I begin to unfold it, when I notice that the nurse is leaning closer and closer. I suppose the curiosity was getting to her. I look up at her, and she looks down to me. She realizes what she is doing and says “Oops, I’m sorry.”

I respond ” It’s ok.” She walks away and I unfold the letter.

Hello, Magenta L.

I figured out your name when I had to look for your id. Sorry I didn’t help you when you fell, you rolled out of nowhere, I wasn’t even sure how you managed to fall.

*Stops reading the letter, blushes and thinks ‘Oh damn, I must have given the impression of being a total klutz’ face-palms herself. Continues to read.

I am really infatuated by you and I have an odd request, I would like to get to know you…However I can’t directly. So I spoke to the nurse and she agreed to be our little bird so that we may talk to each other via notes.

Hope to hear from you soon, Jorge B.

PS. (Yes I finally found out your name, since I had to get your id from your backpack to give to the nurse)

I fold the paper back and just sit there in shock. No boy had ever given me a note that said he liked me. No boy had ever really payed attention to me. And now, all of this was happening to me. Love. Well the possibility of love. He was cute and it’s true that I felt my heart yearn to leap for him. But I don’t know him. It’s my first day I know nothing of the clicks or of where I belong. I haven’t even met all of my teachers yet.

Then I stop, catching myself. Wait so, I’m thinking of staying here? after everything that happened? Just for that boy?

I look up at the clock and realize the time. It’s 30 minutes before the end of the last class of the day. I turn myself to get off the bed, look around for my things, spot them and get out of bed. I stand and wobble, balance myself out, and begin to walk as normally as possible. I make it through the hall and I don’t see the nurse. I continue to walk and hear a “Woah, what are you doing?”

I turn to my side and see the nurse. I reply, “I’m going back to class since I’m awake now. I can still make the last 30 minutes”. Checking the clock on the wall.

She walks towards me and says “Look I know you had a long day, the bruises I examined show it. And if that boy had anything to do with them then I advise you to stay away from him”, she says to me worriedly.

“No! No, it’s not like that at all. Today is my first day of school and I met him this morning. He has been helping me out all day today” I reply.

She says “Well, that would explain why I couldn’t find you in our system. We actually had about 10 students who all started today, its the damnedest thing actually.”

I look at her, a bit surprisingly since she cursed, and a bit confused as to why she would tell me this information. Then she continues “So, you might as well just stay here and rest. There really is no point of you going back to class with that leg and then have to come back this way to go home.”

I ask her, “Is that really ok? Shouldn’t you be more strict and send me anyway?” She replies with “Meh, anyways follow me”.

She leads me to her office and takes a seat, and offers me a seat as well. I sit down and look around. I see many certificates, pictures, and posters. Then I look at her and she is already looking at me. Her eyes make me nervous.

I ask her ” So, Nurse…. I’m sorry I didn’t quite get your name. Do I just call you nurse?”

Whatever deep thought she was in she snaps out of it and looks at me, smiles and says “Nurse Sherry, My full name is Sherrin, but my friends call me Sherry. Like cherry, but with a sh sound rather than a ch sound”.

I look at her with a face that looks like I’m saying seriously and say “Ok, so nurse Sherry. Ummmm, what do you do for fun outside of working here?”

“Huh, no one’s ever asked me that before…. hmmm let me think” she says. At first I wait with anticipation and then after a minute or two I sit back and wait.

Then she yells “I got it!” I prop up. “When I’m not here I like to learn as much as I can about old legends.”

“Oh really? That sounds really interesting. What’s the most interesting legend you have come across?” I ask.

“Oh there are so many, but I would narrow it down to two legends.”

“Why two?” I ask.

“Because they both deal with you Magenta” she replies.

It’s my mom setting up the table! Before I get a chance to run to her and hug her, I hear “Yum, smells delicious! You outdid yourself dear”.

I turn to that voice and it’s my dad! Holding my baby brother. I begin to cry and my parents ask “What’s wrong honey?”

I mutter through my tears “I missed you all so much”.

They both look at each other and chuckle and my brother coos. My mom replies “Oh, honey you were only outside for 5 minutes” she smiles her sweet smile and continues “Did you find all the fire wood you need for the bonfire so that we can make s’mores?”

Instinctively I say yes, and then I begin to remember more. “Actually mom, can we do it in the fire pit inside? All of the sticks are kinda wet” I ask, and dad replies “that actually sounds much better hun, that way the house is warm for my cousin and his wife”.

