Leaf Eater and Other Short Stories

Chapter 4: To See the Unseen

Once upon a time, that's how all fairy tales starts, and so does mine. Rider, Rider Rain is my name as strange as it is. Nothing but trouble, that's my life, never has it been bright since seven years ago. Seven years ago, on that fateful day my parents died in a car accident, or so they say.

I still remember my mother's words, " You are special Rider, you are gifted." Her words echo through my head, especially on days like this. As I tug on my clothes sleepily I drag myself into the bathroom to brush my teeth.

As I stare into the mirror I see a girl, a girl with long light brown hair, skin lightly tanned by being in the summer sun, and green eyes. Bright, radiant, green eyes, the same eyes that were responsible for the last seven miserable years of bullying and teasing.

At first, I thought it was normal to see them. You know, the fae, the fairies. But, I was very wrong. In the orphanage, they all thought it was cute, in the beginning, but as I grew older the adults tended to stray away from me. Other children in our town of Fairson Valley also decided to stay away as well. That's when the bullying started.

Everyday I endured the constant teasing and taunting, it started out with just verbal insults and emotional pain, then they began getting physical. Things like shoving me to the ground, pulling dirty pranks, and just straight forward abuse like kicking me black and blue while I'm on the ground. Or even cornering me just to throw stones or wack me with sticks. After that I stopped talking about my gift and pretended I didn't see the fairies even if they buzzed right in front my face with their colorful insect-like wings.

I'm 16 now, on my second year of high school, and things haven't changed at all. I was able to get away since it was summer, but not anymore. Today is the first day of school. Rummaging through my pack I made sure I hade extra of everything from clothes to pencils. You wouldn't know how many times I found my clothes dunked in a toilet, thrown in a tree, or tossed in the fountain in front of our school. My classmates even grabbed my pencil off my desk and break it just for fun at random times.

Zipping my backpack I slung it over my shoulder and ran out the orphanage to catch the bus. I didn't need breakfast. Pulling the hair tie out of my jean pocket I tied my hair into a high pony tail. Taking my seat at the bus wasn't too hard to find, having no friends I had no one to search for, and being cast out by everyone I always had a free abandoned seat in the back. Whoopty doo, good for me! I glumly took my place in the back. The bus ride didn't seem long enough, it felt like a minute later that the vehicle arrived at Fairson Valley High School.

Just as I was exiting the bus I bumped into my old acquaintances, or as I liked to call them the Popular Posse which included their leader Jessa Craners the bane of my existence, second in line was Bobby Bakers, the brute that listens to whatever Jessa says, then there was the stupid one, Molly Lane, and who could forget the troublesome fraternal twins Alina and Arnold Berk. Great, the whole package.

But, looking at Jessa and her scruffy pony tails, and Bobby with his haughty expression reminded me of the past. I don't just sit idly by getting teased and beaten. I remember the one time I seriously fought back, Jessa had made fun of my parents, the twins mimicking her every word, and Molly agreeing dubiously to everything while Bobby pushed me to the ground. Suddenly, I was smiling and chuckling to myself reminiscing how furious I was, the adrenaline pumping through my body as I punched Bobby in the stomach and jumped on Jessa hitting, scratching, and pulling both her pony tails with each hand. She screamed and cried, Bobby leapt on me and I kicked him off. The twins joined in and Arnold punched me in the eye. Meanwhile, Molly just stood there confused like an idiot.

Afterwards I was dragged off to the Principal's Office where he called all of the Popular Posse's parents, of course they all blamed me. But, despite all of this and the severe punishment I was going to get, I sat outside the Principal's office with a black eye, two messy braids, dirty, disheveled clothing, and a huge grin. Why you would probably ask, well because I had finally fought back.