School: As the clock ticked in my ears, I looked up at the board and blinked to see it filled with symbols pertaining to inanimate math. Mrs. Carlyn, the math teacher, was rambling on about Trig, but I really dislike math, so I rarely pay attention. As I sit in the back everyday, I imagine being in a world not unlike Alice’s, instead of the hell hole I’m In. A world filled with the things I KNOW exist. I pulled my long lilac colored hair up into a messy bun, and rolled the sleeves of my black hoodie up. It was only March, but normally it never got this hot at Southside Highschool in New York so today was unusual. I unzipped the back of my platform boot, and itched my ankle as the clock ticked on, blithely unaware that the teacher was observing me.
“Roselyn Treger. Would you please pretend to pay attention in this class?” Mrs. Carlyn yelled out shrilly. I looked up at her, and mumbled,
“Sorry, wont happen again...”
She rolled her eyes, prissed her lips and turned back to the board. I slumped in my chair wishing it would be 3:10 already. I gazed down at my open notebook, and watched as the world I had drawn the class before, came to life. Fairies of all sorts everywhere, goblins, elves, pixies, even trolls. Mind you, not those big green monsters people think wait under bridges, but the kind gentle ones. Only one person knew that this wasn’t a made up world to me, but was something I was apart of. I have the gift of “sight”, but sometimes it really is more of a curse.
I don’t exactly relish the idea of telling my parents that I see things, because that would just make me more of a freak. My parents are average; overprotecting, worried, and always in my face. They’re the ones making me keep my B average at school, by making sure I have done my school work, ask teachers for help and such. I suppose its really not that bad, better than failing. One of the main things they dislike, is the boy I love. His name is Camden, he’s 19 and graduated from my school last year. He’s only two years older than me, has no police record, and has a steady job, but still my parents do not like him. I rarely see him, which makes things harder for me, because he’s more than a boyfriend, he’s a best friend and the only one I can trust fully. He is coming to meet me after school today, and we plan on going to the city which my parents dont know about. My phone vibrated suddenly shaking me from my train of thought. I rushed to silence it, just in time.
“Rose, what is the answer to problem number 6 on the board?” I looked at Mrs. Carlyn and sighed, “I don’t know.”
She looked like the fat goblin I had seen the week before who threw a fit after I accidently said hello to him. She shook her head, and turned to my classmate to ask him. I took a deep breath to keep from freaking out, and picked my pencil up. I shaded in the small elf a bit more, trying to make her more like she had appeared in person. After this I pulled my phone out of my pocket slowly, and saw it was 2:55. Smiling slightly, I asked to be excused to the restroom. After much griping, I got a no, and scowled. I really did have to pee.
Suddenly, the bell gave a loud ding, and everyone rushed out of the room. I slowly shoved my notebook into my backpack, making sure I left when Mrs. Carlyn wasn’t watching. As I walked to the bathroom, I got a text from Camden saying, “Hey angel, I’m waiting outside, can’t wait to see you!” I got a rush like wings in my stomach, and I hurried to get ready. After I peed, I brushed my hair out, slopped a bit more eyeliner around my green eyes, rubbed some chapstick on, and shoved some mint gum into my mouth. I looked a bit more alive now, and flew down the hallway past my friend Jenni who winked at me and i pushed the door open. There, standing in the sunny parking lot was Camden. Black hair half shaven, and down to his shoulder, baggy cargo pants, Dr. Martins, and a black t-shirt that said “Believe” in bright silver. I had made the shirt for him the year before, and seeing him in it made me grin. He looked up as I hopped down the stairs, and opened his arms up. He hugged me hard, and nuzzled his face in my neck, as I held onto him. After a pause, I pulled back slightly, and looked him in the eyes. He whispered, “I missed you fairie girl” and I smiled as he kissed me softly. Jenni whistled as she walked by, and we broke apart laughing.
“I’ll talk to you later Jenni” i called out as she gave a thumbs up.
Camden grabbed my hand, and we walked out of the parking lot towards the metro. He was normally a lot taller than me at 5’9”, but with my boots on , I was 5’7”. Normally I stand at 5’2” with a bit of baggage. I am highly self conscious about who I am and what i look like, but Camden loves me for who i am, and says he wants to make me feel special. I looked up at him and said, “I missed you sooo much you know... It’s stressful always feeling like were going to explode at each other at home.” He wrapped his arm around my waist, and kissed my cheek, “I missed you too babe, and I’m sorry... We’ll try to get this worked out, okay?” I nodded and we hopped onto the C train, headed towards Central Park.
