LIVING MYTHS

Chapter 1

"Tarisa..." I heard my mom call me as she started the car.

"Coming!" I replied while grabbing my school bag.

By the way, I'm Tarisa Mabel. I live with my mom, dad and my sister Ann.
My mom promised to drop me and Ann to school because today was our first day at the new school.

After my dad changed his job we were forced to move on to a new city.
Yesterday my sister Ann cried a lot, saying that she can't leave her friends.

A few weeks ago I would have cried like Ann.
Four days ago my friend left me with open wounds in my heart that are beyond healing. So moving on didn't sound so bad for me because it helps me to forget about that dump friend.

"Bye mom, love you." I said while getting out of the car.

"Love you too sweetie!" I heard her say as I closed the car door.

Ann's school was just a few miles away from my school, so she remained inside the car as I watched them disappear through the busy road.

Ms. Jessica was my new class teacher. She had fair skin with a short brown hair trimmed to her shoulders.

After I introduced myself to the class, I sat on the second bench. (You guessed it!) There was no one in that bench.

The first period was Mathematics, so most of the class was asleep.
After about 10 minutes the classroom door opened and a dark haired boy walked in saying that he was in the principal's office.

Ms. Jessica continued her lesson without a word. The boy came and sat beside me.

"Hi! I'm Ryan, are you the new kid?" asked the dark haired boy.

"Yeah, I'm Tarisa." I replied.

After that conversation we didn't talk much.***

I was sitting alone in the corner bench, in the canteen enjoying my sandwich when Ryan joined me.

I was not used to sitting with someone in the interval so I glanced at him, he just smiled and started eating his food.

"So is this school good?" suddenly he spoke up.

"Just the same." I replied.

"Then were you like that in your old school too?" he questioned me.

"Like what?" I questioned back.

Ryan looked confused, "like what?"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Ohh! Like what?" he nodded his head.

"Yeah" I said.

"hmm.. I mean like all alone, quiet and without friends." He said.

I remembered all the things my best friend once told me when she left me. Ryan saw my face turn dark.

"Hey, you okay? I didn't mean to..."

I didn't let him continue, "It's okay."

I walked away with my old wounds good as new.

I didn't talk for the rest of the school hours. When school was over I walked home alone, thinking of my first day at the new school.

I just can't believe that I heard those same cold words again!

After I went home I had plenty of homework to deal with. It was around 7 pm when my parents came home after work.

While we were having dinner everybody shared their experiences of their first day at the new city.

My mom had met our neighbors and she told that they are quite friendly, while my dad had met his new employees; who are also friendly. My sister had met new friends who are good as  her old friends.
And when they asked me "how was my first day at the new school?" I just said a single word, "fine."

After dinner I went to bed. It was so hard to sleep when the words, alone, quiet and without friends kept on echoing in my head.

The next morning I woke up, had breakfast and went to school.

I sat on the second bench as usual. I saw Ryan talking with his two friends and I was happy because he got good friends to spend time with.

After the school was over I walked home all alone. I was so happy that I was alone the whole day without dump friends destroying my peace.

When I reached home I saw that my sister had invited her friends to study with her, so the house was kind of noisy but I didn't care.

I went to my room and started doing my homework. It was around 5.30 pm when I started to feel that the homework was killing me.

Half of the homework was already done so I thought it would be good to take a break.

I opened my window and looked at the city.

The weather was fine and everybody was busy like always. I remember that there was a park somewhere near here.

I closed my window and went out, roaming the streets.

'Yes!' my memory was correct, there was a park in this city and it was so crowded with people who were enjoying their time with loved ones.

I walked in and saw that there was an empty bench in the far corner of the park.

I went and sat there. It was 'perfect'.

Nobody was there to disturb me, when I let my thoughts take over me.

"IT'S NOT MY FAULT..." a boy screamed and I was shaken out from all of my thoughts.

I stood up and looked around. In the far corner there were three boys, it didn't look bad so I ignored them and went back to my day-dreaming.

"DON'T PUNCH ME!" again I was interrupted.

I got up and went towards the three boys in the far corner of the park, I was sure it was place where the scream came.

Oh my god! It was Ryan and his two friends. Wait a second!

Ryan had a bleeding nose!
It took me a few seconds to understand what was going on.

No, this can't be happening!