P-s I wrote this when I was 9. 

Part 1: Ivenia’s Arise 

“Oh no”, She whispered in her sweet and sharp voice. This girl was trembling, clutching her dark violet school bag. Her legs wobbled, and she fell down onto the gray, stone-cold sidewalk. She raised her small, pale, trembling wrist, and locked her emerald green eyes with her blue watch. The hands ticked around slowly, stopped, and showed her that it was 9:20AM. Girl. She thought. Did she know, she would have never waited another single second. School for her started at eight-thirty. Class began at eight-forty-five. Though the blue skies were crystal clear, she dropped her school bag, her emerald green eyes swirling with shock. She started trembling, shaking. The shock was unbearable to her, as shocking, painful as if she had just been shocked by a lightning bolt. Her head was swirling in a dark, deep storm of fear. She struggled as her imaginary storm approached her. The wind was swirling, howling, pressing against her body. The stone-cold sidewalk, in her imagination, was crumbling, Antarctica waters drowning her spirit and mind. Verified, she was emotional, empty, panicked from this, and from her experience. Then, when she thought she couldn't bear it anymore, something miraculous, unexpected happened. She ran. 

She broke out of the storm, straining and grunting, picked up her school bag, strapped it onto her shoulder. Then she ran. Her golden-brown hair flew behind her back as she ran towards the red-brick walls, tall as palm trees, rising from ash. She

fled through the strong, slowly opening gates. She fled towards the recces areas, ignoring shocked and startled faces, and the pale white bodies she had bumped into. She fled, dashing up the stairs. Her black, brown blue skirt flew gracefully, like it was enjoying the flow of her speed. Her heart drummed softly, beating inside her throat. She kept it in with all the strength she could muster, gritting her teeth and moving her muscles. Finally, at last, she reached the second floor, and her fellow location. A snow white door in the middle of the narrow corridor. The girl didn’t hesitate as she approached it. She flew in, and slammed the door shut, gasping for breath.

“Ivenia, please take your seat”.

The girl, known as Ivenia, heard Ms. Sona's soft and gentle voice. She didn’t wait, as she knew her teacher’s cold rage under the soft surface. Ivenia turned, and walked all the way to the last row in the back, in the clearing, the middle where no chairs were placed, and a velvet-red carpet was laid . She walked all the way to the sixth row, closest to the white bookshelves, worn, dirty, ancient, but loved. All the way through, Ivenia hardly dared to look at Ms. Sona’s furious, confused, twisted look. She just kept her back to her, and slumped into her chair. As Ivenia strapped her dark school bag to her chair, she could feel piercing tension in the room. It was in the air, the breath, her body, her back. She could feel her twenty-six classmates' thoughts. Why was she late?

How was she late? Was it on purpose? Who would dare? She has never been late! Ivenia knew the twisted truth, but she didn’t dare admit it, even to herself. Finally, after a while, she tried to break the tension, and spun around, glancing at her classmates. 

Their gazes were unreadable, hard as stone. Though the air felt calmer now, Ivenia still felt tension arising between them. Her gaze flitted to the snowy white door, and suddenly saw it slowly creaking open. Suddenly, she saw a small, short boy peeking in. He was chubby, his muscles bulging under his arms. He had curved brown hair, covering his whole forehead. His smug brown eyes were twinkling, as if he was about to do something, and he quickly smoothened his red t-shirt. He stared at Ivenia’s classmates, then turned his head around, staring at the snow white door, and his gaze turned again, now glaring at Ivenia. He advanced towards her, his posture straightening, his brown eyes darkened, but sparkled with malice. 

“Hey”! He screeched to Ivenia. His squeaky, sneering voice held no quiver, standing strong, despite him knowing that the whole class was watching him. There was no doubt in the rest of his emotions. His legs never wobbled, his eyes never losing their malicious sparkle. “What did you do? Ivy? Did you desire to let the whole class wait for you for thirty minutes? Did you pick your boogers while we were waiting? I suppose

