July 6, 2012





“ Curses”






I suppose, this should become normal. But then again, I’d be calling falling in love with every guy who catches my eye “normal”. And to all those who are questioning my above rhetoric, it’s not normal.

I’m cursed with the kiss of Aphrodite. The sirens of legend were tormented, and forced to call their men to sea and watch them drown. My men don’t die, they keep on walking through life while I watch silently listening to my heart-break. Things would be simple, if, perchance, I actually dated any of my supposed “lovers”. Again, another fine print to Ms. Love Goddess curse, I can’t actually date any of the man my heart falls head over heels in love with.

Or I’d kill them. And, most courts wouldn’t buy the “ancient Greek curse” excuse.

Perhaps there is a silver lining to this wonderful ability?

I am currently acting on this supposed “silver lining”. I save the men I love, because I am blessed with god-like sixth sensory, and before I can get over the guy I have to save his life. Try explaining to your mom why you suddenly had to push Jimmy out of oncoming traffic, thus breaking your arm in return. Love sucks, ain’t it?

“ Sky, what the hell are you starring at?” My friend, Katherine, asks me, nudging me in the leg.

“What?” I say, and mumble, “Nothing,” before I continue surveying the school cafeteria from the balcony. There, right below me on the left center is my current infatuation: Ty Raven. One of my only male friends, who I had assumed would not be drawn into my web of love gone wrong. He’s black haired, brown eyed, and prone to having a wonderful smile which could tame million of girls hearts. Even mine, it seems.

Stop it. You do not like him, stupid Goddess of Love likes him, I say to myself.

“ What’s Ty doing here at lunchtime? Doesn’t he only have morning classes?” I ask Katherine, nibbling on a piece of celery from my white plastic grocery bag.

She shrugs. “Beats me. Now that you’ve started ignoring him, I don’t really hangout with him as much. He was more your friend then mine.”

I roll my eyes at her. “ I’m calling BS. Where were you Friday night?”

“With Ty.” She answers, and smiles sneakily. And after a few moments of silence, “Oh fine, I’ll tell you.”

“You see,” she said. “ Ty’s been noticing your aloofness toward him and he’s playing your game against you. And, as the official referee I cannot interfere.”

I dropped the piece of celery. “ He noticed?” my voice hitches, and I mentally curse the curse. I do not like him.

Katherine nods. “ Just ask him out already. The tension between you two has been building since I first introduced you.”

“It has not,” I replied. And then I gestured to myself. “I mean, come on’, I know I consider myself gorgeous but what does he think of me?” I stare at my stomach. “ I’m not skinny, I’m curvy.” Than I glance at my reflection in the window. “ And I could stand to lose a few pounds.”

Katherine stops admiring her nail beds. “ Sky, you are beautiful, and Ty would be stupid to say no.” She grabbed my chin, and forced me to stare into her emerald eyes. “ I dare you to ask him out,” she said, and then the gun shots went off.

My head snapped 180, and I scanned the ground below looking for Ty. And I found him immediately, with a gun in his hand and the red letters EVERYONE DIE, painted along his black t-shirt.

I looked up at the ceiling. “ Aphrodite, you’ve got some messed up mind if you expect me to save Ty from himself.”

Katherine screeched beside. “ Oh! My! God! It’s Ty. Holy s***! Sky, we’ve gotta run- he’s turning around.”

My eyes refocused onto our lone gunman, and, yes, he was turning his gun to the balcony where we sat.

“Grab my hand, “ I said to Katherine, and pulled her up and across to the stairs. We raced down the stairwell, and I felt the wind rush past my shoes and a sense of weightlessness envelope my chest. We reached the bottom, and I pushed Katherine to the right hallway and yelled, “ Run!”

She glanced back at me, and exclaimed, “ Sky, the exits this way!” and pointed to her back and the view of snow-covered mountains. I only smiled, and shook my head. She gave a look of pure confusion, with her lips squishing together and her forehead crinkling. With one final look over her shoulder, she ran down the hallway and halted to stop in front of the exit, then, pushed the double doors open and escaped to winter.

I turned my head back to the cafeteria. My view partly obstructed by a wall, I crept along, with my body crouched low, until my head peeked out into a clear line of sight to Ty.

“Why did you do this Ty?” I whispered. I knew the many reasons most people started school shootings but Ty didn’t exhibit any of the signs of aggression, nor antisocial tendencies; he didn’t even like metal music. A memory rushed to the front of my eyes of Ty and I arguing if metal/rock music increased violence in teens. I said no matter the music people listened it did not determine their choices in life. Ty was adamant it could lead to increased violence toward other humans. The one time I’m right.

