Jean's Secret

Why is Jean being so quiet? What is she hiding? Why am I the only one who feel it?

Jean is a weird girl. Well, it’s not my own opinion, but it’s the collective opinion of everyone in class. But if you ask me, Jean is more than weird. She is beyond weird. She is a girl that is weirder than anything that I have ever known. This was how our story went.

She usually stays at the far corner of the class sitting quietly until classes start. She would stay there even during lunch break and she would only leave after the last bell rang. She doesn’t talk to any of us. She answers briefly every time teachers ask questions to her. And as far as I remember I never seen her eat anything.

               As far as grades go, she is an average high school girl. She isn’t that smart that people notice nor is she dumb that people berate her. She is one of those people that goes under the intellectual radar of every teachers. She does her homework like everyone else, but never once had I seen her cram nor cheat nor anything that a normal highschooler would do.

               I tried talking to her once, but it was like talking to a ghost. She never looked my way nor acknowledged my presence. Hey, don’t get me wrong, I don’t have the hots for Jean. She’s a straight up weirdo, but behind her fuzzy long blonde hair and pale skin, there’s a friend that I want to know. She’s a loner, and I feel for that kind of person.

               My parents move a lot so I got to be the new kid in school in more than one occasion. So I start out in my new school not having friends. I’m also not the outgoing type nor am I friendly. It’s just I’m not really that sociable, so I find it hard making friends. Currently, I’m in my third school this year alone, and it looks like my parents don’t have plans on moving any time soon, so I’m glad I’m getting to have some momentum in making friends.

               I was the new kid in school, until Jean arrived. Three months into my new school, she arrived. I still remember her blue eyes scanning the room as she entered. I still remember her fuzzy hair hanging from her neck and her white dress. She spoke in a shy yet stern voice and walked and sat to her seat at the far corner. And since then she hasn’t moved.

               The other girls tried to bully Jean. But no matter what they do, she just ignored them. One time, I was walking to my classroom and saw Jean walking ahead of me. She was then confronted with three of the known bullies in school, Enna, Michaela and Janice. Michaela and Janice said belittling comments to Jean, but she just stood there waiting for them to stop. This pissed the girls off, then Enna, the biggest girl in the group, pushed Jean. She was strong that Jean toppled to the ground butt first. I rushed to help her.

               “You okay Jean?!”, I said as I knelt down picking up her books. Jean remained silent, her blue eyes locked into the three bullies. She ignored me and stood. She walked slowly towards the three bullies

               I watched as she walked to the three bullies. A white lioness facing three wolves. A small crowd of student started to form behind them, all equally curious how does the school weirdo face the three bullies. I stood and joined the crowd. I was slightly offended, to be honest, that she didn’t acknowledge my presence. But I was more curious of what does this new girl have.

               “What are you gonna do lil missy?”, Michaela said.

               Jean remained silent. Her blue eyes stabbing straight into Michaela’s soul. Then I felt it. I didn’t know how, or why but I felt something. It was like radiating warmth that started in my chest and continued to my arms. It was like a silent blower was pressed against my chest. I turned around and I didn’t find anyone else fidgeting about the sensation. It was only me. I looked at Jean, and Michaela grew pale. She fell silent, she started screaming.

               “No…no…you stay away from me. Stay away from me!” Michaela said. She tripped and fell backward. Fear reflected in her eyes. Everyone fell silent seeing Michaela’s change in attitude. Jean was standing silently but triumphantly  before her, like a judge condemning a suspect. “You all stay away from me!” Michaela started to scream and crawl backward. She got up, turned around and started running away from everyone. A puzzled Enna and Janice ran after her. Jean shook her head and breathe in. She took a quick scan around. I could see that relief filled her face. That was until her blue eyes rested on mine. Her eyebrows shut up as she saw me, as if I caught her doing something bad. She quickly gathered her things and walked straight into our classroom. I felt uneasy after that. And that was the first time that I felt that she was more than just a loner, more than just a weirdo.

               The couple of weeks that followed were pretty much normal. We just heard rumors that Michaela was sent to a mental facility due to the fact that she started seeing things. Enna and Janice disappeared as well. We never really knew why though. Jean remained silent and isolated from all this.

               But the warmth feeling that I felt during the previous encounter was something that stuck with me. Why did I feel it? Why did Michaela started seeing thing? Why did Jean look surprised when she saw me? These questions kept running in my mind long enough for me to consider trying to talk to her. So that Friday afternoon after our classes, after the last bell, I quickly picked up my things and walked straight to Jean. She was still packing up her books.

               “Jean I need to talk to you!”, I just blurted it out. Jean froze for a moment, midway placing her books in her bag. “It’s about Michaela…It’s really-“

               She immediately darted passed me, through the door and out the school in a matter of minutes. I bit my lip. There really must be something wrong here. She was avoiding me. I went home frustrated.

               The following week, I made sure that I sat next to Jean during classes. I needed answers from her. Jean was always punctual and never absent. That’s one of the mysteries of Jean. She may be a loner, but she always has perfect attendance. As the last bell rang, I faced Jean, as she was quickly packing her things.

               “Jean, I really need to talk to you.” I said in a calm way, afraid that I might frighten her. Jean ignored me, but I felt that she wanted to get out of here as quickly as possible. I reached a hand to her shoulder, which she immediately recoiled. “Jean!” She darted out of the classroom, but this time I followed her.

               I never really have seen Jean got fetched by her parents. She usually walks home, or atleast that’s what I assume she’s heading. She walked down the sidewalk to a nearby pub. I followed her a couple of paces back. She turned in an empty alley. After a few beats I followed her into the alley. She walked through a series of mazes and passage ways behind alleys, and I followed her, not losing her as she progressed.

