The days went by slowly but I couldn't get that obnoxious Green-eyed thief out of my head. How could that jerk steal my first kiss! And how did he take the food? Did he have some kind of vending machine remote controller hidden underneath his hand? Hidden up his sleeve? It would explain the light.
I so wanted to walk up and slug him in his creepy grinning face the next day (even though I'd been taught better) but he wasn't there. I didn't get any chance to act out for the next few weeks. Come to think of it, I realized, I'd never seen him in my math class before. I'd never seen the guy in any of my classes. I hadn't seen him anywhere. I'd grown up with pretty much everybody in the school, except two transfer students, new this year. But I knew what they looked like, it wasn't everyday we got new faces. Which was why not hearing about or seeing him before was so strange.
I happened to have math for the next hour and luckily no substitute, so I decided to ask the teacher about him after class ended. I finished my assignment as quickly as possible and waited for the bell to ring. When it did, I shoved my things into my backpack and sped walked up to Mrs. Graham. She was correcting homework from the day before. She glanced up at me from above her spectacles. She wasn't too old, somewhere between forty or fifty with clearly dyed, light brown hair. I pictured question marks popping out if her owl wide, Jay-bird eggshell colored eyes.
"Yes, Miss Ivory?"
"I have a question Mrs. Graham and I'm hoping you have the answer."
She sat up straighter in her seat. I could picture what she was thinking. Finally! Ink Ivory was getting serious about her studies! Sorry to disappoint you Mrs. G!
"Back a few weeks ago, during the makeup test, there was this guy who sat behind me. Green, I think his name was. And I was wondering if you knew where to find him? I haven't seen him and he lent me this pencil. I wanted to give it back, but I haven't seen him around..."
Mrs. Graham looked almost annoyed. I felt a surge of suspicion. There had been a guy behind me... Right?
"Miss Ivory, I don't know what type of prank your trying. Perhaps someone is pulling your leg, but I dont want to nor care to know. There has not been, to my knowledge, anyone by that name during the test, in class, or in this school. Now please go home Miss Ivory." She glares at me again over her glasses, "Might I suggest going to bed at an earlier time? It helps clear up hallucinations."
She sighed and went back to correcting her papers.
"So who was sitting behind me?" I asked.
Mrs. Graham let out a long lingering sigh and reached into her desk. She must've figured out I wouldn't leave empty handed. I heard ruffling as she went through some papers. She pulls out one and adjusting her glasses she looks over it. She placed the paper on the desk and turned it to face me. The paper is full of the names of peers like me who were stuck taking the test. Pointing at my name, she directed my eyes to the blank space behind me.
"The only person who was behind you was Mr. Sterling."
Please be a new Sterling, I think to myself. Her finger moved away from the blank spot and landed on the name behind it. I was too afraid to look. I just new it wouldn't be his dang name.
"Is his first name Green?"
She glanced up at me annoyed. "No Miss Ivory that is not his first name. Need I remind you, as with the whole class, there was a desk between the two of you. It's a required, no cheating policy Miss Ivory. Now if you will..."
Mrs. Graham put the paper away and pointed me toward the door. Feeling odd I turned around and left the classroom homebound.
The next day I asked around to see if maybe Mrs. Graham had, had an aneurism and forgotten to write down his name on the paper, but no one knew anyone by the name Green. I didn't have a last name for him so I could only stick with his first. When I described him, a little awkwardly, to my classmates none of them could think of anyone who matched. Who was he? If Green-dude hadn't been there, then why did I see him? Heard him? Why had no one else?
During lunch I decided I needed a break after the long day I had. I took my bag of home made food and headed outside for the football field. It was vacant now, so I could sit on the bleachers anywhere I liked without worrying about prying eyes. The Coach only caught me once, but he said as long as I cleaned up any messes I made, he didn't have a problem with me being there.
I sat my sandwich down on my napkin and leaned back to face the clear blue sky. Not a cloud to be seen anywhere. Just endless blue. I felt at peace. I knew if I closed my eyes right now I could easily fall asleep. I felt extremely tempted to.
