Luana Hearst

--PROLOGUE--

My sight blurs in a moment. The light comes blinding me. I grasp on the sheets tight and pull it towards my face where there is only darkness I can see.

Better. My head says. Eyes flutter shut the instant I heaved a sigh. The droplets of water continue toppling in teeny noises I find calm. Smell of damp and rainwater fill the numbing breeze with a contrast of an unusual mix— ashes. I involuntarily remove the covers, standing promptly at the faint voices. My walking starts steady until I squint my eyes closer to the compact window and observe the chaos in the city square.

I tilt my head in amusement. I stare in awe at the burning in the city plaza. They have sculpted wood in my shape, mimicked my features in such sharpness I must applaud to. They burned it, buoyancy tinting their faces. I ignore the taunts and mocks they throw at me and only smile sheepishly at their disgusted looks motioned to me.

My psychotic self instinctively brings out a hand and wave giddily at them, like what a little girl would do when seeing the icecream man spotting her and the cluster of hungry children she's part of. My smile turns into a snarl having the thought of the amount of hate thrown at me.

I lower my head the whole time my name was called— screamed in tints of disgust. They yell insults and hurtful words I continue to ignore. I have become hated because of being a demigod. I have turned into a deadly monster in them citizens' eyes yet I have not done a wrong doing in my whole life... only am a daughter of the god of the underworld.

 

L I S A (working title)

// L I S A //

I woke up by the beam of sunshine coming from my opened window making me rub my eyes. I took a glance at the clock and it was 6:34. I remembered the mission we were supposed to do which the girls and I aren't really excited about. Unlike the other missions we had in the past which were all really cool, this one would need extra effort for we will be acting like the complete opposite of us (making it totally hard).

I turned my head to my right to see Rosé unnie still sleeping. I tiptoed my way to the bathroom and started taking a bath. I twisted the tap to the left to make the water a bit warmer. I closed my eyes as I felt water flowing down my body. I started adding shampoo in my hair then scrubbed the soap all over. I washed myself for the last time and then took the towel that was hung behind the curtains. I haven't thought of a name that I can call myself — fake name to be specific.

The students shouldn't know our real names. If they’ll do, then we'd be in big trouble. I wrapped the pink towel around my small body and proceeded in blow-drying my newly dyed hair. I had lighter blonde the last time but now, I chose a darker kind of blonde.

I went to my wardrobe and looked for an outfit to wear. Gosh, I can't choose any of my favorite styles. After a few minutes of dragging off and returning several stuff in my closet, I placed on a pair of black ripped shorts, a white hoodie and my Gucci shoes. I have lost most of my shoes and found it all inside Jennie unnie's shoe rack. I placed on my glasses (I picked my round, gold-rimmed glasses to match my mood today) and took a glance at myself in the mirror.

I was deciding if my hair will stay straight or should I curl it a bit when a sudden pair of hands started taking all my hair and I looked at the mirror to see who it was. Revealing a smiling unnie was all I saw making me smile too.

"You always straighten your hair or curl it. You need a new hairstyle Miss Manoban," she muttered as she took a ponytail and left some baby hair on the sides of my face with my bangs of course. She did a high one and then curled it a bit to make it look like it's messy.

"Tadaa!" she exclaimed as she shakes her hands like I was some kind of a presentation or something. I laughed at her cuteness and took a glance at myself in the mirror.

"You look beautiful, Lisa." She patted my shoulder making me look down.

"Look at my shy, Lali." She paused so that she can pinch my cheeks like I was still a baby. "You're so cuteee!" She muttered as she then ruffled my hair making me pout.

"Unnie, it's 7:03 already. Why won't you grab your butt and head to the bathroom. You don--" Before I knew she was listening, I found her rushing to the bathroom with her towel hung on her shoulder already.

"What an idiot!" I muttered in English.

"I heard that!" Rosé unnie yelled from inside the bathroom making me laugh at her silliness. Rosé unnie can hear well, not the normal hearing but she can hear more than the mundane. While my Jennie unnie can sense that things will happen. She can predict something and it would end up happening. Jisoo unnie has eyes like a hawk. She can see the littlest details when it comes to things or what. I am the quickest one. I have fast reflexes and I can hide almost everywhere I want. I'm pretty good in everything — well that's what my unnies and my manager said but all I know is that I'm just a shooter, a fighter that's acting like a strange, mysterious girl in a school that I'll be attending soon.

I headed downstairs following the smell of bacon coming from the kitchen. I closed my eyes just to be greeted by a surprise. "Boo!" A familiar voice yelled from behind me.

"Ahhhh!" I jumped in surprise and ended up falling on the floor with my heartbeat raising. All I heard were laughs and stuff. I looked up to see Jisoo unnie laughing her ass out.

"Yah! It ain't funny!" I exclaimed in English receiving a louder laugh from her.

"You should've seen your face, Lalice," she claimed between laughs.

