The Child That Never Was (NaNoWriMo 2014)

Chapter One

Chapter One

It's okay, it's okay.  You're going to be okay, I tried to convince myself as I walked down the halls of my high school, New Water High.  I was trying out a new look today; a long, flowing, Bohemian skirt, bright lips, and heels.  If I could pull this off, I'd look just like I came from a Cover Girl photo shoot.  But the question is, how long could I pull this off for?

I would have been fine, that is, until I spotted Bryce Leony hanging out by his locker.  Caught off guard by his handsome looks, I went tumbling over my heels.  The worst part is that I fell right at his feet.  Guess that I couldn’t pull that off, after all.  Of course with my luck, Ashley Wince had to be right next to Bryce, making a big fuss about it.  “Aw, look, Bryce,” Ashley cooed.  “Mickey fell for you.”  She and the rest of the popular bunch began laughing, as if it were the funniest thing they had ever heard.

I got up and brushed myself off, “It's Kaylie, actually.”

“What?  How?” Ashley smirked, raising an eyebrow at me.

“Well, ya know, my name is Mikayla.  Then, you get Kayla, and then, Kaylie,” I explained in an awkward expression, feeling more and more embarrassed as I opened my mouth.  Why did I have to always over explain things?  Why was I so awkward?

Ashley made her face into a pout.  “Actually it's Mikayla, then Mick, and, lastly, Mickey,” she said before smirking again.  With that I shook my head, turned on my heel, and walked away wondering if I could do anything right.  It seemed as if I was always the person walking alone, always the one who was yelled at, bullied, etc.  To be honest with you, I wasn't sure that I could do anything right.  I couldn't even walk the right way, for crying out loud!  I would never be like any of the other girls who were just so perfect with the way they did everything.  Why was I different than everybody else?

I ran the rest of the way to homeroom, where I took my place at the back of the classroom, as I always did.  Mark Langer was there to greet me.  “Oh, hi, Kaylie,” he said in his dorky voice as he pushed his big, framed glasses up his pointed nose.  I smiled at him and said a quick hello.  Langer was a complete dork, but he was always there for me when I needed him.  The sad thing is that I don't have any friends, and I couldn't even count Langer as one.  I was the lone ranger in class and in the world, but surely someone out there had to care for me.  Perhaps I just haven't met this person yet.

“You look as red as a tomato, Kaylie,” Langer continued to talk.  “Surely something is up.”

I looked at him and took a deep breath.  I tossed my long brown curls behind me before telling my tale.  “Well, I was walking through the hall when I tripped over my heels, and landed at Leony's feet,” I blushed.  “Then, Ashley Wince had to make such dumb comments.”  I shuddered at my embarrassing moment, and Langer gave me a knowing look.  

“I've been there before, Ranger,” he saluted me before turning back to his notebook full of equations and A+'s.  Mark Langer and the rest of his nerdy squad always held A+'s on everything, and I had to admit that I was always a little jealous and embarrassed when our teachers passed our grades back.  Langer and his crew knew that I struggled with schoolwork and always offered me help.  However, I was too shy to accept it so I was just smiled and gently refused the offer.  I wasn't stupid, but I wasn't that smart either.  In most classes, my grades would be in the seventies or eighties, with an occasional, surprise ninety.  The only classes I was actually “smart” in were Art Class and English.  In those classes, I was able to express myself in ways that I never thought possible.

Everyone is excellent in certain things.  For me, it's Art and English Class.  For Bryce Leony it's athletics.  For Ashley Wince, it's pushing people down to make them feel insecure about themselves.  For Langer and his group of friends, it was everything.  I wanted to be like them, but with my dyslexia, sometimes it was hard to.  Trust me, I did try my best, but dyslexia was always preventing me from achieving just I wanted to.