by 33 authors
She stared at the words and was tempted to ignore them, but this has been her bestie since birth and her only one true friend who never saw any fault in her and was there when she and her family learned that terrible news about her having breast cancer.
Ky_wuz_hur: Yeah, I’m here.
Ana_knowz_you: Thank the gods. *hugz* you never answered my texts anymore. I thought you died or something?
Ky_wuz_hur: *hugs* I am so sorry, bestie. This whole thing has been so hard. I can’t even fathom coming back to school.
Ana_knowz_you: You can do it. I’ll be there for you. When are you coming back again?
Kyan hesitated to tell her own best friend, but taking a deep breath, her fingers moved along the keys.
Ky_wuz_hur: Next Monday. I have this week to ready myself. So, how are things with you and the boyfriend?
Ana_knowz_you: We’re great. Oh and FYI, he has a friend who is so crushing on you. I know you’ve seen him with his friend and never gave him a look, but come on. This one is like dedicated to you and by that I mean He would ask my guy all sorts of questions.
Ky_wuz_hur: Oh gods…Please tell me his friend doesn’t know what I had done? Please say he doesn’t know Ana. L
Ana_knowz_you: Well…
Ky_wuz_hur: Anasazi PLEASE tell me that friend doesn’t know? You better tell me right now?
Ana_knowz_you: Yes…Yes he knows you had a Mastectomy. I told him personally and you know what he asked me?
Ky_wuz_hur: That he no longer has that crush on me? :’(
Ana_knowz_you: *shakes head* No. He asked me if there was anything he could do for you, but I told him you weren’t seeing anyone.
Ky_wuz_hur: We’ll see if he still likes me when I get back. I’m a total freak now and I don’t feel like the same person I once was. I even ended my friendship with those other friends I had. I just couldn’t handle them, bullying others any longer and now I have something for them to bully.
Ana_knowz_you: OMG! If I could, I would so be through this screen shaking the living daylights outta you, girl. You are perfectly fine. Yeah so you’re minus a boob. Who gives a fudge really? You should come back with your head held high with the look of “Yeah, it cost me a boob, but I beat breast cancer.”
Kyan stared at the screen. This was why she loved her best friend dearly. Anasazi didn’t care what you looked like or who you were. Too her you were still a person and she would defend anyone who got picked on. Tears threatened her eyes.
Ana_knowz_you: Hello? Ky? You there? Or am I now talking to myself? Oh hi Anasazi. How you today? I’m doing great Ana, thanks for asking? How are you doing, Anasazi? Great thanks for asking.
Ky_wuz_hur: LOL Shut up. I am here. But listen, I gotta go. I need to dry my hair.
Ana_knowz_you: Great! Care to share what you did with it?
Ky_wuz_hur: No. You’ll just have to wait till Monday. Are you picking me up?
Ana_knowz_you: Yeah, my guy and I will pick you up. His friend will be coming along too, because he wants to see you. We’ll be there by 7am.
Ky_wuz_hur: Okay great. See you then. Bye.
Ana_knowz_you: See you then. Bye.
She signed off the messenger and closed her laptop. Great, that friend was going to be coming too. Leaning her head back for a moment, she took a deep breath. She’d had a crush on said friend, but she was part of the popular crowd once. As soon as she was well enough the girl ended that part of her. She was no longer going to be like that. She’d been a wallflower ever since.
Moving the electronic off her lap and onto the bed, she got up and right on time Jani walked in. Smiling, Kyan brought her hands up to the towel she had on her head and took it off. Making sure it was all dry, grabbing her brush, she kept beside her bed and ran the bristles through those straight locks.
“O…M…G!” Jani stepped closer and touched it. “This color looks great on you.”
“Thanks.” She set the brush down.
“Mom wanted me to tell you that dinner is almost ready, 'kay?” she went to the door.
“I’ll be down there,” she told her.
With a nod, Jani left her room. Left alone once again, her thoughts went to the friend who had the crush on her. She had a secret crush on him as well. Her so called friends would pick on him because he looked more feminine than masculine, but that didn’t matter to her at all.
