Chapter 9

I open my eyes to the world and they shift to my wall clock, it reads 4:00 am,

"Must've been really tired" I say to myself as I tussle my hair, I grab my bag and do my maths homework. It was just a couple of questions, no big deal.

As I put the book back In my bag I hear a noise. From my stomach. I go downstairs and I find my dinner uncovered on the dining table. I grab the plate of Mac and cheese and throw it in the oven, I set the timer to 15 minutes and I grab some leftover spicy chicken breast from the freezer and heat it with the Mac and cheese.

I'm the only one that likes spicy food in the family.

I grab some water from the faucet and sit at the dining table surfing the net for the surprise I had in mind for Debbie and Mrs. Brown. I hear the microwave's call and I grab my dinner, or midnight food and eat.

I play some music as I search the net while eating my food. After a while I'm done with my food, I clean up and head back to my room to take a warm shower.

The water drizzles on my body tickling my skin, it relieves my tension but my mind wanders about the strange occurrences that have been happening to me.

The dreams.

The unexplainable déjà vu.

The encounter with Daylon.

None of it made sense.

I exit the shower with a towel around my body. It drops off me as I walk over to my window to open it, the cold breeze hitting my face. I heave a sigh and lock my door,

"Pedophile" I mutter to myself and get myself cuddled up by pillows on my bed. I grab my literature and open to the place I stopped.

I read till 6:30 am and then get dressed for school. I jog downstairs, greet my parents and kiss my little brothers. I get my morning milk ready and gulp it down.

I rush out the door and I see Debbie just a few steps in front of me, hands on her hips. I laugh at her as she does an about-turn waiting for me to reach her side,

"Morning" I kiss her cheek,

"Something is up with you" she wraps her arm around mine,

"Nothing is wrong. Just woke up early today" I chide,

"Just like yesterday?" She questions and I laugh, "I got my literature yesterday"

"That's great!" I pinch her cheeks, "I honestly can't wait for Arts class today. I really want to hear what Mrs. Brown is going to say next"

We reach school early and head over to biology class. Once that was over we head over to gym class. It was rather nice as I needed to stretch my limbs out. People don't like gym class, not even Debbie.

"You're going to become overweight one day," I say to her as I work out with the dumbbells while she tries to catch her breath after running for 10 minutes,

"That's fine! Anything but exercise!" She says out of breath and I put the dumbbells down,

"I will never allow that" I grab her hand forcing her to run with me,

"Eris please no! I'm going to die!" She begs me and lets go of my hand panting and wheezing. I grab it again forcing her to run. Lilac eyes us,

"I wonder what will happen if they fall" she smiles sinisterly and spills water on the floor,

"Eris please let's stop for a while, I can't breathe!" Debbie is about to give up the ghost as sweat drips down her body like she'd just taken a shower,

"No way! We're gonna do a very big jump now so give it all you got!!"

"Nooooo!!!"

We do a long jump before we reach the puddle and land a couple of feet after it. Debbie collapses on me afterward,

"See that wasn't so bad" I give a sheepish smile and she is too tired to say anything instead she just gives a thumbs up while gasping for air.

I look at Lilac with a sly smile and she squeezes the life out of her bottle. She knows I know and her little plan fell through.

We continue with class and as soon as it's over most kids shout hallelujah to God and run out. After Debbie and I help Mrs. Briggs clean up we decide to take our leave,

"Thank you girls!" She waves,

"No problem Mrs. Briggs!" We chorus together and leave to the girls' bathroom. We enter it and take our usual spots.

Yes, we have favorite shower spots too. You can laugh now.

I turn the blue knob and exhale as the cold water connects with my skin. I take pleasure in the shower and I feel a hand dance around the middle of my back. I turn to Debbie,

"Sorry I can't help but touch it" she laughs sheepishly.

She's talking about the scar on my back. I don't know how it happened but mom says I was born with it and I'm going to live with it the rest of my life. It was like something pierced me.

"What are you going to do about it?" She asks innocently still tracing it,

"Probably cover it with a tattoo. When I get the money that is" I chuckle to myself,

"Really? What are you going to have drawn?" She washes her hair,

"I think a spine made out of roses and thorns. What'd you think?"

