Naked (short story)
Diamonds, a pair of bright stars on a clear sky no it can’t be those are shinier. I can’t even take my eyes off of them. I want them so desperately. I wonder if I could borrow them, for only one day would be enough. Is there a more marvelous sight than this? No, I don’t think there is. What can be more luminescent than Jason Caine’s eyes?
I was standing there at a corner in Coral Reef Senior High’s main lobby. With a book at the level of my face, without even looking at it, I was doing the best magic trick that I’m known for “being invisible in plain sight”. My feet blended in with the floor, I don’t think there’s any other explanation why all of these people are walking on them without any excuses. They were looking at me as if I was a clown. My skin which had a much pale black than my hair felt like a bag full of rocks covering me. Here was the only place where I hated being tall. But none of these count as long as I could see him.
Jason Caine has been my secret crush since I came here last year. I can’t imagine a better way to start the day than admiring his posture and feeling his presence. His deep brown skin was glowing under the light of this brand new day. He was at exactly twenty meters away from me, laughing with his friends in this deep, smooth voice that can abduct any girl directly to heaven. I was lucky that he stood outside of the group because he didn’t have enough height to be recognized in the middle of those giants.
“Hey, Kiya!” echoed a voice behind me that took away my soul from my body.
It was Jason Caine. I must have been lost in my thoughts because I never saw when he left his friends and came up to me.
“Whatcha’ doin’?” he asked me
I stared at him but I couldn’t answer. My heart started beating two hundred beats per minute. I thought even my ancestors in Africa could hear it. My tongue got tied up with metal knots. My hands started pouring water like the Niagara Falls and, it was back.
It had come back, this feeling that I so passionately try to avoid. I couldn’t hide from it even if I wanted to. It had come back like poison trying to kill me. The more I tried to shake it away, the more invasive it had become. I don’t know why but I suddenly felt completely naked. I didn’t want to stay here, I just wanted to run and hide from everything. It mostly happened when Jason was in the same room as me.
I assembled all of my strength and showed him the book in my hands. It wasn’t so much of an answer but it was the most accurate one that I could give him. He took the book, read the title and gave it back to me.
“Keep it up, smart girl!” was his last words to me then the bell rang so we went to class in different directions.
I kept a smile on my face for the whole ride to class. It felt like he was still with me. The silly smile faded away as soon as I saw the group of vile girls together in front of the door. Those girls never missed a chance to bring someone to the ground and I certainly was not an exception. Intelligence was not really accepted between them, it was a sign of weakness.
I tried to slide quietly in the classroom but they caught me before I could go in.
“Where you think you’re going stupid?” claimed Emma, the head of the group.
Was she talking to me? It couldn’t possibly be because I’m always at the top of my class and it was her third year in tenth grade. I tried to ignore her but she quickly pulled me back.
“I’m talking to you ugly face.” Exclaimed her, “You think you better than us ‘cause them teachers worship you so much for bein’ smart.”
The other girls were losing themselves completely. I felt it coming but I didn’t want to give them the satisfaction of seeing any tears so I held it back. The feeling was back, I thought only Jason could make me feel that way but it seems like those girls had the same power. They totally disrobed me. I guess it’s right, love can exert the same stresses on your body as deep fear. The hands’ sweating, the heart pounding, the metal knots on my tongue, they were all present.
Emma and the other girls were moving closer to me. It was at that moment that I desperately needed to be invisible but it seemed like even my magic power flew away.
“Don’t you girls have anywhere to go?” shouted a security guard.
“We were just going in.” replied Emma
“Ok, so move along before I send all of you to CSI.”
“Yes, sir.” Said all of them together.
Before going in they all gave me one last push against the wall.
A few days later when I finally felt myself fading away in the crowd again the devils came knocking at my door. I never thought they would come so quickly. Heartless dark souls that came to haunt me every semester. There they are, the report cards have arrived hungrier for my soul. I didn’t even need to look at it. I already knew what they were. I never despised a letter so much. “A!” It was always all over my report card.