For a moment I feel relieved and I smile and eat. Then the lights flicker and a storm hits outside. I look out the window and see a lightning strike a tree nearby. Fascinated by it I get my coat and go outside. It’s raining, but not pouring. As I make my way to the fire, I feel as if it is calling out to me, so I run to the fire and when I get there I am mesmerized by it. It’s as if it wants me to touch it. I reach out my hand and it’s almost as if I can hold it in my hand. A little heartbeat.

Then I hear my father calling for me. I turn around and face towards the cabin and lighting hits it. I see fire and smoke coming from the direction of the cabin. I walk to the cabin. Then I hear mom scream at dad to go get the baby. Then I start to run to the cabin and i see through the open front door that she goes to get the fire extinguisher but it’s stuck. I begin to run and yell mommy! Daddy! Another bolt hits and the cabin blows. The force of the explosion pushes me back and I fall. I open my eyes and all I see are chars.

I call out for mom. No answer.

I call out for dad. No answer.

I call out for my brother. No baby noises. I look around flames are still up.

Then I hear a voice calling my name. I turn around and yell “Mom?”

It’s not my mom. It’s my aunt and uncle. I blank out and then there are ambulances and helicopters. I remember my uncle talking to the police. My aunt talking to a medic. I am just sitting there and in that chaos I hear, “nuuuuaaaaa” very faintly.

I look up and try to see where that noise is coming from. I get up and walk around. Then my aunt comes to me and asks ” Is everything ok?”

“I heard Damian, aunty”. I keep looking around and then my uncle comes over. He says something to my aunt. Then he asks me “What are you doing?”

“I heard Damian, uncle”. I look up at them. They look at each other. Then look back down at me.

“I’m sorry Magenta. But you couldn’t have heard your brother. Or your mother. Or your dad. They are all gone”. I begin to whimper and say “but I heard him, I did”.

“Don’t start crying over spilled milk Magenta, they are in a better place now. Be happy that they get to be in heaven” Aunty says. I obey. I had always obeyed and they treated me so…

With tears in my eyes, I close them and then wake up in a bed, the walls a pale blue. I sit up and I see a tear fall unto my skirt. I wipe away my tears and think to myself. It’s been so long since I had that dream. I bring my knees in to my chest even though it hurts. I hold myself. I sit there and think in disbelief that it has 10 years since the death of my family. I take a deep breath and think they left me alone with those people, i snap out of it and tell myself that I am no longer with them, I wont let this get me down, I need to be happy for them. I look around and that’s when it hits me that the guy isn’t anywhere.

Then I hear “Glad to see that you are up”.

I turn my head and I see the nurse. “What happened?” I ask.

“Well, I sent the young man who carried you back to his classroom. He insisted that he stay here until you woke up, but seeing how asleep you were and in what condition you were in i wasn’t sure when that would be. Oh! and before he left, he told me to give this to you”. She hands me a letter. Blushingly  I take it.

I thought about how he helped me the first time and of how now, I felt disappointed. He didn’t have to help me, but because of how nice he was…, I guess I expected to much. Struggling, I was able to stand and I debated on whether I should go to the nurses office… across campus… or just stay here to be discovered by a supervisor so that they could help me. While I waited to make up my mind I thought about the crazy day I was having. What did I do in a past life to merit so much pain and awkwardness on this first day of school for me?

After waiting a few minutes, all the students were now in class, I decided to try. After trying to walk and only managing to limp, I stopped to massage my thigh. After straightening myself out I felt an arm around my back and another scooping me up. Immediately my mind raced to the monster and that guy who saved me, so I instinctively went to punch whoever it was in the face, but he let go of my legs held me close, my feet dangling over the ground and stopped my punch. I couldn’t believe it, it was him!

At first he just held my right sprained wrist in his hand and held me up with his other arm. I look at him confused, and then I notice our situation and try to use my free arm to push him away and then struggle to push my right arm as well. Which turned out to be a bad idea and I let out a meek “augh”.

He lets me go, and using my leg that doesn’t hurt I hold my balance and I just look at him. He faces me and then looks away. I hop to meet his gaze and blushingly he looks at me. I feel my heart almost melt. I begin to feel a warm sensation and quickly snap out of it as his eyes remind me that he let me fall. I look down-left towards the ground and limp towards my things. I can feel him looking at me and then realizing what I am doing he darts towards my things and says “let me help you”.

