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Immersion
She stood in front of a house. It was a two level home. The second floor consisted of two dormers with two windows. It was a small house with white, maybe yellow paint. She couldn’t really tell; it was dark outside. However, it looked familiar to her, but from where?
Her heart was beating rapidly. She panted as she watched the house. He had told her to get out and run. Run until she could run no more. No matter how much her mind pleaded to her to run away, she couldn’t. She watched the house, waited for him to come out the front door.
A shiver ran down her back. She retreated behind a large oak tree, but continued to watch the house intently. The longer she stared, the darker her surroundings seemed to get. It was like the shadows themselves were closing in on the house. Just then, the front door of the house swung open.
“Are you going to be like that the whole way?” Janice asked.
“I wouldn’t have to if we weren’t MOVING!” Jodi cried.
Janice sighed and rolled her eyes, “We can’t be in that house anymore Jodi. You’ve seen what it’s done to me and I’ve seen what it’s done to you.”
“It hasn’t done anything to me!”
“Fine. Go ahead. Blame it all on me. At least we’re talking.”
Jodi sighed, ashamed, “I’m not going to blame it all on you.”
“Why not? I know you’re just dying to.”
Jodi’s frown reappeared and she stared out the window. Why did her dad have to die? Ever since he had, a few months ago or so, her mom and her didn’t really speak. Jodi kept to herself and didn’t even have any friends. The same could be said about Janice. She lacked in her job, being a nurse, and that wasn’t appropriate in the slightest. She also never reached out to Jodi, ever afraid of setting her off by saying the wrong thing. Losing a father and a husband was the worst thing that could have happened to Jodi and Janice. Jodi’s best friend was her father Nero, not her mother, unlike most girls. When he died, she very nearly ripped herself apart. She spent days looking at photos of him and wishing she had been in that car with him when it crashed. Even though he was away on business frequently, he still meant everything to her. Why did he leave her alone with her mom? Somewhere in her heart she knew she loved her mom too, but her and her dad just clicked.
As she thought about the house she was leaving behind, something stirred in her. Was this move really for the best like her mom had said? Perhaps she could start anew? Perhaps even make some friends? The word friends made her stomach flip and fill with butterflies. She was used to being shy. The thought of conversations made her nervous. She silently wished to her dad that hey would help her become a new, hopefully better person.
Jodi sat down for lunch and after she finished, she went out to get the mail. She pulled on the mailbox door and reached in to get the mail. As she did so, a mailbox opened next to hers. She ruffled through the post and managed to run into the other person next to her.
“Oh, sorry!” Jodi exclaimed as she steadied herself.
“It’s alright,” said the other person.
Jodi glanced upward into the face of the speaker.
“You must be the new neighbor? I’m Mitch Anderson. I live just next door,” he spoke as they shook hands.
He was so good looking it took a moment for Jodi to come to and let go of his hand. He had brown, gelled spiky hair and beautiful brown eyes to match. He was wearing a white polo shirt with a gold cross hanging from his neck and a pair of ripped jeans.
“I… I’m Jodi Flame… Nice to meet you,” she answered.
There was an awkward pause and Mitch said, “Well, I’ll see you at school Jodi?”
“Uh… yea. I guess,” she answered.
He smiled and walked back to his house. All Jodi could do was stand and stare at his vanishing figure. When at last he disappeared into his house, she retreated to hers. She sighed girlishly. Cute neighbor my age? She thought. What are the chances?
She smiled at her mom as she sat down at the table, “I love getting the mail.”
Surprised at herself, Jodi spoke to the stranger, “Hi. Are you Mitch’s sister?”
The girl laughed, “No. I’m his girlfriend. I just get their mail for them when I come over sometimes.”
Jodi’s breath caught and the girl continued, “Renee Masterson.”
She held out her hand and reluctantly, Jodi shook it.
“New to White Bear?” Renee asked.
“Yea,” Jodi swallowed.
“Guess I’ll see you at school then! Later!” Renee said as she bounced away.
