Pebble in the Water

This is where I’m supposed to tell you everything. I’m supposed to tell you about my first breath, and my expectations for my very last. The truth is, I’m not sure where to begin, and where I’m going to end.
There’s an itch in my throat as the intercom crackles to life and my name is announced from the speaker.
“Emma Donovan to the guidance office, please.”
I pushed back in my chair and looked at Mr. Moderato. He nodded, and suddenly the whole room looked at me. They acted like I couldn’t hear the whispers, although they didn’t bother me. They were the same thing I’d been hearing for a while now. The jokes about my weight, my love life, the music I listened to, my parents. It was all the same.
The door felt heavy and the metal handle, usually warm to the touch, was ice cold. “I don’t need guidance.” I said under my breath. I stared at the water bubbler across the hall, recognizing the head of one of my only friends, Sam.
“Sam.” I said, but not too loudly in case teachers heard.
“What did you do this time?” Sam turned around and smiled, his big blue eyes round with excitement. He enjoyed my stories of my getting into trouble almost as much as I enjoyed getting into it.
This time, though, I was okay. Why was I going to guidance?
“I don’t know…” I paused, waiting for Sam’s response. He said nothing, just nodded.
“Good luck, Em. See you at lunch.” He winked and turned left down the hallway towards his science class, while I trudged my way off to the right to Dr. Lyons’ office.
Dr. Lyons was a large man with shaggy blond hair and green eyes. When you looked at him, something just screamed former linebacker, and everyone except me and Sam were afraid of him.
“Emma Donovan?” He stood up from his desk and went to shake my hand. I stuck out my hand, and Dr. Lyons gripped it firmly. “Have a seat.”
I pulled out the wooden chair and sat down. I concentrated on the stuffed lion that sat on the corner of your desk until you started to speak.
“Tell me about yourself, Emma. Not the basic things, that’s in your file.”
His statement made me wonder. “What’s in my file?”
“Well, it says here that your name is Emma Donovan, and you’re thirteen. That’s about all I know about you. I also understand you’re a foster child.”
I hated the term ‘foster child’. I was a kid, living with people other than my parents. That didn’t, in my mind, make me any more different than people that have a goat for a pet.
“So Emma, tell me why you ran away.”
I considered his question for a while. I looked around the room, switching my gaze between the giant globe on the windowsill and the lion on his desk. His name, I decided, would be Oscar.
“Hey? Emma?”
Oh yes, your question.

I was born in an ordinary town about thirteen and a half years ago. I don’t even remember the name of it now. Nothing ever happened there; it snowed, it rained. Kids went to school, adults went to work. People paid their bills, most kids played manhunt and had bonfire parties, and all anyone ever talked about was politics. Everything was the same. All the houses in Wherever World, I remember, were pale yellow, with dark green shutters on their eight windows, four on top, four on bottom.
Everyone else in Wherever World was comfortable with the days that seemed to repeat themselves. I was Emmalyn Rachel Donovan though. I couldn’t stand for normal.
My parents, from what I remember, were okay people. My father, like everyone else in Wherever World, was a politician. My mom, however, was something different. She was a chef, and she owned the most popular diner in town. She called it Carrie’s Shakes and Bakes, and we were famous for our chocolate shakes and fried chicken.
I had older siblings and younger, as well. I was the middle child out of five. My younger sisters, Alison and Macaulay, were twins. My mother thought she was pregnant with a boy and a girl, and she had her heart set on naming him Macaulay. Of course, we found out when she gave birth that it was two girls, however, she still named one Macaulay. We called the twins Ali and Mackie for short. They were eight when I left, so they were probably close to twelve now.
Daniel was my older brother. He was sixteen, and really funny. He would make a joke out of everything. I suppose that’s why I loved him.
Adriana, she was my sister. I think she was my favorite in my family. Adriana had long brown hair, and her blue eyes sparkled. She was fourteen. She was always smiling, and she had every reason to smile. She was popular, smart, funny, and all the boys loved her. I wish I was her sometimes.

“Emma?” Mr. Lyons interrupted my thoughts. “We’re out of time for today. I’d like to see you Thursday, after your science class.”
“Sure thing, Mr. Lyons. See you then.” I pushed back my chair, took one last look at Oscar, and ran into the North Hallway. Before I dashed toward the cafeteria, I took a look at the clock above the lockers. 1:03. Not only did I miss lunch, I was going to be late for algebra.
I looked forward to fifth period, because it was my Algebra block. I really liked Algebra, and Sam sat next to me.
I stood in the middle of North Hallway, looking like an idiot. Not until the bell rang did I remember I needed to get my books and go all the way to the South Hallway. Sighing, I hurried to locker forty-three and turned the lock to the numbers that had had absolutely no significance whatsoever when I set the lock three summers ago.
“Three, thirty-one, twenty-four? What do those numbers have to do with?” My mother had asked.
“They don’t. Yet.” I had replied.
They still didn’t have anything to do with me, but I was looking forward to the day they finally would.
I spun the lock and gathered my books for Algebra, and at the last second grabbed my lunch bag from the top shelf. Hopefully Ms. Hawk would understand.
When I finally reached room 192, I opened the door to find Sam doing a math problem on the board. He turned to look at me, flashed his bright white smile, and continued working. I hoped to slide into my seat in the back without Ms. Hawk noticing. That didn’t get to happen, because Sam turned around and started talking when I was halfway to the desk.
“Well, you see, if x equals-,” Sam started.
“Wait a second, Mr. Nolan. It seems your friend Ms. Donovan is trying to sneak into class…with lunch?” Ms. Hawk turned her gaze towards me.
Ms. Hawk had an annoying habit of calling everyone Mr. or Ms. Whatever. “You see, Ms. Hawk, I was…uh…um…out. And I, uh…missed lunch.”
Ms. Hawk, annoying as she was, she was pretty nice to me. “That’s alright, Ms. Donovan. You sit tight and enjoy your lunch, just pay attention.”
“Okay.” I smiled. I looked back towards the front, where Sam was going to explain the math problem.
“Anyways, if x equals negative three, and y is four times x, that means y equals negative twelve, and y divided by z, which is three, is negative four.” Sam said. He dragged himself back to the desk next to mine.
It wasn’t until then that I noticed his eyes. Sam’s eyes were blue, I’d always known that. But while everyone else who had blue eyes had that ocean color, Sam’s were…magical. They were dark blue and light blue at the same time, and they matched perfectly with his jet black hair.
“Emma…? What are you staring at…?” Sam asked. The bell rang and woke me from my daydreams.
“Nothing. Nothing at all.” I picked up my books and my uneaten lunch, tossing it in the trashcan on my way out. I ignored Sam’s attempts to talk to me and went straight to my locker, turning the dial, taking the things I needed for homework and dashing out the door.
Sam was my best friend. I couldn’t like him like that…could I? No. It was impossible. I gave up on the thought for now and, pushing my books into the crook of my left arm, decided to go to Sam’s house to apologize. The late September sun was hot as I walked, and as I pulled myself towards the Nolan’s house, that thought just kept coming back. I didn’t want to believe it, but I think I liked my best friend, as, well, more than a friend.