My Narrative By Asmah

                                

The room was cold and pitch black. I tiptoed inside, my heart thudding. The silence seemed to swallow me. I glanced over my shoulder, hoping no one followed me. It looked like I was alone, I wiped my palm against my satin skirt and took a deep breath. Then I saw them, glowing from every corner like tiny points of light, where pairs of small red eyes. Evil eyes and they were staring right at me. Fear snaked down my spine, but I told myself not to run away. I had to go ahead with this . There was no turning back now.

Suddenly, a very familiar voice called out in the darkness “Tori !” I froze, they know my name. I thought I heard the familiar voice called again, more urgently this time. “ Tori come on wake up”. Wait what I blinked, and another room came before me. Purple curtains, purple wallpaper dotted with black skulls. A picture of my best friend, Vieira tacked up over a wooden desk.

Oh. I was in my bedroom, and my mother was hovering over me, frowning. My heartbeat slowed down as reality sank in. It was mum who'd been calling my name. I'd been dreaming, having the same creepy nightmare, again!.

“ Its past seven honey”, Mum said glancing at my bedside clock. “ You can`t keep on being late for school”. “ I know” I groaned, sitting up and brushing my dark hair out of my eyes.

Ever since I turned twelve in January, I've had serious trouble falling asleep. I'll toss and turn, my thoughts tumbling, and I won't drift off until dawn. Lately my dreams have been hunted with those glowing red eyes.

Just then mum headed for the door “Sausages and eggs for breakfast !” she sang over her shoulder as she left.

I quickly got dressed, and joined my parents in our too bright kitchen. Mum was brewing coffee, and Dad was eating cereal while he watched New York One, the local news channel. Outside eight stories down, Manhattan bustled to life with the blare of taxicabs and bus horns.

“ Oh, honey,” Mum sighed, eyeing my dress as she handed me a plate of sausages, scrambled eggs and toast. “ Won't you at least try wearing pastels one day?”.

My parents love pastels, that morning Mum had on light blue pant suit, and dad was wearing a white T-shirt and khakis. But the difference between me and my parents go beyond our taste in clothes. I don't look like any of them at all. Mum has blond hair and gray eyes, Dad has auburn hair and brown eyes, and they both tan easily. I have long, straight jet black hair, navy blue eyes, and milk pale skin that turns a lovely shade of flaming lobster after two minutes in the sun.

Vieira likes to joke that I was adopted, and I've wondered about that myself. “ Hmmm” I replied, sitting down next to Dad at the small table. “ pastels, let me see maybe when kiwis can fly?

“ Good morning to you to Miss Snarky”. Dad flicked off the news and smiled at me, wiggling his reddish eyebrows. “ Don't give your mother a hard time”. He said to me gently. “She`s got a busy Monday ahead of her”. Dad is a cartoonist, and he works from home, so he`s usually the more laid back parent.

Mom nodded, pouring coffee into her silver thermos. “We`re putting the final touches on the creatures of the night exhibit. The openings only two weeks away”. I felt a bit of excitement as I dug into my breakfast. Mum works at the American Museum of Natural History, which is only a few blocks away from our apartment building. The museum is the most famous for its dinosaur bones, but it also hosts cool exhibits, on things like butterflies and sea monsters. Mum is in charge of those exhibits, and every time one opens, Mum and Dad go to a party at the museum. This year for the first time Mum is allowing me to attend the opening gala,too. I can't wait.

“And  of course our special guest is arriving this afternoon”. Dad said standing up and putting his bowl in the sink.

“Guest”. I repeated, glancing from Mum to Dad in confusion. Just then our cute little kitten Sakura came bounding into the kitchen. So I patted her on the head. “You don't remember,” Mum asked. “You're great aunt Gabrielle is coming to stay with us, all the way from Romania”.

“Okay, now I remember” I said. I was about to ask exactly how, Great Aunt Gabrielle would be helping, when the doorbell rang. My parents and I looked at each other “ Vieira” we said together at the same time. Every morning Vieira comes to pick me up so we can walk to school together. Unfortunately, she often  ends up going without me because I can't wake up on time.

“ I'll let her in on my way out”, Mum said. “See you later guys !”. She hugged me and Dad and whooshed out of the kitchen. A second Vieira appeared, her brown hair spilling over her green cardigan. “ Hey cutie,” Vieira said to Sakura, petting hair on the head. “Morning !”. She greeted Dad, Vieira turned to me and, her dark eyes dancing. “ I knew you'd be ready this morning Tori” she said.

Then we said goodbye to Dad and to Sakura. As we rode down in the creaky old elevator, Vieira faced me, hair eyes wide. “ All right, tell me”, she whispered  “ Did it happen again?”. “ You mean the dream?” I shivered, remembering it. Vieira was the only person I'd told about the nightmare that kept coming back. “ Of course,” I replied. The elevator`s oak - panelled doors slid open and we walked into the lobby. “ I wish I could just figure out what it means,” I added as we waved to my doorman, James, and stepped out into the cool October drizzle.

Vieira tapped one finger against her bottom lip, looking thoughtful. “ Maybe the nightmares represents your worries”, she said. “Worries about what?” I asked. “ Student Council”, Vieira answered. Swiftly opening her umbrella “ You're nervous about today`s meeting”. “ I don't need a dream to tell me that”. I sighed, linking arms with Vieira and huddling under her umbrella, as we walked north along Central Park West. “But if you are right,” I added “It`s all your fault”. Back in September, Vieira declared that we should both sign up for an after school activity, because it will look good on our college applications. When I reminded her we`re only in seventh grade, and that she already took Ballet and I took an Art and Drawing class. She'd given me one of her just trust me look and told me to just trust her.