A surge of energy coursed through my body, and I felt myself standing up and walking blatantly into the middle of the cafeteria. I could hear students screaming at me to run, teachers pained expressions as they felt my life hanging in the balance, but all I could see was Ty.

His eyes did not seem his own, they shined a texture of pain, and aggression and hurt I had never seen painted on another human’s beings face. My footsteps reached the edge of the table Ty was standing on, and I felt myself risk one leg up on the bench until I stood on the bench with my hand reaching out to touch Ty’s face.

Suddenly, the power of my limbs returned to me and my arm froze in mid air. What the hell am I doing? Emotions ran across my face as I tried to discern how I’d survive this recent rescue mission. Images of my hands grabbing for the gun, it going off and killing both of us, and then the sight of Ty leveling the revolver at my face continued to play in the background. Dearie, this ones a tuffy, I thought.

“ Why did you ignore me Sky?” Ty asked me, and I forced my imagination to settle and I looked up at his face.

Because I love you, I wanted to say. Instead I answered. “ I don’t know.”

His eyes bulged, and he grabbed at my shirt collar. “Stop lying to me!”

“I’m not lying Ty,” I said, and suppressed a shutter when my voice cracked at the last word. I was always a horrible liar.

He pulled me closer, and I quickly stepped onto the table to stop myself from falling into him.

Falling into him…..what if I? No, I thought, but the idea still lingered in my mind. What if I was meant to save Ty? What if this was the complete reason for the curse, was so I could save his life? Forget the countless other boys who would have gotten hurt if I hadn’t intervened. Ty would likely die in the next hour, unless I get the gun away from him.

But, he’s already lost, my legal self-interjected. He’ll be charged with some form of entrapment and maybe even attempted manslaughter.

“Ty would you like to go out with me?” The words floated from my mouth, into the room full of traveling particles and into the ears of my fellow students, and teachers, and finally into Ty’s ears. His face slacked, and he starred at me dumbfounded.

“You like me, Sky?” he whispered.

I screamed in my mind, for this was as far my plan had extended. Improvisation was never my strong suit.

“ A lot of people like you Ty, “ I said, and bashfully glanced up at him. I was about to screech out something sweet and girly when I realized the stupid actions I was taking to save someone who was very likely already lost. “ Would you go out with me Ty?” I said, and began to grasp the meaning of my words. “ Would you let someone into your heart? What about me? What about your parents? Would you spend time with us? Would go out and hang with us? Can you let yourself love yourself, so you can love others? Or are you too scared?” I ended my last question with determination, and the low, deep tone I use to emphasize a point during debates.

His face turned truly slack, blank, and suddenly he fell into my arms. What a true prince charming. My brain braced for the rush of endorphins as my crush fell into my touch, but nothing appeared. I felt a feeling of disgust rise up in my mouth. Oh, thank god! I don’t like him anymore. But, wait, I’m not feeling the emotion of heartbreak?

The assistant principle took Ty out of my arms, and said to me. “ Thank you young lady for distracting him enough so we could get a clear shot at his neck.”

A clear shot? “ You shot him?” I exclaimed, and my hands flew up to my sides and waved frantically around.

The principle jumped in and she replied. “ Sky, it was a tranquilizer. He’ll wake up in a few hours. You just did something very brave and stupid. If I knew you were a lesbian, I would have thought you were actually asking him out. Very convincing acting their young lady.”

My mouth opened, then closed. The principle thought I was a lesbian. I glanced at my clothes. I was wearing, jeans, heels, and a nice tank with a blazer to cover. What the hell makes that scream lesbian? Who else thinks I’m a lesbian?

Perhaps this is better; at least the school won’t think I was seriously asking out a school shooter.

“Sky, your OK!” Katherine catapulted into me and hugged me fierce. “I was so worried about you! But,” she said, and pushed me out to arms length, “ I hear you’re the new school hero. Congrats!” Then she punched me hard in the arm. “Don’t ever do that again.” And she hugged me again.

I smiled through my grimace. “10-4 on that one. And guess what!”

“What,” she said; looking at me oddly for a few moments then resumed her soft smile at me.

“I think I broke the Goddess of Love curse. I don’t feel heart-broken and I’m not in love with Ty anymore! Maybe I was meant to save someone from really getting themselves into harm and that would break the curse!”

Katherine laughed. “ You still believe in that silly old curse, I was just jo-“

I didn’t hear what she said, and I jumped from her embrace and screamed over my shoulder. “See, look!” My eyes zeroed in the closed guy to me, and I grabbed his neck and kissed him. I smashed my lips to his, and pulled back. I yelled out my shoulder, “ No feelings at all, and usually this would do the trick.”

I let go of the random student and floated down the hall exalted.

Katherine muttered under her breath, “ Sky, I hope you don’t believe everything my grandmother told us when we were four.”