The Black Swan

Today is different

I had just cut my hair short. It was about an inch above my shoulders, but it remained that ginger red, still a bit light from summer, but not too dark from fall yet. I was Irish inside and out. I wore a black dress with white daisies on it and a tan sweater over top. I slipped on some black stockings and my black boots. It was an outfit I would wear everyday if I could. I curled my hair and put some makeup on.

"Common Liam you are going to be late!" I yell at him, the Irish accent ringing through the house. My 11 year old brother runs out to the kitchen, disheveled as usual, and grabs his books.

I grabbed my stuff and rushed out the door.

We took the bus that morning, rather than walking, and my satchel bounced as I bounded up the stairs as it did everyday I took the bus. I walked all the way to the back and sat in the last seat on the left, and Liam climbed in with me. We were discarded, not wanted, here or anywhere for that matter. Liam leaned on me and I wrapped my arm around his shoulder. I put in my headphones and watched the sun struggle to climb over the distant mountains. It was a three hour drive from the outside district, where all the "filthy immigrants" stayed. It was like every other day, drag my feet until lunch, then drag my feet to the bus and then back home, where ,as usual, only Liam would be waiting for me.

Today was different.

I stood in the hallway, during lunch, and pretended to talk to Alex as she flirted with Jarvis, her boy friend of two years. I looked around and Matt, my boyfriend of several months, talked to Madelyn, his friend and ex girlfriend. Not that I minded, but I was actually alone except for the occasional glance from Jordan who stood about 10 feet down the hall. Jordan is one of my best friends and Matt doesn't like him much but, I told him to deal with it. Seconds after exchanging another glance with him his face lit up. I was confused until someone rammed into the back of me. Pushing by was Kyra, Jordan's girlfriend of too damn long. She abused the kid and used him. Something I couldn't tolerate. He came to me always questioning what I did wrong when it was her. She never liked me much anyways. Too damn bad.

The bell rang and Matt grabbed my hand roughly as we walked through the hallway. I saw Jordan and ran up behind him. I jumped onto his back, which he wasn't expecting, and he fell forward, hitting his face on the ground. I rolled off of him and looked at his face. He held his nose as it bled.

"You dumb bitch!" Kyra yelled. "Nasty red-headed little bitch! I should have you arrested!" I just looked at Jordan and mumbled apologies. I didn't know what to do. It was an accident, surely he would understand, right?

Down the hall Matt looked at me with a face full of anger.

"Disgusting creature." He mumbled to Madelyn.

At this point, everyone in the hallway stared. Kyra grabbed Jordan's arm and dragged him to the nurses office. He didn't even look at me. I looked around and my face started to turn deep red as people pointed at me and exchanged whispers. As the tears welled up in my eyes I ran to a place no one would look for me, if anyone cared to look. I ran into a closet and locked the door behind me.

I bawled. I couldn't bare it. It was an accident why would he just walk away without even making eye contact. I felt upset, I have feelings for him I'm not going to lie. What people don't know is that Matt is not as perfect as he seems. He's smart and popular, I mean how can someone like me, an outcast and a nerd, even look at someone like him. It's because I'm easy to hit around and manipulate. I'm fast to forgive and forget.

Not today.

Because when I was in the closet crying my phone rang.

A text.

"Chun an Eala Black, bhfuil sé in am."

"To The Black Swan, the time has come."