FAIRY HEART, FEEBLE STARS

... then, I realized that life is a work in progress."

I was playing at the playground lawn of our elementary school when our teacher started clapping her hands to get our attention. "Kindly fall in line with your classmates as we start our usual morning flag ceremony."

We positioned ourselves and began to pivot towards the nearest formed line.

I was standing in front of the line and I could see who's leading the national anthem. It was Serena. I didn't know her, but her porcelain skin, rosy cheeks, big brown eyes, and shiny black hair made her look like an angel. As I looked at her, I had an epiphany; I loved her. And what better way to express my love than by putting a bug on her head?

I waited for her to return in line and then executed my plan. I quickly leaned back to the bush near me, ripped out an innocent caterpillar, went back in line, and hiding the contraband in my hand.

There was only one thing left to do; I leaned over and stealthily dropped the bug on Serena's head. The caterpillar's bright verdant body stood out beautifully against the canvas of her shiny black hair. It looks like a beautifully decorated hairpin if not for the wiggling of the critter. I waited for her reaction to my romantic overture. Would she laugh? Be curious of my motive? Ask more about me?

None of the above. She started crying. She didn't even shake the bug off her head; she just sat there wailing, paralyzed by my seemingly unwarranted approach.

"Hey!" scolded my teacher, brushing the caterpillar from Serena's hair. "We do not put bugs on our friends."

I hesitated, debating whether to correct her logical fallacy; I was living proof that we do, in fact, put bugs on our friends.

"Say you're sorry to Serena."

"But I..."

That time, I don't think that I need to apologize, so I didn't say anything. Besides, Serena was crying so hard she wouldn't have pay attention to me.

"Go see the principal," my teacher ordered, pointing toward the office. Fighting back my own tears, I stomped off walking towards the principal's office.

As Serena continued to yowl in the distance, I had my second epiphany of the morning - I realized that life is a work in progress.

I hated her.