APPARENT | ✓

I'm counting sheep every night whenever I fail to get some shut eye. Relatively speaking, I've met the one person who understands me because of this. It seems she only comes when I'm day dreaming, never when I'm fast asleep. Probably because I never remember my dreams. Mary Fletcher...That's her name. She isn't just the girl of my dreams, she's more than a dream. I know she's real...she's out there somewhere. And I hope to find her someday, I know I will...

' I'm Collins Walters,ummm I write poems. I like math and science, mostly math. But I came here to perform one of my latest poems, it's called Complicated Mary...'

It was the school talent show and I was on the stage with the spotlight shining onto me, palms sweating, hands shivering, excess saliva clearing my throat. I had it all. It was my first time participating in the talent show. Mary told me to prove my love for her...so I wrote her a poem.

' Here it goes I guess,
I'm sorry to say this but...But I know someone close to me who's blinded by the lights.

Her life is flawless in her own perspective most definitely. Though in reality, she's losing all her fights.

It's Mary Fletcher, a girl who's more than a dream... Her dad's English, cool accent, flows real good but treats his only daughter like she's rubbish.

He's a victim to filling his only pair of lungs with a gas that doesn't even want him alive.

So Mary grew up being a target to her father's back clash and despise.

Who are we, I said who are we to blame Mary for starting to lace on poppy plant byproducts.

It's ironic that they are the only things that turn her frown...Into an inversely proportional form, I said it's upside down.

Dark, beauty behind the madness, under a mask in the form of light but going through some sadness.

And I'd never talked to Mary before... I only used to view her life from the sidelines coz I noticed her poor soul was in strife.

So I decided to put my pride aside and take my soul for a ride on this emotional rollercoaster with Mary and learn to abide by this new world inside her mind and she'll lead me through it as my tour guide... Excited.

So I stepped in and said hi, though she immediately said bye, She then laughed and asked what was the matter. And I said that I want you to learn not to hide. Her insecurities kicked in. I lost the conversation.

I tried to revive...But poof before my eyes she left. So I went on to plan B. Slid a note into her locker hoping she'd agree to...

1, Read it of course.

2, Show me her scars and flaws so I can know the cause of this addiction.

3, Learn to love herself and turn to a final conviction.

2 days later she approached me, no longer than 2 feet away. With a bloodshot eye.

Holding back the tears about to cry. Thinking that she's going to violently end my life, she came up close, held me tight and all she said was...THANK YOU.'

I finished the poem.

' I have this girl who I see in my day dreams whenever I zone off. I've seen her whole life in my head and I don't think that she's just a fabric from my imagination, she's real and I'm going to find her one day... thank you.' It was silent of course, but no one looked puzzled. They seemed sad...

' You go get her man!'a guy from the crowd stood up clapping for me in tears.

And before I knew it all the hands in the room were clapping for me. I looked to my right and there she was. At the entrance of the same hall, Mary Fletcher. In a white dress that reflected the light from the spotlight to make her shine brighter than I've ever seen her before...She came up to the stage and I let out my hand to her, spun her around and then held her close to me.

' I love you, Collins Walters...'
as she held the side of my face with the most gentle gesture I've ever felt.

' And I love you too Mary Fletcher, I always did...'

My eyes blinked and there I was, daydreaming again. Mr Renolds gave up trying to bring me back to earth and just left my A+ Math results on my desk.

' I still wonder what illusion would get all the attention of such a brilliant mind' he said to me as he put the paper on my desk.

' An illusion...that's real sir. Anything is possible in Malibu ' as I looked back at him with a smile.

THE END