Something I Wrote #3

"It's hard to explain-I mean...Let's go somewhere else beside the middle of the woods when it's practically dark."

We head to the town's semi-famous outside diner. The grilled cheese and shakes here are the best, and only, fast food in town.

I order us three medium mocha-cookie dough shakes and a side of fries. The two knowledge-hungry friends I had gave me the "I want to know everything" look as soon I sit down with the food.

 

"It all started back in the third grade. I hadn't discovered who I was yet. I was living in the Big Apple. We didn't know what kind of effect I could have on a big city, I mean I was eight. My dad was working extra time at his office while my mom was in between jobs, so she picked me up from school. We usually walked home because she knew I was afraid of the subway, but that day we were in a hurry for some reason. We had to take the subway. It was too much stress on me: all the homeless people, the smell of pee, the flickering of the lights, being underground. I nearly blew up the whole underground train system.

"It was then my mom grew a true fear of me and my dad dropped his career and we began our moves. Always moving from small town to small town across the nation. Each place a new disaster and each place my parents telling me to suppress who I was...who I am.

"They don't know I have been practicing. They are oblivious to how long it's been since a disaster has happened. My mom and I talked yesterday for an hour about how I am feeling. I haven't talked to my mom for more than two minutes since New York."

We talk for another two hours on who I am. What I can do. They aren't scared. They accept me. I've never had that before in my life. **************!!!!!!!

It's dark when we finish talking and so I walk them home and then walk home myself. I get home and it is silent.

No one sound. Crying. From my parents bedroom. I go into their room to find my mom crying on the floor against her bed. She doesn't look up to see me.

I notice a note on the bed. I pick it up and read it:

Dear Jane,

I can't do this. I can't live on pretending like my life, our lives, are normal. I had so much, now it's all hidden. There is no other choice to do, this is tearing me apart. I have to leave. For me and for David. I love you. This change is for the better for the both of us, you know it.

Thomas

Seeing his handwriting. He couldn't even tell my mom or me in person. Did he think I would have hurt him? Did he think he would have hurt me?

I sit down on my mom's bed next to her.

"Listen David," she says in her tears, "I am scared of you...but I do love you. I really do. This is as hard for me as much as it is for you."

The pain I feel and the pain she feels is different. He affected us differently, but we both know we share pain from the same man.

"Every time I see you, I am so proud of who you will become. A strong, powerful young man. I just wish I knew what to do."

I put my hand on her. We sat in silence together until morning.

Which wasn't really morning because it was the biggest storm Bridgeport has seen in years. School is cancelled for two days because of it.

We show up on Wednesday. Trees blown down everywhere - one landed in the cafeteria so we get an extra long lunch until it is fixed - and water had been in the hallways because everything is wet.

And as I think anything couldn't get worse-for me and the school - it did. I meet a girl.

I walk out of Ms. Bline's with Millie and Kevin. She walks right by me. I'm breathless.

"Ummmm...are you alright David?" Millie asks. My face is pale. I would be concerned too if my friend held supernatural powers that could blow up an entire school.

"Who was that?" I answer her with.

"Which one?"

"Obviously the new girl Millie. Don't you know boys at all?" Kevin pitches in. "Her name is Sophie. She just moved here with her dad. Weird timing though."

"And we don't usually get new kids in the middle of the semester," Millie adds, "or two kids a year for that."

"Sophie." I say out loud.

I can't stop thinking about her. Especially since Mr. Noah puts her right next to me in sixth period.

She smells like the fruit after a long rain. Her voice as powerful as thunder. Her eyes as radiant as lightning. She electrifies me.

When school ends after sixth, Kevin, Millie, and I walk to the ice cream shop. They talk, I think about Sophie.

"Hello! Earth to David. You kind of walked passed the shop." Kevin shouts. He has to shout. I'm five shops down.

I run back to them and they joke about me.

"Just go for it man, it's not like people stay here long." Kevin encourages.

"I really don't know how though. I've never had a crush on anyone before."

Millie gives Kevin a disapproving look, "Take it from a girl. Tell them they look nice everyday and pass them notes in their lockers and during class. Talk to them."

The conversation ends and we discuss how much we hate Mr. Blue. We eat our ice cream and the day goes on.

I leave at four to go off and practice. I want to go farther than any other day to see what damage this storm really has done.

Broken and fallen trees everywhere. Trash and trash cans all over meadows and fields. Sophie sitting on a log with her feet in the stream.

Wait.

I go over and sit down with her. I am drawn to her. It's hard to explain.

"David." I say. I'm an idiot. What kind of introduction was that?

"Sophie." She returns.

At least she gets me.

"I just moved here too. About a month and a half now."

"I just moved here on Friday."

We laugh. Birds sing along with the sounds of water flowing by. A breeze passes perpendicular to the water flow, aiming towards our backs and to the unknown.

Something about Sophie puts my life back into order. From exposing myself for the first time to my father. Everything is back. We laugh and share stories of how much we have moved around.

We are the same...just with different sides of the supernatural.

I walk her home Thursday and Friday. A perfect connection. We smile, we laugh, and we enjoy each other. Kevin tries to tease me, Millie is concerned for me, I am running through a field of roses and flowers not giving a care in the world.

Over the next couple weeks I went with them to the ice cream shop every day after school. I learned my way around school and the town and was finally settled in. It felt like...home. A stretch, but a good one. I never had an accident. Well, no, I had a little one...

It was history class and Mr. Blue was boring as all hell and I was falling asleep. He caught me. He made such a big deal over a little nap and it made me a little mad. I may have moved a chalk duster to hit him in the face with my mind. No one knew it was me or noticed it for that matter, but it did happen and I promised myself it could never happen again.

Millie and Kevin grew to become my closest friends and well, my only friends ever. As time went on I didn't know whether to tell them about who I really am. They knew my parents had fears and resented me and they got a hint that I wasn't exactly normal, but never would guess in a million years that the supernatural was real right next to them.

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