So that was how I'd been strong - armed into joining student council, which meets every Monday and Thursday afternoons. So far it`s been pretty awful. The one good thing is that Vieira and I could use student council as catch up time because the only time we have together is lunch this year. The one thing I'm excited about today`s meeting is because we`re going to talk about Halloween.  Its the only time people are into dark and spooky stuff as I am.

“Attention!, Attention” Ashlee Emma Jacks, student council President, and the most popular girl in seventh grade. This meeting will come to order”!, Ashlee said in her high pitched voice. “We have important business to take care of”. At that moment, Ashlee was standing in front of the blackboard, trying to get the attention of the fifteen other kids, who were talking and texting. Our teacher - advisor, Ms Goldflower, was sitting on the windowsill, reading the New York Times, and glancing out the pouring rain, as if she wanted to escape.

Ms Goldflower is the social studies teacher and she is young and pretty, with light brown hair, hazel eyes and has a soft sweet voice. In that morning`s class, she had assigned us our big project for the next two weeks. A genealogy paper about our family histories, as my friend Nicky and I agreed afterwards, Ms Goldflower somehow made the whole thing sound so much fun. She`s always energetic in class, but by the time student council rolls up, she seems tired and pretty much lets Ashlee handle the show. “ Time to take attendance, !” Ashlee announced as the students began to quiet down. She tossed her  shiny, white blond hair over one shoulder. “ Jaden would you do the honours?” asked Ashlee. Jaden Michaels Vice President stood up and took the clipboard Ashlee handed him. When he faced the classroom, I felt my cheeks get the tiniest bit hot.

Vieira snuck me a knowing smile, then leaned over and wrote in the margin of my notebook: Admit it she wrote. I bet my lip, and wrote pressing hard on the paper: Never.

It was a crush Vieira was certain I had a crush on Jaden Michael, and okay yes, maybe Jaden is sort of cute. He has soft, light brown hair , and his eyes are as blue as the sky. But his captain of the soccer time, and a member of Ashlee`s popular crowd.

Vieira started to write something back but then Jaden called out

“ Vieira Marquez?”. “Here” she said smiling. Jaden glanced back at the list. The corner of his mouth turned up slightly. “Tori, Samantha?” I said. When Jaden finished  with the after dance, Ashlee wrote ‘!Halloween Dance!’ On the blackboard. “ Alright everyone,” she said “ First off, the date of been moved one day up, our dance is now taking place  on Halloween - Friday, October thirty first. That means we have less than two weeks to arrange everything.” “ What about Trick- Or- Treating?” asked Eve Epstein, Ashlee`s best friend, and number one tormentor in gym class. Ashlee looked at Eve with a look and then responded in an icy voice, “Seriously Eve?, don't tell me that you still go  Trick-Or-Treating?”. “No of course not, I  was just kidding”. Eve said hair face bright red.

“But the dance doesn't start until seven o'clock” Jaden spoke up, “So those of you who might  want to go Trick-Or-Treating before hand, you'd have time”. He ducked his head smiling. I hated that I thought he had an nice smile.

A hour later, I arrived home eager to discuss my Halloween problem with Dad. As I dropped my soggy umbrella in the foyer, I heard voices and laughter coming from the living room. So I headed down the shadowy hallway. What I found there made me gasp.

Mum and Dad were sitting with the strangest looking women I had ever seen. She had: milk white skin, ruby red lips and black hair piled up on her head into an bun. She wore a velvet dress with a  black pendant. The women glanced over at me, and her whole face lit up. “Tori my darling,” she said with a heavy accent. She rose so gracefully that it seemed like she was floating. “ At last we finally meet.” “ Come on honey give you`re Great Aunt Gabrielle a hug” Mum said. I was shocked this is my Great aunt she doesn't look anything like Mum.

The next day I was walking through the grounds of our school when I saw Vieira and called out “ Hey Vieira”. She turned around and saw me and said “ Hi Tori”. Then I explained to her about Great Aunt Gabrielle and Vieira said “She sounds cool.” Then we walked together too Social Studies class.

Then at lunch Vieira said to me “ I think you are acting weird because you're Great Aunt came to visit?” “ I knew I shouldn't have told you because I knew you would act this way.” I replied. “ Well you would never  admit that you have a crush on Jaden Michaels.” She snapped. “ I don't care what you think Vieira” I snapped at her “ I feel the same way Tori”. She replied. Then we walked off in different ways.

On Thursday we had another meeting. “ Jaden would you do the honours?” asked Ashlee. But Jaden didn't stand up he said “ Ashlee is it really important to take attendance?, well its starting to get boring.” Ashlee got furious and called the meeting off. While I was packing my book bag Jaden came over “ I just wanted to thank you”. He said smiling. “Thank me for what?” I asked. “Thanking you for standing up too Ashlee, its easy to forget  that she doesn't rule the seventh grade.”

On the dance night I went to check if the hall was ready for the dance. “Happy Halloween” a familiar voice called out through the fake fog. “ Vieira” I said surprised “ I thought that you were angry and wouldn't talk to me” I said. “ I was, but I got lonely and miserable”. She was now crying and so was I. Our eyes were red and our tears were pouring down our cheeks like rain. We hugged each and said sorry.

When everyone arrived and when it was time to dance, someone grabbed my free hand, and when I turned around and looked right at Jaden `s blue eyes “ May I dance with you?” he asked smiling, I was completely shocked and then I took a deep breath and said “ Of course”. He took my hand and we walked to the dance floor. Jaden was spinning me around and we were laughing. “ Thanks” we said together smiling when the dance was over. When I got home I was tired and thought to myself that this was the best night ever.

    The End