Revolution: Genesis

Normality To

AZURA

Your life is never only your own. Your choices aren't either. If you actually think about it, every decision you make is through an influence. Be it from someone who asked for it or from a person who means something to you. You never decide solely for your own-self. And in turn, the options dictating your choices impact someone else's. It's a never-ending circle of life. The chapters differ, but the story is one. And the intertwining of different lives within the stories ensures that it's never just about you. It is about everyone you have contact with who interweaves their story with yours. It is quite complex, but then again, your story is never only your own.

*`*`*

"Ooh! Pink crop top, check! White knee-length jeans, check! White sneakers, hmm, well I love you, so check." Rose had me standing in the hallway as we collected our books from the locker. She was my personal fashion police. And I had to admit that because of her, my fashion sense had improved.

"Yup! I will take you shopping with me today!" Rose demanded as I groaned at her. I hated shopping. I just hated it. My clothes, on the other hand, I liked them. Mom was always the one to shop for me, so I had my closet full. Rose, taking it as a privilege, always dragged me to shop with her. She always said that if I didn't experience it, I wouldn't know what to do if I was ever on my own. She was right in a way, but that didn't mean I wanted to do it. I liked to think that I'd have to hire an assistant for this, but I didn't want anyone to go through the horror of shopping. Maybe I'd hire Rose instead. At least she'd enjoy her job.

"Oh you know about that upcoming dinner, right? I'm going to have so much fun dressing up!" I chuckled at Rose's enthusiasm and her springy steps as she walked away to her class. Her family owned a business corporation, so they always had a generous amount of money. To Rose's luck, they held monthly dinners and the fancy parties she loved. She made sure she had a new dress for every occasion, and unfortunately for me, she never shopped alone. She was from a family that had a demanding stature. As well as being the eldest and only child, Rose always had to have her way, and her happiness was worth it all.

However, more than that, I owed it to her. She had always been there for me when I lost myself. She was the one who helped me find who I was and how much more I could be. For that, I was always going to be in her debt, but it wasn't only an obligation to repay the favor. I wholeheartedly wanted to see her happy and do whatever I could to keep her that way. She was my first priority after my family. Even when I had other friends and best friends, Rose was someone I believed would stay forever. I had enough faith in our friendship to know that we'd go through countless difficult things and still be as close as ever.

Although, it didn't come so easy. Two years ago, I was bullied for details too grim to remember. But I was bullied also because of my weight, my braces, my freckles, and even my name. I hated it. I hated my name because of it. I despised who I was, which was why I started my routines. Morning jog was a must, but food had become my enemy. My appetite was non-existent, and even when I tried to eat, I wouldn't digest it. Anorexia became my companion those days, and I was so blinded by trying to perfect myself, I put it above all the things I already had. I worked myself a lot, and everything that was happening to me came down on me to such an extent that I had to be hospitalized. It wasn't pretty, to say the least. The condition was likely to leave me in a grave. Doctors were saying that my blood wasn't made properly. And whatever was left was infected, and it resulted in my sinus problem peaking. It was too hard for me to breathe, and for a long time, I was inches from my death.

Rose was the one who looked after me day and night. She stepped up to be there for me after school, before school, and even in her free periods. Rose would come to visit me every second she'd be free and stayed until they would have to drag her out. She made my mother go back home for some proper rest as she had earned the trust to take care of me, all on her own. During the nights she stayed, she would talk to me until her words would actually sink in, and I would get in my senses.

That didn't mean that school was easy for her. She wasn't so popular herself, yet Rose would gladly back me up from day one. Ever since I left that part of me behind, I always wondered why I didn't listen to her when it was happening to me. Because as far as I could remember, her words would fall on my deaf ears. I was ignorant and selfish during that time. My suicidal tendencies were hitting Mount Everest. And I would take any chance I could to harm myself: physically, mentally, and emotionally but Rose didn't give up. She was there when I made no sense. She reached in me and pulled me out. That's how I was standing alive. If it weren't for her, I would've been long gone.

Of course, I kept my routine when it was all over. There were more ways than the harmful ones to keep myself fit. I might've ignored them before, but I was ready to be a butterfly. And the ones who bullied me were expelled without a second thought. According to our principal Steven Turner, the action was to make sure no other child would go through the stuff that I had. I didn't mind it at all. Yes, it irked me to think that he couldn’t act sooner. But then again, maybe because of my experience, some other kid was saved. So I didn't think much about it at all, and I didn't hide it either.