Central Park:
Twenty minutes later, we got off, but just as I stepped out into the rush of people, my phone rang. I looked down, and saw it was my mother. Camden saw the caller I.D. and gave me a look. I pouted, “But I don’t want to answer it... She’s just going to yell at me, why can’t she do that later?” He smirked and shook his head, “I’m just trying to do the right thing Rose.” I rolled my eyes, and turned my phone off. We walked into the park, and found a shaded place with hardly any people around. I flopped to the ground, and pulled my hoodie off, leaving me in black stretch leggings, my boots and a t-shirt from my favourite band, the Cruxshadows. Camden stretched out on his back beside me, and I rolled over onto my tummy, right next to him. He looked up at me, and pulled me down gently, so that my face was inches from his. My hair fell like a curtain around his face, and he leaned up to kiss me. We kissed for sometime, before I pulled away and sat up. I tied my hair back, and as I did, he sat up, and kissed my cheek, then my neck. I laughed slightly, then he pushed me back, and we kissed even more. This is how things were with us. We both had a lot of physical needs, so we got a lot done first, then he would help me with my school work. As I pulled away, he whispered, “I love you Rose.” I turned to him, and smiled, “I love you too Cam.”
Two hours later, I had my math, chem and most of English done. But it was a Friday, so I didn’t need to worry about finishing till sunday. It was much darker now, and I turned my phone back on. It was 6:50, and I had three voicemails from my mother, one from my father, and a text from Jenni asking me where I was. I sighed, and looked at Camden. But suddenly, I saw something behind him, over in a small circle of trees. He must have seen my face, because he touched my arm gently and inquired, “Are you okay?” I continued looking off, but replied, “Uhh.. Yeah, i just thought i saw some-Woah I did!” I jumped up, and made my way through the bushes, keeping out of sight. I made sure I wasn’t seen, and peeped out a bit. There in the circle was that fat ugly goblin I had said hello to the week before, and the little elf I had been drawing earlier. She looked scared, and I saw why, as another goblin of equal size grabbed her arms, and taunted her. The one i had seen, who i named Gill, Smirked at her, and then pulled her hair, “So... how does THIS feel?” He was enjoying himself, harming the poor girl. I felt my blood rise, but stayed where i was. The Faye are very complex, and you have to be careful when you get involved. I remembered the riddle the elf, named Ellie, had told me the month before, and grinned.
“Let her go,” I ventured out, and faced Gill, the fat one. He looked up sharply at me, with a look of surprise on his face. I looked intently at him, and he gave me a disapproving look.
“You’re human, eh?” I raised an eyebrow and shot back, “Yeah, I am.”
He laughed, and this offended me, but keeping my head straight I replied, “Okay, how about we play a game. The elf will tell a riddle of her choice, and I will answer it. If I am wrong, you get me and her, but if I am right, you let her go, and leave me too.”
Goblins love riddles, so I was hoping this would work. He stared at me for some time, then turning to Ellie he inquired, “So, do you agree to the terms of this game?” She looked at me, concealing her relief and nodded. Gill turned to me and said, “Let it be.” Ellie began with her riddle, and I listened intently just to be sure I wasn’t going to mess it up. I heard Cam call my name but I ignored it and listened closely. Once she finished, I took my time, then answered her riddle just as she had told me to. Gill, who had heard the riddle before became angry and shocked. He shook his fist in my face yelling to me that I was a cheater and no good. He was flustered as to how i knew the answer. I gave him a dirty look, and when he had stopped, he nodded to his friend to let the elf go. As they slipped off into the trees, Ellie turned to me and smiled shyly, “Thank you human... I believe your name is Roselyn?” I nodded and had turned to walk back to Camden, when she called to me, “You are brave Rose, for your help on this day, you only need call upon the Faye and i will help you in turn. I smiled, and replied, “Thank you, i will.” I walked away through the brush back to Cam.
Camden looked up at me as I plopped down next to him. “Jesus Rose! I thought you had been abducted or something!” He had his phone in his hand, and looked relieved. I snuggled next to him, and told him what had happened, including what Ellie had said. He rolled his eyes lightly, but smiled and pulled me close. I laid my head in his lap, and looked up at the massive sky, partially shaded by trees. The sky was now a dark blue, and as I pulled my phone out of my pocket, I saw it was almost eight. Cam kissed my forehead lightly, but I sat up, breaking his connection.
He looked confused, but I straightened it by replying, “Look, I’ve made my mind up about my parents, school, you and everything in between. I want to move in with you, you offered and im accepting. I just need to talk to my parents, I don’t want to create more issues. And I am supposed to graduate in the summer, so I’m going to just finish it off. I already have a job, so i don’t need money from them and I love you and don’t want to be with anyone else.”
