Dreaming for a Change

Chapter One: If Ariel was the Shy Mermaid

Hi! I'm Nigee Sprout. And I am quite literally a sprout. Zach, my best friend, calls me "Potato" and "Sprouts" and sometimes "Ariel". Only if I'm lucky.... Anyway, I'm getting sidetracked. Sorry. I am Nigee Sprout and I like to design. I mostly design bows based on Disney characters. I wear my Ariel bow the most. I practically never leave home without it. Against my red hair, the bow stands out perfectly.

I look up to Ariel. I wish to be her. Besides the fact that she was a mermaid, she's bold, rebellious, curious, passion, and spirited. All the things I'm not.

And I've had this secret between me, myself, and my dairy. I love Zachary. More than just a best friend or a brother. Yet, he just sees me as a friend. He's told me millions of times that he has a crush on this girl with the name of Charlotte. I've never met her once; and from what I've seen in the halls, I think I want to keep it that way.

Charlotte is one of those beautiful popular girls; the one that all the guys want to get her number - including Zach. She's nothing but trouble. I've witnessed her nailing nerds to the wall to make them do her assignments. I've overheard her pleading to the teachers to give her another day for her project. I've even heard her cackle on about all the guys that profess their love to her this time of the year - Valentine's Day. What I'm scared about is that Zach will soon do the same and his heart might break at Charlotte's cruelty. I'm worried, that's all.

***

I stand in line waiting to retrieve my food from the school. I keep my head down, but I could not block the evil laughter of Charlotte and her girl zombies gossip across the room in the other line. I can just see the sound waves radiating off of them.

I grab my lunch and hurry off to find Zach. I find him in our usual spot next to the windows. A table just to ourselves. I love it. It's like our own secret treehouse right here in school that none of the other students can enter, even if they try their hardest to get the password right. It was a place of our own. I jog over to Zach.

"Hey Sprouts." Zach greets.

"Hey Gremlin." I reply as I set my food tray down. He goes for a fry, but I slide my tray farther away. "You are definitely a spawn of a Gremlin, Zach."

"I like food. What can I say?" He leans back with the hands on the back of his head holding it up. I laugh and adjust my bow. "New one?"

"Huh? Oh no. Same one." I said shyly.

"Nigee, you can really make a profit off of these bows if you sell them now." Zach suggests. We've had this conversations about this topic before and my answer has always been the same.

"Zach, I've told you this a million times. I get too attached with them. They're all one of a kind. Prototypes."

"That's how you can make some money. Make the bows one of a kind and people will flip for the collector's item."

I rolled my eyes. Zach is always trying to have his "get rich" schemes to actually work. In third grade, he tried to find a gold rush in the middle of Illinois, yet he got busted for digging holes in the school's backyard. In fifth grade, he attempted to become a singer, but was short lived when he realized that would take a while and his parents broke the news to him that his vocal chords are...lacking. So let's just say that Zach's plans weren't thought out well enough to actually work.

I can't help but laugh. I could see a smile grow across his face. I knew he was being serious, but with all the years I've heard his ridiculous plans, some of them are wild.

"I knew I could get you to smile."

"You always do, Zach. You've been doing it for years." I stated. He really is amazing. I don't want anyone near him that isn't me.

A body is thrown on top of the table beside me. The body was slender and a cute tan color. The body's knees were on the seat of the table and it was leaning on its elbows towards Zach. Her feet were kicking happily, not caring if someone got hurt. I gritted my teeth and my smile disappeared.

"Hey Zachy!" Charlotte squeals. He smiles and I silently groan in my mind as I move farther away from Charlotte.

"H-hey Charlotte.." Zach stutters. I glance over at him. I want to scowl, but I don't scowl. That's not me. Just from Zach's posture shift, I could tell. He likes Charlotte...not me.

Charlotte slides into the bench and moves closer my way - almost resulting me to be pushed off the edge to the nasty lands of the cafeteria floor. She grabbed his attention instantly and Zach forgot I was even there.

"Can you walk me to my next class?" Charlotte pleads. I refrained myself from rolling my eyes at the sound of her voice.

The scene became so clear to me.

Charlotte was the evil siren queen, hypnotizing Prince Zach of the Gremlin into a toxic spell of forced love. Everyone in the country was under her toxic love. All except for me, a heroine from another land with the name of Ariel the Shy Mermaid. I was the only one who could save the land from Charlotte's spell and Prince Zach from her clutches. It was my destiny. Yet being titled "The Shy Mermaid" isn't very beneficial. Being shy is a battle itself and the villain will win in the end.

The bell rings for the end of lunch. I awaken from my daydream to find the seat in front of me empty. I searched behind me and immediately I saw my nightmare daydream come true. Charlotte and Zach were walking away linking arms like they are a couple.

Zach usually walks me to my next class... Not linked at the arms like that, but he still walks me... Why? Why her? What did I do to deserve this?

I take the remainder of my burger and throw the tray away. I ate and walked wishing that my day will end quickly and that Zach is still aware that I exist.