so, yes. Yes? Thank you, suggested sentence from Eften”!The whole class roared with laughter, students lying on their desks. The front row of students struggled to go to Eften, to pat him on the back. But Ms. Sona just stared at him, her dark brown locks of hair not in her messy bun swaying side to side. Ivenia, too, wasn’t laughing. Instead, she felt a burning fire in her throat as his smug brown eyes reached hers. How dare he. Ivenia thought. Dare, I dare. She frowned, and tucked her strands of golden-brown hair behind her ears. If his arrogance and ignorance were upheld in the whole school, school wouldn’t be such a school anymore, rules wouldn’t be rules. Simple. She glared at Eften, and he shot her another one of his smug, mischievous, triumphant looks. Ivenia then scanned the classroom, looking for someone to report Eften’s ignorance, arrogance, and lack of respect for the rules. But no one, not even Ms. Sona tried, dared to. The students were all laughing their heads off, and patting Eften on the back like he was the model student. Ms. Sona was lost for words, her hands trembling, shaking her fist at Eften. Afraid. Maybe, Ivenia thought. Her cheeks burned, and her emerald eyes glowed with a flickering fire. She let the class turn into stuff about who knows who! Eften was doing this just because she was late! She trembled, raising and lowering her voice as she spoke. “DARE? YOU DARE? You dare accuse me of this? You dare show your arrogance and stupidity? You dare show your ignorance of the rules? You dare?”

 The whole class stopped patting Eften, laughing, and shouting. They went so silent that you could hear a mouse’s footprints. Eften glared at her, seeing the classroom back to normal, but there was a playful twinkle in his eyes. “I cha—”. “That’s enough. Eften, detention for a week! Ivenia, talk with me in recess. This is my classroom, and we are in middle school, no misbehaving”. Ms. Sona cut in, furious, still shaking her fist at Eften. Eften sighed dramatically, stretched his ears, and blew a raspberry at Ms. Sona. Ms. Sona stared at him with her piercing amber eyes, calling back, “One month of detention, Eften. No protests. For now, students, get out your blue book, and flip to page thirty, named America, A History, and read to page thirty five.” Ivenia didn’t dare open her mouth to protest, smiling, grateful that Ms. Sona hadn’t done anything worse. She sat back on her desk, tucking the darkest, brightest brown strands of her hair behind her ears, and unfastened her silk blue ribbon, letting her long curls flow freely behind her back. She sat quietly at her desk, her eyes scanning the small, brilliant text boxes, her fingers tracing the black and white pictures, oohing and ahhing at the intensity and facts of the pages. But as she approached the end, she spotted Eften grinning at her again. “Dear, you will never win, knowing that will keep you under control, and it was so rude of you to interrupt the class party we had”, he whispered to her. Ivenia ignored him, pretending she hadn’t heard him at all. But she

did. The essence of his words were a mystery to Ivenia, making her feelings of rage or whatever he wanted her to feel appear. Ivenia tried to hold it down, but this time, there was this monster, roaring and shaking in her stomach. She could feel it churning, lashing out, as if trying to escape. Fire burned inside, rising, and Eften’s whispered words swirled in her brain. Dear, you will never win. Dear, you will never win. You will never win. You will never win. You will never win. Why?  Ivenia thought. I was just late, so why? 

Essence. Her lighter thoughts told her. Eften’s essence. But as we told you, Ivenia knew the twisted truth, and reality turned into torture. The fire burned inside her mind, flickering, trying to swallow the light. Suddenly, something sounded out her thoughts, whispering like a cool breeze flying in her fire. “Ivy-ea-eara-whatever, why? Idk.” It was soft, gentle, unlike anyone’s, but the feeling was familiar. It was Eften. Eften. Eften. Ivenia was frozen in time, waiting, waiting, waiting. The fire finally erupted with her monster, and all that remained was peaceful shards of crystal. Pain turned back into reality and relief, and Ivenia finally rolled her eyes. She waited for the bell to ring. One minute passed. Then another. Then five more. Finally, Ivenia sat up, and she saw an empty brown gaze. He caught her eye, and gave her a quick, smug smirk. The monster was here again, but this time it was stronger, unbearable. She let

her rage cloud her mind, making everything a mess. Fire and flames glowed and rose, tuning everything else out. Ivenia clenched her fists, and unleashed the most terrible threat that Eften knew. She grabbed him hard by the waist and glared at him, raising his chin, forcing him to look at her. Ivenia made her voice clear, low and firm. “Please stop this nonsense, Eften, or else I’ll ask the principal to expel you from the school.” Eften gasped and paled, stuttering nervously. “N-no!” 

Eften was already hated by most of the girls, and his respect for teachers was few. He had done so much mischievous work in the past. Ivenia could clearly remember the day the principal came in during second grade, called by Ms. Christine, from Eften messing up the whole classroom. She could remember Ms. Christine’s expressions, furious, raging. Her dark brown hair seemed to flare as she shouted at Eften, her pale blue eyes seeming to glow startlingly angry, her lips pursed into a frown, seeming to vibrate. The principal, short and old, with a bald patch on his head, Mr. Z, seemed harmless, but he told Eften that if any other student, teacher, whoever it was, reported Eften again, he would expel Eften immediately. 

“Dear Eften, you know the school rules, right”? Mr. Z asked, his tone light and polite.

