Elizabeth

Chapter 1

         

     

     If I could change my life for a day I would be glad to take that chance. I would be able to be one of the people that everyone wants to be around. The girls would go crazy over me and the guys would Invite me to hangout or go to parties. I would finally feel normal. Unfortunately today wouldn't be that day. My parents, Angela and Marcus Wright, are having a presentation on their new ghost novel at my school, as if life at school couldn't get hard enough. They were standing on the stage giving introductions in the school's auditorium, while familiar voices started making jokes in the row behind me. My parents are so ghost crazy when writing these novels, to which the upperclassmen would always take the opportunity to pick on me with stupid pranks like stuffing my locker with ghost messages and fake blood. Don't get me wrong, I love my parents, but did they even think about me when they chose being a ghost novelist as a profession. While my parents started to go more into what inspired the novel to be created, my mom starts to search the crowd knowing that it was me she was trying to spot. I tried to slouch in my chair with my hoodie over my head to hide so my parents didn't see me. My chest started to burn as my heart pumped faster trying to save myself from being notified by the school as a ghost boy again. Suddenly an outburst of laughter mixed with aw's amongst the students to which had me unreveal to see the commotion. A huge picture on their slideshow had a picture of me about three months old with a mess of frosting coating my body. No. No they did not why did they- No I can't take this any more. I walked out of the auditorium with my blood boiling just walking blindly through the hallways. Making a turn at a corner I bumped shoulders making them fall to the floor, to which I just continued on out the building paying no mind to anything. Why do they always have to do this every time they want to drive me crazy. My mind snaps back to reality when I get yanked backwards facing three upperclassmen, specifically Joseph Moore.

"Hey buddy those were some nice baby pics of you. Who knew ghostboy used to be alive." he said with a slight laugh in his tone. I yanked my hood out of his gasp "Don't you have someone better to dedicate your armless taunts with other than me?" walking away to only be blocked again. "What do you want?" only to be answered with a punch to the face. He grabbed my collar pulling me forward. " What makes you think that you can talk to us that way Ghostboy? No matter how you look at it you'll never be safe from us, because no one likes you. Not the teachers, your friends if you have any, your parents obviously don't like, and not even yourself. You'll always be a nobody Ghostboy." pushing me back allowing me to hit the floor.

When Joseph and his friends left I quickly rushed home trying to avoid my parents.

I'm met with my mom's eyes as she stops me from going up stairs. " What happened to your face?" closely examining my face only to be ignored. " Nothing." trying to avoid eye contact. She holds me in place as she was trying to get an answer. " Andy, this isn't nothing your eye is swollen and it looks like you're going to cry, who did this to you?" I tried my best to control myself but this was it I couldn't hold it in anymore " As if you care." causing her shock at a loss of words to only respond with "What did you say?" I looked up at her in the eyes knowing that I would regret these words " As if you care, because it seems that you care more about your stupid book than about the affects that it would have on me. I'm always having to endure the consequences with each and every book you and Dad have ever published. You care more about those books than your owe son!" Pulling away from her grasp heading towards my bedroom door and locking it behind me. Deep down I feel guilty for the untrue words that were said but I couldn't hold it in anymore, everyday it's always the same thing over and over again. The multiple teasing, new pranks, and constant beatings by the upperclassmen about how I don't exist, saying that " No one likes you... not even yourself". While they're not wrong about it's always been like this ever since Junior high. A double knock on the door snaps me out of my thoughts. "Hey Andy, can we talk?" Dad said to which I go to unlock the door to see him still in his work clothes. I step aside to allow him to enter with the door closing behind him. " Andy are you ok?" to which I just look at the floor not saying anything to him. " I mean, if it's about the baby picture or us scheduling it at your school you could just let us know son. Your mother told me that you had come home really upset and had stormed off to your room." So mom didn't say anything about the heated discussion earlier. I looked back up to my dad still not ready to say anything to him yet knowing that he wouldn't understand. "Dad, I don't think you will understand." looking around trying not to make any eye contact with him. "How would you know if I don't understand if you haven't told me anything. You have to talk to us if something is bothering you son." he said. " Ghost Boy." to which my father doesn't get what I mean. "Ghost boy is what I'm known as at school. I'm basically the ghost of school." He doesn't really respond immediately as if thinking of what to say next. " I hate being at that school Dad I don't want to go back there." He looks up at me " Listen Andrew you know our situation right now. We're struggling right now at the moment." I shook my head with a smirk " Then can I go live with grandma or even Aunt Maggie anywhere other than here, because I'm done. I can't keep switching back and forth with being Ghost boy and the good son all the time."I looked at my dad to get some kind of reaction to this situation that I'm in but all he could do was look at me. " I don't expect you to understand." He walked towards the bed and sat down next to me. "Andy, I know that feeling of being alone, but I don't think us being ghost novelist is the problem son. Your having a problem accepting yourself and working on what you have." he looked at me. "So what if you don't fit in, there is more to life than school son. I don't want you to feel that your problems aren't important or to suck it up, but what are you going to do about it?" He stood up again heading to the door "Think about it carefully son."

