Being Kept In The Dark

The students at Huntington High School were just the same as any other students sort of. They skipped the majority of all their classes and still by some stroke of luck pass all their classes. They had sports teams that were in the top ten in California, arts programs that had unbelievable talent, and a first rate music clubs. There teachers were easy to talk to, with the exception of a few and the couches were the best in their field. An over all okay school in academics, but that does not say anything to worrying parents.

“Well, here we are!” Matthew sang out as he put the truck into park.

“Looks the same as it did when we gradated, but I don’t remember her.” Johnny said looking out the glass at the school.

Jimmy being curious had pressed his head against the window, “OMG, GUYS I THINK SHE’S ONE OF THEM!”

“Dude, seriously ‘omg’ what are you a twelve year old girl?” Brian mocked his friend.

“I think he’s talking about one of those endangered animals.” Zacky commented playing along with Jimmy.

“Oh, you mean one of those rare blonde virgins?” Johnny finished.

“God, she’s whiter than a pair of Snow White's knickers!”

All the guys laughed as they passed jokes at the blonde woman’s expense. She being out side the truck had not heard any of their cruel humour, but she could see their faces laughing in her direction. Ms. Manson was not a woman to be messed with, having a hot temper and a quick hand most men did not bother her. The men of Avenged Sevenfold were not a group of men that scared easily, so they often forgot about how much power the opposite sex could hold. She smiled at the men before ripping open the door to the back seat. They all jumped back moving as far away from the woman as possible.

“Sevenfold, I presume.” Her words came out harsh through her teeth.

“Yes, ma’am!” The four men saluted.

“And you must be Ms. Cassarah Sanders. It is a pleasure to finally meet you. Your father made quite an impression, hope I can expect the opposite from you.” Her smile never left her face as she spoke, but her voice came out cold as ice.

Cassy who had been laughing at her uncle’s reactions to her new teacher quickly shut her mouth and nodded her head to the woman. She had not been bothered by the jokes they had been making, directed at the young teacher, having been warned by her mother when she first arrived here. They were only jokes and she knew that words sometimes hurt more than actions, but that’s what they did. Ms. Manson was the target the guys lived for and she seemed used to it. Still some guilt was present.

“Well, are you ready to come with me, Ms. Sanders?”

“In just a minute.” Cassarah replied, understanding the teacher closed the door and walked on the sidewalk once again.

Cassy turned to her father holding out her arms out for a hug. Not even thinking about it Matthew returned the gesture holding his daughter’s head into his chest. He slowly inhaled her scent, remembering the familiar aroma of vanilla. In just a short moment of time she had him wrapped around her finger tighter then he had even guessed. All she had to do was smile and he would buy, steal, and even kill. He would do what ever he had to, to keep her smiling.

“I love you so much.” The father whispered into his daughter’s ear.

Happiness that what had been blessed upon Cassarah. She could not ask for better parents, a better family, or even pets. This was not what she had dreamed of only a few mouths ago, but she was just as happy with this out come.

“I love you too. I’m so glad I got to meet you.”

“Me too kid, me too.” Matthew said kissing her hair before pulling away from her.

“God, this is so emotional.” Jimmy cried launching himself at the teenager. “Now, you be good! Don’t do anything I did!”

“Yeah, don’t be like us. But, have fun too!” Brian warned wrapping his arm around her as Jimmy had moved back into his seat.

“Go for a guy who likes baseball! They’re the best!”

“No, the short guy is the best!”

“Ha! You wish short shit!”

Cassarah giggled as she opened the door sliding out of the larger truck and onto the cement. She smiled at everyone wishing them good luck in the studio before carefully moving onto the grass. Cassy had been told that her cane was not allowed in the school for safety reasons, something about it being a weapon. Her parents thought it was stupid, but they could not argue with the school board. Well they had tried, but the board threatened to take away her free class. In that case her parents backed down. They knew how much that class meant to the teenager.

“Ready to go Miss?”

“Yes, are they still watching?”

Ms. Manson looked back before laughing, “With pouting faces. You have them whipped young lady.”

“You can say that again.” Cassy smiled holding on to the teacher’s sleeve.

