A Moment Of Silence

Paisley's Story

An alarm clock beeped repeatedly at 6:30am; second after second her alarm clock pestered her more. She eventually hit the snooze button, and got out of her bed.  She looked at herself in the mirror; her bald head, her mascara smeared under her eyes, and a dull face rested upon her skin.

“I swear resting bitch face syndrome is real, and I must have it.” She said leaning closer to her mirror, she sat at her desk and immediately starting brushing her rat’s nest of wig, grooming it like a cat grooms itself. She placed the black wig on her head, and placed it in the right spot. Cancer you’re a bitch she thought grabbing an old photo of her and her friends, she eyed her old, beautiful brown hair, her wide smile, and her bright green eyes.

“I was so different,” she revealed. Setting the photo down, finishing her makeup. Once she was done she: grabbed her bag, petted her cat Nymph and walked out of her room.  Stopping by the staircase she saw her family photos, when all her members were actually in the photo: her mother, father, and brother, and her all smiling. She smirked at her brother, “Spencer, why’d you do it?” she asked realizing she shouldn’t be so absurd, she knew exactly why, and proceeded down the stairs.

“Good morning dear, how’d you sleep?” Her mother asked.

“Mom, you always ask that, and I always reply with the same thing, ‘fine’.”

“Mornin’ sport.” Her father called, smiling like a child getting a lollipop. She stared emotionless while taking a bite of her apple.

“Morning dad.” She mumbled with her mouth full.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full.” Her mother demanded, “You’re 18 years old, and you still don’t know proper manners. Still chewing on her apple she stuck her tongue out, and made a childish face.  Her mother stared at her objectively and walked out of the kitchen.

Her father now laughing made her smile too, “What we gonna do with you Paisley?”

She shrugged her shoulders looking at the cock and seeing it was 7:28, she got up. “I got to go to school.” She threw her apple in the garbage, and walked out the door.

She heard her father screaming, “Learn something new! And make new friends!” She rolled her eyes, started her car and drove away.

“High school, probably the worst place for a kid to be, you don’t learn how to be a doctor, or a lawyer, you learn how to be a complete, and total brat.” Paisley grumbled heading to the front door of her school. Her high school was known for their top students in academics, and noble athletes. But all Paisley saw was their rich, snobby, and greedy students.

She sat and sketched in her notes in honors French, she already went to France, and she understood the language completely: she spoke fluently, read perfectly, and understood what everyone was saying. So why pay attention? Paisley usually draws, daydreams, or looked out a window, but today was different; Paisley looked at the other girls braiding their hair. She glanced at her wig; she couldn’t braid her hair, put it in a ponytail, or even wash it in the shower, it’d come right off.

Everyone in the whole school had a prep-rally for Paisley after her diagnoses of lung cancer, but with that blessing of being cared for again, came more bullying. She was called a smoker, which made Paisley question where they came up with that crap. She tumors growing in her lungs, she was dying, and they bullied her, and wish she would die. Maybe this is why I’ve changed Paisley thought.  The bell rang, and Paisley waltzed out the door, stopping by her locker she heard girls gossiping while surrounding one boy, Paisley glanced at the boy for a second longer, it was Isaac, every girls ‘dream boy’ she made a disgusted face and turned away.

“You’re the first girl not to be gaga over him,” said a girl named Madison with a snarky remark, “Is that because you’re dying.” She whacked Paisley’s books out of her hands, and kicked them around.

“What’s that?” asked one of her posy members asked grabbing a leather book.

“Put that down!” Paisley begged, “It’s my sketchbook! And it belonged to my brother.”

“Your brother, Spencer, that pyscho-path gave you this piece of junk?” Madison gagged, beginning to open it, and she started to read the note he wrote to her.

Dear Poppy Seed, -

“Poppy Seed!” Madison laughed, continuing to read.

Here is my gift to you, a sketchbook, so when you’re in the hospital you can draw your feelings, just like I write mine, I promise things will get better Poppy, just like it always does. XOXO I love you sis.

                                                            Love your brother, Spencie.

“Pttf” Madison and her friends started to laugh, “He talked to you like that! It’s a good thing they killed him on sight!”

“Stop!” Paisley yelled pushing Madison away, Madison got up, scoffed and walked away with her posy behind.

“Oh, Spence...” Paisley whined grabbing her books. Everyone in the hall stared at her, and looked away.

“You know, you shouldn’t let them say those things to you,” said a boy.

Paisley looked up at a boy, his black hair combed over, his blue eyes, his skater boy fashion, and his lip piercing. She stared awestruck, her heart pounding, her palms sweating, and her mind thinking of what to say or do.

“Isaac, hi.” He said leaning in closer.” Paisley’s eyes widened, her heart was really racing now, was this love at first sight is she asked herself.

Paisley shot up and ran away, the school day was almost over, and she wanted it to be. Time passed, and the final bell rang, Paisley ran to her locker almost losing her wig. She packed her bag and ran out the front doors.