Change is the one inescapable truth about living. Inevitably, everyone will change- in phases. When you're little there's the Trusting Phase, then, during adolescence the I-Hate-Everyone Phase. The transition between phases can be marked by certain moments in everyone's life. An exact instant or event that, whether they know it at the time or not, changes them. On all of these occasions Mai Hopkins can remember being pissed off. The first time…Mai doesn't really remember the first time, nor does she want to. Ever. Life-changing moment number two, however, is easily remembered for several reasons.
First of all, it was hot that day. So unnaturally hot for mid-August Mai was sure it could only have been Mother Nature's revenge for what people did to her. It was well deserved and Mai had decided to support as many 'Save the Earth' organizations possible. She hated the heat, especially how it coiled steadily around her, constricting slowly to squeeze out all her energy.
It was also on this day that the gym floor was scheduled to be waxed and shined. So, her 6th hour had to be spent playing soccer in the inferno that was outside, reinforcing Mai's view of PE as the worst hell imaginable. That's not to say Mai was particularly bad at sports, but she didn't see the enjoyment of running around a rectangle, or diamond, or whatever, while dripping sweat all over. Mai hated sweat, too. Everything about it was repulsive. The way it left tracks down people's faces, the way it smelt, and sweating made Mai's glasses slip off her face- which was not good. Unfortunately, even with those reasons, Mai was still forced to participate. And, partly in retaliation (because if you couldn't see properly there's no way you could be any good for a team) but mostly because she didn't want to lose her glasses on the field, she set her glasses on the bleachers.
She'd gotten glasses the summer before ninth grade. At first, she only saw them as another change (new school, new friends, new glasses) but when she wore them for the first time she felt the finality of her past. It was as if after 2 and a half years of stumbling with no direction someone presented her with a compass. That's why, when Mai generally attached no feeling to the past, she was devastated at the lack of her glasses after the game (which her team had won, though Mai could claim 0 accountability).
Maybe it was the heat, or the fact that she was already glistening with a thin sheen of that dreaded bodily excretion, or a complicated attachment she felt towards her glasses coupled with thoughts of the troublesome ordeal of getting new glasses. Any way you look at it, Mai was seriously irritated. So finally, after several minutes of just looking around, she got so fed up that she forgot about her pride and dignity and sunk to her knees. She was groping the grass tentatively but with no luck. Her irritation then turned to anger when she realized that no one was helping her because they probably thought she was completely unhinged. Which she wasn't…theoretically.
'Freakin' jerks.' Mai thought as everyone rushed off to their classes.
With a sigh, she began crawling around the metal bleachers again. By now she wasn't just glistening with sweat, the stuff was practically spilling through her pores. Her breathing was heavy, the heat greedily taking more carbon than her lungs could produce, and she just wanted to take a nap in the shade.
"Are you okay?" A voice interrupted her reverie.
"What?" She sat cross-legged.
"Do you need help?" He- definitely a he- asked slowly. Now, while her vision wasn't perfect, it should be clear that Mai could still see without her glasses, as long as whatever it was she was looking at was no more than eight feet away. After eight feet, Mai was practically blind. But, since this guy wasn't eight feet (maybe 5' 7"), Mai could tell it was one of the Quinn twins. Noah or Sloan. They were identical in their looks- tall, and slender with light brown hair and blue eyes- but the way they acted and presented themselves was completely different. Even Mai, who had never talked to them before, could tell that much.
"Don't worry, Quinn." Mai responded with a dismissive wave of her hand, "No need to call the men in white to shoot me with a tranquilizer. I'm just looking for my glasses."
"I'm Noah," He informed as he squatted next to her, "I can help you look."
"I've given up." She shrugged and stood up. "I gotta go to the library anyway."
"Oh, then I'll help you." Mai examined him for a moment and decided that he probably thought she couldn't see at all without her prescription corrective lenses. What a silly stereotype. On the other hand, she wasn't about to tell him that. This was way too fascinating.
"Aren't you missing class?" Mai inquired when they were inside and her skin started to cool down.
"I have a free period now." His answer was even more interesting. Noah didn't have a free period this hour, she'd seen him coming out of Gwen's 7th hour Physics class everyday.
"What about you?" He asked after a lapse of silence.
"I have a free period, too. I usually go to the library." She waited a minute before asking, "How do you like Physics?"
"It's really great."
Liar. Mai remembered hearing Noah's complaints about Physics and science in general.
"Ms. Moore is such a good teacher. It's easily the best class of the day."
Sneaky little freak. Ms. Moore taught the Advanced Physics class. Only a couple people were enrolled, including Mai but not Gwen or Noah.
"Here you are." He turned to leave and then Mai was 100 percent sure. There was no way that was Noah. That was…
"Sloan Quinn." She called when he was a couple feet away. He stopped, but didn't turn around. "Thanks. And if you find my glasses, let me know."
Mai then pushed the door open and, with her eyes still fixed on his back, she shoved her way into the library. When he finally spun around, neutrality set into his features, he only saw her lop-sided grin for a moment before the door clicked quietly.
I'm not sure how good this is, but I was really anxious to post it.
Disclaimer: The title I took from Ludo's song "Love Me Dead". Tis a truly amazing song and it just fit this story so well, but if I need to change it for any reason I will. Anyway, Ludo is great and you should check them out!
Please review. Hope you enjoyed it!