Going through the motions

[loekie]

Caithlin was up in her room laying in bed, her eyes open wide as she groaned softly pulling a pillow over her head. It was of no use and a minute later she decided that the pillow wasn’t helping any and just sat up gasping slightly, startled as there was suddenly a little girl sitting next to her on the bed. The little child tilted her head “Wanna play?” she asked and Caithlin sighed slightly readying herself for yet another sleepless night. It was as if she could really blame them. They only saw what they wanted to see and so they didn’t really know. The blonde sighed and ran a hand through her hair giving in. who was she to deny the girl a playing partner and so the 16 year old turned to the girl “Sure” she whispered. It was just easier this way. “What do you want to play?” Caithlin asked and the girl moved closer her little hand running over the older girl’s body. Caithlin frowned taking the little hand in her small one “What are you doing?” she asked tilting her head slightly as the girl smiled “I thought you wanted to play…” she said as Caithlin sighed “Your father wanted to play?” the teen asked and the girl lowered her gaze. Caithlin reached out tilting the girl’s head back up “That’s all over now” she told the small child who looked up “really?” she whispered and Caithlin nodded “So now what do you want to play…? I have some dolls” she smiled and the girl looked up enthusiastically and the girl smiled heading into her closet and getting out her old Barbies. Not that she had used them in years of course… but hey. She took the dolls to the girl and so they played for a good few hours when the young child disappeared. Caithlin sighed and ran a hand through her hair before letting herself fall back into her pillows. She was just so tired….

She looked up as she heard yelling. She sighed closing her eyes for a second before a man caught her eye. What had she ever done to deserve this? She sighed as there was some yelling and throwing of things before she was yanked from the bed. He slammed her against the wall and told her to just shut up and that she was going to pay for what she had done. Why didn’t they realize she wasn’t the one they saw or who had done something to them? She was just getting so tired of this. She turned her attention to the man before her as she tried to calm him down and talk some sense into him. He however wouldn’t listen and she ended up on the floor groaning in pain. She sighed pushing herself to her feet and crawling back under the covers and spending the rest of the night staring up at the ceiling and laying awake until it was time to get up and get ready for school.

The 16 year old stood in the shower and got dressed and went through her morning routine simply ignoring the voices and people that were now surrounding her. She headed down the stairs and forced some food down her throat as to not make her parents suspicious. They would sent her to a mental institution for sure. She ran a ahdn through her hair and just walked out the door closing her eyes. Time to face the music… yet again. She hated school. She was pretty much the outcast. Labelled a freak and weirdo. She wasn’t quite sure why, but figured it didn’t really matter. She stretched and just went on her way popping a few pills in her mouth and letting the ‘medication’ do its job revelling in the feeling of it running through her veins. She knew this was wrong, that she shouldn’t do this but really she was going to be driven insane – if she weren’t already – if she didn’t have something to help her through. Who cared about the repercussions? Not her that was for sure. She brushed some of her long blonde hair from her face as she stepped into the school. She went to her locker and then to her class where she sat in the back of class slipping in her seat with a heavy sigh. Today really was going to be a long, long day

[Marjorie Aria Porter]

"Did you hear what Brian said?"

"No, what?"

"That he'd like.. gone all the way with Helena."

"Really!?"

"Yeah."

"Can you believe her? That slut!"

The conversation was between two girls of 16: Aria and her bestfriend Eve. Brian had been their friend, Liesl's crush, and she was just crushed that he'd been with someone else. And especially that attentionwhore Helena. God, they hated Helena almost as much as they hated Caithlin.

She was alway in the back of the class, looking pale and pathetic and sad and lonely. Geeze. Aria would bet she'd never set her foot out in the sunlight if she didn't have to. Fucking freak.

"Quiet."

It was the teacher, mr. Gallagher, who finally raised his voice. The class fell silent, and he started telling them about this week's assignment. They were to find a superstition, research it, write a paper on it and present if for the rest of the class next Monday.

"Gah, I hate this class."

