She Sees Me

She sat hunched over a book with her hood pulled over her brown hair. They called her Stray, as if she were a wild animal that had gotten lost. She told everyone she didn’t have a name, and that her parents died when she was 2. I had gotten her to say maybe 2 words to me, but she hated everyone. She was strange. Not the cut-your-hair-short-and-paint-your-nails-black kind of strange. She was the grow-your-hair-out-and-cut-your-nails-into-points kind of strange. Stray looked like she had no idea what sunlight was. She was as pale as a ghost but her eyes.... oh, those eyes.... one was red, like fire. The other was cold and blue like ice. I had been staring into those eyes for 2 years. 2 years we had been sitting next to each other, both aggressively unfriendly. Maybe we would ocassionally borrow a pen from one another, but that was it. I knew she had a dark secret somewhere, I just couldn’t figure out what it was. I had found out a few hours ago that I had the power to become invisible. I know you were expecting some crazy way of revealing it, but sorry, there’s no story there. I just woke up today and couldn’t see my reflection. That was my dark secret, but I couldn’t figure out what hers was.

“Hey, Stray?” I asked her, attempting to not sound nervous. She never told anyone her name, no matter how many times people, even teachers, asked her. Stray grunted in response. “I hate it that we aren’t nice to each other, maybe we can hangout sometime? I know you don’t have any friends or anything,” I said, she glared at me, “But maybe we could try?” I continued. I didn’t get a response that time. I almost never got a response from her.

She was beautiful, now I’m not saying I want to date her or anything, if that’s what you’re thinking, but her hair... her eyes... her skin...

“Ryan,” Stray said, snapping in front of my face, I snatched my gaze up to her and chills were sent down my spine. I had never heard her say my name before.

“Yeah?”

“I said okay. We can try,” she said. My heart was practically leaping out of my chest at that point. I grinned at her and a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. Stray slipped me a piece of paper before turning on her heel and walking out of the classroom, hugging her books to her stomach. I unfolded the paper, it was her phone number and her address. I didn’t even think she had a phone. If she did, she never brought it to school. The bell rang and I jumped out of my chair, grabbed my bag from beside me, and ran to get on the bus. I called my mom on the way back home.

“Hey, Ryan. What’s goin’ on?” my mom said into the receiver.

“Mom, can I go over to my girlfr- I mean, my friend’s house?” I stammered. “A girlfriend! Finally! Yes of course you can go,” she said, I said thanks and hung up. Stray rode my bus so I decided to just surprise her and get off at her stop. I slid into the seat next to her.

“Hey,” I said, hitting my hand on the seatbelt and wincing. “Smooth,” she replied, smiling slightly.

“You busy today?” I asked her, hoping I didn’t come off as overexcited, she shook her head, “Do you wanna hangout?” I questioned, she thought for a second before finally saying, “Okay.”

After my silent celebration, we got off the bus in front of her house- which looked like a freaking mansion- and Stray led the way through the door and down to the basement. I got kind of nervous and momentarily wondered what on earth I had gotten myself into, going into the weird girl’s basement. But it was unexpectedly nice down there. Couches, TVs, a minifridge. “You’re the first one to ever visit, you know,” Stray said, suddenly. She pulled her hoodie off and it was the first time I had seen her without most of her face covered.

“Where are your parents?” I asked, genuinely wondering where they were and why she could just randomely have people over. “They’re never home. Always working or getting drunk at parties,” she said, forcing a smile, I kind of felt bad for her. Essentially, she was all alone, but maybe she liked it, maybe that’s why she didn’t have any friends.

“So, what’s your secret?” I asked, sitting down on the couch, she sat next to me, looking confused. “What do you mean?” she asked me.

“You’re always alone, your hood is always up, you never smile. What’s been going on? What’s your secret?” I asked, she looked slightly shocked. Maybe I shouldn’t have memorized her entire schedule for two years. “You memorized my schedule?” she asked, as if she could read my mind... wait, could she? I slowly nodded.

“What, do you like me or something?” she asked. Think of no, think of no, think of no. Slowly, I noticed little things about her. The small dot next to her perfect nose. How she didn’t need makeup to be beautiful. “Yes,” I whispered. “I like you, too, Ryan,” she said, the chills returned, I grabbed my thumb, which is what turns me invisible. I figured she couldn’t see me, so I started physically celebrating, jumping around, pumping my fists.

“What are you doing?” Stray asked me, I stopped. “You can see me?” I asked, shocked. She nodded, I looked down, I couldn’t see my hands, so I knew I was invisible.

“I’m gonna go make a quick phone call,” I said, getting up and locking myself in her bathroom. I went to the one person I told everything to... Reece.

“Hey, Ryan, what’s up?”

“Reece. She sees me.”

“What?”

“I’m at Stray’s house. I turned myself invisible and she can see me.”

“Ooooh. You’re at Stray’s?”

“Yes, but that’s beside the point. She sees me. And she can read my mind.”

“Geez, bro, I don’t know what to tell you. It’s Stray. Anything can happen.”

I hung up, I guess he was right. Anything can happen with Stray. I exited the bathroom and I heard a door upstairs open. “Bexley! We’re home!” someone yelled from the first floor. “Crap, that’s my parents. Turn yourself invisible, now.” she commanded. I pulled my thumb and turned invisible.

“Yes, mom! I’m in the basement!” she yelled. Her parents came downstairs and hugged her, I stayed in the corner so they wouldn’t touch me by accident. “We’ll be upstairs if you need anything,” her dad said as he followed Stray’s mom upstairs. I pulled my thumb again and stared at her. “What?” she asked.

“Your name is Bexley?” I asked in disbelief, she nodded. “You’ve been lying to everyone,” I accused, she nodded again and stared at the ground. I shook my head and pulled my thumb. “Ryan, I never meant to lie. I just didn’t want people knowing me that well. I wanted to throw them off.” I shook my head at her and hung my head. I climbed out through the window and this time, she couldn’t see me.