Running Rainbows

Hannah walked into her grade eleven classroom on a warm sunny day in June.
" Only one week left!" greeted her best best friend since kindergarten, Arabella. " Oh I know, I'm so glad, Bella!" replied Hannah , doing her best to sound cheerful, and worrying because it wasn't working. Bella looked at Hannah funny. " Are you... Okay?" " Yeah fine, just tired. I didn't sleep well last night," Hannah said putting on her biggest smile she could manage. " Well..um..okay then Hann, if your sure...," Bella was looking at her wearily so she gave a smile and nod. Where has my mask slipped to today? She wondered. Then her teacher Mr. Briggs came in. " Hello class, good morning!" He said in a voice that was just a bit to fake and cheery for Hannah . The rest of the morning droned on, everyone sounding happier then Hannah could deal with today. She needed to get out. " Bella? Can you tell all our teachers today that I went home sick? I'm not feeling so great...," Hannah asked. She half listened to Bella's concerned sounding " Hannah wait! What's wrong?" as she raced down the hall. She passed her
crush, Josh. " Hey Hannah , the science room is that-a-way," he said with a sheepish grin and a wink that made Hannah's heart melt and her knees buckle. " Umm I've got to head home, I have a HUGE migraine she said emphasizing that it was HUGE. " Oh uh feel better then! Hey wait, can I give you a ride? I think we've got a supply anyways, we'll never learn anything," he said, this time with a half flirty half hopeful smile. " Really? Well uh sure, that would be great! Thanks a lot!" They walked into the parking lot and into Josh's blue pick-up. " So uh you going to the Year End Dance this Friday?" His face turned slightly red when he asked this. " I don't really know yet. You?" " Ya, I'm going...You should go, it's supposed to be a lot of fun!" Hannah was smiling so big on the inside that her face split open. " Ya, I'll definitely think about it." Hannah replied, motioning to turn right. " Hey, how about I pick you up when I go? It's right on my way, and then we can just drive over to the gym together!" Josh asked her, sounding like he would do anything to convince her to say yes. Like he needed to do that. " That works out perfect. And thanks so much for the ride!" "Anytime." Josh replied with a wink, and pulled off with Hannah standing in her driveway watching until she couldn't see him anymore. Then she prepared herself for the nightmare she called her home.
She walked into a house full of screaming and a crash. She sprinted upstairs, and her mom was standing in the bathroom with bloody fists and a broken mirror. " MOM!! What on earth is going on?!"
" Oh my is it three already? And don't worry, I just..um.. slipped. I'm fine." " No I came home sick. And we are going to the hospital, that's going to need a stitch!" " Oh my, I guess you're right, you'll drive me?"
Hannah nodded with disbelief and silently went down the stairs. She looked up at the clock. Ten thirty, and already this day has been a disaster. The only good thing was Josh had asked her to the dance! She couldn't wait to tell Bella and Maya! Maya was her other best friend. As she drove, Hannah's mind wandered, and she thought about how different her two friends were, look-wise. Bella had fair skin and shoulder length wavy brown hair, and blue-grey eyes. Maya was always tanned with long poker straight black hair, and big brown eyes. Then as usual, her mind wandered to Josh. He had black hair that was impossibly perfect. He often wore skinny jeans, and dress shirts with ties. And adorable converse sneakers! He had bright blue eyes
that Hannah was always getting lost in, and a bigger heart then anyone else she knew. And he played guitar and sang! He was every girl in the school's dream, declared one of the hottest guys there, but Hannah had been told countless times by his friends that he always talked about her and was always saying he was going to ask her out.
" HANNAH!" She was snapped back to reality with screaming tires and honking. " Oops, sorry," she said. Her mom just shook her head and sighed.Hannah continued in
silence to the hospital. On the drive home Hannah thought about the suspicious look on the doctor's face, and how embarrassed she felt when she had to tell him her dad died when she was 6, and no her mom did not have a boyfriend who could "have something to do with this," and yes she was sure her mom just "tripped on a cord and accidentialy put her hand through the mirror. " She knew that a lot of teens were always talking about how embarrassing their moms were, but she had a feeling that they didn't often experience 'this' type of embarrassment. Hannah felt guilty after that thought crossed her mind, she knew her mom couldn't help it. Her mom was severely depressed, but she would never admit it. Hannah had often tried to convince her to get some help, but her mom got upset and would hide in her room for days without coming out. "Mom?"
Hannah asked hesitantly. "Mom, this has gone too far. We need to get you help. Please, we can work through this together!" "HANNAH!" Her mom snapped, "This is NONE of your buisness. Nothing happened. I told you I TRIPPED. Now, that's enough!" Hannah sat in total silence the rest of the way home, with the tears in her eyes blurring her vision....there was no cords in her bathroom to trip over, and it would be very hard to put her fist through a mirror, especially if she just "tripped."

When Hannah and her mom arrived home later that day, her sister had arrived home from school. "Oh mom! What happened?!" She had said, sounding shocked. "Nothing dear, I'm fine,” she replied Hannah took one look at her sister and they both raced up the stairs into her room. Maggie had stared at the yellow walls as Hannah told her what had happened.
"She won't get help Maggie, and I'm worried about her." Hannah whispered. Maggie had comforted her, and then asked if anything good had happened that day. At that Hannah 's eyes lit up and she jolted up straight. "Yes!!!" She shouted, and proceeded to tell Maggie all about how Josh kind of informally asked her to the Spring Fling dance. Maggie seemed as ecstatic as Hannah was about the whole situation, and told her that she always thought that ever since Hannah and Josh had been in kindergarten together that they would be adorable together. After ranting about boys for a while, Hannah asked her sister if anything had happened that day. Maggie smirked. "Tell me, tell me!" Hannah yelled, laughing. "My science teacher told the stuck up cheerleader in my class that if she doesn’t get down off her high horse she’s gonna end up as some loner who works at MacDonald's her whole life!!” “Ohmygosh that’s hilarious! You mean Vallery, right?” Hannah said, almost breathless from laughing. “Yes!! She looked astonished, then kinda snorted and was all embarrassed!” After making fun of Vallery a bit more, the two girls finally went to bed.