"At least I can speak in English not like you who make me cringe whenever you speak the language." I muttered in a low voice so she won't kill me but the future made it otherwise.

"Yah! I heard that!" She then stopped laughing and started shooting glares at me, telling me that I still have five seconds to get away from her before she attacks.

I was about to run but a voice came calling from the kitchen. "Gurllllsss breakkfassstttt isss reeaaddyyyy!" Jennie unnie's voice was loud and clear but Jisoo unnie attacked making me run afterwards. We ended up running around the kitchen with a Jisoo unnie chasing me.

"Will you please stop acting like cats and dogs and be mature." Jennie unnie rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms at us, sending glares at me and unnie.

"Goodmo--" Rosé unnie's voice was heard by the door but she was cut off by... I don't know...

"Bacoooonnn!!!!!!" She then shrieked like there was no tomorrow (though as far as I remember, we also had bacon for breakfast yesterday and the day before and a couple of days ago…), running towards her seat making me and Jisoo unnie sit, too.

We all settled down in the dining area eating the breakfast Jennie unnie made whilst chitchatting about what we'd do later at school.

"So what do you want to be like in school? It should be far from your style at least.” Jennie unnie was all business now…

©GabrielleYumiJosue

Not Good Enough

I have one question:

Am I not good enough?

You maybe wondering

what have I been thinking

what have I been feeling

and what have I been doing.

I’ll have to wake up

looking at the mirror,

hating what I see;

telling myself to look my best.

to be one of the most popular kids in school.

But is this good enough?

Come on!

Popularity has no need for this.

During your middle school,

you enter your class fixing your hair,

wearing the best clothes,

using the most expensive gadgets

and want others to like you

the way they like others.

But this is not the essence of school

nor life in general.

You don’t have to be

so good and pretty,

nor talented and smart.

You are loved.

You are beautiful.

You are perfection

for you are God’s masterpiece.

Remember:

No one can judge you

as who you are.

Be happy with yourself.

Be grateful of what you have.

Be thankful of all the things you can.

You want to be those people?

But most people want to be YOU!

Be you.

Love who you are.

You may not be as cool as them

but you are awesome.

You may not be as smart

but you are you.

They can’t break you like glass

nor re-shape you like clay.

They can’t shatter you in a million pieces.

For you are your own kind of beauty.

Be yourself.

It may be hard fitting-in

and be a part of a constellation,

harder to shine

if you choose to blend.

You may not be as popular

but you will be heard

as long as you find your voice.

You may not blend-in

but you can stand out

as long as you realize:

YOU are a living miracle.

 You are good enough.

Little Miss Strange

 Johnny.

I’m Johnny. I’m 10 years old and I’m in 6^th grade. There’s this mysterious girl. Her name is Felicē. They call her Little Miss Strange. She always speaks in a whisper. She sits alone. Her face looks blank. 

Anyways it was the first day of school. Felicē acts all weird and strange. It seems she doesn’t want to talk to anyone. Her eyes are elusive. I tried to introduce myself. I started to walk beside her and have a little chit chat, but she remained distant. Like her mind is somewhere in the shadows.

“Hey, you must be Felicē, right? I’m Johnny.” I said.

“Yup you got that right.” she whispered.

“I’m just asking, is something wrong?” I continued.

“Nothing. I’m doing fine.” she answered. Then she started walking the opposite way. I ended up looking at her back as she disappeared in a corner.

Later on. I went to eat and saw her walking alone. I followed her and she ended up eating by herself at the end of a corridor. I was worried about her situation. My friend saw me peeking then he called me.

“Hey dude!” Carson shouted from the other side.

“Shhh….be quiet dude!” I replied still trying to think what seemed so strange about Felicē when she suddenly stood up.

Carson dragged me by my backpack. I was so angry at him I can’t focus on her.

“Will you tell me what’s happening?” Carson asked.

“Okay. Felicē is the mysterious girl they always talk about, right? Now I’m starting to be curious about her. Now all you had to do is to be quiet and follow me. Stay quiet!” I said.

I followed her and Carson joined in. We went straight to where she was headed. Turned on another corridor but there is no trace of her. We moved on a bend not usually popular to kids our age. 

“It is dark in here, my friend.” Carson started to be curious about Felicē, too. But the darkened part of the building terrified him, he started backing off whispering, “I wonder what he’s up to. He has been wacky and crazy about this.” Carson said.

I didn’t know what was he talking about but he’s starting annoy me. Then I noticed Felicē dropped something and it was a necklace. It was on the floor and she did not notice it fell. I was scared to pick it up because she might see me and realize I am following her. I waited for her to come back get it herself but at that moment, I fell because it was slippery, though I was able to grab the necklace. Carson was there to help me but all he had to do was to pull my legs to get out.

“Thanks a lot dude. It was great.” I said.

“Told you I could help you. What’s that you got there? You should give it back though before you lose it.” he said.

I gave it back to her when it was lunch time. I asked her if she wanted to eat with me and my friends. 