"I think it'll fit your personality" she giggles and I follow suit, "I think my boobs are bigger now" she grabs her boobs,

"Yeah they're definitely bigger now. Way bigger now" I pull her cheeks,

"But yours still looks so good" she eyes my chest,

"That's what they all say. You do not want to know how it feels when you're trying out underwear in the adult section of a clothing store." I give an eye roll,

"Still doesn't matter" she giggles hysterically, "gosh you're so thick" she puts her fingers under my butt and just bounces my left cheek. I give her a deadpan expression as she giggles hysterically, "congratulations Eris! You're my new toy"

"Anything but that"

"It looks fake to me" Lilac shows up bare as the rest, "it's not like you're well fed or anything"

"It doesn't matter. In the end I'm curvy and you're skinny" I snap back at her and she becomes flustered,

"That's because it's fake!" She protests,

"Uh nope. These babies are very much natural" I do a little twirl to intimidate her, "it's okay not to have them all that matters is whoever loves you" I smile at her,

"Even with your features no guy finds you approachable. That means I'm still better than you" she triumphantly walks away,

"What a Tiffany" I shake my head and Debbie nudges my shoulder giggling.

Afternoon comes like a storm and we're all in Arts class,

"We have forgotten places here that shows us strange things like giant footprints and unhuman like hair that prove mystical creatures do exist" Mrs. Brown explains, "most individuals have family heirlooms that were given to our ancestors by these creatures but we never know"

"Mrs. Brown?" Debbie raises her hand,

"Is it possible to ever see these creatures again?"

"Why yes! But only a few humans are graced with the opportunity of meeting them." She closes the book,

"So not everyone sees them. Isn't that like paranoia??" Lilac questions still not believing in what Mrs. Brown treasures,

"No, it isn't. It feels like it but it's is not. The funny fact is that we might be seeing and greeting one every day!" She smiles,

"But how is that possible if they don't allow us to interact with them?" Daylon queries and Mrs. Brown smiles,

"Do you know what a second life is?" She asks.

Everyone looks at each other as if trying to find the answer on others faces,

"No" Daylon answers,

"A second lifetime happens when a person is born again after death with no memories of their previous lifetime. It usually happens when the person's purpose was unfulfilled in the first lifetime so they come back again the second time to fulfill it." I explain,

"And if they don't remember anything then how do they know they were alive previously?" Daylon asks me,

"The person usually experiences feelings of déjà vu when a similar event in the previous life occurs in the present life. And memories come in form of flashbacks and dreams to the person until they remember." I answer his question,

"Very good Eris. I see you've been reading" she praises me which makes me blush, "and whenever a person comes back they usually have the cause of death as a birthmark be it a stab or a burn"

"Like your scar?" Debbie whispers to me,

"Girl I did not die and come back again!" I whisper back with a sassy tone which makes her giggle,

"It's even possible that creatures that died thousands of years ago are being reborn as human" she beams,

"But there's no proof of all this. Could it be real?" A kid doubts,

"We ourselves are proof but many are afraid to say so because of the quick judgment we put on ourselves," she says, "you might have seen or felt something but too afraid to say so out of fear of not being taken seriously." The bell rings and kids pack their things, "don't forget to read the next chapters kids, you'll love it."

"Yes Mrs. Brown" we all chorus and more of us head out the door.

As I was about to head out the door I hear her sigh silently, I stop dead in my tracks and turn to her,

"Is everything alright Mrs. Brown?" I ask and move closer to her,

"I don't know what to say Eris. It's always hard teaching this genre because of the judgment we tend to cast on ourselves" her eyes droop,

"I understand you Mrs. Brown, the stares, the questions, the teaching itself makes you look and feel paranoid"

"Yes very" I slip my fingers in hers,

"But it's okay. Sometimes we have the proof buried deep down in us but it's out of reach. We feel it but can't grasp it. The day we hold it is the day we'll understand everything" I smile at her,

"Daniel calls me crazy sometimes whenever I try explaining it to him. Sure he doesn't mean it but it still makes me feel paranoid." She looks up to me with hope glittering in her eyes, "but you always seem to understand. You're an angel Eris, a real angel" she cups my cheeks and I melt at the affection.

"It's okay Mrs. Brown, we're here for each other"

After a while, I exit the classroom to head to another class that I wasn't late for yet,

"I wish you were my mother or sister at least, I would've been so much happier." I wipe the tears that had fallen from my eyes and look back to the door. More tears flow and I don't resist, sometimes I just wish things would be better. Just wish I could find love. It is all I want.

I wipe off the tears with the back of my hand and walk to my next class which also had a separate classroom. Thoughts fill my head and heart and I try not to cry, it is really hard to be hated. It kills in so many ways unimaginable.

I pull up a fake smile and open the door to the classroom, Debbie waves at me patting a space beside her,

"You give me so much strength Debbie, thank you." I sit beside her and wait for the teacher.

I am home feeling rather drained. I collapse on my bed thinking about my life and all that had happened so far. It is pitiful but at least I have people who support me and I'll never let any harm come their way.

It's my promise.

Tears stream down my face as I hug my pillow, I sob uncontrollably until I eventually fall asleep.