The Broken Ones

Chapter Fourteen

"I am-m t-thinking-ing of jo-joining-ing an e-essay writing-ing constant-ant," Valeriana informed Alesia and Frankie. The three spending time together during their Tuesday break was becoming a habit.

"I thought you wanted to be a novelist," Frankie pointed out.

"I do-o and e-essays-s wo-would be good-od pr-practice-ice," Valeriana explained.

"I like writing but I not very good at it," Alesia admitted.

"You sh-should-ld enter-r it-t with-th m-me," Valeriana chirped. "It-t w-will be f-f-fun."

"Okay, let's do this," Alesia said with a smile.

Valeriana pulled her laptop out of her bag and started it up. "I w-will find-ind the website-site," she told them excitedly. "Do-o you-u w-want-t to-o join as w-well Frankie-ie?"

"Nah, writing isn't really my thing," Frankie replied.

"Okay-kay, I ha-have f-found the website-site," Valeriana announced. "The con-constant is-s all-already two we-weeks in b-but w-we can-n s-still join."

"How many weeks are there?"

"Ten," Valeriana stated. "The-e prompts-s are re-released-ed on Monday-day and must be sub-submitted by Sunday-day but be-be-because the con-constant is-s Ame-American, for us-s it w-will be Tue-tuesday."

"So what is the prompt?" Alesia asked.

"It is-s, 'P-people of-often s-say don't-t ju-judge a book-k by its-s co-cover. Des-describe a time-e when-n y-you mis-misjudged some-someone based-ed on his-s or h-her app-app-appearance or when some-someone mis-misjudged you.'" Valeriana read out loud.

"I guess I will need to think that over for a bit before I start writing," Alesia lied. In truth, she already knew what she could write about, the fact that she had misjudged Valeriana.

"Hey guys," Johnny called as he approached them.

"Wait your lecture has finished?" Frankie said urgently. "I'm late."

"Calm down, my lecture was cancelled," Johnny explained.

"Thank God," Frankie said as she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Now-w th-that-t y-you a-all h-here I h-have s-something I wanted-ted t-to in-invite you t-to," Valeriana announced.

"Really, what is it?" Alesia asked.

"I h-have a mus-music re-recital in an m-month's t-time," Valeriana told them.

"What do you play?" Johnny asked.

"P-piano and F-flute," Valeriana answered.

"Are you any good?" Frankie asked.

"I w-would l-like t-to t-think I a-am g-good," Valeriana told her.

"I excited to see you play," Alesia told her. "I bet you are amazing."

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Alesia smiled as left her Media Genres Lecture. It was her last class of the day, and she could officially go home.

"Alesia," someone yelled at her.

Alesia turned around to find the source of the voice. "Why can't you just leave me alone!" she yelled at Angelica.

"It not my fault that I keep running into you," Angelica told her.

"Just leave me alone," Alesia told her coldly.

"Wow, that is rude," Angelica told her.

"Leave me alone, please," Alesia said through clenched teeth.

"I will because you will come back to me," Angelica informed her.

"No I won't," Alesia insisted.

"Yes you will because once your new 'friends' find out who you really are, they weren't want to know you," Angelica told her.

"What are you talking about?" Alesia demanded.

"You're a fake, Alesia," Angelica told her.

"Excuse me," Alesia interrupted.

"A chameleon," Angelica continued. "You change your personality and appearance to fit in with the people around you."

"I am done being a chameleon, Angelica," Alesia told her.

"Are you so sure, you have change yourself so many times I doubt even you know who you are anymore," Angelica told her. "And once your new friends see how fake you are they will want nothing to do with you."

"You wrong Angelica," Alesia told her. "You are wrong about everything."

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"Who taught you how to make these?" Frankie asked as she finished another paper crane.

"My mum," Johnny answered as he placed the paper crane he was folding in the pile.

The two were in the library with a stack of paper beside them.

"Do you think we will reach a thousand cranes today?" Frankie asked.

"We would need a lot more paper for that," Johnny said with a smile.

"Hey guys," Alesia told them as she joined them.

"Are you okay? You look upset," Frankie told her.

"I'm fine," Alesia answered. "Are you making paper cranes?"

"Yes, I just taught Frankie how to make them, do you want me to show you as well?" Johnny asked.

"No need," Alesia told him as she picked up a sheet of paper from the top of the pile. "Someone I used to be friends with taught me how to make them."

"Someone you used to be friends with?" Frankie inquired. "That is oddly specific."

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"And that is how you fold a paper crane," the ten-year-old Aiden told Alesia as he proudly held the crane up for her to see.

"Let me try," Alesia chipped as she took a sheet of paper and started folding.

The two had been excused from their grade five class, as the rest of the class was making mother's day cards. They had been sent to the school library and were under the watchful eye of the school's librarian.

"Why aren't you making mother's day cards?" Alesia asked the boy.

"My mother is dead," Aiden replied not looking up from the crane he was folding.

"I'm sorry for your loss," Alesia told him politely. It was a phrase that she would hear in television shows and books when a character died. At that moment, it just seemed like the perfect thing to say.

"Don't be, I never even meant her," Aiden answered. "Is your mum dead?"

"No, my dad said she was a bad person. So she had to go away and would never be allowed to come back." Alesia informed him. Like Aiden, she didn't take her attention away for the paper crane in her hands.

"Is she in jail?" Aiden asked.

"Yes," Alesia mumbled. She still refused to look at her friend, but she could feel his eyes on her.

"What for?" Aiden inquired.

"Murder."