The Turn-Around

Cassidy wasn't very outgoing. She wasn't very kind. She didn't care what people thought of her, nor did she care for others. Cassidy never found joy in life, all she found was misery. She was bullied in school, she had no friends. Her parents fought and her brother was a crybaby. She was referred to as "emo". Her hair was pitch black. Her clothes usually consisted of black and purple. The worst part about her were her eyes. They were like little ice chips that stared straight into souls. She hated the stupid black cat that followed her everywhere. She hated herself and the world. The only part she didn't hate was sleeping. This was the only time she found some sort of content on Earth. There she could drift away and be free until the morning. She dreamed of living on a mountain which overlooked towns and oceans. She would dream of looking up at the beautiful night sky which glistened with yellow and white flaming stars. Cassidy dreamed and dreamed. She loved her dreams. One night, though, was different. She dreamed of being at school. Surrounded by her classmates. Cassidy was confused. The one place she hated attending was now conquering the one place she loved. "WHY?!" she screamed and listened as her voice echoed. "What do you mean?" asked a quiet voice from behind her. Cassidy jumped and turned around, her pitch black hair covering her face. She tucked her hair behind her ears and gasped. In front of her stood a boy, looking about her age. His hair was the same black as hers, his eyes also the same ice blue as Cassidy's. The only difference was that both his hair and eyes glittered as if the stars themselves resided within' them. He looked dreamy. Cassidy could barely make out the freckles that dotted his cheeks, or was that glitter? She couldn't tell. The rest of his body seemed to dissolve into the background. Though, Cassidy did have to admit that he looked a bit intimidating. "Wh-who.." Cassidy's voice faltered and the boy smiled. His smile made Cassidy's heart skip a beat, which she hated. "The world around you is what you dream," the boy said. Confusion grasped at her for a moment, but then Cassidy got her confidence back, "That wasn't what I a-" "maybe not," he interrupted. "But it is what you want to know." Cassidy stared at him, her ice blue eyes boring into his. "You can't get what you want if you don't try to succeed in life," the boy said simply, not flinching under Cassidy's gaze. "I do succeed in life. I'm still alive, aren't I?" Cassidy challenged. "That's not living. That's just.." his voice trailed off as he thought of what to say. Cassidy held her breath involuntarily, waiting to hear his sweet voice again. Even if he was criticizing her. "It's just not dying..," he responded after a moment. "And? What's the problem with that?" The boy sighed, he almost looked annoyed but it was hard to tell with his angelic face. "Life is more than you think Cassidy. Live it right and you'll see the future you've seen in your dreams," he said. The dream shifted to Cassidy's house in the mountains. "Don't live it right, well.. I don't think you'd want to find out," he ended regretfully. "You don't understand me! Everyone hates me!" Cassidy shouted. She heard more anger in her voice than she intended on. "That's where you are mistaken. You don't understand yourself because you don't want to. You just think that everyone hates you because you don't think they would accept you," he said. "The path you tread on now may be steady for the time being, but in the future this path will lead you to death.." he warned. Cassidy snorted, she couldn't believe this guy. "All lives end with death!" she snapped, her anger getting the best of her. "Yours will be quicker than most. Death is already waiting at your doorstep," the boy crossed his arms defiantly. Cassidy's eyes widened. It took her a moment to remember how to breath, she couldn't tell whether it was from the shocking news or just from him. "There are people out there that want to be your friends, but you won't let them.. If you have no friends, sooner or later you'll get picked on," he said softly as if he were trying to calm down a crying child. Cassidy shifted uncomfortably on her feet and rubbed one of her arms. Right now, she felt as vulnerable as a crying child. "You're going to wake up soon.." the boy said, checking his wrist. Cassidy noticed that he had a watch, it looked like the galaxy. "The choice is yours. So choose wisely," he uncrossed his arms and turned away from Cassidy. "Wait.! I never got your name..!" Cassidy cried. The boy turned his head towards her, but didn't respond. He gave her one last smile that melted Cassidy's heart then he turned into a million stars that floated up into the sky. Cassidy was frozen to the spot, but determined to follow his advice. Her eyes followed the stars as they travelled to the sky. "okay.. i made my choice.." she said softly. The next day in school she was nicer and more joyful. She allowed people to talk to her and she talked back to them. School went by in a breeze, Cassidy couldn't believe that she missed out on so much things because she underestimated herself. She actually enjoyed the day, she enjoyed the crappy school lunch, she enjoyed hanging out with people. And by the end of the day, she had 2 friends to walk home with. Cassidy didn't understand this new feeling in her, but something told her that it was happiness. It made her feel warm inside and she loved it. As she walked away with her two new friends, a boy watched her from the shadows of a tree. The same black hair, the same ice blue eyes. Just this time he wasn't covered in stars. Cassidy stopped and turned her head. Their eyes met. He smiled. Shock filled Cassidy. "he was just a dream.." she muttered. Cassidy closed her eyes, shook her head, and hurried to catch up with her friends. When she opened her eyes and looked back, he was gone. Cassidy sighed, but smiled. She focused on the road ahead. He appeared again in the shadows of the tree, this time Cassidy didn't see. He was happy for her and glad he helped. He looked down at his watch and tapped the screen. The mysterious boy turned into a small black cat. His ice blue eyes glittered as he jumped up into the tree and disappeared within' the leaves.