• Watching From a Distance

    I am a hidden mystery. No one knows me, even though I am there; no one sees me. The only place where I am noticed is in my blog. My paradise is my blog since that is the only place where I am noticed and have friends. I am like a flower that hasn’t bloomed. But with the help of the sun, I can. –SuNnY-FlOw3R-

    I stood, watching all my schoolmates walk through the gates of the school, talking amongst themselves. They passed me, not noticing me. I sighed, why do I even bother going anyway? If I entered, they don’t see me; when I sit down, they don’t care. I sighed once more as I walk into the school.
    I opened the door and slipped in. As I predicted, no one looked up, or even glanced my way. They just continued talking among themselves. I sat down by my seat near the window and gazed out of it when suddenly a girl who sat near the door said, “You guys! They're here!"
    I looked up from my desk to look at the door. Two guys stepped in. Both were tall and good-looking. One had raven coloured hair with crimson eyes. I never knew that someone could have red eyes until I saw him. He was Nat Killon and was popular, smart, good-looking, kind and rich! The other was Luka Dimonik and was second to Nat with pale brown hair and amethyst eyes. Everyone knew that they were cousins, even though they acted like brothers.
    The pair headed towards their seat and many people surrounded him. I just stared at the pair for a bit, as they talked to the crowd before starting to doodle on my notebook. I heard a scraping of chairs and a mass of chatter beside me, but I completely ignored it. I knew who it was- Nat and Luka. Both sat near me; Nat on my right and Luka in front of Nat. Then when the door opened once more, everyone looked up, and quickly returned to their seats.
    “Mornin’ everyone!” Mr Peterson, my homeroom teacher, said as he stood up the front. He started taking the role. When he called my name, I raised my hand and said ‘here’. But he didn’t seem to hear me as I heard the words, ‘absent today’.
    I sighed, why didn’t anyone notice me? I promised myself on the first day of school that I would change. But on that very day, I got hit by a motorcycle trying to save a cat. I lost my chance to make friends as I spent a month recovering from my injuries.
    Ring..... I looked up. My thoughts sure did take long. I stood up, picked up my bag and slipped out of class; while everyone else talked among themselves as they headed out to recess. I walked towards my secret area behind the school. I sat down, taking my laptop out and turning it on while I looked up at the lone sunflower that I grew. It was still a bud, but it was starting to bloom. I stood up and took a photo of it. I looked up in shock when I heard approaching footsteps and laughter.
    I saw who it was that was running in my direction- Nat and Luka. I stared; aren’t those two meant to be somewhere else with all their friends?
    “Hey Luka! Return it to me!” I heard Nat yell out at Luka. I then realised that Nat was chasing after Luka.
    “No way,” Luka said, laughing as he ran away, holding something in the air. It sparkled in the sunlight and I wondered what it was. When the pair looked in my direction, they stopped.
    “Oh,” Nat said, as he caught up with Luka, who had stopped right in front of me. “I didn’t think anyone would be here.”
    I looked at them in shock, did they mean me? I looked around; there wasn’t anyone there, so was it really me? No one ever noticed me.
    “You’re Mika right?” Luka said, grinning in amusement, “The one who’s supposedly never here but actually is. You know, you really should have spoken up when Mr P called your name out. I swear; no one could hear you. Well, I did, I think Nat did too, but I don’t think anyone else did.”
    Nat nodded and continued, “Yeah, Mika. Why is it you never say anything? You should you know.”
    I blushed; no one ever noticed me. And the first one or two who did were the most popular pair in school! I looked over at Luka, who seemed very interested at the sunflower that I was standing next to. When he saw me looking at him, he grinned. I opened my mouth and said, “Yeah. About that... It’s because no one ever notices me; so I don’t bother.”
    “But you really should,” Nat said, taking the chance to snatch out the sparkly thing from Luka’s hand.
    “Hey! Nat! So not fair,” Luka said, pouting. I looked at Nat, wondering what the thing he took was.
    Obviously my curiosity was shown on my face since Nat dangled the thing in his hand and said, “This is my deceased mother’s keepsake. She gave it to me before she went to hospital. She died six years ago when I was eight.”
    “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to...” I tried to find the right word when Nat interrupted, clasping the necklace around his neck, “Don’t worry about it. I’m the one who told you anyway.”
    Luka grinned and said, “Nat, we need to go. Class is starting,” he looked at me and said, “Remember, if you don’t talk, then I’ll yell.” He grabbed Nat by the wrist and pulled him away.
    I stared at their retreating figures in shock. I had just spoken to the two most popular boys! Even though it wasn’t much, they noticed me! I shook my head to clear it. I shouldn’t be thinking about this. I walked over to my laptop and loaded up the internet. After a few seconds, it opened up to my homepage- my blog. I quickly uploaded my new photo of my sunflower and grinned as I typed out my new blog message:
    Hi! SuNnY-FlOw3R here! Guess what?! 2day, the two ‘sun shines’ spoke to me! It wasn’t much, and was quite sad, but it’s something! Mayb it’s a new start 4 me!
    I saw the latest comments that were posted by my two best online friends; N3xT-2-YoU and LiGhTnIn-StRuCk-Me.
    N3xT-2-YoU commented: Gd job! Mayb u’ll hav luck in this! Do ur best! I’m cheering 4 u! 
    LiGhTnIn-StRuCk-Me commented: Yay! All the best and I’m with N3xT-2-You, we are always here for you!
    Feeling much better, I closed the window and placed my laptop on hibernate. I got up, picked up my bag and headed to class.

