Johnny.
I’m
Johnny. I’m 10 years old and I’m in 6th 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
