Forbidden Love

Chapter 3

NOT EDITED

I awoke the next morning to my alarm clock blaring in my ear. School already? Will he be there? Will he be sick? I sure hope not. My gut tightens at the thought of him in pain; of him sad.

I heard a light knock at my door. "Yes?" I say as I stretch my arms. Mom walks into my room.

    "Boys? Really Aspen? Boys? Do you not understand that girls are not allowed to be with boys; not as a couple at least?! This isn't in any way appropriate, but I'm sure it just a phase sweetheart. Man and woman just weren't made to lie together." Mom's tone is unhappy and unsettling. Really, first thing in the morning?

"I'm sorry, mom, I don't mean to like boys. I wish I didn't. I wouldn't be so confused."

"Your mother and I talked about it, Aspen, and we both feel this is a phase. Now get up and get dressed. Mother made pancakes for breakfast." Mom leaves my room, pulling my door shut as she leaves.

I run my hands through my hair and sigh. I don't want to go to school today. I can't bare to see his face. He must love a guy. Why would he ever like me? I stand up and walk over to my closet. I grab a sweatshirt and leggings. I don't care how I look today.

I hurry to the bathroom to quickly shower. I stop to look at myself in the mirror. I see a young innocent girl looking back at me. Pale blue eyes and dark brown hair. I don't look like either of my moms. Probably because I look like my father. It echos through my head. Father. I have a father and he has one of my siblings. I want to get to meet my sibling. I want to meet my father but that's not how it works here. If you want a child of your own, you find a man who also wants a child. You make a deal with him to have two children: one for you and one for him. Then you leave, never having anything to do with each other again. I wonder what my father looks like. I know Mother is the one who birthed me, but who helped?

I get dressed and finish my morning routine. I wait patiently for the bus at my stop. Yellow rolls down the hill on its way to me. The door swing open, just missing my nose. I get on the bus seeing every seat is taken. I don't have many friends so I sit next to an elementary student. He looks to be about in first grade.

We don't speak. I don't know him. He doesn't know me. Plus, I am female and an he is male. Not a good mix, according to most people.

The bus doesn't take long for we arrived at school shortly after I got on. The boy I was sitting next to looked left and right before he ran to the playground. I was walking towards the school door when I heard a helpless whine. I turned around. It was coming from the playground.

The boy from the bus had his fist clutching the red collar of a small boy. His eyes were brown and his hair was blond. His face was screwn up in pain so my eyes floated around the picture to find out why. A buff boy, who I guessed was bus-boy's friend, sunk his foot in the victim's leg.

"Tell me!" Commanded buss-boy. The buff kid kicked him again.

"Fine," cried the boy. "My brother likes girls!"

Bus-boy dropped the brother of my kind and started kicking him. That was it. I ran over to them and pushed the bullies away. "Stop!" I said. Then I jumped right to the truth, "Do you want people to go to your funeral when you die and say, 'Well, I won't miss him at all. He was mean?' Huh? Do you?"

"I don't care," he spits.

"Ya, well your parents do," I snap, "Leave the kid alone. Or else." I glared at the bullies as they ran away to school.

"Thanks," said the kid on the ground. He spit dark red blood onto the ground.

"Are you okay?"

"Ya," he winced.

I offered my hand to him. "Come on," I say, "Let's go to the nurse's office."

He pulled his hand free of mine. "No!" He shouted, standing now. People's heads turned but we ignored them. "I already told my brother's secret to them," he gestured towards the school, "I go to the nurse and she will ask me what happened. If I don't say, she'll tell the principal. The principal will call my parents and I will be done for."

"What's your name?" I ask.

"John."

"I'll keep your secret. We can tell the nurse you fell down the hill or something, okay?"

"Okay." We walked into the school together and right outside the nurse's office John said, "You tell the lies, okay? It's against my religion to lie."

"I will. Don't say anything and she might think you're in too much pain to talk. It won't be lying because you won't say anything."

John nodded his head and we went into the office. I looked at him and I felt so much pain. I wanted to know how his brother was. Maybe we could be friends since we are the same.

"What happened?" Shrieked the nurse as she rushed over to him.

"He... he fell," I stuttered. The nursed raise her eyebrow almost as if saying that she knew we weren't telling the truth.

"He fell? Than how did he get all these bruises all over his body?"

"He sorta rolled, but I have to go to class. I just wanted to make sure he got to your office alright."

"So do you need a pass, Aspen?"

    "No, I should be fine. I have a few minutes." I grabbed my coat and ran out the door. I knew if I had a pass people would wonder why I was late. I ran as fast as I could to get to class on time.

I just barely got in my seat before class. Everyone was whispering. "Aspen did you hear?"

"Hear what? What happened?" I'm not saying I love drama but it makes my life more interesting so I normally always at least know what's going on.

"There a straight in our class," she sneered. The blood drained from my face. My heart raced. I thought she was talking about me. How did they know already?

"I didn't believe it when I heard it either. He is such a good student too. I wonder what his parents will say?" She giggled. I started to breathe normal again Thank gosh! I thought she was talking about me.

"Who is it?" I asked. . I didn't believe my ears when she said his name. My heart started to pound against my rib cage. "He likes girls?!"

"Yes! His little brother told everyone this morning, everyone is talking about him." 

This changes everything. He likes girls. He likes girls. I repeated it in my head over and over in my head. He could like me. He could like me! I stood up. I have to find him. I have to talk to him. I stepped towards the door, my heart trying to escape. I can't believe it! My love could love me back!

"Alright, class. Let's get started," said a voice. I look behind me to see Mrs. Pineberry addressing the class. My heart drops. I can't go talk to him. I have to learn. I excuse my standing by getting a drink from the water fountain in the back of the class. I look for him but I don't see him anywhere.

I hurry back to my seat. I missed attendance. Giggles echoed the room, almost as if they were meant towards me, like everyone knew I was straight. Does anyone know?