White to Red

The purple alarm clock

My purple alarm clock beeps me awake, it's my prized possession. My girlfriend bought it for me. It's my favorite color purple and has my favorite cartoon character hello kitty on it. Instead of slamming the snooze button as most kids do on a school day I gently turn it off and get out of bed. I pull on a hand me down t-shirt that states brightly across the front; girls rule the world I then put on shorts, socks. This isn't my dream outfit exactly but it'll have to work.

Charlie's sitting in the kitchen eating some cold toast slathered with mustard. "Charlie, did mom serve you this? Look I have to go to school in an hour and you have daycare." I shuffle around the kitchen and make him proper toast.

Mom's laid out on the couch muttering numbers to herself, phone numbers. house numbers any number, Mom has a knack for numbers and when she's super stressed she recites them. I change Charlie's diaper and put his clothes on. "Let's go, Charlie!" I grab my backpack and the lunch I packed for him.

"Hey Rowen, here to drop off Charlie?" Miss. Cherry asks. "Yes," I sign the parent sheet. "How's your mom?" Miss. Cherry helps Charlie put his lunch in his cubby. "Not great. But it will be fine." I say. "Well stay safe." Miss. Cherry waves me goodbye as I head out the door, Miss. Cherry is a lot like the mom I wish I had at times.

I stepped into the bustling hallway of hell, usually recognized as school, Diana my girlfriend and I go to the same school, so that's a perk of hell. I wandered down the hallway my eyes peeled for her and the Nolsen boys because surprise they go here too. I see her over at her locker, I almost cry tears of joy. "Diana," I rush over. "Hey, Wenny." She hugs me back. "Now let me see." She examines my cuts and clucks her tongue. "I brought some band-aids, here." She plasters them on my leg.

Diana is by far the prettiest girl I've ever seen, she has a short really dark brown bob cut with bangs, tan skin and a septum piercing she's a little bit plump and always wears striped shirts. I give her a thank you hug and then regretfully go down the hall to my classes.

Math goes fine not good, a kid spits gum on my shoes. English goes better no one bothers me. Spanish is great. Then my least favorite part of the day. Gym.

I slowly go into the gym fear penetrating my body. Mr. Johneson is yelling at some kids to get something for him. Gym is the worst because they can zero in on me easier. It's not easier when he separates girls and boy's, sure then I don't have to worry about the brothers but then I have Kiera and her gang.

"Girls that side. Boys the other!" Mr. Johneson herds us to our respective sides. "Volleyball unit starts today." The Kiera gang stand off to the side. Kiera is the typical beauty, who fits every beauty "standard." She's skinny tall and has a long rush of blonde curls, her eyes are an innocent green and her face couldn't be more smooth or pale. I almost gag every time I see her, she hates anyone who doesn't look like a replica of her. I think Diana is so much prettier, not that I could say that,

Her eyes narrow in on me, Mr. Johneson's busy getting the net set up perfectly so she sees her opportunity. "Hi, four eyes." She lamely growls. I slowly back away. "You scared? Baby! Here I'll show you fear." She pushes me back and I topple down. I want to stand up and scream, stop! But she's already walking away chuckling with her gang.

After that Kiera picked on me whenever she could saying mean things all class.

Lunch! time to finally see Diana. I go out to the courtyard and go to our special tree, Diana is sitting eating her lunch. "Heyo" she scoots over, "Kiera?" I nod urging her silently to not ask further. Diana is the kid that could be in any group she wanted, she used to be best friends with Kiera. But Kiera wanted her to change so she'd look more like Kiera, dye her hair blonde, stay in so she could get paler, wear contacts. But Diana wouldn't change herself so she could be in a toxic friendship. She showed so many girls that you didn't have to have those things to be pretty! And that who really wanted pale pasty skin anyway?

We munch in silence. Diana had moved me, so I started opening up more since Kiera wasn't around as much to bully me I felt free. Soon I started having more so romantic feelings for Diana, I tried to hide them but it was impossible. Diana and me became closer and closer until finally we got together. She makes me feel complete and without her.. I wouldn't know what to do.