As Open as a Closed Book

Chapter One

I sat in class thinking about that day, ten years ago in about a month from tomorrow. Kamryn still hasn’t told me what all happened. She still cries just thinking about it. I guess it must have been that bad. She has changed a lot from then. She now has her hair dyed blue and has snake bites. She stutters a lot when she talks, sometimes she’s barely able to talk.

After that night, she stopped talking for almost a year. When she started talking again, she only talked to me, even then she stuttered. After about six months of talking to me, she slowly started talking to other people. There’s still people that look at her weird for stuttering, there’s even kids in school that pick on her.

She moved in with her aunt after about a month of living with us. Eventually, her aunt moved across the street from us, so Kammy was able to come over more. I can see in her smiles that they aren’t real anymore. They haven’t been real in years.

I remember how one day, I walked over to her house and up to her room. Before I opened her door, I heard her playing her guitar. Then, I heard her start singing and I instantly recognized the song as “Amelia” by Tonight Alive. Her mom’s name was Amelia, so I could see why she would sing it. After she finished, I opened her door and saw her putting her guitar away while crying. So, I went up to her and hugged her.

“Anthony!” I heard my teacher yell at me, snapping me out of my thoughts.

“Yes?” I answered, causing the class to giggle.

“What’s the answer to number four?” she asked.

“Uhm.” I looked down at the questions and looked back up. “B.”

“Correct. Now, pay attention.” With that, she went back to teaching.

I looked around and didn’t see Kammy anywhere. Where is she? I thought. With that thought, she came walking in, looking down like always.

Our teacher stopped teaching and looked at her. “Kamryn. Where were you? You missed half this class.”

“I’m sorry. I was down at the school’s counselor. He caught me before homeroom,” Kamryn stuttered out her reply. She pulled out the pass and handed it to the teacher.

The teacher looked over the pass and sighed. “Go take your seat.” Kammy nodded and took her seat next to mine.

I took out a piece of paper and wrote, “Are you okay?” I gave her the note and looked at her a bit worried.

“I’m fine.” was her reply.

“Kammy, I know you miss them, especially your mom. Why did the counselor want you?”

“He got a call from my aunt. He just wanted to speak with me.”

“Okay. You’re telling me the rest of the story in lunch. Don’t try to get out of it. I’ll come over after school if I have to.”

“Ugh. Fine.” I looked at her reply, then at her. She was looking down at the desk, smiling softly. I couldn’t help but smile at her.

When we got to lunch, we both sat at our usual table with just us two. I normally packed a lunch and shared it with Kamryn since the school’s food was gross. I sat beside her, instead of the usual across.

“So, why did your aunt call him?” I asked her after we settled.

“She told him I haven’t been talking a lot lately. He wanted to know why,” she stuttered.

“This happens every year. Why is she surprised now?”

She shrugged and stuttered out, “I don’t know.” She looked down at the table and looked as though she was about to cry.