SELENE POV
I really hate going to school - the noisy atmosphere - but if I don't go I won't hear the end of it from my mom.
I hate the noises in the background, I hate the voices that keep screaming in my ear but what I hate most of all is the stares I get wherever I go.
" Selene Aelyn! Selene Aelyn"
"Hey, are you deaf !!!"
I dragged the pencil sharply across the desk-the tip snapped. "Why the fuck are you screaming?"
"I wouldn't have if you'd answered me when I called" Vanessa said, looking down at me.
I stared up at Vanessa from my desk, trying to hold the curses I wanted to hurl at her. She has been a thorn at my side for two years now since I entered St. Louis High School.
"Stop staring at me bitch," Vanessa said in disgust. "I wouldn't be here talking to you if the homeroom teacher hadn't asked me to call you to her office''. She said, walking away.
I clutched my skirt tightly, my chest tightens with anger. I wanted to lash out at her so badly - pulling her hair out wouldn't be enough for me. I got up from my chair and left the classroom. I could hear murmurs immediately after I left but I didn't have to listen to know they were talking about me.
Knock
Knock
"Come in," Miss Juliet said
"You called for me, Miss Juliet" I said, looking around the office as I swallowed. I hate being called here because at my former school, I was only called for the troubles I caused.
"Yes," Miss Juliet answers ,softly.
"I didn't cause any trouble," I muttered. Although I'd love to beat up someone and still happily go to detention afterwards, but couldn't - my mom will have my head if I did.
"Have a seat Selene, I didn't call you because you did something wrong. I wanted to ask you, on behalf of the school, to represent us in the debate competition that will be held in three months" Miss Juliet said warmly to me.
Apart from my mom and Katherine nobody else has spoken so warmly to me. " I would like to but I will have to get permission from my mom first before I give an answer". I replied.
"Sure, I will be expecting a positive answer," Miss Juliet said, smiling.
I smiled back at her ." yes".
"You can go back to class".
As I shut the door behind me and returned to class, I could hear the familiar whispers again.
"She is like a corpse"
"Is her hair always like that?"
" She gives me the creeps".
I slumped in my chair, grinding my teeth as the whispers crawled across the classroom. I am tired of hearing all of this, I can't wait to go home.
__________________________________
Cold wind blew through the giant trees, rustling, birds chirpy. The air was fresh and clean- unlike the city. It took an hour for me to walk through the forest to reach my house. But I found it relaxing. And I am not even scared of walking alone. Well until - now
Hehehe.
"Is an.. anyone here" I murmured softly, looking around. Only trees surrounded me. It must have been the wind, yes definitely the wind.
" What are you doing here?"
"W… who said that? Co…me..out now '' I immediately picked up a stick. "This is not funny."
Hehehe.
"Ahhhhhh" I screamed. My legs moved on their own, my heartbeat accelerated, and my breath came heavy.
I slammed the door shut behind me. I could hear my heartbeat loud and filled with fear, trying to catch my breath.
"Selene Aelyn, why in the hell did you slam my door like that!!"
"Mom" I said with trembling voice
My mom rushes towards me, cupping my cheek tenderly "Baby are you ok, what is wrong"
"I.. I thought I heard…it's nothing, Mom"
"Selene,baby, look at me"
I stared into her beautiful brown eyes, that always looked at me with warmth and love. "It's really nothing, Mom" I took a deep breath. "I was just creeped out by the wind while passing through the forest. Kathy scary stories must be getting to me."
" Are you sure, baby"
" Yes, and please stop calling me baby"
" But you're my baby little girl"
"Mom, I'm not a kid," I said, running upstairs to my room.
I threw my school bag on the floor and lay down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. What was that voice? Did I really hear it or was my mind playing a trick on me. Maybe it was a prank but I didn't hear any footsteps. It must have been the wind. I can't worry mom with something that I am not sure of. And I got to stop listening to Kathy stories. My eyelids felt heavy and slowly closed.
Knock, knock.
"Selene, honey come down for dinner"
"Coming mom" I replied, stretching out on the bed before getting up to wash up.
I pulled off my uniform, and I stared at my naked body in the mirror. My skin pale, brown eyes, long brown hair with white strands on it. People thought I never cut my hair . But I do, a lot actually but it grows quickly that it's almost reaching my waist now. I'd once tried dyeing the white strands part of my hair to brown but gave up because as I grew older more turned white. Mom said it's genetic but she doesn't have hair like mine. I wore pajamas and went downstairs.
"Mom, it smells amazing" I said, drooling at the feast in front of me.
"Thank you honey, you can eat as much as you want" Mariam said, as she sat down on the table.
"Mom, it's delicious, your beef stew is always the best" I complimented sweetly.
" Am happy, you love it" Mariam said, her lips curled up.
I truly enjoy mom cooking. It's one of the things I look forward to everyday. I stared at my mom. She is really beautiful and carries an air of nobility around her or is it just my imagination? Sometimes I do feel like mom is hiding so many secrets from me. "Oh mom , my homeroom teacher asked me to represent the school in a debate competition".
"That's really great. When is the competition?"
"Three months from now, on 3rd of April" I replied
"Hmm, your birthday is the next day, I don't think you should do it," Mariam said awkwardly, her hand tightly holding the spoon.
"Why?" I asked, looking directly at her eyes
"It's nothing honey, you can do it , just make sure to come back immediately after the competition…. you know what, I will come and get you from school after your competition" Mariam said nervously
"Mom is…"
"Clean up when you're down, am going to bed" mom sharply cuts in and leaves the dinning with only the sound of her heels on the stairs are heard in the background.