Modern Day Fairy Tale

A hand on my shoulder woke me from my dreamless sleep. “Iggy, it’s time to get up.”

I groaned and rolled over. “I don’t wanna get up.”

“Yeah, well, you have to go to school,” Mom said.

“Ugh, can’t I just stay home?”

“No. Now get up.”

I sighed and took my time getting out of bed. School was not something I wanted to do. I’d much rather shove needles under my fingernails. It was that awful. But there was nothing I could do about it.

Instead of dwelling on the fact that I had to go to school, I got myself dressed. All of my good clothes were dirty, so I pulled on a black skirt and a dirty Black Veil Brides shirt. I’d probably regret it later, but oh well. It’s not like I cared.

After I finished getting dressed, I put on just a tiny bit of makeup. I didn’t normally wear makeup, so I don’t know what I was thinking. Okay, fine. I do know why I put it on. Everybody has that person they’re trying to impress. Even if that person doesn’t like you back.

“Iggy, hurry up!” Mom shouted. “Your breakfast is going to get cold.”

“Just give me a minute!” I shouted back, putting on the final touches of eyeliner. I checked to make sure everything looked okay, then walked out to the kitchen.

Mom held out a plate of chocolate chip pancakes and bacon. “I know you like these, so I made them for you,” she said with a smile.

I took the plate and ate as fast as I could. The faster I finished, the faster I could get to school and away from home. After I put the plate in the sink, I finished getting ready to go to Hell, I mean, school. It took a whopping grand total of five minutes to gather up all of my school stuff.

“Are you ready, Iggy?” Mom asked while I was brushing my teeth.

“Almost,” I called through my toothbrush.

I finished up in the bathroom and walked out to the living room where Mom stood, keys in hand. She’s always so impatient when it comes to me. I slung my backpack over my shoulder and walked out to the car. It was embarrassing to be sixteen and still driven to school, but my grades aren’t good enough for Mom to let me drive.

Mom drove me to school faster than usual. I didn’t bother to ask why. She’d probably just give me a lecture on how I always make her late for stuff if I did. Or she’d complain about me not having my own license. It’s not my fault she won’t let me get it. Okay, maybe it is my fault, but it’s not like I care about my grades. At least, not enough to do anything about it.

Mom finally pulled into the school parking lot and let me out of the car. “See you later, Iggy,” she muttered as I closed the door. She drove off as soon as I turned away.

I rolled my eyes, then walked into the school and to my locker, just like I always do. After I got my books out, I turned on my iPod (Yes, it’s the one I’m not allowed to take to school) and cranked the volume. Perfect Weapon by Black Veil Brides was the first song on shuffle. I smiled to myself as I walked to my first hour class to dump my stuff.

English was my absolute least favorite class. Mrs. Zamora is a total bitch, and she hates me because I can actually think for myself. She even gave me a failing grade on my ‘controversial topics’ essay last semester. Me being queer, I chose to write the paper on gay rights. Apparently, my opinion on equality means nothing to her, but that’s fine with me.

The classroom was empty when I walked in. Nobody had even bothered to take the chairs off the tables. I wasn’t about to do anything of the sort, so I set my books in the back where I sat and left. Then I realized I’d left my writing notebook on the desk. I turned around and grabbed my notebook. It never left my hands.

I walked down the hall to the library. At least it was quiet there. I can’t write when there’s a lot of noise, unless it’s my music. Which reminded me to turn down the volume on my iPod.

A group of obnoxious freshmen gawked at me as I headed for the table I’d clamed in the back corner by the few books about the occult. I heard them whispering stuff about me being a Satanist because of where I sat and how I dressed. Amused and irritated by their stupidity, I turned around and glared at them. The whispering stopped immediately. I finished my walk to the table and set my notebook down to write.

Instead of writing, though, I took out my pen and deepened the carving I’d started the year before. It was a simple carving, not unlike those you’d see in trees or on other high school desks: a heart with initials inside and an arrow through it. I’d put my initials, I.N., and the initials of the girl I have a crush on, E.W.

Almost as if on cue, The Mortician’s Daughter began playing. It was the song I always listened to when I thought about her. I hummed along quietly as I gouged out more and more of the table.

Then she walked in. Elizabeth, the girl I’ve had a crush on since she transferred to my school. She’s also my best friend. Well, she’s one of my best friends, anyways.