* * *
The weekend went by in a blur. She stood in the kitchen finishing her orange juice. Once done she put it in the sink and went to the living room, where she found her mother. Kissing the woman on the head, she spoke.
“Bye mom. I’ll see you later. Love you.”
“Bye sweetheart. Have a good day.”
“You, too.” The young girl picked up her pink, white, black plaid backpack and was out the door. Her top was pink with a rainbow on it the tank sleeve had ruffles on it, she smoothed out her pink and white plaid skirt which she wore black shorts under it. In her hair was a double pink bow. On top was a light pink and behind it was a dark pink.
She saw a car coming down the street. It was a Honda, gunmetal gray and it stopped right in front of her house. She walked down the walkway and got into the back seat.
“You look wonderful. Oh gods, look at your hair. It’s wonderful.” Anasazi Adams, her best friend, said.
“Thank you.”
“It brings out the blue of your eyes.” The voice came from her left side.
Her blue stare looked on the other and all she could think was Oh gods, he’s on the left side of me. He’ll be able to tell.
“Your hair…With the dark pink on top and the ends with the light pink. They really bring out your eyes.”
“Kyan, this is my best friend and cousin Pays Kwak, Pays formally meet Kyan Overton.” Ceres Hwang, Ana’s boyfriend, spoke up.
They both gave shy smiles to each other as the car drove off to school. She kept her hands in her lap, moving her left arm into her a bit more, so he wouldn’t notice anything.
“Here.” Pays voice was soft.
She turned her head and saw something in his hand. “What is it?”
A blush tinted his cheeks pink. “I made you a bracelet. Anasazi told me your favorite color is pink. So I made this friendship bracelet with three kinds of pinks. There is neon pink, light pink and a dark pink.”
Her hand went to touch it. “It’s lovely.”
“May I put it on your wrist?”
Without a word Kyan held her arm up for him and watched as he placed it on there and tied it on. She stared at it and thought it was the nicest thing anyone has ever done for her. Her own face turned a light shade of pink. The strands of pink were braided together and one of them had glitter in them or something, because it sparkled like glitter.
“Thank you.”
Up front Anasazi leaned into Ceres and whispered. “I thought he was going to ask her out?”
Her boyfriend stopped at a light. “So did I. Or that’s what he told me. Pays must be nervous. You know he’s been shot down by girls, because they see his beauty as a threat.”
Sitting up right again, she gave a soft giggle. It was true. Pays didn’t have luck with the girls. At all.
The whole car was quiet till they got to school. Pays opened his door, got his school bag and then held his hand out to Kyan who just stared at his hand for a second. She was going to reject the offer, but didn’t want to hurt his feelings. Scooting closer to his door she took his hand, making sure the front of her was partially covered. As she was out, she was face to face with Pays and it looked like they were going to kiss.
The girl smiled at him. “Thank you.” As she went to get her backpack, Pays was already bending in the car and came out with her pack.
“Here?” he helped her slide it onto her shoulders.
“Um…Thanks.”
The half Korean boy blushed. “It’s no problem. Um…I better get going.”
“Yeah…Me too.”
“See you at lunch? With Ceres and Anasazi?” he asked.
/> “Uh? Yeah. Okay. Lunch.”
“See you then. Bye.” Pays started walking with Ceres.
* * *
“Dude.” Ceres snorted.
Pays just kept his head forward. “What?”
“Yo, cousin. Stop walkin’ and talk to me.”
“What is there to talk about? Kyan doesn’t seem interested in me or she’s threatened of my looks.”
Ceres placed a hand on his forehead. “Look, cuz. It’s a hard surgery for any girl to go through. Doesn’t matter what her age is. She doesn’t feel like a full woman in her opinion. So she’s not threatened by you. Trust me on this. You know I’m right, because I’ve been through this before myself and so have you.”
Pays stared at his older cousin. “Yeah, I know.”
“So don’t give up. The bracelet and getting her backpack for her was a good start, my man. Don’t give up and remember to give her time.”
