The bell rings, and the school day starts. I'm carried off in a swarm of students, all rushing to get inside the classroom. I have a seat in the back of the class, in a group all by myself. My hair is long and jet black and it reaches all the way to my waist. I usually wear it down, you know it gives me something to hide behind. To avoid talking to anyone I keep my head down, letting my hair fall across my face. That's how I become invisible. No one can see me, except for the teacher on occasion. I don't think he understands that I'm trying to stay in the background.
"Ebony, come up to the board, and answer the question." He shouted over the flurry of whispers.
I guess he didn't get the memo. I thought if I sat still enough I would disappear, but apparently one can't fall off the face of the earth with sheer will.
"Miss Brookes, please come up to the black board and answer the math problem." He gave me that teacher look, that even I could see through the thick curtain of hair separating us.
Slowly I got up out of my desk, I made my way up to the board, still hiding behind my curtains. I held the slender stick of chalk in my bony hand, and looked up at the problem staring me in the face. Hesitating, I placed the chalk back down on the ledge, and pulled out a long ribbon I kept tucked away in my sleeve. Carefully I pulled my hair back into a pony tail, exposing my face to the whole world.
That is when I remembered why I always covered my face with my hair. No you doubters, I'm not some kinda monster under my hair. I'm not insanely hideous. People tell me that I'm actually quite pretty. Then again who am I to say.
They all stare at me in this strange way. They look down on me, like I'm lower then the dirt I walk on. Those people point their fingers at me and laugh. Their faces do this weird thing when they laugh at me. The ends of their lips curl up, mouth opened so wide I can see their teeth. Their eyes gleam with this emotion I just can't describe. I think they call it being happy. Who am I to say, I've never experienced happiness before.
That's how it is. I started to scribble down the long answer on the blackboard, careful not to meet anyone's eyes. Honestly Mr. Hopkins always makes me do the header questions, it isn't my fault I'm smarter then everyone else in class. It's not like I'm bragging it's the truth. I just get everything when the rest of the students are still trying to understand.
I blew a loose strand of hair out of my eye, just like that I was finished. Before I turned around I made sure to untie my hair, stuff the ribbon back up my sleeve, and fix my hair so it covered my face. I made my way back to my desk and sat down. Mr. Hopkins sighed and went over my answer and of course it was correct. Serves him right for picking me. I don't like putting myself out there. It's already been two months, I wish he could just deal with it, cause that's never gonna change.
I day dreamed, for the rest of class. As soon as the lunch bell rand the students flooded out the door, and headed for the cafeteria. Patiently waited for a few minutes to let things calm down before I got up, and started to make my way down to the cafeteria. I poked my head out the door to make sure the hallways were empty. I when I turned around to look the other way, I was startled to see a boy standing there. I stumbled into the hallway, almost tripping and face plating on the floor. The boy with Amber hair smirked and laughed under his breath.
"You're an interesting person ya know that. I find you to be very intriguing. What does your name happen to be?" He asked, as if it was the easiest thing in the world.
"I ah. I..." I stuttered, to overwhelmed to speak in anything bigger then word fragments. My heart was thumping, ears pounding, head whirling, it felt like I was going to black out at any moment. The boy tilted his head to the side, and stared at me with his strange and curios eyes. It was just to much.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I screamed taking off down the hallway. " I'M SORRY!!!!!!!"
The boy stood there in the hallway for a moment puzzled over what happened. "Wonder what her problem is?"
YOU ARE READING
Who Am I To Say
General FictionIt is just a story. You can do whatever you want with it. Read it, keep looking, or tuck it away in the back of your mind. I'm not telling you what to do. But you never know you could like it.