Even though I'm a friendless lone wolf I'm usually pretty upbeat. I like to let my inner funny out. People called me strange growing up and kids didn't want to go near me. That didn't stop me from clowning around. My elementary school days were both hard to see and hazy to remember clearly. There were plenty of days I could remember, like it happened yesterday. There were other days that I couldn't recall no matter how hard I pushed. It would almost always leave me with throbbing headaches every time so I simply let what memories surfaced, come naturally.
There was a reason for my elementary amnesia. In the sixth grade, my mother and I had gotten into a car accident. The giant van had hit the car on her side instantly killing her and heavily injuring me. I'd been stuck on machines in a medically​ induced coma for almost seven months. When I finally healed and woke up I couldn't remember a thing. I could barely recognize my own name. At first when they told me my mom had died, I felt nothing. I couldn't seem to collect the data in my brain that connected her face to my mind. So to me, I'd been told about a virtually unrelated persons passing.
My father, who was there to see me wake up was another unknown face. I was told, by my doctor I'd be going home with a stranger. I was so scared that my dad had convinced them to let me stay a little longer so I could get used to him. I could see it hurt him, but I didn't know the man so it was like watching a sad movie. Even if I didn't remember putting in a DVD.
I got close to a nurse during that time of mental recovery, a nurse I still call Nana. She was the one to bring me out of my shell. She helped me develop my sense of humor, and eventually help me remember some things from my past. She was even able to reintroduce my father to me. I could almost remember calling him daddy when I was young. It was like smelling a scent you'd smelled before, but didn't know the name of. My father had changed completely from a bright eyed man into a worried and hesitant man. Somehow I knew that there were new wrinkles on his face. Wrinkles my mother's passing and my long hospital stay had caused. I felt a sadness and decided I would try to bring some light back into this man's life.
Nana was the one to see me leave the hospital, of course our friendship became more personal, our visits became a regular almost everyday thing. Nana only insisted I wait to see her on her last shift, and I was to call first in case she had to stay later. A nurses schedule sure seemed dang hard. Sometimes when she's too tired she lets me drive her home.
Life went back to normal, well a new normal. I would have to be held back a grade but I didn't mind. I wouldn't understand anything they taught anyway.
Dad used a lot of time to tell me all about my mother and her gentle nature. I had limited memory of my mom. But the day I came home and saw her pictures hanging on the walls, recognition had salty tears leaking down my cheeks. I may not have fully remembered my mom, but I knew her face and it was enough.
I had been successful in bringing laughter back to my dad. It had taken some time but I had done it. With new confidence and smile, Dad got a new job. It was a year after I started middle school, it took him out of the country a lot, but I think it helped us both situate ourselves into new roles that helped us to heal. He's gone a lot but I don't mind, I've got Nana, and he talks to me so much I feel closer to him, even if he is far away. I had the feeling when he took the job it was his way of leaving mourning behind, a way of moving on that could finally stop hurting.
Flash forward in time to a clear sky, with no clouds, on the bleachers, with a smile on my face and the sun rays warming my skin. I laugh at my reminiscing. Who do I think I am an old man rocking on a chair telling the grandkids stories of old? I sit up laughing and reach for my sandwich. It isn't were I put it. Had I been eaten it without noticing? I felt almost frustrated with myself. It had been such a good sandwich! Why did I have to speed eat? Oh well I had brought a bag of Doritos, original not cool ranch, (I love the original nothing beats the classics) so I wasn't without. I went to grab the bag and discovered that too was gone. What did I eat the dang bag too? Was I turning into a goat? I glanced sideways left and right then stuck my finger in my mouth searching for signs of bag remnants. To my relief there was none.
I was about to give up on finding my lunch when I heard rustling behind me. Then there was a loud pop noise. It scared the livin daylights out of me. Who in the world was here? This was my dang spot! Did no one respect the bubble any more? There was a whole ton of open area all around, why pick where I was sitting? I turned to yell at the person and was met with a terrible sight.