Once Upon a Time~ (A Kinda Lesbian Story)

Chapter Five

Love is so strange in the way it works.

Everyday for three years I thought about Michelle. I can remember recalling her sun-kissed blonde hair swaying in the wind as she swung on the swings. Or perhaps her laugh that filled the room with fluttering butterflies and sunlight, brightening my mood no matter the day. However, once our separation occurred I could feel my memories receding. After a couple months I had forgotten her favorite soda. When a year had passed, I could not recall her goldfish's name. Regretfully, to this day, though it has been so many years, I cannot find any memory of my first love's eye color. Well, that one is a lie. Her eyes were blue.

But nevertheless, time and distance slowly began to break down the bond Michelle and I had. Second grade soon became a memory and third grade became reality. My old friends had all moved away because of changes at the nearby military base forcing them to Arizona, Georgia, and three other states. I found myself more alone than ever.

Walking into the third grade was the most daunting first day I had yet to experience. I soon found my desk, and hoped for a friendly face in the room. Much to my dismay, the class system had returned and I was the pawn. No longer did I have Michelle's social standing to lift me to higher rankings. All of my fellow pawns had left me alone in a Darwinistic world. That first day, only one person spoke to me and that was my new teacher.

Miss. Kay was a new teacher at my school. She was actually quite new to school in general, having only graduated college one year prior. She had a very soft smile and addressed the class in kind yet stern manners. She introduced us to her bookshelf of over fifty books and told us each to retrieve one. Soon after we were released to recess and I experienced something that I will never forget.

On this day, I do not recall their names, although their faces will be burned into my memory forever. Alone I sat under a tree in the playground, studying this new book that Miss. Kay had presented to me. I hardly noticed a group of four or five fellow classmates approaching me. When I looked up, I noticed the faces of Michelle's old friends. Children who's parents brought love but never taught love. They looked at me. I simply stared back.

"Aly? What are you doing?" One girl asked.

I shrugged, they had surrounded me and I was beginning to feel nervous.

"Why are you reading that stupid book? Are you some nerd now?" A brown haired boy inquired.

I shrugged again, moving backwards until my back hit the chainlink fence.

"Aly, stop playing games with us. You are a nerd. And you know what else you are?"

Alone, I thought. But I did not speak.

"You are a dirty faggot. No wonder Brandon left you." The first girl stated. The silent boy who had been standing very sternly raised his hand and slapped me across my face.

Tears came to my eyes as a sharp pain began to spread across my cheek. Each student then proceed to spit on my clothes and walk away, as if nothing had happened. What did just happen? My parents had always fought so I knew my share of curse words, yet the word "faggot" was not in my dictionary. However, hearing Brandon's name convinced me that this was relating to Michelle. It all had to do with Michelle and I being together.

Standing by that chainlink fence, I remembered Joshua. He described the names classmates had called him. Or the things students had hidden in his desk. Or the time that he was beat so bad that he was sent to the emergency room. Fear rose into my throat thinking of these awful things. As more and more thoughts raced through my mind, time passed until the whistle blew and I walked back to my classroom. As each student walked in Miss. Kay smiled and said, "Welcome back!" However, as I went to walk into the classroom. Miss. Kay stopped me and said, "Miss Aly? I need you to wait outside for a moment. Okay?" Concern gleamed in her light hazel eyes.