Flew Right By Love

Enchanted

Picture of Jade (main character) in the media section :)

"Dave?"

"Here."

"Marlie?"

"Here."

"Trent?"

"Here."

Like everyday Mrs. Mayfeld called out our names, her voices like a stick slowly drifting along a stream. Their voices mingled together and I wondered why she even bothered. Everyone was here, no one was absent, so why was she taking attendance?

But I knew why.

Because of me.

Mrs. Mayfeld had hopes that one day, any day, I would open my mouth and say, "Here." Just like everyone else. But she could keep hoping because I was never going to do that.

It was formidable, daunting, and just hopeless.

Oh look, here I come.

"Gina?"

"Here."

"Jade?' There, that look. A cross between hope, fear of what might happen, then disappointment.

I raised my head slightly, taking my eyes off of the desk, made eye contact with her, and then continued to absently trace the desk. I could see the disappointment in her eyes but she silently marked me down, the pencil making a short scratch against the paper.

And then she went back to taking attendance. After another minute or two, there were a few rustles of papers, then Mrs. Mayfeld asked for someone to take the attendance to the office. I could feel her eyes on me, like a predator stalking my every move.

I was glad when the girl in front of me stood up, and took the paper from Mrs. Mayfelds's hands, her body breaking our stare down. Goosebumps rippled along my skin and I shifted in my seat, slowly taking my pencil between my index and thumb and writing my name clearly on the page in front of me.

Jade Brooke. I dropped the pencil letting it clatter back on the desk and leaned back in my chair, shifting my hair to form a curtain. Mrs. Mayfeld kept talking, asking questions every now and then, seemingly only to me. She'd always turn her body to my direction, and ask, her eyes pleading with me. But I ignored her.

I'd turn around, looking at anything, anyone but her. The window, the desk, chair, even the guy next to me, who seemed to sneak glances at me every so often too.

It was like this every day; every month. Her hopes that I would one day start talking and everything would be fine again; but everything wasn't fine.

The girl came back from the office and once again settled back in her seat in front of me. "Freak," she muttered under her breath as she eyed me. Her lip curled in disgust.

My heart quickened and my palms started sweating. I stared at the back of her head, my eyes burning with unshed tears. Freak, freak, freak. Freak, you don't belong here.

In my unaware state I realized most people had turned around to look at me, me. I stared right back and carefully swept my hair behind an ear. My eyes flitted to Mrs. Mayfeld and in my panicked moment I realized she'd asked me something. She never asked me something. I sat up, startled in my seat, quickly blinking back my tears.

"Jade, who was Dmitri Mendeleev?"

I stared at her, feeling sick. I couldn't answer. I knew but I couldn't answer.

Why is she doing this? Why would she want to do this? She knows about my...

"Jade?" She pressed me further.