Stolen Souls

Part 1- Chapter 3

I heard rumors about "the new girl" flying around everywhere I went. Even Billy was talking about her and he usually doesn't talk a lot. I suddenly heard Jerry talking about me... "Did you hear? Carter was supposed to show her around the school but she rejected him!—" He started. I squinted my eyes and pinned him against his locker.

"You, shut your mouth or I'll do it for you." I warned.

"Okay, okay." He said. I let go of him and walked into Chorus.

"Hey, can I sit next to you?" A soothing voice asked. I immediately turn around. Sonia is standing there, clutching her textbooks.

"Yeah! Sure." I say.

She sits next to me.

"So um..." Ugh! I'm being so... Annoying and I really don't know what to say. It's not like I like her or something... But that was the problem, I did like her. 

"Okay so everyone partner up with someone and you will be preforming a duet in two day's time." 

Kids immediately paired up with each other. I ran towards Fernando as he and I could do a dancing act. But almost as quick as lightning, Sonia stood in my way.

"So, I don't really know anybody but I know you, Carter. Can we work together?" Sonia asks. 

I'm kinda disappointed but I do want to be seen with Sonia, then those other guys can back off.

"Sure, what kind of act do you wanna do?" I ask.

"I was thinking that we could sing together." 

"Um,  I..." I stutter. I can't sing, it's not like my voice is bad or anything it's just that...Well I... Ugh. I just won't sing in front of anybody.

"You what?" 

"I...I've never sang before." I lie.

"WHAT?!—" She screams.

I put a hand over her mouth.

"Shhhhhh." I whisper.

She delicately removes my hand from her mouth and places her own hand ontop of my shoulder. 

"Come on, I believe that you can sing. Everyone is a good singer." She says.

"Um...I..." I say.

"Are you shy? We can practice at my house or your house. Whichever you prefer." She says kindly.

"Um yeah my place is fine. Tonight right? I really don't feel comfortable—" I ask.

"Yes, we need to practice. The competition is on Friday." She says.

"The competition?" 

"I mean... The..." She stutters.

This is the first time I have ever seen her without having this sort of... Confidence.

"You mean our homework?" I say.

"Well no...I mean..." Sonia says.

"Why would you lie to me?" I ask.

"Well, it's just that. vice principal Brown said that it would be turned into a competition. "

"WHAT?!" I shout as I stand up from my desk.

"You will be fine, Carter—" She says.

"NO! You don't understand!" I scream as I run into the hallway and fling open the door to the boy's bathroom.

I go into a stall, lock it, then sit on the lid of toilet. After a few seconds, I burst into tears. Why did I think that I could impress her? She will never like me and that is the least of my problems! I have to sing! If I don't then I will fail Chorus and then I would have to take summer school! Shut up, me! Stop overreacting, after all it could be gone. My mind flashes back to the day when it happened.

A cold, winter day. It's in a middle school. Kids with school uniforms sit on chairs that surround the stage. The smell of cherry soda fills the air. It's the cheap kind that tastes like bubblegum mixed with that artificial cherry flavour. A boy just finished his act, juggling three gatorskin balls while playing the piano. The crowd applauded and stared at the next boy. He had a ruby ring on his left ring finger. Two kids in the front row started to cry with laughter.

 "You married?" One hissed. 

"As if, nobody would ever even think of liking him." The second guffawed. The little boy onstage wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his school uniform which just made the two laugh harder. Suddenly, everyone began to laugh at the tiny boy onstage. He was going to do a stunt trick but he changed his mind. These boys and everyone else deserved revenge. Hewas so angry that he started in the middle of the song. He took a deep breath and the words flowed from his lips. 

"Fresh from head to the feet." Something clicked in his brain and he began to sing louder and harsher.

"Bro, what are those? Shoulda kept the receipt." The white fog escaped from within his ring. Everyone in the room fell asleep.

"Your  probably ashamed so keep low key but if anybody asked say you don't know me!" He raps louder. The white fog grows larger and gray dots are flying out of the people and into his ring. He continues to—

No! What am I doing? I can't sing ever again! I slam my head against the stall door and sob a bit harder. I don't even care about anything right now. Plus nobody will ever understand me. There is no other of my kind and there never will be.