Neverseen's Prototype // Phoenix

Untitled Part 1

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"Ms. Foster" Mr. Sweeney sneered at Sophie, yanking her headphones out from the cord. I watched as my best friend stared at her feet, shying behind her curtain of pale blonde hair. Mr. Sweeney had been jabbering about the Lambeosaurus for the past fifteen minutes. After a while, he noticed the earbuds in Sophie's ears, and is now interrogating her, all while the students around us glare daggers.

"Have you decided you're too smart to pay attention to this information?" His high, nasal voice made me cringe.

"No, Mr. Sweeney." she mumbled, shrinking further.

Mr. Sweeney looked like he was ready for graduation day, just so he could be forever ridden by the 2 twelve-year-old high school seniors. Almost on cue, his pique wafted the distance, and only added to the headache of my own. I could easily feel sophies, and the resentment and irritation drifting in from all sides of myself did not help.

I've always been able to feel what others did, but it now just felt... natural, kind of. One thing I definitely didn't love was how no one understands it. I have a few memories from when I was 3, and I didn't feel the overwhelming mix of happy, sad, angry, or whatever people are feeling, in my head.

Sophie's feelings are always very loud, if that makes sense.

And I could feel a fraction of people's pain. That is why I am currently on a very strong medication for mood swings. Feeling like you are gonna die laughing, bawl out crying, or lose your voice for a week screaming all at once is pretty hard not to be a -literal- emotional wrecking-ball.

"Then perhaps you can explain why you were listening to your ipod instead of following along?" Mr. Sweeney held up her earbuds as if they were evidence at a crime scene; but to him, they probably were.

He'd dragged our whole class to the National History Museum in Balboa Park, under the impression that his students would enjoy a full six hours of walking through the bright blue walls filled with bones of dead lizards. He didn't seem to understand the fact that unless the giant dinosaur wax figures came to life -and started eating people- no one cared.

I watched as Sophie pulled out an eyelash.

Ouch

How does she do that? I have absolutely no clue. It has to hurt.

As the entire class gave her nasty looks, she just looked down. I felt her emotions shift, and she now felt... separated. It was almost like she was alone with no one around, but this happened all the time. She would think about something, and not be able to focus for at least a minute. Her emotions were always very overwhelming, and she constantly had headaches that were like none I've felt.

As a twelve-year-old senior and not even being able to get an actual job and the fact we are too young to even get a driving permit, you know; the one you get in sophomore year, we were guaranteed a slot on a freakshow.

"Since you've decided you're above this lecture, why don't you give it." Mr. Sweeney challenged. He pointed to the massive orange dinosaur replica in the center of the room. "Explain to the class how the Lambeosaurus differs from the other dinosaurs we've studied."

Sophie swallowed a sigh, and I saw something flash over her expression, like she was remembering something. She looked Mr. Sweeney dead-in-the-eye, and recited the information on the card, word for word.

As she continued, all the students surrounding us grew into an ill-centered resentment towards my friend. It was no secret we weren't the favorites. Far from it, actually. No one likes the kid who reminded the teachers to collect homework, and no teachers like smart mouths, like myself. Mr. Sweeney's face twisted into the ugly scowl that marred his features 99 percent of the time.