What made Jodi think a handsome and nice guy was free? They were the first to be snatched up. She sighed gloomily and went back to her house; previous day’s daydreams disintegrating in her mind.
Jodi arrived at South Campus just in time to make it to her first hour Advanced Physics class, which she almost didn’t find. The class blew by and she made her way to her second hour Government class. When she entered the room, tardy of course, her eyes immediately went to the corner where Mitch sat. He was joking and laughing with the guys around him. None of them seemed to notice her except a blonde haired boy who gazed at her intently. He wasn’t joining in on the laughter and Mitch soon took notice. However, before he could figure out what the blonde boy was looking at, the boy had stopped staring and Jodi had sat down.
The class commenced and she could see the blonde boy looking at her out of the corner of her eye. Mitch never even saw her though. He was the one she wanted looking at her.
Class ended and Jodi squirmed through the people to leave the room. Just as she was about to leave, a hand touched her arm. She looked back into the bright blue eyes of the mysterious blonde boy. Her hopes faded away as the boy cleared his throat.
“Are you new here?” he asked.
“Would you be surprised if I told you I’m not?” she answered.
His mouth dropped open slightly, “Yea I would. I guess I uh… never noticed you around.”
She smiled at his embarrassed reaction, “I’m just kidding. Yea, I’m new here.”
He smiled back, clearly relieved, “I’m Blake Chamberlain by the way. You are…?”
“Jodi Flame,” she answered.
“So… Jodi… what other classes do you have?”
“Um… I have a Gym class next hour and then College in the Schools: Introduction to Literature. Oh yea, and I had Advanced Physics first hour too. What about you?”
She honestly didn’t care what his classes were, but she figured she should be polite.
“I had Chemistry first hour… Uh… Government as you know… I actually have a Gym class next hour too and then a regular Language Arts class fourth hour.”
She smiled, being polite again, but groaned on the inside. Another class with him…
“Well hey!” Blake said. “If you’re going to Gym too, we might be in the same class! I’ll walk with you!”
She hugged her Government textbook as they walked to the gym together. The bell rang and they gathered around the teacher. As the teacher spoke, all Jodi could think about was Mitch and the odd looks people were giving Blake and her in the hallways. Before she knew it, kids were heading into the locker rooms and she quickly followed the two other girls’ lead. She switched into a pair of soccer shorts and an old T-shirt. She strolled into the gym area after dressing and saw what game the teacher was setting up: Scatterball. She personally loved that game, even though she was terrible at it. Something about throwing stuff at people seemed to please her. The teacher explained the game and rules, then, the game was on.
Jodi hid behind other people as she made her way around, stealthily hitting people. She had a clear shot at her next victim to be, when she felt a ball smack her in the shoulder blade. A boy ran by her.
“Got you!” he yelled in her face.
Before the boy could even turn to run, a ball hit him the chest and she saw Blake run out from behind where she sat.
He laughed at the boy, “Too afraid to pick on someone your own size?”
The boy sat down and Jodi was allowed back in. Blake winked at her as he sprinted away, dodging a bullet-speed ball. She wanted to feel annoyed, but the emotion didn’t surface. She groaned and ran off through the people to rejoin the action.
It was Blake, “Hey. You can sit with me and my friends if you want. We’re just over there…”
He pointed to a table and Jodi nodded.
She spoke, “Thanks, but I think I’m going to pass.”
Blake pursed his lips and Jodi could see behind his eyes that he was hurt. However, she brushed it off while spotting Mitch out of the corner of her eye. After she got her lunch, she “ran” into Mitch.
“Oh hey!” she said. “Do you think I could sit with you? I don’t really know anyone else.”
“Sure. I’ll show you where I’m sitting,” Mitch spoke.
To her great dismay, he led her to the same table where Blake and some others sat. At least Renee wasn’t there, Jodi thought. As she sat down, Mitch introduced her to the other guys. She nodded at each one as he went around the table. At the last person, Blake, she paused as he gave her a sad, defeated look. She tore her eyes away and meekly stared at her lunch which she didn’t want anymore.
-WMystic