“A long, long time ago when myth and superstition ran rampant, there was a small village known for taking young girls out into the forest and leaving them to die. It was said that a terrible monster-” “Alex!” I looked up irritably. “Yes?” My friend Cody walked up to me, disturbing the peace that I had in my little corner of the library. He plopped his backpack down, smiling. “Whatcha doin’?” I sighed and closed the book. “I was reading. What are you doing?” “Just came in here to see you.” He shrugged. I sighed again and picked up the book, shoving it into my backpack, which I had authenticated with Punisher skulls, Deadpool and other decals. “Why don’t you go play basketball with the other guys?” When I looked up, he avoided eye contact and shrugged. It’s not like he couldn't, he was 6’2, had muscles bigger than most of the guys there and could play basketball like nobody’s business. I’ve played him before. He’s not awkward in public, but for some reason, he avoids crowds. I punched him lightly on the arm. “Hey. Don’t sweat it. I’ve got art class, you wanna come over after?” He nodded, quiet once I got him thinking. I punched him again and walked to art class, hoping I wouldn’t be late.
Art class is strange. In it, you’d think we’d be drawing animals, buildings. Normal things. But, thanks to our teacher, we were drawing… Horror. I sat down just as the bell rang and she entered the room. She sat at her desk just long enough to take roll, then sprang out, scaring the class half to death. “‘Misery is manifold.’ Why do you think Edgar Allan Poe wrote this as the first line in his story of Berenice?” I raised my hand quickly. I’ve read that story a thousand times. “Yes, Alexandrea?” She always calls us by our full names. “Because his cousin, Berenice, was happy and full of life, and he was the total opposite, the she got sick and he felt better. Insane, but better.” The teacher nodded gleefully and opens her arms. “So I would like for your projects for the next few weeks to be making a picture that is an opposite. On one side, you must put something, then on the other, the complete opposite. It is to be done in acrylics, on a canvas. Please be creative. You may begin.” I walked to the side of the room with all the canvases and picked the biggest one I could find, then took it back to my easel, not desk. I tightened the canvas onto it and thought about what I wanted to do. I didn’t want to be lazy, like everyone else and just do some kind of black and white. I decided to do life and death, represented by people. I sectioned the canvas and grabbed the big tube of black paint. I started painting, getting absorbed in painting a large grim reaper, with a grinning skull peeking out from under a black hood and a long scythe made of human bones. Suddenly, the bell rang, my hand jerking the brush. Luckily, my hand was in the middle of his robe, so not too much damage was done. I sighed in frustration. I don’t like leaving things right in the middle. I gathered my books, shoving them all into my backpack and running to the bus, searching for Cody. He was standing next to the door, his arm up in the air so I could see him. I’m 5’10, taller than the average girl, but just a little shorter than most guys. I almost made it to the bus when Ellen, this annoying, preppy little 9th grader brushed up against me. “Ooh, there’s your boyfrieeend…” I glared and clenched my fists, trying to ignore her. “So are y’all, like, seriously dating? He, like, goes to your house all the time and you’re together, like, all the time. Like, last week, y’all were in bio, then in math, then-” “No.” “What?” I turned to her, my glare intense. “No, we’re not dating, and no, we’re not always together! Will you shut up now?!” She seemed taken aback by my little speech. “Well, whatever!” She flipped her hair at me and pranced away. I rolled my eyes and was barely containing my anger as I walked up to Cody. “You ok-” “No.” He nodded and stepped back, letting me climb on the bus first. He knew that if I was irritated like that, coming out of school, it was Ellen or one of those other annoyingly preppy girls. We sat on the bus together, not really talking. I had A and B days at school, which alternated every week and every day. I took art on B days, so I was usually quiet those days, thinking about my project. And considering that it was Friday anyway, I was thinking about the weekend, too. Cody was okay with it, and so was I. When the bus stopped near my house, I climbed off, Cody a step behind me. I turned and watched the bus drive away, then looked at him. “Call Of Duty?” I was one of the only girls at my school that plays video games. Assassin’s Creed and Legend Of Zelda are my favorites, but they’re not multiplayer. He nodded, smiling. We walked down my manicured, tree lined street. As much as I, and many others at my school, hated to admit it, I’m a “rich kid.” I mean, I appreciate that my parents have worked hard to get where they are, but I don’t like feeling like I have to fit that stereotype. That’s why I wore my Punisher shirt to the first day of school. I still looked nice, and I did have better clothes, but it dispelled me from ever getting in with the popular clique, and I was okay with it. They talked weird. We got to my house, walked up my driveway and stopped at my front door. I rummaged around my pockets and backpack for my key, finally finding it and holding it in the air, making Cody laugh. “Mom! I’mhomeandCody’swithmewe’regoingtoplayCallOfDuty, okay?” I yelled as we walked in, saying everything in one breath because my mother was one of those people who asked a question, but didn’t expect an answer. I faintly heard her, “Have fun!” and I ran upstairs, tossing my backpack in my room while heading to the game room. Cody followed, but he wasn't nearly as quick as me. I sat down in one of the plush bean bags, laughing. Cody’s one of the only people, outside my family, that’s actually heard me laugh. Not a fake laugh, but an actual laugh, one so hard where it rocks your whole body and you can barely breathe. We started up the system and were in a heated match of Gun Game when I heard a knock on the door. “Who is it?” My mom popped her head in. “Oh, you’re in a game. I wanted to talk to you about a book I found today, but when you’re done, okay?” I paused the game immediately and turn to her. “Shoot.” She laughed and stepped in, holding the book. “Do you want to get out of school? I mean, I know school ends in a few weeks, but I thought about not enrolling you in school next year.” My eyes got huge. “Are… Are you serious?” She nodded and handed me the book. “It’s called the Teenage Liberation Handbook. And this is for you, too, Cody. It talks about quitting school and following your interests. Your dad and I were both unschooled.” I looked up at her, slightly shocked. “‘Unschooled’?” She nodded and pointed to the book. “It talks all about it. I’ll let you two get back to your game, and let me know if you need anything!” She smiled and was gone. I turned the book over in my hands, the cover being fairly simple. I set it down and picked up the controller. “After the game?” He nodded. “After the game.”
I stumbled into my room, falling face first on the bed. I finally finished my homework and laid it in a messy pile on the kitchen counter. I was notorious for losing homework, so I tried leaving it places I’d see as I was running out the door. I groaned into my pillow as my mom walked in. “Tired?” I nodded vigorously and she laughed. She walked over and sat next to me, massaging my back. She was great at it. I sighed as I felt the knots melt out of my back. She smiled again. “Mom?” “Mhmm?” I rolled over and looked at her seriously. “How long is dad going to be gone this time?” Her smile disappeared and she sighed sadly. “Honey… I don’t know. He said the job was really big this time.” “What does he do?” She looked at me critically. “Tell you what. If you decide to get out of school before summer, I’ll tell you. If not, I’ll tell you the first day of summer. And don’t make that your reason for quitting school.” I laughed at her mock severity. She smiled and kissed my forehead, then walked to the door, closing it. I rolled over, closing my eyes. I can’t sleep in light, even if it’s just the neighbor’s porch light. I opened my eyes again, looking around my darkened room. All kinds of posters, knick-knacks. My eyes landed on the dragon statue my dad had brought me from Ireland. Then I looked over at the clay trinity knot that Cody tried to make for me. He didn’t do art, but he wanted to make me something, so he got his mom to help him. He was so proud when he gave it to me… I fell asleep, smiling.