If somebody wanted to know, I'd tell them; minus the grim details, I didn't want to remember. I never did it to gain sympathy but empathy with those who needed to know. So that I could make them strong and to be just how Rose was to me. After the incident, I had gained a fair amount of fame as a high school student could. And my story was published in the newsletter of our school. It gave me quite a boost in helping others. However, there were still some of those who didn't believe it. They thought that it was a fake story that the management had advertised. A scam to gain more viewers and students. To show them that the environment here was safe. But in all honesty, it was safe. Well, as much as it could be. Considering danger came from the students themselves, there was a lot of thought process that went on before the school came to be how it was now.

The warning bell rang, bringing me back to where I was standing. I was gathering my books, and I went towards my class which was Calculus. Always having an interest, I admired it and topped it, but my specialty was English. No one could ever beat me in that. Not to brag, but it was just something—or the only thing—I had always felt good about from all the pressure and expectations.

Both mine and Rose's schedules were different, so we didn't get the first period together, but we did have the second period. And it was English, so I was, more or less, okay with it.

I sat down on my desk and waited for my desk mate until our teacher came in: Ms. Samantha, one of our young and beautiful teachers. Almost the whole class consisted of guys because of her, but that didn't stop her from being strict. She was the most strict teacher from our school and according to the boys, as they say, and I quote ‘it was attractive’. It was revolting to see them treating not only an elder but also a female in that way. But then again, she was young, and she was beautiful, so I couldn't really blame the perverts. She was definitely a sight to see.

I started doodling on the back of my book when I felt a presence from my side. I craned my neck towards the opposite from where it currently was and saw Charles Greene sitting by me. He smiled when he caught me looking.

"Hey there Azi. How was your weekend?" He asked, averting his eyes to peak at my doodle.

I quickly hid it as I replied, "Completely normal, you nosy neighbor."

He chuckled with his deep voice at my answer. "I think you mean boring as usual."

"At least it was more interesting than yours." With a retort, I shot him a glare as I pointedly shifted away and resumed my sketching. He laughed, and before he could say anything else, Ms. Samantha came in.

"Good morning class." She greeted with her shrilly voice. At times I would cover my years as she yelled at some student for ‘bad’ manners. That's how shrilly her voice was. It went straight through the eardrums and rang a few times, almost numbing the brain before it finally faded away. According to some hormonal students, her voice made it sure that she was a siren.

The class went well, considering a few pesky moments of disdain where Ms. Samantha would start scolding a student, and with the natural habit of Charles to never stay still and pass a useless comment on something or someone—I ignored him most of the time. She gave us a pop quiz for next week and told us to be well-ready for it as it would be hard. I could swear I saw her winking at me when she said it, indicating she was lying, but she quickly turned away. It was almost as though I imagined it. Well, that was her way of making kids work hard. However unorthodox her method was, and surprisingly, it worked. So there wasn't much loss. Not that it had happened the first time, I had to study for it anyway since there was no way to read her, and sometimes she would actually give the pop quiz. Who knew what it could be? I had to be prepared.

The bell rang, and we all packed our bags and calmly got out in an attempt to reach our lockers before the start of the next class. Charles walked by my side as our lockers were opposite each other's so, I had a companion for my small journey.

"I saw her winking at you, you know." He said, wiggling his eyebrows as I grinned at him for being so observant.

"Well, you wouldn't have if you weren't so nosy."

"I'm not nosy. I'm just observant." He defensively joined as he skimmed through his locker for his books for the next period. Meanwhile, I was exchanging my books. Charles was a native of this town, Dolphin Square. He had grown up here, and with the amount of love and memories he shared with this place, there was a high chance he'd die here too. I knew what that felt like—living in one place from the time you were born—but my life had turned a very sharp road from which I had fallen and had ended up here. However, it didn't take me long to fall in love with this place. It had an unusual sense of connection that made me never want to leave.

Charles and I were good friends. Besides Rose, he was also the one on whom I could lean on. All my friends were a friend to one another as well so there was no competition between us. More than that, we were ‘parents’ to each other more than our actual parents were. It did have its downtimes, but there was comfort in knowing that our friends wanted better for us. It did raise hope and expectations, but it was all a part of improvement, so there wasn't much to complain about. And of course, with being parents, there also came babies. The roles were often switched in our group, but the two were always present.

"Yeah. Mostly observing what other people do. It's called being nosy. I bet you know every school gossip." I laughed at my own assumption, making him laugh too. He was about to say something when he got interrupted, again and now by Rose herself.