“Well, that’s a lovely name. I am Ms. Honey, your 8th grade English teacher. I have with me a really great student who’s going to show you around the school.” From behind Ms. Honey arose a tall, brunette boy who slowly approached me.
“Hi,” he quietly says under her breath, “I’m Chris.”
“Hey, I’m Fern, nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you too,” he says, a smile pulling at his lips. “I’m going to be your tour guide, I guess.”
“Lead the way,” I say, not realizing I’m smiling. It makes him smile too.
He takes me down long narrow hallways with numerous classes on each side, explaining school rules, teachers, school drama, all the things that he wouldn’t show me was which class was which. We just … talk. Next thing I know, I was explaining why I came to New York and where I lived before.
“Oh wow … I don’t know anyone other than you with a step-parent. It’s cool,” Chris says, looking down towards his bright blue shoes.
“Yeah, I guess. I don’t know my stepdad that well so it’s a huge change for me. I don’t know if I even have hope it will get better.”
“Yeah, I think I know what you mean. My grandma that I’ve never even met recently moved in with us because she needed extra support.” Silence fills the hall. Nothing but slight whispers from the classes are audible. I still have my backpack on and I hear my little keychains rattle. One of them is my good luck charm. I never go to school without it. My best friend crocheted me a small, blue, wolf back in kindergarten. Wolves were my favorite animals.
…
Nearly a week has passed, though it feels like years, since I first walked into the school. Nothing exciting happened—boring lectures from teachers, four tests and many job interviews for mom. One day though, when walking to math class I see a slight unevenness in the brick wall in the adjacent hallway. I am late to class, so I have no time to investigate. But today is different. I am going to go to the bathroom a little before passing period, so I have lots of time to visit the wall and maybe figure out what it’s hiding.
I walk up to the wall and sit down, staring at it. Waiting for something to happen. Then I hear … footsteps? They are very small and distant, but they are getting closer. And closer until they stop. But I don’t see anyone. I peer around the corner … no one.
“Excuse me, ma’am?”
I let out a small scream and cover my mouth, looking around. “Who’s there?!”
“Uumm, down here,” the small, high voice says. I look down to find a small, gnome-like creature. He has a green hat, a tealish button down and small black pants. He probably isn’t more than a foot tall, and his face looks shiny and almost doll-like. He has small white wings with light green stripes and pointy ears like an elf’s.
“Wh- who are you?”
“Why, I am the almighty, the one and only … CINDERALE.”
“Cinderale?” I say, trying to hold in my laugh, but fail.
“Well missy, what is your name if we’re making fun?”
“The almighty, the one and only … Fern,” I mock and roll my eyes while moving my hands in a ridiculous way. Then we hear the loud mumble of students coming down the adjacent hall.
“Quick, come this way,” Cinderale says, pointing to the wall I came here for.
“And miss school?”
“We both know you don’t care,” he says, “You can get away from anything that’s bothering you. You can be free and make anything and or everything happen! Just trust me. Take my hand and walk to the wall, right in the middle.”
I don’t take his hand; instead, I start to walk slightly behind him for him to show the way but because he is so small, I easily find myself in front of him. I make a sudden stop at the wall and turn to Cinderale. “Do I walk through it?”
“Uh … yeah, duh,” he says, rolling his eyes with disbelief at the question I had asked.
“Well, I’m sorry, I don’t necessarily do this everyday like you.”
“Just walk through it.”
I walk slowly and continue forward as the wall seems to suck me in. The world around me gets hazy and everything swirls together.
“So this … is Mavviland,” Cinderale gestures, moving his hands in wide motions to show the area. Huge, colorful buildings fill the land with many more creatures similar to Cinderale huddling in the center of Mavviland.
“It’s … different here. It’s colorful and peaceful. Everyone seems nice and there’s no frown shown.”
“Here in Mavviland, no one has a bad day, and no one frowns.”
“But—” I start but he’s already gone, off with all the others.
“Ahh, Fern,”
“Who … who said that?!” I say, whipping my head around, but I see nothing.