Manson waited until the bell had rung until she showed Cassarah into the school. The teacher was in charge of the special education program, which was not an easy task. She supervised all the students, or well she tried. They had been separated into different groups according to age and or ‘illness’. The school it’s self was not the best for children with disabilities, being the worst in the state. After the short tour around the halls, showing Cass where she could find the brail on the walls they made their way to room ninety-nine. Unfurtunately today, the teacher could not be everywhere at once, she tried. Like at this moment she had a meeting with parents, so she arranged for Ms. Mary-Ann Douglas to help Cassy around.

“Thank you again Ms. Douglas. You are being a great help to Ms. Sanders and I.” Ms. Manson stated before taking her leaving.

Both girls listened until they could not hear the click click of her heals any longer, before the giggled at her use of words. Mary-Ann was paralyzed from the waist down, after a farming accident back in her home state of Texas. Having been around horses her whole life, she had often forgot about being careful about them. When she was seven Mary decided to ride her favourite horse bare back, during the ride the young stag gotten frightened and knocked the young girl off his back. Causing her to no longer have the use of her legs for the rest of her life. They moved to California not long after, fearing that the incident would relive itself in their other children.

Mary’s hair fell in front of her tanned face. She was shorter then most fourteen year olds, but since she never stood up no one seemed to notice all that much. Her chocolate eyes matched well with her pin straight brown hair. Her clothes were in style and modern in attempts to fit in with the “others”, but sadly failed none the less. The younger girl smiled to Cass telling her to sit, before starting up some light small talk.

Beside her sat a girl with her legs Indian style on the school’s plastic red chair. Maxine Court was sixteen years young, as she would like to say. When she was the fragile age of three her mother had finally had enough of her daughter’s acting out, she left her husband and daughter alone and in debt. Later that year Maxine was diagnosed with tourettes, which is an inherited neuropsychiatric disorder. Her father being the kind and gentle man he is made sure that his only child was well cared for and comfortable. He never bothered about the disease in the least. Going through life she was made fun of and bullied, but never did that fantasic white smile leave her face. Sure it was hard, but that just made it all the more fun. Her natural bright orange hair was something Max, as most called her much to her dismay, was proud of. Her pale skin and lacky body shape not bother her, but her brown eyes were just horrible. Well not to her friends, but to her. They were her mother’s eyes.

“I’m Cassarah, but you can call me Cassy or Cass. Which ever you like better.” Cassy beamed at what she was hoping would be her new friends.

“I’m Maxine, call me Max and I’ll kill you and you already know Wheels.” Maxine answered not looking up from her cell phone.

“She’s just kidding! It’s a test! Please, don’t think she’s mean!” Mary-Ann squirmed in her seat.

“Oh, I see. Am I doing alright?”

“We’ll see…”

Confused Cassarah moved her head to the side in wonder. This school was not like her old one. People did not talk back to teachers or other students like she had heard in the halls as she came to her new “classroom”. They were not as polite as Mary-Ann and they were not as “weird” as Maxine. Even with all the extreme changes she was not complaining, Cassy would much rather have strange friends then mean friends. She got the feeling that these girls were not the type to stab you in the back, or steal something from your locker. They were the true friends who mattered and that is all a sixteen-year-old girl needed. A happy family, good friends, and the ability to laugh at what life throws at you. So far Cass was half way there and with no expectations of stopping any time soon.

“What do you mean?”

“Like I said. Maxine likes to test people, to see if she should trust them. It’s strange, but it’s actually the most normal thing around here.” Mary told watching the way Cassy reacted to her explanation of her crazier friend. She was surprised to see a smile dance across the older girl’s face. Maxine, who had been peeking from under her curtain of frizzy orange hair smiled along with her.

“Well, I can use some more fun in my life anyway.”

“CHEESE CURDS!” Maxine screamed at the top of her lungs, one of her more embarrassing tics.

“Fun enough for you?” Mary asked looking down at a shocked Cassarah. The surprise of Maxine’s sudden out burst had caused the blind girl to flip backwards on her chair. An embarrassing beginning to a long day.

“Getting there…”