Coming Home

Laurie made a face and gagged as we walked passed a couple making out in the hall way and yelled, "Get a room!" towards the couple and a few snickers went throughout the hall. "Would you keep it down?" I asked impatiently. The pain in my upper back has been hurting like hell for the past week and it was beginning to be unbearable. I had been taking Tylenol, ibuprofen, but nothing seemed to help take the pain away so eventually during the past week I had stopped trying and just let it hurt. I had a doctors appointment coming up tomorrow any way so what's the big deal? "Oh have a little fun. Is your back hurting again?" Laurie asked seeing the pained look on my face. "Well gee, I knew our childhood was over, but I didn't think we were that old!" she clucked her tongue, shaking her head and plunged on. "I can't believe it. We're only seventeen and a half, with already one foot in the grave! I think i'll have to get my eyes checked soon because i'm going blind!" Laurie squinted her eyes and made her mouth a wide "o". Joining in on the fun, I acted like an ol' fart walking around with a cane hunched over with shaky movements. We both laughed as we skittered down the hallway, making people have to jump out of the way so we didn't run them over. Once Laurie got to the bus doors she waved and said, "See ya later!"a

I waved back and turned around to meet a guy's chest hurl into my face. I was knocked down to the ground but he only staggered back, recovering quickly. "Hey! Watch where your going!" I yelled at him, picking my books up off the ground. He was immediately by my side helping me get my books. "I don't need your help." I said turning to him.

i've never seen him before so figured he must be a new guy. Our eyes met and his porcelain skin was inches from mine and his black hair swooped into his eyes messily to the left. He had dark blue eyes and a sharp nose with a silver ring. "Sorry." He muttered and broke his gaze away from mine. He held out my books to me. As I took them our fingers brushed together and I jerked my books away from his hands. Looking at the floor, I got up. But when I did look up he was already gone. 

* * * *

My back had ached every time I took a single step walking home. When I did though, the pain seemed to subside with the comfort of being home. I did my homework, made myself food since my mom wouldn't be home till late, and finally went to sleep.  

When I awoke, the pain was so powerful, I needed to gasp for breath. Then all of a sudden the pain dulled and finally went away. But something was odd. It felt like I could move something more than just my arms and legs. Something extra on my back… I got up to look in the mirror to find wings with black feathers.