Living on Pluto

Staring at the whiteboard and seeing your name on it written in red is not a good sign. Wait, we have our real world metaphor presentation today. I hope I don't puke on Mrs. Reader's metal desk. Her face would turn a crimson red, because her husband had given her the desk for their 20 anniversary. She told us that the day she wore that ugly yellow pantsuit.
"Riley Grey," my teacher said meaning that it was my turn to present.
I walked up with wobbly knees and sweaty palms. I focused on the red writing on the whiteboard. I stood in front of the class with all eyes on me.
"I complained that I had no shoes until I met a man with no feet," I said then realizing that they wouldn't get the metaphor yet.
"It means that you should be grateful for what you have. I learned this on October 9th, 2015. My sister, Skylynn Rose Grey, was diagnosed with lung cancer," I hadn't told anyone except Daniel. They all gasped. I heard someone murmur 'Did her sister die?'. I looked at my classmates and saw sorrowful looks on their faces. I started to get teary eyed so I let some of my fine, red hair fall over my right eye.
"She started out with chemotherapy. She was healing really well when one night she had massive pain in her chest. Well my mom's reaction was, of course, 'Oh my gosh! Riley come down and drive us to the hospital!'. It was nothing major, just her asthma getting out of control. She stayed at the hospital overnight just so her the doctors could make sure it wouldn't happen again. They told my mom it wouldn't happen again. And God knows they were right. That night she died in her sleep. We were very close, so I knew where her will was. I had no idea what was written on it. I have a copy in my hand right now. I know this is stupid but all my money goes to Lung Cancer Research. And I know it isn't much, but I still am giving it to them," I said with tears escaping from my blue eyes.
"Riley, I didn't know," said Noel. The boy who hurt me more than my sister's loss of life.
"So, let's get to my real world metaphor. I chose this because I have been hurt, a lot, in the past year. My sister's death and my," I said realizing I hadn't told anyone about what he did to me. "And my bully." At that moment Noel glared at me with hate in his eyes. I don't think it is because he hates me but because he doesn't want anyone to know that he bullied me. His reputation at Lindale High School is all he has. If this gets out he'll be kicked off the football team, and he'll probably be suspended for what he did to me.
"Has anyone lost a family member?" I asked my peers.
"My grandma passed away," said a classmate named Sarah.
"My uncle died," Daniel, my best friend said.
"Those are good examples of my real world metaphor. I'm not saying you did, but you probably didn't appreciate them as much as you do now," I told my class.
"Yeah, I really didn't," Daniel said replying to what I said. It was sort of part of the plan.
"Daniel Ericson, stop talking," Mrs. Reader declared.
After that the class, including Mrs. Reader, was attentive. Except Melodie, she was engrossed in her book.
"Okay, getting back to my presentation. My sister's death was inevitably impending. Before that I tried to give myself hope that she would live, but a little part of me knew she wasn't going to make it. Now for me, a 17 year old girl, that was hard. I looked at the situation as the glass being half full. She's in a better place, I thought. Do you know why no one knew about my sister passing away?" I asked. No one answered. Some people were whispering to each other, but it was probably just their own conversation.
"That's what I thought. So you guys probably know that I've never been the person who has tons of friends. I talk to the people I want to talk to though. So one time this person had been paired up with me for a project. This person, let's call him Leon, so Leon was not being the kindest. He didn't let me say a word for the project. We were soon paired up again. Whenever I had an idea he'd yell at me to shut up in the husky voice he has. All in all it was the easiest A I've ever received."
The bell screamed as if it was in pain. I looked up at the black and grey wall, and saw that the red hands were not at the time that english ends. More time to present. I thought. Yayy. I thought sarcastically.
"After that we were never paired up again. Thankfully. But he did keep on insulting me. Yeah, I know I am not the prettiest person. My face is a farm that hasn't been weeded. So he had called me these insults that didn't just not affect me, but they were also lame. For example, one of them was 'You live on Pluto because you're not hot.'" The class giggled a soft giggle. I looked over at Noel and he had masked his face with no emotion. He looked like one of those mannequins that had eyes and a mouth. Statue like almost. I breathed in a gulp of air through my nose. The room smelled like cologne and body odor.
"So he kept on doing this for about two and a half months. I didn't really mind because if what he was saying is true, I wouldn't have any friends. And look at that I do. Getting back to the story. All of a sudden he stopped one day, and I don't know why. Maybe he had a change in heart, or maybe it was because it didn't bother me. I don't know and quite frankly I don't want to know. So when I complained that my life was terrible, I thought of the people who didn't have a life. People who didn't have family members, people who are in jail. And that is my how my story ties in with my metaphor." I walked down the rows of people when I saw Daniel walk out of the oak wood door. He just escaped when I asked Clary where he went.
"Probably going out after Noel. Reasons that I know not, but maybe you know," she said.
Please don't be fighting. Please don't be fighting. I prayed to myself. Daniel has always been very protective of me. We've been friends for as long as I can remember. I leaped out of the door to see Noel and Daniel arguing at the end of the yellow hallways. I hid behind a little door entrance so I could eavesdrop on them.
"She has the right to expression. She can say that!" Daniel exclaimed.
"Well all of what she was saying sounded exactly like me. Leon, that's Noel backwards," Noel yelled back.
"Yeah sure, she used a name that was your name backwards, but it's not like she was out to get you like you were out to get her. Wait, why did you torment her?"
"I don't know, I just did. She's just filled with aplomb. I guess I wanted to take her down."
"So because she is happy with herself you decided to harass her? This doesn't make sense," Daniel said while squeezing his fists so hard his knuckles turned white.
It seemed as if he was going to punch Noel. He can't punch him, he'll be suspended. I walked up and yelled, "Just stop. Don't take people down. Dan is right, I have the freedom of expression and thought. And all you did was try to take that away."
"Riley Grey to the office, Riley Grey to the office," Mrs Kelp said over the intercom.
"See that, I am going to the office. I am going to end this. Sorry Noel, I tried not to tell anyone so you wouldn't get in trouble. But why should I have done that? All you ever did was hurt me. And now I am going to have this burden off my chest. So, see you in the office," I said while starting to walk away. But then I turned back to the two tall, brown haired boys and said, "Next time think before you do. You hurt me when I was already hurt. Oh and I don't mind if I live on Pluto, because at least there people can't hurt me like you did."