Book of Short Stories.

Learning Love by: Cayla Anne

They're screaming again. I don't know why they don't just get a divorce and end it. It wouldn't affect me. By the time they get the papers signed and processed I'll be out of the house, living my life in college. Six more months and I can leave this torturous place. Not just the house, but the school. I'll be free from the bullying, the teasing, the name-calling, the hair-pulling, everything. I'll be able to start fresh. But I guess it shouldn't matter to me if they get a divorce now or not since I won't be around. But they would benefit.

"Stop yelling at me!!" I hear my mom scream to my step-dad. Why is my family so messed up, I think to myself. Once upon a time, life was good. It was before they knew I was coming. You see, I was a mistake. Eighteen years after my parents thought they were through with having children they found out I was happening. A week after they knew about me, my dad walked out on my mom, said that he didn't want anymore children, that he was too "old." At 44 years of age my mom gave birth to her final child and at age 45 she married Mark, my step-dad.

Mark is the only father I have ever known so I don't complain; though I know both of them wish I wasn't here. It's not necessarily hard to tell that they hate me, or at least don't like me.

"Angie, get down here!!" I hear my mom yell up the stairs. I pick myself up from my bed and hop down the stairs. The sight before me scares me. Mark is across the room, hands balled into fists, jaw clenched, teeth grinding. He's pacing the floor and every step he takes is harder and louder than the one before.

"Yes?" I ask, pulling my face away from the scary look in Mark's eye.

"Pack a bag, we're leaving tonight," she told me. With a decisive nod, I turn around and run up the stairs. My room is white, nothing comforting or inviting about it. It's actually quite the opposite, cold and sterile and empty.

I grab my already-packed bag. Mom does this every once in a while so I just keep a bag packed. I grab my phone and text Beth, my best - and only - friend.

Me: "Hey, is it possible I can stay over tonight?" My mom doesn't like me around her when she is fighting with Mark, not that she enjoys me around other times.

Beth: "Of course. Why?"

Me: "Parents." That one word said a lot to Beth, because she knew the situation with my parents and she always did everything she could to make it better.

Beth: "Getting snacks now." Every time I stay over at Beth's house because of my parents, we watch movies and eat snacks. She says it's her way of making me feel better. Even if sometimes it doesn't work.

I make my way downstairs and wait for my mom to finish screaming at Mark before we head to the car. My mom pulls out of the driveway in a hurry while I keep my focus in front of me. Mom is a crazy driver and I have motion sickness. Not that she cares, or even knows.

When she parks in Beth's driveway, I get out, nothing being said between us. "Hey, Ang, how are you?" Beth asks as soon as she opens the door. I give her a death glare and walk past her into the warm house. The soft, golden pillows of her cream colored queen-sized bed set welcome me. Beth is much different than I am and her room shows that. Her walls are covered in baby blues and soft greens that compliment each other with inspiring quotes and pictures adding to her adventurous look.

After changing into my pyjamas, I climb into her bed and she hands me the popcorn. "What movie are we watching?" I ask her as she fixes her DVD player.

"Back to the Future," she replies.

"Why that one?" I ask curiously. Beth shrugs and turns around, walking to the bed. She lays down next to me, pulling the covers over her as she relaxes into the soft surface.

The movie drones on and I feel my eyelids becoming heavier and heavier until I'm fast asleep, the world quiet and my mind loud. My dreams are bright and fast, vivid even. Everything is so clear and sharp, precise in every sense of the word. The words spoken are light and airy, full of playfulness, making me smile in my sleep. Sure it was just a dream, but it was something I needed. Like a flower blooming in a dump, a rainbow in a storm, a mermaid amongst the sharks. It was happiness, even if it was my imagination.

The dream consisted of a family unbroken by the weight of the world and love keeping them together. It was when the mom told the girl - who was actually me - that she loved her that I smiled and dug myself deeper into the cozy bed. The dream went on, making me escape the reality I would face on Monday. The kids at school hadn't gotten too bad, not to where I would rather be dead. But kids are cruel and there is some sense of hatred that flows towards me, the reason unknown.

I wake up to someone lightly shaking my shoulders. "What?" I ask groggily.

"Come on, get up. We have to go." Beth says, continuing to shake me so I will wake up more.

"Go where?" I sit up in the bed and notice the darkness outside and in the room. I look at her with confusion and exhaustion on my face.

"Just come on." She says. I swing my legs over the bed, finding my feet underneath me as I stand.

After doing all the necessary morning tasks we jump into her car and take off. The ride is silent and dark, the night sky filled with bright, glowing stars. I lay my head back and try to sleep again, but the movement is making me sick. "Do you keep vomit bags in your car?" I ask her, the silence breaking ever so slightly.

"No, why? Do you need to throw up?" She looks between me and the road searching for any sign that will give her an answer.

"Not now, but it's a possibility," I inform her. Beth relaxes at my words now keeping her eyes on the road.

