Spirit

School

"And now

there is someone to speak for them

moving away from me into tomorrows

morning of wish and ripen."

- "Movement Song" by Poet  Audre Lorde

I don't believe in hell. I don't think it's possible for there to be a scary underground world filled with demons and frightening monsters. My mom doesn't either. She's the one who taught me that hell isn't real. 

However, if we are wrong, and hell does exist, the closest you'll ever get to it is Goldvalley High. I cannot stand going to school every morning! I hate my friends, I hate my history teacher, who is way too strict, and I hate it when couples make out up against my locker. Do people know how to get a room?! It's a pretty goddamn simple thing to do. 

Obviously, I was upset when I woke up this morning, and the end of winter break came. This was the moment I had been dreading forever! I did not want to go back to school!

Now, I'm sitting in period 4 Language Arts with Sarafina behind me. My two fake friends, Carol and Leisha, are surrounding me. Carol sits to my left, and Leisha sits to my right. 

Carol and Leisha are 2 of the school's biggest hotties, which is pretty surprising, since they are freshmen. Carol has tan skin and bouncy brown hair. Everyone likes her, because she's dating the senior quarterback, Kyle. If you ask me, I don't even know what people see in her. She is so dumb, and she never pays attention in class. And all she cares about is what lipstick won't stain Kyle's perfect, soft, and small lips. I guess my peers feel the need to kiss up to the quarterback's girlfriend.

Leisha has straight, blonde hair that goes down to her back. She has DD cups, and probably never wears underwear. She's one of the most flirtacious girls in the school. I'm not sure if  Leisha has lost her virginity yet. She's only 15, but I wouldn't be surprised if she has. When I walk down the hallways with her, she's always getting asked to talk by some random guy. I'm not a lesbian or anything, but I'm sure that if Leisha isn't a virgin, she's probably great in bed. How else would she get so many guys at her ankles?

I don't even like Leisha and Carol. I think they don't have a future. They think that they'll end up on some reality TV show in the future, but I just can't see that happening. And I'm a psychic. 

"Who's that new girl behind you?" Carol whispers to me.

"Her name is Sarafina," I say.

"That's nice. How do you know her?" Carol asks.

"She lives next door to me. She came over yesterday," I reply. 

Leisha looks back at Sarafina. She gazes at her crazy hair, and then looks back at me. "I think I've seen her somewhere." 

"Well, her dad is the pastor of Saint Peter's Church, so..."

"Oh, my God, Leisha!" Carol says, slightly louder than she probably should have. "We go there!" 

Mrs. Albert, our teacher, puts her finger to her mouth and shushes Carol. 

"Was she super religious?" Leisha whispered to me. "How did Mayflower take it?"

"Sarafina wasn't a bible freak," I answer, "and my mom was fine, thank you."

Later on, I went to lunch. Today, the cafeteria ladies were serving beans and casserole with broccoli on the side. I look at the food with disgust. Why do we have to eat these things?

After I pay for my rather horrendous looking lunch, I find an open table. I don't feel like sitting on the north side of the cafeteria with Leisha and Carol. All they'll want to do is gossip about Sarafina, and I don't think gossiping is very fun. 

Speaking of Sarafina, minutes later, she ends up plopping her boney ass down next to me. I'm kind of happy Sarafina wants to sit with me. She seems like a really awesome girl. I saw her aura yesterday, and it was a cyan color. This indicated that she was friendly and curious. 

"Hey, Anna," Says Sarafina. 

"Hey, Sarafina. I'm sorry you have to eat this tremendously horrifying lunch on your first day at Goldvalley High," I say.

"This is not a problem," She replies. "I love casserole."

I roll my eyes. Sarafina certainly won't like the kind they serve here.

Seconds later, I begin to think about something different. Sarafina communicated with me telepathically yesterday! I still can't get over that. As far as I know, only witches can do this. And Sarafina is really not able to practice Wicca at her house. I need to tell her I'm a witch, too. I know it seems like a crazy idea, and my mom will probably hate me if I do. 

Although, I have good reason to! Sarafina really needs to connect with another witch. She doesn't deserve to feel alone, or psychotic, or even worse, both. 

I want to break this news to her subtly. It can be a lot to handle for some people. My mom told me about the time she once had to tell her sister she was a witch. The sister ran away a day after she was told she could use magick. No one ever heard from her again. 

Sarafina just arrived in a new town. She is obviously having a hard time adjusting to that. I want her to be able to adjust to her personal talents, as well.

Then, it comes to me. I have the perfect idea. I will invite her over after school, and show her my altar. I can explain to her how witchcraft works. I'll show her the ropes, and she won't feel so alone. She won't feel like an outcast. 

"Hey, Sarafina," I say, "Are you having a hard time making friends here?"

Sarafina plays with her casserole for a minute, clearly procrastinating from answering me. "Kind of. I just feel like a loser."

"Maybe, you could come over to my house this afternoon, like your dad suggested. We can hang out. Then, maybe you won't feel so outcasted," I say.

Suddenly, Sarafina's face lights up with joy. "That sounds perfect!" She says.