Chapter 2. A Silver Dream

“’Lo, Olivia,” Vivian whispered to me as she sat down next to me for Study Hall. The bell would not ring for another- another- minute, or maybe two. We had a little time to talk before being sucked back up into the pattern of endless thinking that was our school.

“What are you working on?” Vivian asked curiously, her long silky hair flowing over her shoulders as her hands grabbed the magenta notebook I had been writing hastily in until she arrived.

Flipping through my collection of short stories, Vivian found the one I had been working on just now.

“Lady Majesty?” Vivian read aloud, her words coming out crumpled as she tried to read my cursive. She was never a strong reader, and cursive was much harder for her- making it understandable that she fumbled.

“What’s this story about?” Vivian questioned happily, her voice lowering when she heard the bell ring halfway (or a third of the way?) through her sentence.

I put a finger to my lips, and Vivian gave an exasperated nod of her head, waving to a couple of her friends that came in late.

Vivian was very shy around new people, but somehow managed to be one of the most popular students in the school. She was a genius with math, artistic, speedy, considerate, generous, and all around likeable. She was respected as a human with flaws rather than a real-life Mary Sue with her reading troubles and over sensitivity.

I looked up as Miss Brooks called my name, and raised my head neatly, saying “Present,” in the same way I did every study hall- politely, calmly, neutrally. A few of my classmates rolled their eyes, wondering why I could not just say here like everyone else. I supposed the answer was that I was not like everybody else.

As the teacher finished taking attendance, I situated myself back calmly, writing to my heart’s content.

“So, what’s your story about?” Vivian asked again.

“Lady Majesty is a story based on Fairy Tales,” I explained passionately, my voice still a whisper. “She is the great granddaughter of Cinderella, in a world where royalty has been illegal for years, and all potential heirs and heiresses of the throne are hunted down. Lady Majesty, or Eliana, knows her heritage, and her family goes into hiding. One day, her parents are found while getting foo-”

“Talking in class, girls?” Miss Brooks interrupted, bending down in between my twin and I. “What are you talking about?”

Our teacher grabbed my notebook. “Lady Majesty?” she had asked me, shaking her head sadly. “This doesn’t look like an assignment- it must be another one of your stories! You can’t keep doing this in my class! Detention, Cobel!”

“Yes, Miss Brooks,” I whispered shamefully, never having received a detention before.

“I will see you after school on Thursday, Cobel,” Miss Brooks announced sternly, grabbing my notebook from my hands, giving me a slight paper cut. “I’ll give this back when I can trust you will not bring it to school again!”

“No, Miss, please!” I begged- something I never did. “I won’t write in class again, I swear by my stories. In fact, I will bring the notebook to my locker right now!”

“No, Olivia, you had several warnings. You can have it after your detention.”

I sunk into my chair as several people guffawed. Vivian looked at her friends with disappointment and offered me her condolences.

However, it was pointless at that moment. All I could think of is how my dream was crushed.

Vivian sat down next to me on the bus, laying a hand on my shoulder to comfort me.

“Are you okay, Liv?” she whispered. “I know how horrible getting your perfect record ruined might be!”

“Thanks, Viv,” I sighed. “But you’ve already gotten detention- thanks to those no good friends of yours!”

“What?” Vivian questioned.

“You heard me,” I snarled. “You have horrible friends! They’re late to class, they’re mean, and I don’t want you to become just like them. You should just drop them!”

“I’m sorry, then,” Vivian whispered, tears in her eyes. “I’ll just let you be- but I will not drop my friends. At least they don’t try and control my life!”

I gasp. “Be that way,” I whispered to her, before muttering something to myself. “I guess it’s too late already.

I did not feel guilty when my sister and best friend grabbed her baby blue backpack off of the drab gray seats and marched away. The only thing I could think about was how I had gotten a detention for writing in class.

My life-long dream of being an author had been snatched from me! It was everything I ever wanted. It was like a golden birthday as a dream- a golden dream!

If Vivian had not questioned my story, then I would still have hope.

I could still have a silver dream. I have always wondered if I would be able to succeed in politics.