I looked at him sincerely hoping he was ready for this and was rewarded with a nod, as he pulled me close to him. I ended up in his lap with his arms around me. We sat like that for awhile, before he sighed and said, “We should probably go soon love...” I bit my lip, and got up. I grabbed my bag off the ground, pulled my hoodie on, and slung the bag onto my back. I turned to Camden who had risen up, and as he grabbed for my hand, we walked out of the park to start a new journey.
On the Train:
As I sat on the hard orange plastic seat, Camden sat across from me, and drew my portrait. He loved to do this whenever he got a chance, which wasn’t very often. I had my I-pod on, and as we sped towards my fate, Now or Never by Namnambulu blasted into my brain. The gentle Industrial beat cooled my nerves, and made me feel invincible. I looked at Camden and smiled. He was just so God damn gorgeous, with his gentle hand flying across the paper, forehead creased, lips open slightly, and his hair engulfing one side of his expression. He sensed my stare, and looked up. I smiled at him, and I saw him mouth the words I LOVE YOU to me. I blushed and replied with a point at him, and two fingers. He shook his head laughing, and looked back at his work. I glanced out the window at the black nothingness. The train was constantly underground, so all I had to look at were the people. One girl in a short pink skirt and frilly top gave me a look of disgust, while another actually looked intrigued. A man about 20 years of age hopped on at the next stop, adorned in metal. He smirked at me, and Camden gave him a glance which made me giggle. I loved it when Cam made the “Don’t mess with my girl” face. Three stops later we arrived at the lower east side, where both of us lived. Once out of the underground, I turned to Camden and told him my plan. I was going to go home (alone mind you) and talk to my parents about everything. Explain myself, and hope they would understand. He sighed, but nodded and kissed me gently. We said bye, and I turned away.
Home:
My apartment was one of those small ones, but nice enough. I took a deep breathe, unlocked the door and walked inside. As I walked into the living room, I saw my mum in the kitchen. She looked worried, and I winced. The floor creaked, and she looked up. Her eyes widened, and she got up, and walked to me.
“Jesus Christ Roselyn Treger, Where on earth have you been?! I have tried to call you at least six times.” She looked both angry and relieved. I looked at my feet, but replied, “Sorry, I was in the city and my phone was off.”
“Bull Rose. You didn’t even TELL me or your father that you weren’t coming home after school, and you know that.” Now she was getting angry. I felt bad, but knew things might never change unless we talked.
“Yeah, well I’m sorry but you would have been more upset if I had asked. I was with Camden, not a 30-year old creep okay?” She shook her head in disbelief, and sat down. I sat down across the room, and sighed, “Look, I’m sorry mum, but I don’t think you’re ever going to understand this. I love Camden, and I need his support in my life. I’m going to move in with him, finish school, and then go to an art school after. You should be glad in planning a good future, and not becoming a drug addict like Lizz.” Her eyes sharpened as she growled, “You leave your God forsaken sister out of this. Her mistakes are beyond repair, but I can still make sure you don’t mess it up like she did.” I shook my head and replied, “ No mother. I’m not Lizz and I will never make her mistakes. I love you, and dad too, but right now, you aren’t helping, or listening to me. I need to just get some closure. And I will be 18 in three weeks.” My sister Lizz was the first child of my parents, and I was the adopted freak. At age 2, I was adopted from an orphanage in Frankfurt, Germany. I always felt like this wasn’t my family, yet it was. After Lizz had left home when I was 14, my mum decided she was going to keep me from ever doing the same. But Lizz left because she was a heroin addict at 16, and was out of her mind. I had never done drugs in my life, and didn’t plan to either. I don’t drink, but I do smoke rather frequently. Besides this I had never done anything to be a bad child. I shook my head and walked out of the room. My mother didn’t call me back.
Sitting on my bed I stared into the sky outside. My mother was going to hate me for leaving, but at least she hadn’t freaked out to the max. I started to pack my things; makeup, pants, shirts, skirts, undergarments, clothing of my sister’s that she had left, accessories, and almost every little thing. I called Camden and told him what had happened. Before I hung up, he agreed to come pick the bags up, so I could say good bye later, and pack the other small things still left. As I rolled the last Cruxshadows poster off my wall, I heard a door slam downstairs. I opened mine a bit, and saw my father walk into the living room. That’s when the yelling started, I had had enough of the fighting between them for the past few years, and made up my mind, I was going to get Ellie to help. I called out the window, “Ellie...? I need you....” I sat on my skeletal bed frame and waited. Almost two minutes later a wind came through my room, and Ellie appeared. She looked at me and smiled, “Hello Rose.” I sighed and looked at her, “It may be too much to ask of you, but a lot is happening so fast. I think that before my parents and I can talk calmly and understand each other, they need to stop fighting.” She nodded, and closed her eyes. “No, it is what you wish, and rational too. I will do my best.” She said words of ancient meaning, and suddenly the yelling downstairs stopped. She opened her eyes, and winked. “Okay fairie girl, all is well.” I laughed lightly and gave her my thanks. She disappeared right as there was a knock on my door. I opened it, and saw my father standing there. He gave me a sad smile and asked to come in. I nodded and walked to the window.
