Ever Eccentric Emily
I gulped in fear at the thought of sitting with half of the students in my new math class. A few others already sat in their permanent seats for the fist month. I silently prayed for someone hard-working, but not a stickler. I also hoped for someone optimistic and fun, but not a nutcase. That’s my job.
I gazed out the open window at the lime-colored foliage. I found it beautiful and tranquil. The light breeze slowly died down leaving the trees defenseless against the Wednesday sun. The seasons must be confused. As little as one week away from the first day of fall, it should be chilly. My mind snapped back into reality once I heard my name.
“Maria…” Mrs. Allsworth paused, germ infested finger on her mouth. I held my breath, awaiting my fate. The last tiny second… “sit with Emily, please.” Curious questions filled my head. No one on my left or right looked like an ‘Emily.’ Once she waved, I received a slight idea of this person. She smiled and seemed pretty friendly. I walked over, books in arm, to one of the only three desks in the room. The rooms of Mrs. Allsworth and Mrs. Zimmerman sported tables, not desks. However, tables can only seat a limited number of squirmy children. Our math class was cramped with twenty-eight of us. The desk that I assigned to me sat in the far back of the room. Far sighted little me may not be able to see way back there.
“Hi! I’m Emily M.,” the blonde girl whispered to me. She shoved her long hair out of her face and smiled at me again. I knew I remembered her from somewhere, and of course I blurted it out.
“Maria G. Wait, I remember you from somewhere. Oh! You own Ferby-the-No-Armed-Freak!” Emily quietly laughed at my memory of the first time we met. Laughter feels good. The sound pleases those who hear it. Emily rummaged her binder for something. I noticed the binder housed many drawings of mythical creatures all over the cover. She flipped to the last section. Emily wrote “drawings” on the cover in bubble lettering. I enjoy bubble letters. They remind me of…bubbles. The three rigs clicked when Emily pulled them, and she gently lifted a sketch out.
“Look at this.” Emily passed the drawing to me. I came face to face with a beautiful dragon linked to a large stone by chains. The rock felt funny though the shading. I looked closer and saw the word “DRAKUL” etched deep in the stone with pointy letters. It looked as if the dragon itself figured out how to write its name. The cave itself seemed to shine with the dim light of fiery torches. Emily smiled for the third time that day. I wondered what excited her.
“That’s Drakul,” Emily giggled, “she’s my alter-ego.” Of course, that’d freak any normal person out. I never told you about my lack of normality, right? Emily’s previous statement fascinated me. I mean, not everyone has the guts to admit to possessing more than one mind.
“That’s so cool!” I handed Drakul back to Emily and she placed it back in her binder. It saddened me to watch her go. As if something I loved, something so close, died.
“Thanks. Most people would call me a lunatic, but I don’t care. I am what I am, you know?” Emily laughed again. I noticed how she quoted a Jonas Brothers song. Whoever called this sweet and humorous girl a lunatic must be a few fries short of a Happy Meal, if you know what I mean.
“Yeah. Only certain personalities mix, you know?” I smiled at Emily this time. She opened her mouth to reply, but Mrs. Allsworth called us to order. All that was discussed were the rules. We walked the Earth for ten or eleven years, not four. We knew how to sit still. I felt like I could have fallen asleep! Some kids started to fidget. Guess we can’t sit still. Math came right before lunch, and all of our stomachs growled. When Mrs. Allsworth finally let us leave, Emily caught up to me. Her eagerness made me laugh.
“Wanna hang out at recess?” Emily asked. She lifted her right eyebrow and smiled again. I wondered if her cheeks hurt yet. Her eyes glinted behind her glasses.
“Why not, Miss Eager Beaver?” I laughed with Emily at my response. She quickly grabbed her belongings and we went to lunch together. While we walked, we chatted about our favorite web show, Charlie the Unicorn. We quoted the lines and sang the songs all the way to the cafeteria.
That day, I learned what a real friend truly felt like. Though Emily is out of the ordinary, she’s one of the best friends I could ever ask for.
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