once before. It was a few weeks ago. He’s been getting worse, though. He’s always getting worse.”
Zane sighed. “He shouldn’t be hitting you.” He closed his eyes, but not before I saw that they had become black again. “I want to just go and bust his face,” he admitted, but it was calmly. “I’m so angry, I can taste it.” He got himself back under control again a minute later.
After a few more minutes, I broke the silence. “I’m done with people messing with me.” I shook my head. “I’ve let people push me around my entire life, and I’m done with it. It’s time to stand up for myself.”
Suddenly, Zane smiled, looking a little better. “That’s good to hear.”
I smiled a barely-there smile, but it was still a smile. “There’s always some good news, even in the bad… usually…” I paused. “Sometimes,” I said finally.
He laughed, but it didn’t have its usual cheerfulness. “Exactly,” he agreed.
We stayed up watching television, a distraction for me.
I finally got to hear his normal laugh, and not that sad one. I also forgot about what Dad had just done.
I was just Amy, hanging out with my best friend.
I smiled at the thought. I had a best friend.
It was funny how something so seemingly unimportant can make life so much better.
Even if I died thanks to Andrew, I knew that Zane really did save me. He saved me from myself, and from the jerks around me.
Zane was what made life more livable.
Chapter 6
It was Friday at lunch that I finally did what I told Zane I would do.
I had only two more days until my birthday, so I’d decided to actually go to the cafeteria and get my lunch there. I’d just wanted to have hot food for once, even brought cash.
So… this was what happened…
I’d just gotten my tray of food when a leg appeared in front of my legs, tripping me.
I landed right on my lunch.
My cheek also banged on the floor, making me wince but not cry out, since that would just show that I was hiding a bruise.
I got to my feet, feeling the ketchup and mustard seeping through my t-shirt. I scrunched my eyebrows together when I realized that I’d worn my favorite t-shirt.
Mari looked shocked. “Oh, I’m so sorry!” she said, but I could see her eyes had a victorious glint to them. She also looked like she was trying not to smile as she stared at my ruined shirt.
I picked up the tray and put it with the stack of dirty ones. Like I’d said to Zane, I was done.
I looked back at Mari, fuming. “You know, I’ve never done anything to you. Why are you messing with me?”
She looked shocked at the sound of my voice, but she collected herself quickly. “Oh, wow, the mime finally speaks!” she screamed, clapping her hands.
The cafeteria was silent now; no one had ever heard me speak before, and they’d assumed I was mute or something. I could hear a few muttered words and some laughs.
I shook my head. “Do you know the reason I never spoke to you?” I asked.
She shrugged, grinning. “I don’t really care.” She looked around the room once, trying to see what the expressions of everyone around us before looking at me again. “I’m just glad that I was the one that got you to talk, and with so many witnesses!”
I smiled mockingly. I mimicked the voice she used when she was trying to be sweet. “I don’t talk to brainless monkeys like you.” I looked around at all the students. “I never liked talking to begin with, and then you made it a little game to see who could make Amy Saunders speak! Oh, wait; you probably didn’t use my name, since you don't even know me.” I shrugged. “Let’s see who can get ‘the freak’ to talk. Was that what you spread around the school? What was the prize, Mari?”
Her face turned red. She tried to hide it, but I could sense her embarrassment.
I laughed. “Oh, I didn’t think you could even blush with all that make-up on your face!” I turned away from her. “Don’t mess with me, Mari. I’m done taking it.”
I pictured the carton of milk in her hands opening and spewing it all over her.
I looked at my feet, and that was when I heard Mari squeal. When I looked back at her, I saw the milk all over her face and Tommy Carter standing next to her.
He probably just knocked into her.
I started to walk away when I remembered something.
I turned my head back in her direction one more time as I walked away. “They say that the people that know the most about everyone around them are the silent observers. I wouldn’t push one if I were you.”
As I walked away, I tried to get Mari's stunned, horrified expression out of my head.
By the afternoon, it was all over the school; the school weirdo had talked after four years of silence. Everyone was also talking about what I’d said to Mari… but not really in a good way.
Apparently, the entire school thought that someone had told me about the contest Mari had been holding ever since freshman year. Actually, the contest was to see who could get ‘the freak’ to talk; I nailed it! They were now trying to find out who told me about it, not realizing that the word does get around, even to me.
As I said, the silent observers know the most secrets, and they know more about others than everyone would like to think.
***
“I heard you finally stood up for yourself,” Zane said as I was walking home. He’d been absent, leaving right before lunch. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there.”
I shrugged. “It doesn’t
matter—you wouldn’t have been able to do anything.
“What happened?”
I smiled. “Mari tripped me when I got my lunch tray, and I told her off in front of the entire cafeteria.
After a minute, he spoke again. “I’m proud of you.”
I blushed from his unexpected praise. “Thanks, Zane.”
“I’m going to be gone for a few more hours,” Zane said after another minute.
I nodded. I was used to him having to leave to go do more important stuff. I just continued walking and tried not to think about it.
It never even crossed my mind to ask what it was he was doing when he would leave. I figured it had something to do with me, so I really didn’t want to know. Also, it was his business, and if he didn’t want me to know, then I wouldn’t push him on it.
I noticed that Dad’s car wasn’t in the driveway, making me pause outside the house, but I just shrugged. If he was gone, I could relax for a bit.
When I got inside, I immediately went to the bathroom to rub off all of the make-up I’d put on that morning to cover the bruise on my cheek. I’d been glad it hadn’t been raining again.
After I was rid of all that, I went back up to my room. I took my backpack with me this time, and I got out a book to read.
“Are you sure you’re going to be okay?” Zane asked suddenly. He’d been so silent up until that point that I’d thought he’d already left.
I jumped a bit. “I’ll be fine. Dad isn’t here, so no one will be here to hurt or ignore me.”
“Okay, but I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“Why?” I asked. I shrugged. “You’ve never been this uptight before. You’re kind of scaring me.”
I felt the air shift, as if he were laughing silently. “I sincerely apologize.” I rolled my eyes as he continued. “I just have this terrible feeling…”
I shook my head, smiling a bit. “I’ll be completely fine, Zane.”
“I’ll be back.”
Then I felt alone, like he’d left.
I shrugged and went to my book.
I laughed at a funny part; the girl had just announced on national television that she was the one that had yelled at the prince, saying that he was shallow and couldn’t get a date.
That was when I heard the car pull into the driveway.
I looked out my window and saw the unfamiliar car. It confused me, so I went downstairs to see who it was.
The doorbell rang when I was right next to the front door.
