A different kind of girl

She was born different. It was visible, even from the start. Her irises were a soft, pale pink, and her pupils a solid gold. She was not noisy, nor would she wake up her mother in the middle of the night with her screaming like other babies did. But when you looked at her, you felt as though she could see your soul. Her stare was unnerving, even as a baby.

Her powers began to show early too. Much earlier than normal. She was a danger to herself and others. But in the beginning this could be kept quiet since she was such a petite thing. She grew to be one, and started talking, yet many still called her an infant. Two, and she began walking, while those who didn’t know her assumed she was maybe ten months at most. Three was when she started reading, and while she was growing, she was often still assumed to be two. Four came with no real changes, she was still quite petite, but at that age you are no longer so cute to have everyone pay attention to you, nor are you old enough for those same people to stop and chat with you. She was beyond most everyone’s notice, but the few who did notice her assumed (quite wrongly, I must admit, but quite like everyone before them) that she was younger than she really was (though I will say, she acted older than her age, and when you put the two together it can be quite confusing.)
Five was when it changed. On the outside, nothing was different, but inside, inside a change was happening. One that would change not only her life, but a boy’s, a dog’s (despite how she really was a turtle person), and quite possibly, the perception of the whole world.

But all that happens in a later story. For now, it is morning, on her fifth birthday. She woke early that day. As she had gotten older, she had progressively woken earlier and earlier. Today was unusually early though, the sun hadn’t even begun to think of rising, all the constellations were high in the sky.
She went and sat on her front porch, watching the stars. She whispered to herself, as she so often did. They called her odd for it, but she did not care. Who else was there to talk to, if not herself?
“Look!” She whispered, of course. Her parents were still asleep after all. “Corona borealis! The crown! On my birthday!” She giggled. “I’m the birthday princess.” She dangled her feet off the side of the porch, unconsciously twirling a small strand of light between her fingers.
 She continued to look at the constellations as the sky grew slowly lighter, and the stars faded into the sky.
“The sunrise! One should always make a wish when they see the sunrise.” She closed her eyes. “But what to wish? Hmm… I know!” She opened her eyes, and ran off the porch where the wet grass tickled her feet. Turning, she faced the sunrise. Her lips moved soundlessly, then she took a deep breath, and blew out as hard as she could. Then, turning, she ran back inside, where her daddy would be up soon, and he would tickle her until she couldn’t breathe, and they would go wake up mom together, and make pancakes, and she would have an amazing birthday, and oh! What presents would she get? Her excitement growing, she darted inside.
But behind her, a small, glowing breeze headed towards the sunrise.

Her birthday was a good one, and with it came a new year. With the new year came changes, as new years always bring. This one was especially big though, as she was to begin school in the fall.
She was slowly introduced to the idea of school, to help her accept it. Slowly, then a bit more, and more, and then they were shopping for school supplies, and all of a sudden it was the morning she was to begin school.
Her mother came to wake her up, gently tapping her. “Are you ready for school?”
“Oh yes!” She responded, excited. She ate a very good breakfast of waffles, and followed her mom to the car.
She spent the whole ride imagining what it would be like, what the other kids would be like, new friends she would make, on and on.
They arrived, and her mom introduced her to the teacher, then left to go to work.
It was only kindergarten of course, so when the girl went inside, she was told to play a bit while they waited for others to arrive.
The girl was not shy, of course, so she walked up to the first person she saw, which happened to be a little girl playing with the barn set.
“Hello!” The playing girl looked up.
“Hi.”
“Want to be friends?”
“Alright. I’m Alyssa.” And so began a friendship that would last through the years.
“Alright everyone!” The teacher clapped her hands. “Come sit down.” There was a moment while everyone moved to the carpet.
“Hello. I am Miss Danna Green. You will refer to me as Miss Green. Now, say your names.” They went in a circle, everyone introducing themselves.
“Now, do you all know our story?” She waited while all the kids nodded.
“Watch closely.” Miss Green faded, becoming transparent, then she was gone. The kids started murmuring among themselves.
“What?”
“Where did she go?”
“How did she do that?”
After a minute she faded back into view. “That was my ability, that I was born with. Each of you has one, though you are too young to know what it is-”
“But I know what mine is!” The girl interrupted. Her parents had taught her interrupting was rude, but in this case, she was so excited she forgot.
“Impossible.” Miss Green said.
“But it’s true!”
Miss Green looked scornful. “Don’t lie, it’s not nice. No one discovers it that young. You must be mistaken.”
“But I’m not! I’m telling the truth.”
“Don’t show off, it’s not nice. Tell the truth.”
“But I am!”
Miss Green was getting mad, her face reddening. “That’s it! I will not accept this. Your parents will be told. And you will stay after everyone has left for me to speak to you. Alone.” The girl looked at Miss Green. She did not look nice, or like she was going to be nice to her.
Why did she have to stay after? What would it be like? Would Miss Green be mean to her? Oh, why didn’t Miss Green believe her?

