The Shadow Behind

Chapter 1

"Miss Sally!"

A sharp voice cut through the peaceful darkness as I slept. I open one eye to see the school counselor, Mrs. Pruitt sitting in front of me, her cold eyes staring down at me. I sat up and wiped the drool from the corner of my mouth as she tapped her pen against the table impatiently. Once she was sure she had my full attention, she began speaking.

"Miss Sally, do you know why I called you in here?" she asked.

"Because of my sleeping habits?" I guessed.

She just nodded and neatly printed something in her file.

"I've been told that you have been sleeping in class lately, and from what I've seen they have gotten worse", she said plainly as she looked over her glasses,"do you know why this has been happening?"

I did. But frankly I didn't have the heart to tell her I had just been staying up late watching TV shows on Netflix until 1:00 in the morning for the past two months and only got three hours of sleep each night.

"Well uh..."

"Miss Sally, have you ever been bullied while attending this school?"

"um...yeah but it-"

She cut me off.

"That's what I thought", she scribbled more on her paper, "that's your problem."

"Excuse me?"

"You have anxiety. That's why you haven't been sleeping well."

Well...she wasn't wrong. The bell rang and I was instructed to come back Monday after a good nights sleep and a relaxing weekend. I grabbed my violin case and left the building. It was foolish of me to think I could use the band room to practice after school. Mrs. Pruitt had been waiting on getting her hands on me for a while now. It was almost like she could feel the PTSD emitting from me as I walked through the halls and this last complaint from my teacher was her chance to call me to her office so she could diagnose me with what I already know and waste my not-so-valuable-time. I shrugged and told myself that I'd practice at home, still disappointed because the acoustics of the dark and empty room sounded much better than that of my living room or my cluttered bedroom. I'd just miss the sound of the notes bouncing back at me from the large walls for a few days. It was nothing I couldn't live without.

As I opened the school doors I could feel the counselor's gaze lift from my back. She made sure that her "students" would do as she said, and if they didn't, a whole different lecture was provided. I found it easier to just go with what she wanted me to do. The chilly air brushed over my bare arms and I started my trek home.

I watched the people grouped together, exchanging events that had occurred throughout class and at home to friends before the principle shooed them off the premises. I just walked past them all. I didn't belong to a cluster. It didn't matter. I just focused on my schoolwork and didn't bother anyone. No one cared about me and I didn't try to make them. I didn't mind. I liked being alone.

I passed through the gate, the noisy chatter being replaced with the sounds of vehicles and even more noisy chatter. I pulled my hoodie around my body tighter and strolled down the usual route that lead home.