    *****************

    I sat by my desk in shock. Mika Jenson was SuNnY-FlOw3R?! I couldn’t believe it, but the picture on her blog was the same as the sunflower she was standing next to though. I quickly typed out a new message, wishing her good luck in her attempts in making friends.
    “Hey Luka!” I heard Nat call. I looked up as I saw him come over to me. He glanced at my open link of the internet and said, “You noticed too?”
    I looked questioningly at him and asked, “Too? You mean that you’re-”
    “Lightning Struck Me?” Nat finished before nodding, “And I assume that you’re Next To You?”
    I nodded and shrugged, “Uh-huh. I want to see if I can help her.”
    “Why are you so interested anyway?”
    “Because she was like me,” I replied. I remembered the times when I was younger; no one noticed me, just like her now. Nat finding me was like finding a lost star. It was the reason why the both of us were so close. Now I wanted to help someone with the same problem.
    Nat nodded as he returned to his seat behind me and said, “Yeah, ‘suppose so.”

    *****************

    I walked into the room and sat down. Noticing a note on my desk, I unfolded it, reading it before widening my eyes.
    Hey Mika! Remember- don’t talk and I’ll yell.
    -Luka-
    I looked over at Luka and saw him watching me. He winked and I shook my head. Looking away, I thought, ‘what on earth is that guy thinking?! He can’t be serious...’
    Suddenly, Luka stood up and said, “Everyone, Mika Jenson here is my new best friend!”
    I stared. ‘No way,’ I thought in disbelief. Even Nat looked shocked. All eyes were suddenly upon me. They seemed to analyse me, to see whether I was fit to be Luka’s friend. I sighed and turned my head down. I felt a nudge on my hand and as I turned to see another note. I sighed again and opened it:
    Hey, don’t mind what Luka said. He’s always like this. If I am right, he’s trying to help you. –Nat-
    I glanced at Nat and he gave a quick smile. I averted my gaze at the people staring and immediately knew that there was going to be trouble.
    After school, I was pulled to the area near the back of the school. A gang of girls approached and one of them said, “Mika Jenson. You have no right to be Luka’s friend. Say you’re not and we’ll forgive you.”
    I shook my head and whispered, “No. I have every right to be.”
    “You! Why won’t you realise that Luka and Nat are out of your league?!” the girl said. She raised a hand to slap me. I closed my eyes and waited for the pain. Instead the pain never did come and I heard a gasp instead. I slowly opened my eyes. My eyes widened; Nat was holding the girl’s wrist, preventing her from hitting me.
    “Nat...” the girl said.
    “You shouldn’t do that. It’s not good to hit a girl,” Nat said, letting go of the girl’s hand. The group of girls ran away. Nat looked at me and said, “You okay?”
    I nodded and said, “Thanks.”
    Nat and I parted later on. I knew that there would be trouble if I continued to be Luka’s friend. I decided that it would be safer to leave them alone.
    The next day, when I entered, all the girls turned and glared at me. Luka and Nat quickly approached me. Luka immediately said, “I heard. You okay?”
    I knew that the girls were glaring, so I said loudly, “I’m not your friend, so don’t talk to me.”
    Luka looked really sad and opened his mouth to speak when Nat nodded and pulled him away.
    Later on in class, I loaded up my laptop and opened my blog. I saw the new comments:
    N3xT-2-YoU commented: I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done dat. But we can still be frenz rite? Online, since it’s easier.
    LiGhTnIn-StRuCk-Me commented: Hey! N3xT-2-YoU! I told u not to tell any1! But SuNnY, we can still b frenz isn’t it?
    I read the comments, shocked. I couldn’t believe it. My ‘sun shines’ were my blog-mates?! I quickly typed out my next blog.
    Hey! 2day, my ‘sun shines’ and I decided to separate. But I promised them, that I’ll always b frenz, one way or another. Since I’ll always b watching, and I’ll watch from a distance.
    I looked up after some time and saw Nat and Luka looking at me. They had obviously read the blog and both of them nodded and winked. I grinned back.
    I am no longer a hidden mystery. Someone finally noticed me, and sees me when I am there. The blog is still my paradise, but I know that I have friends outside. I have been found. I am no longer no one, but a someone. I am no longer a bud, but a small flower. I can continue to bloom, and become bigger.–SuNnY-FlOw3R-



    THE END