I looked up at my ceiling thinking about what he said, but I don't understand what he meant by that. I got up, leaving my room to go to the living room library, which was shelves filled with all of mom and dad's novels. I looked through the books that were visible to see looking at the different stories. I have never really taken a liking to these novels, because of the cliché plots. I pick up one of them sat on the couch next to the fire place. This book seems to be one of their recent books seeing that the cover was in perfect condition. I started reading the first page and It seemed that this character was basically in the same predicament as me, but the only difference was she had friends.

The bright beam of light that was hitting my eyes which made me realize that it was morning. I must have fallen asleep. I looked around to see if my parents were home, but there wasn't any signs of them in the house only a letter on the kitchen counter.

Dear Andrew,

Your Father and I are going on a trip to Italy, which will take a couple of months, but don't worry we'll try to come back soon. There is food in the fridge and money that we left for you on your dresser just in case you want to go out to eat. Love you and stay out of trouble.

Love,

Mom and Dad

Since when did they plan a trip I mean not that they can't go but usually they would notify me before leaving to go somewhere. I looked at the clock and realized that I still need to get ready for school. I have been in this room many times before, but why do I feel like it looks different somehow. I'm probably just imagining it, but I don't remember having the window on the left side of the room. Anyway I got dressed with the usually outfit jeans with a black hoodie then grabbed my school backpack and left the house.

I walked through the hallways of the school hoping to not run into Joseph and his friends as I went to my locker. Putting my stuff away I felt a tap on my shoulder to which I didn't have time for another round of taunting from them. "I don't have time for you Jose-" I looked behind me seeing a girl. She looked at me as if amused by my reaction of seeing her. I looked her up and down to confirm that she wasn't Joseph. " Sorry to disappoint you but I'm Elizabeth." noticing that I wasn't responding to her "I saw you leave the auditorium yesterday and wanted to know if you were ok. If it makes you feel any better my parents would do that to all the time at my birthday parties, to which you'll get used to it because It's just what parents do." She was actually talking to me and by her looks she seems to be one of the cute girls from one of the so called "Cool" tables. I realized that I'm still not answering her " Oh yea...um.. You're totally right!" this is so embarrassing I should just hurry and leave before anyone realises that she is talking to me. I finished grading my stuff and was about to walk past her "Hey, what's your name?" I turned to look at her again "Um...Andrew." she smiled at me again then started to walk beside me "I think we'll be good friends Andy." She had this natural glow to her as she walked next to me. I was so happy that someone could see me without the cruel taunts and pointless pranks everyday. Elizabeth introduced me to the rest of her friends during lunch. James was the first to introduce himself to me "eman ruoy s'tahw, semaj m'i" to which I was confused causing him to laugh " I'm James, what's your name?. Amelie had a romance novel that was taking her attention from the group. James' brother Drew was helping K.C. with her math work it seemed. Joan kept trying to get me to arm wrestle her, to which Elizabeth help me get out of it. I was finally accepted into a group of people that were friendly to me no more of this name calling or taunting. It was perfect.