Light as a feather

Clumsy

She was seventeen. She was on the short side with a round race and a lanky body. Her eyes were slanted like always as if she was always squinting to see. Her teeth were straight. Took her forever to get braces off. Oh, she hated them. Never smiled without coving her mouth or without opening her mouth.

She was sitting there again. On that patch a grass under that tree. You know, the tall oak at the far end of the courtyard with the "L and M 4 ever" and "Jessie was here" carved on it along with many other random things. The tell-all tree I like to call it. It seems that's the tree where everything is found out: Security found Sam's weed stash there, Frankie caught Brad cheating there, Mandy let the world know she was a lesbian, as carved on the tree, and now nobody really goes around it but her. They're all too afraid that their secrets will be revealed somehow. Not her though. She sits there every day before school, at lunch, free time, and sometimes after school before she goes home.

I watch as she picks a book up from the piles she has surrounding her. She read books. Real books. You know the kind with definitions and "see above on figure 3.2". "The earth and its inhabitants" was her favorite book. Yea, strange. Her brown hair, tangled and messy from lying on the grass, fell into her wide almond eyes that wondered around with a spark and gleam of a citrine gem as she gazed down in awe at the picture of a baby bird. "Birds Around the World" was her current read. Eyes widen, back tense, she dropped the book as the loud ringing of the bell began, signaling the end of lunch. She quickly gathered her books up and carefully placed them in her bag before getting up and walking toward the big double doors that led inside. She starts a small jog, we only have five minutes to class, which is so not enough time, and starts to tilt toward and down she goes.

"Oomph," she groans as she sit on the grass trying to get her breath back. "That hurts." She pulls herself up and brushes the dirt off her blue jeans before she strolls off again.

Always the clumsy one.

~.~.~

She didn't come to school today. Her spot under the tree was vacant. No books of interest or  the sight of the hazel eyed girl. Where did she go?

~.~.~

It's been 3 days and still no sign of her. I've been wondering if I should call her. It's been years since then, but she hasn't changed. Maybe more secluded, but she's still the girl I met that day at the park nine years ago.

"Hi, I'm Cam." The little girl said as she played with the hem of her skirt. Her hazel eyes looking around but not directly at me or one thing.

"Sam." I whispered, my eyes lowering as the shyness took place.

"I'm seven and a half! I'm a big girl!" The girl named Cam grinned at me her eyes sparkling.

"Me too." I said back, tensing as her wide smile became wider.

"Why aren't you playing?" she tilted her head to the side.

"I...uhh...don't have anyone...t-to play with." I looked back down embarrassed.

"Come Sam!" the girl yelled as she latched onto my arm and started pulling me to the jungle gym. "We are going to be the bestiest friends ever!"

We were...but then, we weren't.

~.~.~

She's here. She sat under her tree with all her books surrounding her. This time about space. "All about holes: Blackholes" was her read today. The subtitle read "Once in, there's no way of coming back." Forever surrounded by darkness and nothingness. Blackholes, space's endless pit.

She had a bandage on her left cheek. I bet she tripped again. The wind blew her hair every which way. As if it took my scent with it, she looked up. Her eyes wandering around the courtyard looking, searching, for a person they cannot find. A shadow that's hidden and will remain that; a shadow. She shook her head and went back to reading. When the bell rung, she gathered her books and started walking toward the doors. She was walking funny. Her body was stiff and controlled. She had a limp. She must have fallen again.

She can be so clumsy.