“There it goes again. The REPORT CARDS! The only things that give the lifeless weirdoes the feeling that they’re someone.” Commented Emma. Most of the class exploded with laughter. I turned to look at Jason. He hadn’t found the comment that funny. He was just sitting there, exploring his report card. I could imply from the expression on his face that it didn’t have that cursed letter covering it. He came up to me.
“Hi, Kiya.” He said the defensive guards that I put up since he last spoke to me.
“Hi!” I responded timidly.
“Can I see yours?”
“Sure.” I handed him my source of depression.
“Impressive!” he let out with a snort.
Was that sarcasm? I didn’t ask him. He looked at me in the eyes and said:
“You must have already heard all kind of compliments,” he smiled, “but you really are the smartest girl I know.”
He attempted to say something to me but Emma suddenly snatched him away from me.
“Come sit with us!” she exclaimed.
He didn’t push her away; he just left me there with that vicious paper in my hands.
As soon as I got out of the class, Emma grabbed me. She was furious at me but I had no idea why, maybe it was because she saw Jason talking to me earlier. How can she possibly be jealous of me? How can the girl who has everyone drooling over her be jealous of me? While looking at her I saw her slightly brown eyes pulling out of their nest. Her perfectly shape body that made all head turned when she walked by was flaming the hallway. Her dark brown skin was burning up and her sensual lips opened to let out a chain of teeth white as snow followed by a wretched shout:
“Aaaaahhh! I’m gonna kill ya. Nobody steals my man without any consequences you devilish nerd.”
At that moment she just lost it and the next thing I knew was that the palm of her hand was on my face. It burned. I held my face with both of my hands. I didn’t know what to do. She took my hair and started to bash my head everywhere. I don’t know what happened, maybe it was the effect of all the blood that was coming down my brain but I just couldn’t take it anymore. I was tired of feeling naked. I didn’t enjoy it, it was too painful. I just took her hands off of my hair and I totally threw myself in the fire. I punched her, I punched Emma Clark and it felt divine. I pushed down her face and pulled up my knees. An electric shock was made when they met. She got up with blood washing down her flawless face. I know she didn’t see it coming. She was holding her nose with a lost look projected at me. I grabbed her head and made her kiss the wall with a supernatural force. She fell down with an exhausted breath. She tried to get up but it was impossible due to her lack of energy. I stood there almost out of breath but ready to finish my miracle. Thankfully a teacher came and stopped the fight before it became more disastrous for Emma.
Due to that being my first infraction, I got out with only one entire week to CSI. I don’t know what happened to Emma, I was just glad she wasn’t going to mess with me anymore.
“Hey, I’m Penelope!” announced some girl while sitting next to me.
She looked like one of those fashion models that I see on magazines. She could probably be one with her long, elegant legs and her skinny body with curves at all the right places. Her dark skin was smooth as a baby’s and her black hair was ten times longer than mine.
“I’m Kiya, nice to meet you!” I replied
“I’m new at school and I’m kind of lost.”
Wow! That’s new. Nobody ever needs my help for other things other than to do their homework. I wasn’t cool enough to hang out with.
“I can help if you want.”
“Thanks! I really appreciate it."
About that, I just made a new friend.
When we were about to leave Jason came up to me.
"Kiya, what's up?" he asked
"I was about to help Penelope find her class." I said, "She’s new and gets lost."
"Could I come with you?"
"Sure! I'd like that."
"Well... Let's go!"
It was still challenging for me to stay close to him but now at least I could talk. I know it's okay to feel naked next to him as long as it doesn't compromise anything. That was it; I could never make that yearning go away. It was a part of me. I was walking, laughing and talking with Jason Caine. It almost felt like I was next to agent Caine from CSI: MIAMI. I knew he would always protect me, from myself most of the time. Now it was time for me to stop being invisible. I wished it could last. I really didn't want to go back to feeling so scared and ashamed. From now on I would be the one and only invincible Kiya Evans. I was finally delivered from my nakedness.
