Falling In Love With Darkness

Some people believe that living a life that's anything but normal is a good thing. Maybe they think that it makes life easier, or maybe they think it makes life harder. All I know for sure is that living an unnatural life is not all its cracked up to be. Of course, there are ups and downs in the process, not to mention freedoms and limitations, making your world a puzzle that takes a lifetime to figure out. And even when you think you've got it down, you realize again that nothing is ever as it seems.

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Something smacked against the side of my head. I looked up from my book to find a group of guys and girls staring down at me. One of them held a paper ball in their hand.

"Why are you just sitting here?" A girl asked me, disgusted.

"Because I want to." I replied, avoiding eye contact.

I didn't know her, nor the others as I had never lived in one place long enough to remember anyone. I hadn't lived here long, and apparently I wasn't making a great impression.

I adjusted my gaze back to my book and became before it was snatched out of my hands.

"What the hell is this?" One of the boys questioned, throwing the book back at my lap.

"Can you please stop?" I asked, looking up at the lot.

Everyone started laughing as the boys started pelting me with more objects like erasers and crumpled up paper. The girls just stood back and laughed.

I had nowhere to run, as I was sitting in a corner and they had surrounded me. I don't get what's so interesting about me and why they even care what I'm doing. I just want to be left alone.

"Hey! You lot! Get back at your desks!" Mrs. Lang shouted, stepping into the room, "To the rest of you: Hello. I hope you all are excited for the weekend, but remember school isn't over just yet."

Groans sounded from different students all around the room. Out of instinct, I looked up at Mrs. Lang to see her reaction. I could sense in her eyes that she was effected, but she made no effort in stopping them.

"Alright class, lets take out yesterday's assignments."

The rustling of papers filled the room as I sat there, trying to see if there was anyone who hadn't completed the homework, like me.

Eventually the rustling died down and Mrs. Lang started her rounds up and down the aisles, checking everyone's desks for their completed papers. It wasn't long before she reached the third row, where I was sat.

"Tsk Tsk Ms. Austin, incomplete again. This is your third missing sheet in a row." She lectured.

A couple kids snickered at me as I just looked down at my desk. Language Arts was never one of my favorite classes. It seemed so useless to me. As long as we know how to spell and how to talk, we should be fine, and considering how we learned all of that in the second grade, this class was a waste of my time.

I'd much rather be in the science room where I belonged. Mr. Galigan understood me, and knew what I liked. In science, I could be reading an entire book in the back of the room and he wouldn't care. He wouldn't even say anything besides an occasional book recommendation.

Although these luxuries were close to my heart, it made transitioning to other classes a greater struggle. Multiple times a day my books would be taken away from me only to be returned at the last bell. Sometimes I was lucky and was able to get them back for the lunch hour where I would sit outside, hidden by a circle of trees.

By the time the lunch bell was over, I was back inside, handing over a majority of my favorites. But it didn't matter whether I had the books or not, my mind traveled a million miles per minute, leaving me with new thoughts and endless imaginations. To the outside world I would be gazing off into space, but inside my head I would be slaying dragons, climbing mountains, or falling in love with my own Prince Charming. For these brief moments in the day I would feel like I belonged, but too soon I would be pulled back by the reprimands of my current teacher.