               Eventually, she came into an open field, a clearing before the forest near our city. She disappeared into the forest. At this point, I was pacing myself. I was out of breathe. We must’ve walked for ten miles before reaching the forest. I couldn’t believe that Jean lives in a forest. Let alone, she has to walk twice the distance, to and from the school.

               It was already evening and the moon was on the night sky as I swallowed and followed her into the woods. She was still visible amidst the trees and shadows. She was a white smudge in a black canvas. I hid behind the bushes as I followed her into the woods. Then we reached another clearing. She stopped walking and placed her bag down. Everything was quiet. The only sound was the sound crickets make in the dark. Jean stood in the center of the clearing. Her blonde hair illuminating the moonlight, and her white dress swaying in a ghostly fashion against the night breeze. And then she spoke.

               “Come out Ken”.

               My eyes widen. She knew I was following her? She lead me to this clearing?

               She turned around and shown her pale face, blue eyes staring into my hiding place. “I know you’re there. Come out Ken.”

               I breathe in. I guess the jig is up, so I stood.

               “Okay Jean. You got me.” I smiled and tried to make a joke about it, but Jean’s face remained unchanged. She didn’t find it amusing. “I needed to talk to you.”

               “Come closer”, she invited. I stepped out of the bushes and into the clearing “I also need to talk to you. But I didn’t want to do it with our classmates and everyone else.”

               “So instead you let me follow you into these woods hu?”, I said trying not to be freaked out by our dark surroundings and this girl’s sudden talkativeness.  “You could have just left me a note or something. Grab some coffee or hang out you know.”

               “I need to tell you something Ken”, She said. Her blue eyes shining brilliantly against the night hue.

               “I’m listening Jean”, I said.

               “I know you felt something back then. I know you felt what I did”, she started “It’s the only way that she would leave us alone.”

               “What a minute. You’re telling me that you did that to Michaela?”, I said, trying to process the information “You did that?”

               “Yes, it was the only way to get her to stop bullying.”

               “Jean?” I stepped backwards “You better stay away from me, Michaela is in a mental facility for God’s sake! And you’re telling me you did that and placed her there?”

               “Yes Ken”

               “What the hell!?” I felt panic creeping up behind me.

               “Calm down Ken”, she said. “Whatever I did to her, I can’t do to you.”

               “You can’t do to me? That’s comforting”, I said sarcastically “You probably would do something a lot worse aren’t you?”

               She shook her head.

               “I can’t do that to you Ken, trust me.”

               “What are you? Who are you?”, I said defensively, as I felt myself stepping back.

               “I’m Jean.” She said simply. “I need to tell you something. Please come down.” She stepped forward towards me. I stepped back for good measure.

               “You stay where you are!” I said. I clenched my phone in my hand, ready to dial 911 in case she drives me crazy or something.

               “Calm down. I won’t hurt you Ken. You have my word. I just need you to see and listen to me. I might not have much time”, she said. I swallowed hard. Then to my surprise, she turned around. She drew her blonde hair from her back to the front of her chest, exposing her neck and back towards me. “I know there is a lot that you don’t understand. So I have to show you.” She reached for the zipper on her dress and started unzipping it.

               I couldn’t help but feel in awe as I saw her undoing the back of her dress, revealing her pale yet smooth back.  As she finished unzipping her dress, which ended in her lower back, she took her right sleeve from her shoulder and proceeded to reveal the rest of her back. And from what I saw, I almost screamed in horror.

               There was a vertical thick webbed scar running from the top of her shoulder blade down to her lower back, as if someone burned her flesh with a red hot iron rod. The scar was twisted and webbed in all directions. It looked painful. And some parts of her scar was discoloured. Bluish and blackish marks surrounded the scar. She revealed her other shoulder and presented an identical scar mirroring the first. She gave me an impression that she was tortured, burned and beaten. I almost gagged from her disfigured back.

               “Can you see these Ken?” I saw her blue eyes meeting my disgusted face. I nodded. “It’s not a pretty sight isn’t it? But Ken, what’s important is that these scars are the remnants of my previous life.”

               “You were an abused child?”, I asked. She shook her head.

               “I’m not. I was overworked though.”, Jean said “ These scars are my doing. I did these to myself.”

               “So you’re suicidal then”, I said “Jesus Jean, you need help. You need professional-“

               “I’m okay Ken”, she said softly, still exposing the scars towards me. “I’m not like that.” She then faced me. Her hands holding her dress up against her chest.

               “I was an Angel of Heaven Ken, “she started. “Overworked and underappreciated I left heaven. I cut off my wings and threw away my grace. I’m no longer a being of light.”

               “You’re you’re an Angel?”, I said trying to process the information.

               “Yes I am. The reason why I lay quiet every day is that I’m still trying to control myself in using what’s left of my powers and my urges to stop demons around. You see, we angels were created instinctively to defend against demons. Breaking away from that instinct is what I always deal with.”

               “So you’re telling me that you’re trying to control yourself from turning everyone insane like Michaela.”

               “Yes Ken.”

               “What kind of angel are you? Who does that?”

               “I am, was a guardian angel.”

               “Who’s guardian angel?”

               “Yours” she said “That’s why you felt the warmth of relief when I used my powers.”

               “If you’re not my guardian angel anymore, who is?”

               “That is the most important thing that I need to tell you Ken”, she started “I don’t have the power to defend you any longer. Sooner or later demons will come for you, turn you, corrupt you.”

               “What?” panic started building up again.

               “I’m sorry Ken.”