“Yes, Sir, but I do what I want, I don’t do what a small board commands”. Eften said, his voice rolling with sarcasm, and he had pointed the loser sign at Mr. Z, sticking out

his tongue, dancing on his legs. Mr. Z, leaning on his tall wooden walking cane, adjusted his white glasses, his behaviour changing to amusement, his voice softening.

“You surprise me, dear Eften, you don’t know what I can do?”

“Oh please, all you can do is lean on a walking stick, and fart nonstop”. Eften spit back, cheese touching poor Mr. Z. He glared at Eften with his bright blue eyes, fiery and angry now. Mr. Z made a point, cracking his cane on Eften’s hand hard. Eften winced, tears rolling down his eyes, legs still dancing. Mr. Z laughed softly, and spoke again, 

“No, that might be a little, but I have the authority, the power to a ton. I’m certain, I can expel you, force you to leave WIS forever.”

Eften had paled, and Mr. Z had pressed his final words, leaving Eften in fear and shock. Ever since, Eften had given the teachers more respect, even to the students, thanks to Mr. Z.

“Well? You want to Eften ”? Ivenia asked, her emerald green eyes flashing with triumph at her upper advantage. She knew Eften so much. The smug brown gaze had vanished from his face, leaving Eften trembling aghast. His eyes widened, his body trembling, his face as pale and white as snow. He shook his head slightly. Ivenia grinned. At last, good, peace. She thought. She raised her head, staring around. No

students here. Just rows of neatly placed chairs, a blackboard, Ms. Sona’s desk, and Ms. Sona. Ms. Sona. She had watched the whole conversation. Ivenia panicked, her thoughts scrambling around her mind. Does Ms. Sona approve? No. The wind whispered. Ivenia knew already. Ms. Sona sighed, closing her brilliant amber eyes, and adjusting her black glasses. “Eften. Out. To the principal’s office. Ivenia. Stay with me”. Ms. Sona said, her voice hard and rocky as stone. I know, Ms. Sona’s deadly serious, no hesitation, by the way, Eften. She shot a look at Eften, who seemed to translate her thoughts from her eyes. He panicked, but he calmed. When he reached for the door, he said one more sentence, grinning nervously. 

“See ya next time, booger-pants.”  

Ivenia turned around to face Ms Sona. She waited. The tinkling sound of the recces bells rang into her ears. She waited. A refreshing, gentle breeze flew into the classroom, and twinned itself around Ivenia’s hair. It was like the breeze was whispering to her. Ivenia. Ivenia. Ivenia. It whispered. Ivenia still waited, still holding her stare with Ms. Sona. She started to silently urge Ms. Sona to start speaking, not able to hold her energy for any longer. Ivenia knew the feeling of guilt, guilty she was.

She tried to stare longer. Ms. Sona still stared back. Her emerald eyes flashed with emotion as she rested her gaze on Ms. Sona’s calm, intent amber eyes. She was grateful for it, hungry for it, grateful that Ms. Sona punished Eften. Both teacher and student stared at each other, eyes flashing with emotion and challenges. Their pale skin brushed against each  other, their hair rising behind their backs. There’s so much. Ivenia thought. There was so much that she had wanted to say, but she kept it down, hungering more. Finally, Ms. Sona decided to break the silence. This gosh I didn’t wish for this. I knew I would get punished more . But I’m grateful for this. I am grateful. Ivenia thought. Ms. Sona sighed, bending her head, placing her hands on her lap. Ivenia was confused and angry, worried, but flames shimmered in her eyes.

 “Ivenia, you were late today, so yes, I need to talk to you. I don’t know how, and why you did it on purpose, please don’t deny the truth, I know you better than any other student in my class”. Ms. Sona said, twirling some of her dark brown hair strands around. Ivenia gulped and sighed, her skin heated with shame. Now she was the one who did something wrong, which she had never done before. “Tell me why, dear”,  Ms. Sona said softly, gently adjusting her glasses. Ivenia sighed and took multiple deep breaths before telling her. “I was afraid”, she said, “I was shamed by the truth. My existence. How I am. I have no friends, and everyone calls me a know-it-all. I was

caught in all this embarrassment and emotion, so I turned reckless. Foolish. I know that purposely being late for school is bad. It won’t happen again.” Ms. Sona sighed, amber eyes hungering for more, but nodded in understanding softly. “I understand if you don’t want to talk about it, and I know your stress. If you feel uncomfortable, consult a teacher, but don’t let this happen again. Go now Ivenia, go to recess. Please just be, go back to normal for now, ok”? Ms. Sona asked. Ivenia sighed. I have no choice. She thought. What can I do? She nodded hesitantly, slowly, but Ms. Sona accepted it. Ivenia walked to the door, but startlingly heard Ms. Sona’s voice. “Oh Ivenia? If this happens again, there will be no special treatment. I will report to your mother unwillingly, but I must.” Ivenia quickly nodded with her back to Ms. Sona, panicked, trembling, and slammed the door shut, gasping for air. Go back to normal. She thought, her emerald green eyes widening. Go back to normal.