I look at him with confused squinted eyes and respond “I appreciate your help this morning, and your lack of help with the stairs, but I don’t need your help”.

I grab my stuff and attempt to put my backpack on. He grabs it at mid-swing and holds it. He smoothly says “I wasn’t asking”.

He swipes my backpack down, and lunges it over his shoulder. He steps in close and I lean back. My strong leg in front and the weak one in the back I think ‘oh shit’, as I loose my balance. He maneuvers his arms around me and just as quickly scoops me up bridal style and says “I’m taking you to the nurses office”.

As he begins to walk with me in his arms, a very weak wind blows through and the few leaves that remain on the dried up trees fall. I look up at him and I see his hair flow. I grab my skirt to hold it down. I take a deep breath to calm myself from this crazy day and I smell him. I look around and there aren’t a lot of people out and about. The thought crosses my mind that maybe he doesn’t want to be noticed either. Looking at him I think maybe that’s why when I reached out for help he stopped himself. I turn my head forwards in the direction we are heading and I see our reflection on the doors of a hallway we need to cross to get to the other side of campus. We look… perfect. The image changes a bit and all of a sudden I’m in a white dress and he is in a tux. Shocked and embarrassed that this thought came into my mind out of no where, I turn back to align my head with my body and close my eyes.

I can hear his heartbeat, I can smell him, I feel his arms wrapping me. It’s too much comfort in one blow that slowly I fall asleep!

I open my eyes but I’m not in school anymore, the thought of being in school makes no sense. I’m in the forest, I have seen this forest before. I walk thru some trees and I find a cabin. My heart sinks. I know this cabin. I don’t want to go into that cabin. My heart hurts and I begin to tear up. Then like a miracle the sun comes up. I hear my name, “come here!”

I begin to walk towards the words. “Dinner is ready, come eat”.

 

 

I walked towards the Language building in this school, but noticed that everyone else was leisurely going about heading towards the cafeteria. I looked around and it dawns on me, its lunch time! After the whole escapade, time had passed and it was now lunch time. I looked at the bell schedule and sure enough 3rd period and 4th period were over!

How could this be? I walked towards the cafeteria, and not paying attention to where I was going, I bump into this very tall, athletic African-American girl. I quickly apologize and look at her face. She had the smoothest almost caramel colored complexion I had ever seen. Gawking at her I muttered “wow you are very pretty”.

She “tsh”s at me and turns back around and ignores me. Right away my attitude changes and I go around her and continue on my way. Finally in line for food, I start feeling proud of myself for not becoming too noticeable today. Then that thought quickly decimates, as i realize that I hadn’t been doing a good job at keeping a low profile. First, I bump into that boy; whose name I don’t know; then I almost befriend that blue girl, then I get attacked and I’m saved by a mysterious boy, and lastly, just now I bump into a beautiful black wavy haired girl.

I get to the front of the line and get my food, I go outside and sit in the middle of the quad perfectly visible in case anything happens, and perfectly invisible to everyone else who are just focusing on their group conversations.

I begin to munch on my cheeseburger and nearly gag. I look down and notice that the burger has pickles. I very modestly spit out the piece I bit and open my burger to take out the pickles. I take another bite and I just can’t bring myself to eat it. The taste of pickle is too much. So I drink my milk and eat my carrots with ranch. When I’m done I get up to walk around and listen to different conversations. Since I am still a nobody, no one should pay too much attention to me walking around and eavesdropping.

“So she did do it?!” girl 1.

“Totes did! I cant believe how big of a slut she is!” girl 2

“Well heres hoping she gets pregnant and you become home coming queen!” girl 3

The bell rings, I get up and the girls get startled. I guess they didn’t realize I was here. But as soon as they see that I’m the new girl, their shocked faces turn to whatever faces and they get up and go. All I can think to myself is trivial, stupid and trivial. They worry about things that wont matter in the future. With my map in hand I make way to history class. I look around and there are some fun-loving people here at the school. People playing sports like soccer, girls already forming study groups and exchanging numbers. It feels like everyone has someplace were they fit in and are welcomed. But not me.

As I begin to ascend the stairs I hear a commotion and as I continue to climb, someone yells “watch out!”