“Rose, If there is one thing i know about you, it is that yelling and screaming will not make you change your mind. I know things have been hard for you because you’re different, and because we hardly talk, but we love you. We really do. And I know your mind is made up, but i, no we, your mother and me, want you to be happy is all. Thats why we protect you so much, and drive you nuts sometimes. I can’t loose you like I lost Lizz, you mean so much to both of us.”
I smiled vaguely as he continued, “I give you my love in your leaving, because I trust that you will call when you need, stop by to visit and keep us in the loop of things. I honestly do think this could be good for you. We all need to take a little time to breathe before we can truly become a family again” I looked at him and nodded.
I knew Ellie had done her best to help us all talk, and she did wonderful. I walked over to him and hugged him tightly. My mother popped around the door, and joined us. The three of us stood there for a long time, until there was a knock at the door. My mother looked at me and I told her it was Cam and she bowed her head. I walked down the hall, and opened the door. Cam followed me to my room, and by that time, my parents had moved to their room. I whispered, “Sometimes things stink, but they can’t help it. They’re rotten and out of date.” He chuckled behind me and I smiled. I turned to him, and he looked into my eyes. I walked to him, and nuzzled my face into his shoulder. He held me tightly and then grabbed my stuff. I began to pack the smaller things I owned, and with one last look at the empty closet, barren bed, and dirty desk I walked out. I closed the door, and sighed. This was the one thing I wanted most and it was happening. Once outside, me and Cam walked the 4 blocks to his house and as I stepped inside, I felt at home already. I had been to his apartment before, but not in awhile. He dumped my stuff in his room, and then flopped on the bed. I put the bags I was carrying next to his desk, pulled my boots off, and then curled up next to him. He turned over facing my back, and wrapped his arm around me. A single tear fell down my face, and he ran his fingers over my cheek shushing me. I reached over to the cd player next to his bed and hit play as he held me tight, and I drifted off to sleep.
Graduation:
Two months later I had been living with Cam, and things had been well. Me and my parents had sat and talked about everything, including the past, present and my future. I looked out into the crowd at graduation, and found my parents in the front with Camden. He had dressed for the event, in a simple black pinstripe suit, and combats. I smiled slightly, and looked at my mother, she smiled and blew me a kiss. I was in a black dress made out of a sheer gauze over cotton. It was strapless, but i had a lace jacket on, fishnet tights and platform high heels. I had my hair pulled into a side half bun, with chopstick stuck in the side. After standing for what felt like a year, the ceremony ended, and I finally received my diploma. I had graduated 10th out of my class of 50. That was a shock, but it was a point up for my parents. They were so happy for me, and decided it would be best if I did stay with Camden. Things were going well, and he had asked me to marry him the week before, and I said yes. So the next big bomb would be the engagement. I walked off the stage, and I turned to Cam, my mouth slightly agape, amazed it was all done and he chuckled. He kissed me and pulled me close. and my parents wandered over to us. We broke apart, and my parents gave their congrats, and said they had dinner planned for seven. I smiled and nodded we would be there. They left to go home, and I looked at Camden, “Should we tell them tonight?” He looked into my eyes and replied, “Truthfully, no. I think this has been a rough two months, and that would just be a huge shock to them.” I nodded and gave him a hug.
On the Train Home:
“Dreams can come true, all it takes is a little magic.” An advertisement for Disney parks flashed on a billboard outside, and I smiled to myself agreeing. Living on nothing and reaching for everything is the best way to do it. Nothing is set in stone, all it takes is a little change and your set on a new path. I took my shoes off, and as me and Cam walked out of the station, it started to rain. I ran over to the small park near his house and started spinning around and around laughing. I felt so free and as I spun, Camden stopped me, and looked deeply into my eyes. I stopped laughing, and looked back at him. The perfect moment, perfect guy, and a world I was truly happy and prosperous in. We kissed and I knew I had made the right choice.
