There Is More To Me (The Mind Puzzle)

Chapter Twenty-Six- Bullied?

"It's Brianna..", I finish the sentence for him as disbelief drips from my voice.

"Yup", Leo replies.

"That doesn't make any sense through", I pull away from his embrace," If she was my best friend why would she hurt me?"

"Listen to this", Leo pulls out his phone," This is what Brianna and I were talking about the day you got punched and thought I ditched you."

I put the phone to my ear and listen to the whole exchange.

"You recorded this?", I look at Leo, a little shocked.

"I thought it would come in handy", he simply shrugged.

"Oh and sorry about the whole ignoring you thing...I should of listen before making assumptions-"

"No, I should be the one apologizing for what I said to you"

"It's fine", I give him a weak smile, before changing the topic, " So let me get this straight....Stephanie isn't Stephanie but instead Brianna is Stephanie?"

"Right"

"I don't know...", I cock my head to the side trying to process everything.

"From what I heard from her and what you heard from the recording, I think she is being forced to do something"

"My head is starting to hurt trying to figure this all out", I rub my temples.

"Okay, let's just go through everything we know so far", Leo says slowly as a look of concentration is presented on his face, " Stephanie is not Stephanie, we have proof by her saying she was vegetarian-"

"I was to ask you about that. What does her being vegetarian have to really do with anything?"

"Stephanie use to be a food lover just like you, if not worst. That's actually how you guys bonded, through food especially meat"

"Then who could Stephanie be?", I mumble softly to myself.

"That is something I can't seem to figure out", Leo hears me.

"I feel like everything is connected", I pace," You were my childhood friend, also was Brianna so maybe the person playing Stephanie has something to do with my childhood as well?"

"I don't think so...I don't remember you having a friend besides me and Brianna"

"I think we need to look more into Brianna. Something is missing in all of this"

"Your first memory of the brown hair girl was when you saw Brianna's hair, right?"

"Yeah"

"So it only makes sense that she is Stephanie"

"True...but I still want to be sure"

"What do you have in mind?"

"Do you remember any places me and Brianna went when we were younger?"

"Not really, but I do remember the school you went to since I would come to walk you home on evenings"

"Nice, let's go there after school"

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The delightful shouts of children fill the air as the colourful building comes into view. Trees and flower paintings decorated the walls of the school and a playground with swings ,slides and seesaws were occupied by many kids. Me and Leo step out of the car and my mind starts to buzz. Excitement bubbles in my stomach, knowing that that was the signal that a new piece of the puzzle was to appear soon.

We walk into the school after dodging many little bodies who almost ran into us. The scent of apple juice and cleaning products attack my nose as I look around, the buzz becoming louder. Just soon after a lady with pepper and salt hair pulled into a tight bun, sees us. Laughing lines showing years of happiness and the familiar sparkle in her bright grey eyes made me feel at home as she approached us with a warm smile. The buzz gets louder with every step she takes.

"Angel! How great to see you after all these years", she embraces me. She smells of vanilla and coconut oil. That's when my vision goes black and the image of the little me crying as my mom pushes me gently towards the same lady arms, which were extended towards me, appeared. My first day at school. The greying lady is Mrs. Macy.

"Mrs.M", I squeal as I return the hug. She was one of my favourte teachers ever. From now on I will never forget her soft biscuits that melted in my mouth and freshly squeezed orange juice that I had for lunch sometimes.

"How have you been dear?", she pulls away just far enough to see me and looks me up and down with much approval.

"Very good, just coming to see the old place", I chuckle lightly.

Her eyes then eventually falls on Leo, knowing he didn't go to school here, "And who may you be?"

"Leo Black, ma'am", Leo smiles politely.

"Nice to meet you. Well I have to go and watch the kids now. Enjoy the visit and come more often", she waves with one more smile before walking away.

We continue to look around the school until we end up in a classroom. My mind starts to buzz again. What could an empty classroom have to do with anything?

I slowly walk around in the classroom trying to figure out why my mind would buzz now. My eyes land on a desk with a drawing on it. I walk towards it to see the image clearer. It's a panda or what is suppose to look like a panda. The only way I know that it's a panda is because there is the word 'panda' under it.

The buzz gets louder before my vision goes black.  I'm sitting by myself at this same desk and since no one is talking to me, I start to carve on the desk.  After a few minutes I hear people shouting and crying.  The noise causes me to look up and see a ring of kids surrounding a girl with brown hair in the middle weeping.  They call her names and shove her every once in a while.  The little me clench my fists as anger runs through me.  Finally I have enough of just watching and make a screeching noise that would crawl your skin as I push back my chair to stand.  My face turns red with anger as I stomp towards them, pushing through the ring of kids and standing in front the weeping girl.

"This doesn't have anything to do with you", a boy says.

"Pick on someone your size", I spit.  A choir of 'oooh' cut through the air.

The boy tries to shove me but I catch his hand pushing him back causing him to stumble.  I turn away from his shocked expression to squat in front the girl.  I tap her shoulder causing her to come from behind her curtain of brown locks.  Her hazel eyes sparkle with tears as she looks up at me before I reach out my hand for her to take.  Seeing her hesitation, I give her a reassuring smile to which she returns weakly and takes my hand.

My vision reappears slowly as the puzzle piece falls into place with the first puzzle piece of the brown hair girl, to see Leo looking at me expectantly.

"Leo, I think Brianna was...bullied", I look at him with wide eyes.

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-Peace out x

~Gabzzz

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