As soon as I saw her, I covered my work with the notebook. I couldn’t risk her seeing it, even if she didn’t walk by the table. She would probably, 1. Ignore me for the rest of forever, and 2. Tell the entire school that I had a crush on another girl, especially because very few people at the school know I like girls. Okay, fine. Only one person knows, and that’s my best friend Andrea. She knows basically everything about me.

I watched Elizabeth type something on one of the search computers and tried to keep my heart and stomach in check. They got like that every time I saw her, all fluttery and stuff. It’s annoying, but so worth it.

I sit here and smile, dear.
I smile because I think of you, and I blush.

My favorite two lines in the entire song, I thought. They explain my feelings for Elizabeth, like, perfectly. I wished she’d just walk over and sit with me.

When it was apparent that she wasn’t coming over, I stood up, gathered my notebook and pen, and left. Why waste my time waiting? I didn’t know exactly where I was going. I didn’t get very far before I heard someone call my name from behind me. I stopped and turned around. There stood Elizabeth. My stomach and heart got all fluttery again.

“Iggy, we need to talk,” she said bluntly, showing no emotion whatsoever.

My stomach flipped and my heart fell. Two thoughts popped into my head: Oh, shit and She found out. “Uh, okay,” I stammered. “Let me go get my stuff first.” I had a strange feeling that I’d be needing it.

After retrieving my books and backpack, I followed Elizabeth out behind the school. She backed me into the wall. I swallowed nervously, anticipating a fight, and waited for her to speak.

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” she asked softly, taking my hands in hers. My stomach got all weird again.

Wait. Did she really just grab my hands and hold them? I looked down. Yes, she did. I breathed a sigh of relief. She wasn’t mad at me.

“I-I was afraid to,” I admitted. “I was afraid you’d hate me or you’d spread it through the school or something.”

“I’d never do something like that. Especially not when I feel the same way about you.”

Why was she saying that? It couldn’t be the truth! She didn’t like girls. Did she really like me as more than a friend?

“You do?” I asked quietly, happy and confused at the same time.

Elizabeth nodded and smiled. “Yes, Iggy. I do.”

I smiled and noticed he hadn’t let go of my hands. My heart started doing flips and beating against my ribs.

“Come on. There’s something I want to show you.” Elizabeth tugged on my hands.

I knew I’d need my stuff, I thought as I followed Elizabeth again. Her hand never left mine. It felt so nice.

Elizabeth led me to a slightly wooded area in the park. I stared in awe at the beauty of the trees. How come I’ve never been here before?

“We’re almost there,” Elizabeth said, taking me into the trees.

I followed her into the heart of the woods, then she stopped and smiled. I looked up at the tree we stood in front of and smiled at what I saw.

A heart with our initials and an arrow through it had been cut into the bark.

Elizabeth looked at me. “I thought you’d like to see it,” she said. “I’ve been working on it for a long time now.” She looked like she had more to say, but didn’t say anything else.

“I’d show you mine, but it’s on my table in the library,” I said.

“I know.” Elizabeth grinned. “I’ve seen it before, lots of times. It’s pretty.”

“How did you figure out that it was you?” I asked. There were a ton of people with the initials E.W. at our school. It could have been any of them.

“The way you covered it every time you saw me and the way you got every time I talked,” Elizabeth said simply.

Had it really been that obvious?

“I thought it was cute how you’d get all nervous and fidgety and stuff.”

I blushed, embarrassed, and looked down. “I didn’t know it was that obvious,” I muttered.

“Well, it’s okay.”

I looked up into Elizabeth’s blue eyes. At that same moment, a breeze blew past us, picking up a few dead leaves and twirling them around our feet. I smiled.

“That only happens in fairy tales and movies,” Elizabeth said softly, taking my free hand in hers.

“Elizabeth,” I whispered, knowing what it meant. My stomach felt all funny again.

She stepped closer and touched her lips to mine softly. My stomach exploded and I felt myself blush again. Elizabeth stepped back, startled by her actions.

“Iggy, I’m-I’m sorry,” she stammered. “I just got caught up in the moment, and I couldn’t stop myself, and--”

I silenced her with another kiss. “It’s okay,” I whispered.

“Really?” Elizabeth asked.

“Really.” I smiled.

“So, uh, do you want to make it official?” she asked nervously. “Will you be my girlfriend?”

Those were the words I’d hoped she’d say since I first met her.

We spent the day sitting under the--our-- tree, even though we were supposed to be in class. It was more fun than going to class, anyways. Elizabeth held my left hand in her right hand while we talked about almost everything.

I couldn’t deny the fact that being around Elizabeth made me complete again.