Beyond the Hedge

Beyond the Blond Beach.

I'm really surprised that it worked. Maybe I could ask Alexander later if baby nursery rhymes could be a possibility for spells. I still thought of the mysterious familiar voice and about what he said about Reggie. Could it be true? Did Grandma really know?

Well I guess I'm gonna find out what the Elders know because the Trainers, all gathered in the Mandatory Tent, around me right now.

"Stephanie, I want you to read this out loud. Loud enough for everyone to hear in this tent." Marcy states.

She puts the paper in front of my face and forces me to read each word out loud.

I squint my eyes, still dizzy with questions about what just happened to me on my way here, and read the paper.

"Stephanie 'Lizzie' Caywood, age 15, is sentenced to suspension from the Hedge for the responsibility of missing Trainer, Crystal. Trainer Crystal was last seen talking to Stephanie Caywood before mysteriously disappearing. She also brought someone into the hedge that doesn't belong. Sentence will stand until further proof is shown." I read out loud. My voice sounds panicked by the second as I read out loud. My mouth might as well fall off because it's hanging so low.

Marcy sighs."That's not even the worse part. Read the fine print."My eyes immediately snap to the bottom of the page.

My heart drops. "She cannot return to the Hedge until her name is cleared."

I take a deep breath. "What?" I look at everyone all the Trainers, waiting for someone to explain. I take a seat on one of the infirmary beds try to clear my head. To many things are happening all at once.

"But how?" I ask.

Seems like Marcy is the only one who seems like talking to me today, but she doesn't answer the question. She stays quite. Everyone in the room has different emotions. I see some people with fear in their eyes, some with disgust, some with worry, but the one emotion that seems to catch my emotion is disappointment. Only a handful of people know that disappointment is one of the emotions I can't handle from a person.

"Do they think I'm the reason why Crystal's gone?" I ask and my voice sounds weak.

I don't need to look at Marcy to see her nod because I felt I knew the answer. Everyone didn't know what to think so they guessed on what happened. I rolled my eyes, despite the situation. they were acting like highscholars who heard a rumor. They make up their own story about what happened to the person.

One of the Trainers look at me in disbelief. "Well," she starts. She flips her blond hair over her shoulder and she looks about nineteen years old.

"Think about it. Ever since you came, everything started changing. Who was that boy you walked in with? He wasn't part of the Hedge. He seemed silent the whole day yesterday. Those two new Tangled Vines, the hot boys, they weren't here until yesterday either. Everyone knows they probably helped you fake the fight yesterday."

I gave a laugh of disbelief. I narrowed my eyes at her."Were you the one to spread the fake rumor about me kidnapping Crystal?" I'm used to people who are older than me thinking they know more then I do. I would know more than I do if I was given the chance.

"Well, kid. You left without an explanation and left everyone wondering what happened. A few wonderful minds have to fill everyone in so they don't panic. Think about someone other than yourself for a change. Maybe that's why everyone who was close to you left you." Blondie McFakeBoobs says. Marcy looks alarmed, maybe she should be because I know I could attack Blondie anytime. Right now might be good...

With that nickname, I feel a lot better than how she thinks I feel. I feel mad, yes, but that's a lot better than how I used to act toward girls like her. I used to let the tears cloud my eyes and let her win before I was humiliated even more. I used to be sweet and way to trusting for my own good. Well, you have to make mistakes in order to learn from them.

The trick is you don't let it get to you. You let them say malarkey they think wil hurt you when really you could say a lot of things much meaner. Bully tip number one. Well, it worked for me.

I look at Marcy like, "Do you want me to beat her up now or let her take her final break before I do?". Marcy looked at me with a paniced face. She shook her head. She was about to say something before I looked away.

She spoke anyway. "Stephanie," she warned me but I had already got up from my spot on the bed. I was mad. She got me angry. She's going to regret it.

"Listen. I may be younger than you but that doesn't mean I don't know a lot. I know as much as you do, maybe a lot more. I could humiliate you like Sherlock Holmes right now or beat you up. I could do absolutely nothing-"

"Steph. You don't want to do something you'll regret." Marcy says and I pause and put on a fake smile.

"Your right, Marcy. Why bother with a fake Barbie when I could prove I'm better than her in another way." I smile innocently at Blond Barbie. Maybe I should tell Marcy about plan A. That'll show Blondie I'm way smarter than her.

I learned how to read people at age twelve. I know emotions in people when I look at their eyes. I mentally smile at myself. Blondie looks like she's going to pee her pants. Well, she crossed the line. Too bad for her.

She's scared and I could feel it. But she smiles with a sudden confidence, that mine almost wavers. Almost. Blondie turns to Marcy and every other Trainer, now that I look around, seems to have fled at the mention of a fight. Now it was only the three of us.

"Can I break her heart now, Marcy? Can I? Okay? Thank you." Blondie says and she turns toward me like she was just given permission to speak when, in reality, Marcy hasn't uttered a word. "They say they can't find Alexander after he went in search for his mommy. That's too bad isn't it?"

"TIFFANY!!!" Marcy explodes.

But the beach doesn't stop. She keeps talking. "Oh. Oh!! And best part, get this! They say they can't find Crystal either. Isn't that super? Her body is probably lying in a ditch somewhere rotting. " She states heartlessly and I have wanted to slap someone so hard in my life.

I stare at this Blond Barbie beach. Did she just... I shake my head and still see her still smiling.

"Beach, you probably don't have a mommy and I'll make sure to tell the human orphanage to help you out with that problem. I don't know what the hell is your damage but I think it's family issues by the way you butt into mine." Her smiles completely disappear. Yeah that's right. This puppy just fought back. I'm going all Pitbull on your butt.

Dale.