Sunset Valley

Chapter 6.

Eventually, the little girl, who told me her name was Freya, ran ahead of me to my eating place and Jem replaced her. Jem didn't say anything, but I knew what he was thinking.

"Just forget it ever happened," I told him. He nodded, and we migrated to my math classroom, crawling underneath it's ramp. Freya was already there, munching on the sandwich I'd dropped. Gross. I sat across from her and ate the rest of my lunch. Freya was strange.

"Sunset Valley, aye?" I almost imagined Freya saying. Wait, no, she actually did say that! Grape soda sprayed from my mouth all over Jem's white T shirt, ruining his uniform. He gave me a, "what was that for?!" look. He looked pretty disgusted, but brushed it off a little and pulled on his sweater in the ninety degree heat. I felt a pang of guilt.

"What are you talking about?" Jem tried to keep his cool.

"Well," Freya replied, "While you two slowpokes stayed behind talking, I searched your backpacks and found these." Freya held up Jem and I's notebooks all about Sunset Valley. They included notes, strategies, routes, and plans. My heart seemed to sink a little bit more with each page I remembered.

"Freya," Jem said slowly. "Give me those right now." I was frozen in place. Freya tossed them over to him. Jem scurried and caught them just in time, setting mine in my lap. There was a pause, and he seemed just as speechless as I was.

"Take me with you," Freya suddenly spat. I was gonna spit out my juice again, but there was nothing in my mouth, so I spat out air. "No," Jem and I told her maybe a bit too loudly. Her face looked like a sad puppy who just got smacked by it's owner. "But you don't understand!" She pleaded. "I've always wanted to go too! Why do you think I was getting bullied?" Jem scratched his head curiously.

"So, they pick on everyone who likes slash wants to visit Sunset Valley?"

"I think they pick on everyone who's different."

"So what else is new."

"Anyways, I still haven't gotten an answer."

"Yes, you have," I butted in. "We said no. And we're sticking to that answer". Freya crossed her arms. "Fine," she sighed, but she didn't sound sure. As if she was planning something. But it didn't matter, she crawled out and left us staring in disbelief anyway.