"Okay," she sighs. "Just tell me if you need to." I agree to her request and put my eyes in front of me. The asphalt is stretched out in front of me for miles on end. I wonder where we could possibly be going. Beth didn't say anything about this to me. But she usually doesn't.

Beth is constantly going on spontaneous adventures. A lot of the time I'll tag along just for the fun of it or because I'm with her when she goes. Some of the happiest times of my life are her adventures. One time we won the opportunity to go to New York, so we did and when we got there instead of going to baggage claim, Beth took me by the arm and pulled me outside. She spun me around and we spent the whole day running around the City with nothing but the clothes on our backs and the shoes on our feet.

We make a turn, traveling down a dirt road covered in rocks. "What are we doing?" I ask. Beth doesn't say anything, nor does she make a move to. We come to a stop and she shuts off the engine, telling me to get out and follow her. I do as she asks and step out of the car. We walk down a windy path in the middle of what seems like a forest until Beth leads me to a lake.

"Sit," she commands. I take a seat and she follows suit. I look at her curiously, wondering what this is, to which she answers, "We're here to watch the sunrise." I nod my head and smile at her surprise.

A few minutes go by before I see the tippy top of the sun peek out from the other side of the lake. It's beautiful. It's something I've never seen before, something I didn't expect to see in my lifetime. It's indescribable. "Thank you," I tell Beth. This might be the best adventure I've been on so far.

*******

I climb out of Beth's bed Monday morning, stretching my limbs and muscles. I yawn and walk to the bathroom to get ready for school. School. Oh no, not again. I'm not sure how much longer I can take it.

I start with my hair, then do makeup, then get dressed and finally finish with brushing my teeth.

Once at school I'm greeted with white walls and clean, polished floors. The smell of nothing-in-particular fills my nostrils and the teenagers I've been with my whole life consume the halls. I make my way to my locker and once I open it I notice that my books are out of order. Hm, weird. I start rearranging my locker, schedule-coordinating it the way it was before. Something hard hits my back and I turn around to see what it was and who threw it. Nothing is out of the ordinary though, everybody is having their own conversation, not paying attention to me. Maybe I just imagined it, I think.

I turn back to my locker and continue my task. Another hit is felt on my back, and another, and another, and another until I feel one on the side of my face and spin around to see what's going on. Everyone is staring at me. Some are throwing things, some are pointing, but everyone is staring. "What?" I say loudly. Beth comes up to me and asks what's happening. "I don't know." I tell her. "Would someone like to tell me what this is all about?" I ask loudly so everyone can hear me. A word is not uttered, a sound is not made. I wait a minute before turning around to my locker and grabbing my books. The bell rings, reminding me that I'm here to learn. As I make my way to class slowly, I take note of the people's stares and whispers. What is wrong with everyone?

History passes by fast, followed by math, but English takes what feels like forever. For the past three hours I have been trying not to acknowledge the papers hitting me, the whispers that are loud enough to hear and the notes passing between people who have no shame in letting me see what they're writing. I've been insulted, I've been degraded, and I have been made fun of. I'm just waiting for it to stop.

My English teacher spoke on, but before he could finish the bell rings. 'Yes!' I say in my head. I gather my things and walk out, turning the corner while folded papers in the shape of pointy triangles pelt me. I stride down the hallway to my locker. Beth appears next to me within a minute, asking how school is so far. "Not good," I reply. As I finish up my task I feel people surrounding me.

"Hey, troll. Why are you so ugly?" A random person shouts at me. I look around and see that a circle has formed, leaving no room for me to escape. The same person that asked the first question steps forward and I see it's a girl named Kassidy. "Why are you even friends with her?" She directs the question at Beth.

"Because--"

"I don't care. It's obviously a bad reason." Kassidy turns back to me. "You know you shouldn't even be at this school. You shouldn't have friends, well, a friend."

Nothing makes sense. "Why are you being so rude? Kassidy, I grew up with you - I'm growing up with you."

"Because you have no place in this world." That cut deep. I didn't know what to say. I knew that people didn't want me here and that people didn't care about me, but I've never heard somebody tell me out loud.

"Just stop Kassidy. She didn't do anything. She doesn't deserve this." There is silence for a minute or two before someone speaks again.

"She's right." A random bystander shouts.

"What did she ever do to you?" Another person asks.

"Yeah, what has she done?" Someone voices. Soon, half of the school is standing behind me supporting me. I've never had somebody do this for me, especially not half of the school. It almost makes me want to cry. I have tears in my eyes when the lunch bell rings.

I laugh of elation, the feeling of happiness shooting through me so strong that I can't contain myself. My tears are falling and my laughter is airy. Everyone starts coming up to me, hugging me and telling me that they support me and care about me.

One girl in particular catches my attention. "You're so brave and strong," she says. "Call or text me any time you need to talk." The girl hugs me. "I love you." She says and walks away. Kara. That's her name.

Beth looks at me. "You okay?" She asks.

"Just fine," I laugh out. I look at Beth with a smile. "Who knows? Maybe this last semester won't be as bad as I thought."