The young man nodded his head and both boys headed to where there first classroom was.
Meanwhile walking to their first period class, Anasazi was shaking her head. There was a perfect chance for Pays to ask her best friend out and he didn’t take it. It was probably because he assumed she was threatened by his metro sexual looks.
“Girl, you should have made a move. My guy’s cousin is so into you.” Ana broke the silence between them.
Kyan looked up from her paper she had taken out. “What?”
Sighing, Ana put an arm around her bestie. “Pays? The one who gave you the bracelet and got your bag for you? Hello?”
“Oh, yes.” Her face flushed red again. She liked him and always had liked him, but she was popular and what would others think of that?
“Ky, you’re killing me. I know you like him too. Give him a chance. I would say if we married them we’d be sisters, but they are cousins, so we’d be cousin-in-laws, but we’d be family none the less.”
She stopped walking and looked at the only other person she could be honest with besides her mother and sister. “Look, An…” she paused. “I really like him. I do, but look at me. How is he ever going to like me? I’m only half a girl.” Tears stung her eyes.
Ana hugged her. “It’ll be okay. He adores you and thinks you’re beautiful. If he didn’t like you he wouldn’t have given you a gift that he made himself and only a gentleman gets your bag for you.”
“I’ll think about it.” She said in her ear.
“I may not know how you exactly feel, but I’m here for you. It must be strange to have only one boob.” replied Ana.
Tears slid down the girl’s face. “It feels so strange. I only feel like I’m half of who I use to be. That’s the one only way I can explain it. I was so rude to other kids and this was my punishment.”
“Don’t think that. It happens. My grandmother died from Breast Cancer and I went nuts. You are the strongest woman I know of. Look at it this way. You beat it, but only in a different way. You can always get breast implants. Some women do that.”
“No…If he…If Pays is going to love me, then he’s going to love what I have left.”
Smiling Anasazi brushed back her friend’s pink strands. “Damn straight he is and if he doesn’t then he’ll answer to me.”
The morning classes went by fast. Kyan wasn’t even sure what she learned. Thank god for Ceres and Anasazi. She was in classes with both of them and knew that they’d let her copy their notes. It was strange being back at school. During all the classes kids were looking at her and she thought about calling her mom and faking sick, but no, she would face this day through. She’d been hiding since her surgery. She didn’t even see or talk to her so called friends who probably bullied kids extra in her absence.
She had a lot to think about. The way she was before the cancer and surgery. What she came up with, was how much of a bitch she was and the now pink haired girl was going to change that. Her so called friends never knew she had cancer. All that was said to them was that she was really sick and that was it. They didn’t need to know everything. She never felt comfortable in the popular crowd, even though she was “part of”.
Her left arm was nudged, but her blue eyes remained straight ahead.
“Hey, Ky. It’s time for lunch. C’mon.”
It was Ceres and what period was she in? Oh yeah, it was history. How she hated history. Looking up at the now standing half-Korean young man, she wondered how he could even stand to be around her with who she used to be.
“You okay, Ky?” he asked.
Getting her backpack and shoving papers in it, she got up. “Yeah. Totally fine. I’m starving.”
“Great. I’m sure my girl and cuz saved us a spot in the amphitheater. So let’s go buy us some lunch girl.” Ceres held his arm out. “Shall we?”
“Of course.” She smiled and looped her arm into his and they walked out of the room and down the crowded open hallway.
“And no need to buy your lunch today. I’ll treat you. So as of right now you’re money is no good with me.” He tugged her forward before she could protest.
* * *
Kyan sat her bag on the ground, sitting on the end of a steel bench; she crossed her right leg over her left and took her lunch from Ceres. The boy sat on the bench in front of her, bringing his feet through the space between the seat and the back rest. Anasazi had done the same thing, both of their lunches beside them and next to Ky was Pays sitting on top of the back rest.
“You guys wanna do something after school?” Ceres cut through the silence.
The pink haired girl shifted a bit. “I can’t. I have school work to catch up on and half of it I don’t even understand.”