Eve wrinkled her nose and shook her head. Aria couldn't help but agree. This was just stupid. Who cared about superstitions? Wasn't that just like zombies and ghosts and stuff? Everyone knew they weren't real, so why did they have to research it.

Laame.

"I will be dividing you into pairs of two."

Mr. Gallagher finished, and proceeded to read out the pairings.

"Thomas Fargo and James McStokes. Lillian Reed and Heidi Marcher. Brian Sinclair and Emilio Fuentes. Evangeline Vega and Helena Remington."

The last pairing made Eve groan.

"Why am I being paired with that witch?"

She complained to Aria, who could do nothing but just grimace back.

"Liesl Hamilton-Greye and Imogen Thompson. Marjorie Aria Porter and Caithlin Hopper."

"Oh, no.."

A shiver ran down Aria's back; he'd placed her with the freak! Eve gave her a look filled with great sympathy. Mr. Gallagher continued reading until everyone had been assigned a partner, he then ordered them to take a seat next to them and start planning the rasearching and presentation.

Great.

Slowly Aria gathered her things. A pink pen went into her bag, a book followed suit and last her notebook. She wasn't happy about this at all. Pulling a hand through her dark hair, she slowly went over to where Caithlin was sitting.

"Err.. hey.."

She said, sort of shifting from one foot to the other.

[loekie]

The blonde girl hardly even listened to what the teacher was saying. What did it matter to her? She had plenty of time to do her work during all her sleepless nights. She leaned her head on her hand staring ahead blankly, her bright blue eyes empty and unseeing. She ran a hand through her waste-long blonde locks brushing them form her eyes. Then she glanced up as the teacher called out for silence. She almost jumped out of her seat… but managed to just take a deep breath to calm herself down. Lame, perhaps… but she was startled so often if one of her ‘visitors’ would just suddenly appear. She would have to really watch that. She was already considered a freak, and that would most likely not help. She shook her head clear before turning back to what the teacher was saying. A new assignment? Ugh… how great. She rolled her eyes at her own thoughts before she realized the subject. She sighed, superstition? Ah well, she’d just have to wing it. She got good grades anyway so it didn’t really matter. She then frowned as they were divided in to groups. Her big eyes suddenly widened and looked at the teacher bewildered; she really hated having to work together with someone. She closed her eyes for a moment and simply waited to hear her name…

Of course it just had to be someone that hated her. She heaved an inward sigh… this really was going to be fun – insert sarcasm – she knew they were probably right though. That she was just simply crazy. Perhaps she needed to get some help… but then… where to start? And the bruises… they were real weren’t they? She really didn’t know anymore and she realized that she was slowly losing grip o reality. How much longer would she be able to take this? She really wasn’t too sure… but sometimes she just wanted to give up. have a bit of peace and quiet. Why couldn’t they just leave her alone? Even if only just for 5 minutes. Even now in this class there were a few around demanding her attention. She ignored it though. It wasn’t as if she wasn’t used to it after all. it had been happening ever since she could remember. You’d think she’d be used to it by now wouldn’t ya? The girl shook herself from these thoughts, right now she needed to think about superstition and the assignment given. She bit her lip for a moment as she heard the rest of the students get up and move to their assigned partners and she glanced up to where the girl she’d been paired with usually sat.

She barely looked up though when the other started moving towards her. She bit her lip wondering how she was going to come out of this alive and in one piece. She sighed pulling herself together and glancing up as the other’s voice rang through the air “Hey” she responded as she waited for her to sit down “Did you… did you have a preference for a superstition…” she asked, her voice, as always soft and gentle. She couldn’t really blame the rest of the class. She herself was beginning to think she was a loon. She sighed inwardly… perhaps they could just finish this quickly and get it over with? She’d do the research and night and the rest they’d just have to figure out along the way. She then turned her attention to the girl that had just next to her so that they could just figure this thing out and get it over with.

She brushed some hair from her from her face. She really envied the rest of the students sometimes, they didn’t have to deal with all these things. nope… that was just her fate. She rolled her eyes at her own thoughts before just trying to keep her mind focussed on the job at hand.