The Phenomenons

Ameer Crimson

   -pov change-

   I see her walking into the school. Everything all of the sudden feels so much better. I know I'll be able to tell her I'm worried about what my dad said this morning and she'll understand. And also about the crazy new girl who came up to me this morning. 

   It's happened before though. Izzy and me (that's my nickname for her) can sometimes look the most approachable to a new kid. Well at least when we're not looking angry because we're talking about whatever stupid thing our parents did that day. But then after a while they will meet the rest of the people in the school and realize that we are hated by everyone, and eventually join whatever clique suits them best.

   I'm smiling as she walks up to me but then I see the look on her face and my smile fades. I don't think I'm going to be able to tell her much about my dad when she's in this kind of mood. She leans against my locker and brings her bag up to her low bowed head. When she finally looks up and uncovers her face I can tell she's exhausted. "I just don't know when she got like this." she proceeds to tell me. "I mean seriously, you've never not seen her be super overprotective, it almost seemed to start as soon as you came into my life, but as hard as it is to believe, she was like any other mother before that." I just nod my head and start lightly rubbing her shoulder. I know not to start talking while it looks like she still has more to say. 

   "But I mean, you've still got to have seen the steady progression that led to her just being full on crazy. I mean maybe I did something super dangerous when I was little and don't remember it. I looked it up and a lot of traumatic experiences, especially that happen when you're younger you can't remember. Maybe I scared her. Or maybe I have some secret health condition that even she hasn't told me about. Maybe I made her like this."

   She's putting the blame on herself. Again. She does this with every situation she's in. It's the only fault I could ever find in her. "Look," I say to her, "Your mom literally needing to be put in an asylum is not in anyway your fault. You don't have some crazy condition, you're just a normal, average, perfectly healthy teenage girl in high school. And even if you did do something traumatic when you were younger, that doesn't give her an excuse to act like she does now. Okay?" 

   She just looks up at me. Her blue eyes already a little teary. "Thank you" she responded. We're just standing there staring into each others eyes when "Hello!" a cheery voice to my right suddenly says. Both Izzy and I jump. She suddenly starts rubbing her eyes super quickly so she doesn't look like she was just about to cry. We look over and its the new girl from this morning.

   "I've already met this handsome boy," she puts a hand on my arm and I pull away, uncomfortable. "But I haven't yet met you. I'm Olivia. Olivia Foster. This is my first day here." She holds her hand out for Isadora to shake. She looks at me before hesitantly shaking the girls hand, and introducing herself too. "I already feel like the three of us are going to be great friends. Maybe even a power trio!" The girl exclaims. Izzy nervously lets out a small laugh.

   "Well sadly, I don't think we have first period together, but we have the rest of our classes together so I'll see you in a jiffy!" She giggled before running off to whatever class she did have first. 

   "I do not like that girl." I express to Izzy. "She gives me a weird vibe, and she's also just way too cheery for it being a first day at this lame excuse for a school." She just laughs at me. "I think she just is genuinely happy. Which no one here at this school actually is. Everybody is too focused on their own issues and insecurities to let joy in anymore, and I don't think she's like that."

   I just glare at her. "That's my point exactly. No one is that happy." She starts walking towards where her locker is and I follow. "Look," she began, "I don't care what you think of her or how you treat her, but personally, I'm determined to make this friendship work. I mean no offense it would be nice to finally have a friend that's a girl. Plus, I'm determined to rebel against my mom's whole no friends policy. In fact I literally have to if I don't want to go insane myself."