“Can you eat with us for lunch?” I said.

“I’m sorry but I can’t.” she said.

“I found this on the floor. I saw you drop this.”

“Thanks a lot. This was my grandma’s. Now she’s not here. This is so important to me. When I miss her, all I could do is to stare at this necklace to remember her.” Then she turned away with that distant look again.

Next day….

I went to school early. Because of that, I need to ask the guard to open the gates for me. I was walking quietly until I heard footsteps on the stairs. I peeked and it was Felicē. What was she doing? Why is she here? I wondered. Then she saw me. She ran and I chased her. Then like the previous day, I lost her. I didn’t know where she went but I had to call my friends quick. 

It was our first period when my friend texted me.

            The message said: We caught her walking towards the little room under the staircase.

Carson.

I was with Jordyn when I saw Felicē rushing through the staircase so I texted Johnny so he knows where we were. Jordyn and I chased her and caught her opening a room under the staircase. I was going to ask her something but Johnny quickly ran towards us and wants to see what’s happening.

“Carson, Jordyn, what are you guys doing here? And Felicē what are you up to?” Johnny said.

“We were in a dark room and we were ready to ask questions about this silly guy who is trying to…” Carson said.

“I’m not silly, Carson and what are you talkin’ about?” Johnny said.

“It is true that he is silly. Not just silly. Wait! Let me think… Oh, I know! He’s lunatic, out of his mind and he’s ugly. That’s a great thing to describe Johnny. And Jordyn, she looks so annoying and weird and…..” Carson said.

“I don’t have time for this Carson! Just leave me and Johnny out of this. Understand!” Jordyn said.

Johnny. 

After that conversation Carson began to roll his eyes at Jordyn. Anyways, Felicē started to be out of place because of us but I started to ask questions.

“Hello, Felicē! First of all you got this necklace that your grandma gave you and you told me that she’s gone. Next, you went to school early without even opening the school door. Now you’re being sneaky and what is wrong with you?” I asked. 

“I know. Maybe her grandma gave her the necklace. Maybe, when she was small, she was an orphan and her grandma adopted her. Now she’s dead. So she is now living in school with the supplies so she would have a place to stay and an unlimited supply of school stuff.” Carson blurted without thinking.

“Be quiet Carson! This is serious!”Jordyn scolded Carson.

“But it’s true!” Felicē yelled back crying on her hands. She started to crumple on the floor, looking so afraid, and lost with that distant and lonely eyes I got curious about.

“What?” Jordyn and I said in unison.

“Told you it’s true! Wait! It can’t be true. I just guessed that.” Carson said.

“It’s true. I was an orphan living in an o homecare. An old woman adopted me and gave me this necklace when I was seven. She eventually got sick and died both with old age and her ailment. We had no money to put her in a hospital. But before she died in my arms, she told me to stay in this room under the staircase so it can be my home. She said she knew the janitor and asked him to look after me when she’s gone. After that she left me in the cold night. 

So I started doing odd jobs, helping the janitors clean and run errands for the principal to buy my own food. This compact room provided me my own shelter. 

Now I’m in a school with bullies that tell me that I’m a strange girl. Calling me names and laughing at me. They say I am weird. They say I am crazy. But in my heart, I’m just a shy lonely orphan who don’t have a decent place to live in. They call me mysterious. They say I am an insane person. They even call me Little Miss Strange. 

They do not know that they can hurt someone’s feelings when they call you names like that. I am always crying here in my bed. I had no friends, no family and no loved ones. All I had to do was cry. I felt trapped like in a prison cell and I feel like no one loves me and more than that, no one knows me and never tried to know me.” Felicē said.

“We’re sorry we call you names like that. From now on you’ll be my best friend.” Jordyn said.

“I was touched by your story and I can be your friend, too.” Carson added.

“I would be honored to be your friend as well and now that we know you, we will protect you from the bullies. Remember, you are no longer Little Miss Strange. And you’ll have us as friends from now on.” I said, offering my hand for a shake.

Felicē smiled. The first time I see her with warmth on her face. She started to relax a bit as Jordyn offered her arms for a hug. We both pulled her up and as she stood, she thanked us.

But I said, “No. don’t thank us. Accept our sorry for thinking bad things about you instead. You were the one who taught us a lesson today. We should never judge someone by his looks. Or talk about someone at his back. We should be the ones thanking you.”

For my readers, this is a poem for all the ones who got bullied:

In the dark, there is a star who sits alone

She’s scared to dream

She’s scared to make things happen

She never had a chance to be a constellation

She had never been a light in the dark

She sits like a lone star

But she wants to be a bright star

Be a part of a constellation.

Would it be better?

What could happen?

What’s wrong being different?

So she stopped listening to what others say

She started to shine.

Go be a star and a light in the dark

Be bright!

Don’t let someone change you

Go ahead and be your self

BE THE BIGGEST STAR!

©GabrielleYumiJosue