“Her greatness lay in doing what everybody could do but doesn't.

She was unexpected.

She was untitled.”

She came to me one day. It was like any other day except that this day would be different. I was sitting in gym class on the bleachers, once again sitting out. I was sitting and thinking how lonely school had become since my only friend had left school a few months ago. Now I had no one to explain the carefully planned attacks of my taller, stronger, and sneakier friends who seemed to find me always at my weakest and who loved to watch my face connect with the water of the third floor boys bathroom toilet. This morning it had happened again.

I was walking to class when a hand reached out of a door and grabbed my arm pulling me in. I want prepared for the pull and stumbled in without objection. How could I have known I was facing my doom. They circled around me and once one started punching and kicking the others continued. By the end I was lying on the ground thankful that I still had all my teeth although I wasn’t sure about my bones. They finally left and I got up; pain rising in my stomach. I slowly got my things and walked out of the room searching for a washroom to see what I looked like before going to class. I soon found one. Once I looked in the mirror I wasn’t too surprised, I had gotten used to the sight. My nose was bleeding and my lip was busted. I had a black eye and my white t-shirt was a witness to a massacre. I washed myself off and went to gym class.

As I sat there on the bleacher I would help but notice that someone had caught the players attention. A girl whose height couldn’t be more than 5’4 was walking through the gym. Her eyes gave away nothing but held a firm direction. She was looking at something very intensely her eyes never leaving her destination. I looked around and realized what she was looking at as she slowly walked across the gym at a slow pace. She was looking at me. I waited and when she finally reached me she sat down right beside me. I had never seen her but she seemed to have the right person.

“Hi,” she said.

“Hello.”

“Mrs. Burrows, you know her. The English teacher. She came to me one day and told me I had a hidden talent for writing and that I should join her Story-telling club. She had searched for someone like me and then made me one of her team. She then passed on the task to me. That’s what I’m here. That’s what I’m doing now. Seeking. Searching for someone who is a wallflower and has something to say. I’m searching for someone with potential. That’s you. I’ve been searching for you.” I stared at her unable to form a proper sentence.

“Um. Do I know you?” I asked.

“You’re the one. Think about it. You have experience in life now all you need to do is take them and form sentences. These sentences might disappoint or they will succeed. I have a feeling it’s the second. So you think about it and if you’re interested come find me,”

“ Where will I find you?”

“Don’t worry you’ll find me,” she said and before I could ask anything else she got up and walked away from me, leaving the gym and myself behind. I thought of what she said as I walked home, as I brushed my teeth, as I lay on my mattress in the dark. The next day I went looking for her. I didn’t know her name so I had to go from class to class until I finally saw her. I ran up to her.

“Hey,”

“Hello, so you decided to join. I’m glad,” she said.

“Can we talk?”

She nodded and walked into a small classroom at the end of the hall.

“What’s on your mind?” she asked and waited.

“I…um…well. What do you do in this club? I mean it sound all fairytale like and all but I’m not sure I want to join yet.”

“Do you have any exciting stories you wanted to tell someone but you didn’t really know how? That’s the Story-telling club. We go on tours across the country and recite stories to hundreds of people. At the end the best team wins. Are you interested or not?” she explained her eyes never leaving mine.

“I don’t know. I’m not too great with public speaking, you know,”

“Isn’t it time you started telling the truth instead of the world telling it for you? You my friend need to start testing the boundaries. How will you know when you’ve crossed the line when you haven’t even seen the line up close? Don’t you think its finally take life in your own hands and started taking responsibility?”

‘I don’t have any stories to tell,” I said quietly.

“Everyone has something to tell. One just needs to know how to present the truth in such a way that it comes out like a story and the truth that comes from your life stays hidden away in the highest tower of the castle guarded by you. People should be able to realize what’s true and what isn’t. It all needs to sound fancy and beautiful. Language after all is how we, humans, communicate, passing on rituals, challenges, survival to others like us who will become us in the future. Humans use language to connect. Voices and sound, that’s all they have,”

“I guess,”

“Don’t guess, know! So what will it be?”

“I’ll join,” I said.

“Good. I must go but we will meet tomorrow in room 304 after school. I’ll see you there!” she said the last sentence firmly making it obvious that it wasn’t a question but an order. I nodded and turned around to go home.

“hey!” she said and I turned around, “Don’t make me regret this. Next time don’t waste my time either you do or you don’t,” she said as she walked past me and out the door before I could reply. She had once again left me behind, left me looking at her as she disappeared.

The next day went by fast and school was over for the day. As I walked down the Language hall making my way to room 304 I grew nervous. I stood outside the room unsure if I wanted to go in when the room opened and she grabbed my arm pulling me in.

“This is Ryan. He’s joining us. Lets begin.” She sat down on a desk and I followed not used to everyone’s staring.

I’ll start. It happened one night. I was lying in bed when he opened the door. He walked up to my bed and sat down on the edge. ’Shh’ he whispered as he lay down beside me. ‘You’re such a special girl. Such a precious girl. Don’t tell anyone our little secret.’ he said and tugged at my chin. He pressed his lips against mine and it quickly went on from there. Before I had realized what he had done he was on top of me moving up and down. I lay there still and waited. Waited for him to finally stop and for this to be over. I felt a sharp pain and cried out but he put both his hands on my mouth and my cry came out muffled. Finally it ended and he got up and left my room. I couldn’t move after that. I lay still and though it was all I dream. I finally fell asleep as the sun started to rise and the sky became a mix of colours as if some child had dropped buckets of paint on it.

I continued after that day. Almost every night. I always wondered why my mother never did anything. She was responsible for her husbands actions. I finally figured it out. She would always pick him over me. She would ignore what he did to me just so he’d stay with her. So she wouldn’t have to be left behind. For years she had been waiting to be rescued. When no one came she basically went for the first guy who noticed her. She sold herself cheap, mistaking fucking for love. She even suffered through anger and beatings because every other man she’s known also told her they loved her right before they shattered her bones, crushing skin cells making her receive them with every blow. Then she got pregnant and had a baby thinking it will make her loved and needed and important. But those men get tired of crying, vomit and snot. They leave. Because people always leave. Or…they stay but secretly have a love for smooth, soft, baby skin. She ignores what is important and what she should be noticing. She is choosing to believe their truth. She is choosing them over me because in the end anything is still better then being left behind,” she finishes and everyone claps.

“Do you want to go?” she asks me.

“Um no thanks.”

“Maybe next time.”

“Times up. We’ll meet next week,” she said and everyone got up to leave. She was packing up and I was the only other person in the room.

“How did you like it?” she asked.

“It was really something different,”

“Good or bad way?”

“Definitely good.”

“I’m Teegan by the way. Well I have to go. Meet me tomorrow at lunch under the tree in the back. We’ll dialogue then. Bye,”

“Bye” I said but she was already gone. I was left looking at everyone leave. I wanted to do the leaving for once but one doesn’t always get what they want. For now though it was alright. As long as I have someone to talk to who isn’t interested in beating me up it’s alright. Teegan and I aren’t friends…yet but the possibilities are endless. She’s all I have for now and in the end anything is still better than being alone.