I clutched my books tighter, shoving my glasses back up my nose as I hurried down the crowded hallway. The last bell had rung ages ago, my backpack bounced against my shoulders, but all I could focus on was getting out the front doors and finally going home, hopefully this time, without any stress.
I was about to get to the doors when I noticed a small cluster of students ahead, forming a circle as if they were waiting just for me. My stomach sank, and I felt my chest tighten, not again.
"Hey, freckle-face!" someone shouted, and a ripple of laughter followed.
I slowed in my steps as I reached them, I could've turned around and ran for it, but that would only make things worse.
"Look at the little ginger! How's the mini-carrot today?" another added, nudging someone beside him.
"You should really consider wearing a helmet," someone else snickered, "with that hair, you might blind someone in the sun!"
"Just leave me alone…." I said weakly.
No one did.
I tried to push past them, but it was no use, they nudged me, pushed me, at some point I even tripped, almost breaking my glasses.
I was sick of it, sick of being small, sick of being "ugly," sick of being the center of every cruel joke. Every day, every class, it was the same. And I didn't have anyone to defend me, not a single soul, not even my father, who believes I'm always lying and trying to twist everything in my favor.
Because welll…. that's what my step mother tells him, and he would believe everything that came out of his wife's mouth.
His son was a pathetic liar, an attention whore who just wants to make everything about him.
If anyone had handed me a ticket out of this life, a one-way pass to another world, I wouldn't have hesitated for a second. Anything to escape this harsh reality, a reality I wished to no longer be part of, it was very draining and depressing.
I forced my feet to move, my heart hammering in my chest. Everywhere was suffocating, but these idiots didn't know that, not that they would care if they did.
I was too small to fight back anyway, too weak to stand my ground. My ginger hair always frizzing wildly no matter how many times I tried to tame it, glasses perched crookedly on my nose and the freckles, they had to be the worst feature I had.
Ugly.
That's what they all call me, I hear it everyday, ugly, pathetic, a joke for someone else's amusement.
Finally roughing my way through them, I broke into a run and didn't look back, their mocking laugher echoed after me but I didn't care.
When I finally reached outside, I took a pause and breathed heavily, my heart was still hammering, adrenaline prickling my skin.
I ignored the tear in my shirt, the bruise on my cheek and the dirt on my shoes. Just like always, when I get back home, I'll stitch my shirt back together, treat the bruise and repair my shoes.
When I got to the bus stop, it was empty, I checked the time and realized the last bus already left. My shoulders slumped in defeat.
Great.
I shoved my hands into my pants pockets, slumping a little under the weight of my backpack.
"No big deal, I'll just walk." I muttered to myself as I began my uneventful journey home.
I always walked anyway, I'd only been lucky a few times, since I was always cleaning after someone after school, or writing notes for them, I'd barely ever make it to the last bus.
But it's okay, the walk home wasn't far, just twenty minutes or so.
I pulled my very old headphones out of my bag and jammed them into my ears, the familiar pulse of music filling my head and muting the world around me.
Step by step, I walked, focusing on the rhythm and letting the songs drown out the voices.
Just another day, another walk home. And another brief moment to escape into a fake reality I'd built in my head whenever I listened to music.
I sang to myself as l walked alongside the busy road, ignoring the pedestrians, my main focus was to get home as fast as possible so I could finally be in the comfort of the love of my life. My room and my bed, where it was just me and my crazy imaginations.
The moment I looked up, I saw a woman standing by the roadside. She looked so old and frail that I couldn't help but take a double look.
It looked like she was trying to cross the road to the other side. Everyone walked past her, ignoring her like she wasn't there, and for a moment it seemed like it was only me who could see the old woman.
I shrugged and walked by, deeming it not my problem, and I continued to vibe to the music. But I couldn't help but look at the woman again, seeing that she was still at the same spot, back slightly bent as a sign of old age. I gave out a loud sigh and turned around, deciding to help the woman and get on with it.
"It'll just take a minute and I'll be on with my day." I mumbled.
I approached the woman slowly, my music still playing, but my attention focused on the frail figure. As I drew near, the woman's eyes, clouded with a hint of desperation, locked onto mine. I could feel a pang of empathy, despite my initial reluctance.
"Hey, do you need some help crossing the road?" I asked, my voice gentle as I paused my music and put the headset around my neck.
The woman's face, etched with wrinkles, creased into a weak smile. "Oh, dearie, I'd be ever so grateful."
I offered my arm, and the woman grasped it, I rose a brow in surprise, her grip was surprisingly strong for an old woman. Together, we crossed the road, the woman's slow pace was a stark contrast to my usual energetic stride.
When we reached the other side, the woman released my arm, her eyes shining with gratitude. "Thank you, child. May the stars align in your favor."
I hope so.
I smiled, feeling a strange sense of happiness and relief. "You're welcome. Take care, okay? Do you live close by?" I asked, wondering how she was going to get home.
My question went unanswered as the old woman rummaged through her tattered bag, her eyes sparkling with a hint of mischief. "Take this, child," she said, voice filled with excitement.
My eyes widened as the woman pressed a worn, leather wrapped book into my hands. The cover was designed with strange symbols and markings that shimmered under the afternoon sun.
"Oh, no, I can't take this," I protested, trying to hand the book back.
The old woman's grip tightened around my wrist, her eyes glinting with a fierce intensity. "You must take it, William. This book contains secrets, it will guide you on your journey, when the time comes."
My curiosity piqued, I hesitated, feeling an unexplainable pull towards the book. The old woman's eyes seemed to bore into my soul, as if she knew secrets I was yet to discover.
"Please, take it," the woman insisted, her voice softening. "It's a gift. And you, my dear, you look like you need a second life."
I do. I really do.
Her last sentence made my resistance falter, and I immediately accepted the book, its weight settling heavy in my hands. The book felt strangely warm to the touch, as if it pulsed with an otherworldly energy.
My heart raced with excitement and a hint of hesitation, wondering what secrets lay hidden within its yellowed pages, I actually loved to read books, especially fantasy, a world where I could imagine myself however I'd like.
The woman nodded, her gaze lingering on my face before she turned and disappeared into the crowd. I watched her go, a faint sense of wonder lingering in my heart, the old woman vanished into the crowd, leaving me with more questions than answers.
"Huh, that was weird." I said to myself.
I was already back on the other side of the road before I realized...
"...how did she know my name?"
Little did I know, this chance encounter would be the start of an extraordinary adventure.