“No sweat. I can help you.” Pays chimed.
The pink haired girl froze. Could she stand being alone with him? She was half a girl now and really how could she handle being around him? “Um…” Ky picked at her food, her blue eyes met brown as Ana mouthed the word ‘Yes’. “Sure. I could use the help.”
“Is that you Kyan?” a girl’s voice said.
She groaned. Why did she have to be spotted by them? “Yes.” Her sapphire eyes looked up into hazel ones as she looked at her ex-friends.
Her two former friends stared at her. They even started whispering to each other where they could only hear. They studied her closely. This girl had the same face, the same eyes and voice as their friend, but was it really her? With that long pink hair and wearing that punk style outfit?
“Is it really you? And what the hell are you wearing? Did these losers do something to you?” the boy said. “You know like brainwash you or something?”
“Exactly, because the girl we knew would never be caught dead in a punk outfit.” This brown haired girl had a disgusted expression on her face and proceeded to continue. “Yeah. Like you got one who we don’t even know if it’s a boy or girl, you got wacky over there.” As the valley girl, Shanna pointed at Anasazi and Pays. “Then you got him.” She jabbed her thumb at Ceres.
“I don’t even know what to say about him.” A boy named Robert crossed his arms. “And you never hung out with losers before.”
Kyan crossed her arms over her chest and stood up. “No. Nobody brainwashed me and this outfit was my own decision.” She paused. “I thought I told you guys that our friendship was over? And will you just stop it, please? God, I can’t stand you guys anymore and I really can’t believe I use to pick on others with you losers. Thinking you’re better than everyone else. Well I got news for you. You are not better than everyone else. Everyone is the same. Some may look different than others, but we’re all the same inside. Now just back off and leave us alone.” She went to reach for her bag.
Robert was furious. At the same time, he reached for Ky’s bag and snatched it up. “Do you want this freak?”
She froze in her place at the word freak. Does he know? No. They never knew about the cancer and didn’t know I had a breast removed. Or did they find out? As all the thoughts went through her mind, Kyan was pushed; as she stumbled backwards she went d
own on top of someone.
Pays didn’t think, he just reacted. As soon as Ky was pushed, he got to his feet but there was no time to angle himself so his head hit the bench as they went down, but he tried his best to keep Ky on top of him. He felt her stiffen as he realized where his right hand had touched and pulled back.
“Dude.” Ceres was pissed. “That was my fucking cousin.” He got in the other boy’s face and punched him square in the face.
“Bastard.” Robert dropped the backpack and jumped on Ceres. Both boys were on the ground throwing punching.
“Stop it.” Anasazi grabbed Robert’s coat and tried yanking him up, but it didn’t work.
Quickly a girl grabbed one of her shoulders spinning Ana around, but as she did a fist went flying into the other girl’s face colliding with her nose. “Ow.”
Anasazi just blinked. Did she really just punch a popular girl in the face? And why did it feel so good to do that? Ignoring the crying girl with blood running down her mouth and chin, she saw her bestie helping Pays sit on the bench and went back to where Ceres was now on top, but being pulled away by a teacher and the other being pulled up by another teacher.
“What is going on here?” the female teacher said.
Both boys were still fuming from the fight they didn’t finish. Ky was talking to the school nurse and filling her in on what happened to Pays and therefore it was up to her to tell the truth before one of the popular kids told a lie.
“Robert started it. He was picking on Kyan with the others, got her bag and pushed her. Pays caught her, but he whacked his head on the bench. Ceres was just defending Pays and I defended Ky by punching that annoying valley girl in the nose.” She glared over shoulder at the crying bleeding girl. “And I’d do it again without hesitation.”
The teachers huddled together whispering and the female spoke up. “All of you to the nurse’s office to get checked out. Now.”
Anasazi walked with Ceres, as she walked with Pays, her arm around his waist since he was a little unsteady. Once in the nurse’s office they all sat down, so she could look at the popular kids who were hurt. That way she could get them out first and check over the others.
