Nothing

OSAD - A story about nothing

There once was a girl. An average girl. She went to school every day, sat at her desk, and did everything her teacher asked. The girl was teased. The girl walked the halls every day getting her hair pulled, her backpack kicked, and hearing the worst names and insults hissed into her ears. In the crowds of students, the girl had no friends, felt hated and alone. But every day, the girl walked to school, sat in her desk, and silently listened to every lecture and did her work well. One day, her teacher asked her what was wrong. She simply answered, “Nothing.”

There once was a girl. A quiet girl. She walked home from school every day to her small apartment. It seemed that no matter what happened, her mother was always mad at her. The girl did her best to always complete her homework, to always clean her room, to be the perfect daughter, yet her mother still yelled. At home, the daughter felt unloved, unable to trust the mother who only screamed and the father who was never home. One day, her mother asked what she had to be so damn sad about. She simply answered, “Nothing.”

There once was a girl. A sad girl. She was graduating from high school today, but her yearbook was empty and she realized she wouldn’t miss anyone here. Regardless, the girl is called to deliver a speech. She’s graduating valedictorian, but the speech she delivers isn’t genuine. In truth, she wanted to write something much more different, much more honest. She wanted to write about how the school system allowed her pain, how the mother who never loved her wasn’t in the audience, how glad she was that her high school career had drawn to a close. But she, instead, spoke hollow words that had been spoken many times before, and departed in the end feeling nothing. Afterwards, amidst the congratulations of people who decided to care today, she walked away alone and started off towards home. As she walked, an old teacher congratulated her, and asked how she felt about the day. She simply answered, “Nothing.”

There was once a girl. A regretful girl. She’d gone through an entire college career and left with a meaningless piece of paper. She searched job boards every day, hopelessly, unable to expect anything anymore. She worked her minimum wage job every day, ringing customers out of her store, reciting the same lines like a robot. At least once a day, a customer would see the deadened gaze in her eyes and ask what was wrong. She’d always answer, “Nothing.”

There once was a girl. She was in the paper today. “Friends” and “Family” had described her as a happy, cheerful girl who made the world brighter with her smile. At her wake, those same people gathered to talk about her, to reminisce. Her mother cried, talked about how much she loved her perfect little valedictorian daughter, left out all the mental abuse and pain she had caused her. Many times, others asked the mother why the girl was gone. They asked what had been wrong with her.

To which the mother simply replied: “Nothing.”

Author's Note

Critique always welcome