Page 143 of Drama Queen

“Then who’ll go with you to the club and be your wing-woman?” I shut the door before she can answer and stop dead in my tracks, the cheeky smirk falling from my face as my eyes meet the crystalline blues of Parker Walker.

Pain

PARKER

“Who the fuck are you?”I growl before she can feed me anymore lies.

“Just a girl, attending a school.”

“Don’t lie to me!” I slam my hand into the locker beside me to show her I mean business but she just cocks her head to the side like a curious puppy.

“I like the fire that shows up in your eyes when you’re trying to be all manly and aggressive.”

My head rears back.This girl’s crazier than Melody.

“You want to see what real fear looks like?” She steps right up to me, her hair flowing down her back as she tilts her head back to look me in the eyes. I blink and her hypnotising gaze is filled with so much pain, I flinch away. I’m not sure what the fuck I’m seeing, it’s like she’s removed some kind of glamour and the real her is shining through. What I’m seeing is enough to make my eyes water and my throat clog with emotions I haven’t felt since I was a toddler.

“Try growing up on the streets with no clue where you’ll rest your head for the night. Imagine never knowing if the moment you close your eyes might be your last breath. Picture what it would feel like to wake up and fear the pain in your stomach as it growls out a hunger so deep that it feels like your insides are devouring themselves. Picture what it would feel like to know that every single breath is a risk of exposure. Every single stolen bite of food might be your last.”

The lump in my throat grows, along with the pit forming in my stomach. I’ve never been good at visualising anything but her lyrical voice weaves me into her words. Forcing my body to feel the pain, the hunger, and the fear she’s describing. Every part of me trembles with the need to fight through this and run as far and as fast as I can but I’m frozen to the spot. A useless lump of flesh with no will of my own.

“Imagine knowing that at any moment someone might mistake you for a piece of trash or a hooker. Imagine being so scared of the kindest of people, never knowing if their offer of help is genuine or a trick to lure you into something far worse than the pain of the hunger in your belly.”

She blinks and the spell is broken. My body slumps against the locker I hit earlier. Knees shaking far too hard to hold my muscular bulk up. I slide down the cold metal until my ass hits the floor. I can’t look at her, too scared she’ll make me relive the pain and fear she forced into my mind. Afraid she’ll tell me there’s something worse that she could weave into her words.

I couldn’t have ever imagined the kind of pain she spoke of. There’s no way I could have, not when I’ve been given everything I’ve ever needed or wanted. There’s no room in my heart for pity for anyone who went through that. There’s only the echoes of the fear and pain she forced me to live. I don’t know how anyone could live through that and still appear so normal.

In that instant I know no matter what, I’ll never pity her for what she’s lived through, I’ll envy her for the rest of my life. I’m jealous of her strength. Her ability to survive everything thrown at her and still have the strength to get up every day and smile.

A new family

GABRIELLA

Time seems to fly by,before I know it, I’m heading back to the cabin on the edge of the woods surrounding the school. April and I were shown to our residence this morning, even though I was given a dorm room with the rest of the students, I don’t feel like staying there tonight. I’d rather stay with April. Someone friendly who’s going through the same freak out I am over this magic stuff.

Almost all of my classes were the same, magic this, magic that, it was crazy to see people accepting such a strange concept as normal. I felt more and more like a freak as the day wore on.

I study April’s cabin, trying to figure out if what I’m seeing is real or a figment of my tired imagination. Surrounding the small wood building are several adults. All with flaming torches pointing at something on the wooden veranda near the door. I’m so focused on the lump near their feet that I let out a small scream as someone steps into me, pushing me backwards. “You really don’t want to see this.”

“Aunt April?” I shout, struggling against the hold of the strange man. “April!”

“Miss, I need you to calm down, I can’t let you go until you calm down. There’s nothing you can do for her. She’s already gone.”

His words aren’t making any sense. I thrash against his hold, screaming as loud as I can for April. Several people walk towards me, their faces are masks of sympathy and it sends my mind into a numb state. “April.” I cry weakly as the words finally sink in.

Aunt April is dead. The lump lying in front of the door is her dead body.

Two days pass in a blur of sorrow and numbingly robotic movements as I pack both mine and April’s things. I was given permission to skip classes until after the funeral and the court hearing.

April was the nicest person I’ve ever met, she treated me like I was her real niece, spoiling me and taking care of me even though she’d only known me for a few months.

After the funeral I stumble to the car that’s taking me to the courthouse. I know the drill by now. Been through it enough times. Being under eighteen means I have to have a new state appointed guardian who will be assigned to me and then I’ll most likely be leaving again.

Moving on to the next place and leaving this magical world behind.

I’m almost sorry to be doing so.

The car pulls up to the courthouse, the same judge who sent me to Dane Academy is standing on the steps as I climb out of the car. He smiles a wobbly smile before coming down thepath and standing in front of me. He looks exactly the same as he did the first time that I met him, same grey Armani suit that matches his thinning hair, same red silk tie, even the gold music note cufflinks on his wrists are the same. His wobbly smile slips as he finally speaks, “This won’t take long dear, we’ve already found you a family who’s aware of your unique talents. You’ll be staying at the academy during the school year and then returning to their residence during holidays.” He pats my shoulder and starts guiding me up the stairs, “You’ll love this family, they even have a son your age, I’m sure you’ll be best of friends in no time.”

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