Part 2: The Bullies

Going back to normal. Go back to normal. Ms. Sona’s voice was still echoing in Ivenia’s head. Ivenia didn’t know how longer she could hold it inside. It beat, beating harder. Ivenia gripped the nearest monkey bar she could, and Ms. Sona’s voice stopped. Phew. Ivenia thought, and wiped her forehead. She gripped the shimmering silvery violet monkey bars, blasted with a beautiful ray of the bright red sun. Ivenia twisted her head around when reaching the near end of the monkey bars, swinging with

perfect agility onto the black steps. She saw a trio of girls, all dressed in identical short-sleeved pink dresses jumping up, trying to reach an adoring red flower on a tall tree.

The flower was really tiny, deep crimson red. Shimmery pink lines adorned the heart-shaped petals. So beautiful. Ivenia thought. They wouldn’t let me play, though. Knowing that, Ivenia stayed far away from the girls, keeping her distance, just watching. 

The tallest girl with long, free black hair finally reached the flower. “Tegu’s it! By the name of Mishi”! Another short, plump girl screeched. The other girl with piercing green eyes screamed playfully and ran away, her 

ponytails flying. Mishi twisted her head to run away too, but she wasn’t fast enough. Tegu joyfully tagged her with the flower, and jumped, calling a warning to the other girl. “Kwana! Watch out!” Kwana gave a quick nod to Tegu, swift and quick as Mishi ran towards her. She ducked from the flower and twisted her position, running around a black table. They clapped joyfully to each other as Mishi tagged Kwana. “Kwana Kyoshi! Swift and agile, sharp, but caught up in moments, you win! Anata no kachidesu”! Tegu nodded, teasing with a laugh, motioning to Mishi. They both bowed deeply to Kwana and tucked the crimson red flower into her hair. Ivenia sighed, pain

engulfing her. Oh how I wish to have a friend. Oh the pain, thinking about it. It pierced her chest, like a million daggers breaking her heart with sorrow, thinking about other people and how they fit in so much. How she was teased and bullied, scoffed at. How she was teased, know it all. How would she ever have a happy ending? Ivenia dropped away from the monkey bars, walking onto a nearby wooden bench, she sat down, accompanied by no one, icy tears streaming down her cheeks. How would I ever have a happy ending? She thought again. Teachers even tried to prevent her, like Ms. Sona, in fact, mostly Ms. Sona! Ivenia hugged herself, sobbing silently. A beloved had betrayed her. Ms. Sona! Ms. Sona!  She thought. No one ever understands me. Everyone, oh how everyone has an ice cold heart! Ivenia tried to ease her sorrow, singing a song sweetly.

A flower began to open in the month of May,

A kind honey bee came to sport and play,

But no matter how hard he tried,

He couldn’t get inside,

So he just hung around,

And played see-saw on the flower’s lip,

Oh my sweet sins,

Oh my petals,

You don’t open?

How is your heart so metal?

“Nice song, loser”. Ivenia turned around to see the sports twins, Cedrick and Dedrick Jane. They were tall boys with blonde hair, pale, triumphant blue eyes, bulging muscles, and two identical red caps. The only difference between them was Cedrick’s red freckles and Dedrick’s weird, twisted face shape. They were also Eften’s sidekicks. Ivenia snorted. Sidekicks? They didn’t do anything for Eften. Maybe more like loser sidekicks. “What’s all this puffy red eyes and teary songs stuff”? Cedrick asked next, sneering. “Yeah”, Dedrick screeched. “How is your heart so metal? How is your heart so metal”? He mimicked. Ivenia had already formed a biting comeback. She cackled wickedly, clutching her stomach to anger them, “No need to worry, Janie’s, you’rd Eften’s loser sidekicks”. Cedrick and Dedrick stared at each other. Then they glared at Ivenia, advancing, their pale blue eyes sparkling with hunger. “We think it’s time you learned a lesson. Ain’t it, Cedrick”? Cedrick laughed, just as wicked as his twin. “Yeah, you’re the whole lot of the reason why he is in trouble. We’re not his loser sidekicks. Let us prove it to you. We’re teaching you a lesson.” He sneered, his voice long and smooth. Ivenia glared at them, folding her arms suspiciously. Dedrick smiled. “Don’t