I turn around and I see a soccer ball coming towards me. I maneuver myself quickly and do a high round kick to kick the ball back to the boys playing soccer. Once again eyes are on me. I make a full turn to continue my path up the stairs, only to slip on someone’s uneaten cheeseburger. As my right foot slides to the left, my body unable to balance itself begins to fall to the right. This time there is no one to catch me. I hit my hip on the edge of the stair I was on and as I’m about to roll down the 5 stairs that I climbed I am stopped by some legs. Now on my back facing up, with my shirt twisted and my skirt raised to expose my bruised outer thigh, I look up and I can’t believe my freaken luck. It’s the guy from this morning, the one who i bumped into. Without moving, for fear of me rolling down, he bent over a little, our eyes met and asked “are you ok?”

Gruntingly I responded ” yes I’m ok” and extended my hand so that he could help me get up. And for a split second it looked as if he was going to reach down to grab it, but then he stepped over me and continued to go up the stairs. Once he moved the only leg holding me up, with a shocked face I looked down at the stairs and rolled down. I rotated 2 times and hit the floor landing on my bruised side. I couldn’t help but groan in pain, and using the momentum I sat up. I held my thigh and as he turned to continue upstairs he looked at me and I looked at him.

 

 

 

“Leave her alone and face me Bullfrog!”

I turn to see where that voice is coming from. I look up and I am blinded by a light reflected from a window nearby and I raise my hand to shield my eyes. I can make out a figure… jumping from the building? And soon I hear those words again. “I said leave her alone and face me Bullfrog!”

I wipe the tears from my eyes and look at this person in front of me. Yes, he is a person, and he is helping me. It’s a he… and he looks like that guy from before… I batter my eyes and take a better look. It’s not that guy from before, he’s not wearing the uniform. I examine him as much as I am able to, and I can feel my eyes going fuzzy. Why is he holding…an orange!?  I hear Bullfrog yell “you got lucky girl!”

And then disappears. I cant believe this wacko holding an orange was able to save my life. Soon my body is engulfed with fear. If that scary looking Bullfrog thing was scared of this guy then… maybe I should be worried too! What if they were fighting because I am food!? As the mysterious man chased after bullfrog by leaping to the top of the building, I make sure to grab my things. But, no later than having my things ready to go; this guy came back to the spot where he was, facing where I no longer was. I quietly sneak away and think to myself why is he is still holding that stupid orange?

No sooner had I finished my thought, he turned around and asked “are you all right?”

I stopped, and before I could turn around to give him my thanks he continues “and its not an orange for your information, it’s a ball of fi…”.

I couldn’t help but whimper a little and run away. How did he know that I was thinking that? How could he possibly know!? I could hear him say “hey wait!… do you know a girl nam…..?”

I didn’t slow down to hear the rest because I felt that he was trying to reach me. I finally reached the other side of this gigantic school and went inside of the girls restroom. Finally at peace, and with no foreseeable danger nearby I took a deep breath and carefully set my backpack on a hook and proceeded to take off my shirt. It was a bloody mess.

Luckily I always carried a spare after the countless incidents I had in my other school. Before taking it out of my backpack I walked towards the mirror and rinsed my face with water to clear the blood and sweat off of my eyes. As I patted my face dry, I noticed a figure at the window and quickly turned around. There was no one there. I turned back facing the mirror and closed my eyes recollecting and examining the events that had just transpired.

Then getting the feeling of being watched but oddly enough not the feeling of being in danger, I turned around and looked again and heard… mumbles? No, not mumbles lyrics to some old song? It had a very soothing melody and I found myself singing along to it. I guess I started singing louder or something because as soon as I did the voice stopped and listened. Once I didn’t hear the song I stopped too and that feeling of being watched went away. I turned to the mirror and started to carefully wipe away the blood from my other wounds.

After the first wipe, I noticed there was no scar, no scratch, no sign of anything wrong! How could this be?! What the hell is going on?! How could I get attacked? How could no one notice? How could I feel so close to death only to show that nothing was wrong with me?! Could it all have been in my head? Am I loosing my mind? I turned to my backpack to get my new shirt and on the sink I notice the blood stained shirt and lunged for it. This all did happen. I held the sullen shirt in my hand, this is the proof.

Something wierd is going on at this school and I’m not sure that I want to stay enrolled to find out what it is. As I took out my new shirt I put the stained one in my backpack. Staring at my shirt the events kept racing through my mind. Why wasn’t I as freaked out? Most people wouldn’t have snapped out of it and fought, I think that most would have been too scared to do anything. So why did I? I had never seen myself as courageous or brave, and yet I fought to live. I heard the bell rang and quickly put on my shirt and walked out as calmly as possible.