Opal's Story

Secrets Out

'House meeting!' Tracy shouts as everyone assembles in the living room I hear her coming up the stairs and grab a hat, hiding the mess I've made that I'm starting to regret as she knocks on the door

'Who is it?' I say

'Tracy. There's a house meeting downstairs' she says

I open the door and look at her, the first time we'd interacted in three days

'Do I have to attend?' I ask

She nods before going downstairs, I follow on closely

'Everyone, we've found this and we'd like to know who wrote it' mike says, holding up a piece of paper

My poem...

I look at Tracy quickly before turning away

Please don't read it

'What does it say?' Lily asks

Mike reads out my poem and I start to crumble, when he's done everyone falls silent

Lily glances at me. She knows...

'Opal? Was this you?' Mike says, noticing Lily's glance

I instantly resume my persona

'What? No of course not!' I exclaim a little too unrealistically

'I saw you, Opal. you were in tears today' Lily says

'I wasn't' I say adamantly

'Of course... your answer today. And your hair. It all adds up' carmen says

'Your hair?' Mike says

'What answer?' Tracy says

'What are you talking about?' I say

'That's what I'd like to know' Tracy adds

'I was upset because you were all ignoring me, you all isolated me and made me feel horrible!' I say, trying to change the topic of my hair

'You shouldn't have said what you did about Tracy!' Everyone says

'I know!! Do you not think I know that' I say

'Well why did you then?' Lily says

'Because I hurt everyone, okay! That's what I do!' I say, tears trickling down my cheeks

'You're not like that, Opal.' Mike says trying to calm me down

'I am, mike! Tracy hates me everyone hates me! I don't know why I bother anymore! I'm done!! With everything!!'

I scream it all out. Everyone looks at me in shock

'I don't hate you, what you said upset me, I won't lie. But I don't hate you' Tracy says

'Well you should. Because I'm not good for you, or anyone.' I say

'Stop.' Tracy says

'I can't, I just want this to stop. Let me end all of this, I'm hurting everyone' I say

'Please don't tell me you're talking about what I think you are' Tracy says, fear in her eyes

Mike asks me again about the poem and I nod

'I wrote it, I'm sorry' I whisper

Tracy looks at me, more concerned than I've ever seen her

'Opal, you need to tell them' Lily says taking my hand

'There's nothing to tell' I say

Lily hands Tracy my sheet of paper from the lesson and I try to get it back but as I do my hat falls off my head and everyone gasps, looking at me.

Tracy looks up from the sheet of paper, tears filling her eyes

I look round at everyone, they're all talking about me, I know they are.

All of a sudden my heart starts racing and my minds screaming at me to get out of here

'Talk to me' Tracy says

It sounds like five people have said it

'Opal?'

Everyone starts asking if I'm okay, what's wrong with me

I need to go.

I run out the room, going into mine I grab my blade and go back downstairs going for the door

But Tracys ahead of me

'Tracy move out the way' I say

'I'm not gonna just let you go' she says

'You can't stop me!' I say

'Yes I can, you're not going anywhere until you tell me what's going on' she says

All of a sudden my mind brings the most horrible thought

I reveal the blade and Tracy still doesn't move, although she looks shocked

'I'm serious' I say

I'm not. No way would I hurt Tracy.

'And so am I. If you need to hurt me then go ahead but if you wanna go through this door you have to get past me first' She says

I look into her eyes, seeing a mixture of fear and sadness, I drop the blade and run into her arms

'I'm so sorry' I say over and over, unable to stop the tears

'Shh it's okay I've got you' she whispers, stroking through my hair, giving me the support I needed all along