Because Miss Green refused to believe that she was telling the truth, and believed she was lying, so when they were allowed to play, she was not allowed to play with the others. She sat on a chair in a corner, and watched the others playing. Oh how she wanted to play with them! But she couldn’t.
Miss Green went to get a snack for everyone after a few minutes, and Alyssa came over.
“Hi.” Alyssa said.
“Why are you here? Miss Green said I couldn’t play.”
“I wanted to talk to you. That’s what friends do. And besides, I believe you. It’s so cool that you know your ability! I can’t wait until I know mine.”
“Thank you.” The girl smiled. She hadn’t really had a friend before. When you are little your parents are your friends, your comforters, but when you get older you make your own friends, and they’re the ones who comfort and strengthen you.
“Oh, you're welcome. I just wanted to talk to you, really.”
She stopped talking as Miss Green came back.
“Alright everyone! I have crackers, so come sit at the tables to eat them.” She looked at the girl. “You may come sit and have crackers too.” The girl smiled, and sat next to Alyssa.
After their snack, everyone left one by one - even Alyssa, who hugged the girl before leaving her alone with Miss Green.
“I’ve told your parents you’ll be a little late.” The girl nodded mutely. She didn’t want to say anything, afraid Miss Green wouldn’t like it.
“Let’s sit down.” Miss Green sat, and the girl sat across from her.

“I wanted to talk to you about what you said earlier. You said you knew your ability was, but that can’t be true. No one discovers it as young as you. And I won’t tolerate any lies. I know it may seem like such a small lie, or that I’m making such a big deal out of it, but I won’t let anyone lie. One lie leads to another, and another, until there is nothing but lies. I’m not going to let that happen to any of my students, and I’m not going to let that happen to you.”
The girl nodded, still afraid to say anything.
“So tell me,” Miss Green asked. “Why did you say it?”
“Say what?” The girl asked. Miss Green looked exasperated.
“The lie of course! You said you knew what your special ability was, and you kept insisting that you knew, even when I said I knew you were lying.”
“But I wasn’t lying,” The girl whispered. “I promise.”
“Alright then.” Miss Green said. “Show me what you can do.” She sat back with her arms folded, and looked at the girl with the kind of look that says get on with it, because I know you can’t do it. The girl looked at her. She didn’t say anything. You didn’t, when someone looked at you like that.
Slowly she stood up. She backed away from Miss Green a little bit, and cupped her hands. She blew across them, closed them, and when she removed one hand, there was a floating sphere. It was a light blue, so light you could barely see it, and see-through. Somehow, though it defied physics, the sphere exuded cold around it, both Miss Green and the girl gave an involuntary shiver.
Miss Green stared at it. She reached out one hand toward it. The sphere, previously stationary, jerked toward her, hitting her hand, and getting sucked away. Miss Green quivered, the ends of her hair frosting over, then disappearing as quickly as they came. She stared at the girl, her mouth opening in an “o” of surprise.
“Do you know what this is?” Miss Green asked the girl.
“What do you mean? It’s just what I do.” Miss Green glanced down at the girl’s hands. “So it’s finally come,” she muttered. She looked back at the girl.
“Well, it appears you were telling the truth. I’m sorry for doubting you. Let me call your parents.”
Shortly afterward the girl’s mom arrived.
“May I speak to you for a moment?” Miss Green asked.
“Sure.” The two of them stepped away for a minute. When they came back, her mom looked shocked. But she shook her head, and the look disappeared.
“Should we head home, honey?” Her mom picked her up, and the two of them headed out the door.
“Keep an eye on her!” Miss Green called as they left. “She’s a special one.”