Good Language

A new student? That’s what I get for missing a day of school. I guess I’ll find out today who the new kid is. I’m Keith Hawk. I’m one of the most popular kids here at school. Even though I don’t exactly see myself as it, I know I am. I see people randomly walk up to me and say hi. Almost everyone in the school knows my name whether they like it or not. Today in class I wasn’t really focused. It’s not because I was making jokes across the room to my friends. I was just out of it. I stayed up late last night working on a project.

A knock at the classroom door snapped me back to reality. “She’s here class. Now I want you to be very respectful.” Mrs. Hatch opened the door and let a red haired girl in with her arms crossed and a blank face. She had blue eyes and like all red heads, had many freckles scattered on her face. She was wearing a blue hoodie and jeans, with a black backpack slung around her shoulder. “Class this is Aadya Manson. There’s an open seat in the back.” She walked to the back and sat down.

There was something about her that seemed off. “Now class, I want you to finish what we were working on yesterday…” I spaced out again thinking about random things. I looked back at Aadya, and saw her writing something in a notebook. She closed it and laid the pen beside it. She looked straight forward unblinkingly and I had the feeling someone was watching me. I felt exposed.

It was finally time for lunch and I sat at my normal table. It was my guy friends and two maybe three seventh grade boys or girls. There was this one girl Kay’Lee. She’s funny and really good at sports. She’s A team volleyball and basketball. She’s also cheerleader who always does them either in the halls or whenever she can. There’s only one problem I have with her. She can be really rude. It’s almost as if someones “below her” she has to make them feel that way. I’ve seen her glare and point fingers along with other people. Sometimes people notice sometimes they don’t. I still sit with her and her jerk friends though. That also includes some of my best buddies.

I turn away for a second and I see Aadya sitting by herself at the end of a table right next to ours. I didn’t know I was starring until my buddy Bobby nudged me and asked what was up. I shook my head and looked at my tray. There was a note. How did that get here? I opened it up and read:

What do you want?

Who put this here? I looked back at the girl and she was gone. I started walking back to my class in the hall and sped up to the girl. She just stared forward with a blank stare.

“Uh, Hi. I’m Keith.” I held my hand out for a handshake, but she didn’t even look at me, just kept walking. “Um, do you happen to know where this came from?” I held out the note for her to read. She didn’t even look down to read it she just looked at me and rolled her eyes. “Esya.” Uh. What?

“I’m sorry can you repeat that?”

“Ona.” What the heck? Then she sped up and walked off.

Right into my class. She sat down and I sat across from her. This classroom was set up with desks in a row with no desk beside each other.

“What the heck man?” I whisper to her in the back of the class. She does another perfect eye roll and gets out a crumpled piece of paper and writes something than passes it to me.

What do you want? it wrote. I started to write down something and passed it back saying Nothing just trying to be nice -_-

Whatever. Just forget it

No I won’t. Also what language do you speak? And why don’t you speak English is a much more efficient way of talking.

It’s English Pig Latin. Also please let it go because I want nothing to do with you people.

I’m so confused? What did I do wrong?

Ha! Good one

Not joking.

I just don’t like talking to rude snobby popular people

Ouch

But true

How do you know! You haven’t met me.

If I could eye roll on paper I would. Look I know how y’all are. I see people point, stare and glare and it’s not like you did anything to stop it

That’s what got me. The one thing I always feel guilty for. They’re my friends and I don’t know how to tell them it’s bad. Especially Kay’Lee and Jack. I looked over at Aadya and mouthed. I thought so.

My mind was still filled with the troubling thoughts of letting my friends talk about people behind their backs. It was the end of the school day and I was waiting outside for my mom to pick me up.

Of course so was Aadya. She leaned against the pillar and glanced toward me and saw me looking at her. Why me? She patted her pocket and moved behind the pillar.

I put my hand in my pocket and found a note.

I told you to stop bro. It’s creepy. Stop the confused boy act. You know what happened.

What act? There’s no act! I don’t know what happened! I understand her frustration with people being rude. But it’s almost as if there’s something else. She keeps asking what I want and to get away and doesn’t want to be involved with people like us.

I run behind the pillar and she gets an annoyed look on her face. “Why can’t you just stay away. Is it seriously so hard? Look I don’t care what you and your buddies think about me. Just stop talking to me.” First time I’ve ever heard her talk in a way I could understand.

“I still don’t understand. What did I ever do?”

“Go ask your buddies and they’ll tell you.” So that’s what I did. The next day before class I went to Kay’Lee and Bobby.

“Hey did I miss something the day I was gone, about the new student?” Kay’Lee covered her mouth as if saying “you don’t know?” and Bobby put a hand on his head and said “Oh my.”

Kay’Lee laughed and whispered, “Sorry. I thought Jack texted you what we found out. She moves from place to place all the time. Apparently at her last school she pranked the teacher so bad, she got expelled! Look there she is now. I can’t believe she got sent to this school! I was on a video chat last night and apparently there were injuries because of the prank, but were not sure what it was.” They started to talk more about her and then I don’t know how to feel.

She injured someone with a prank, yet she doesn’t seem like someone two would. And why would she get mad at me! They’re only telling me what happened.

“Ya, I heard that she helped people cut class and helped them sneak out of detentions many times too.” I didn’t talk to her the rest of the day, but this time a black haired girl in my class, Allie, was talking to her.

I was also in the back so I could hear what they were talking about.

“Hello. I’m Allie. Sorry I didn’t talk to you yesterday. I’m not really a peoples person, but you look lonely.” Aadya smiled at this.

“Tsia lrightaa.” Allie was confused.

“What? What language is that?” I saw Aadya write something on paper. “Wow! I’ve never heard that! English Pig Latin? Sounds cool. Can you teach it to me?” Allie asked and Aadya nodded. I couldn’t read the paper, but soon they were talking in tongues to each other. There were a few times they talked in English to understand each other, but then Aadya said something that made Allie freeze. During lunch they were talking again.

“Bro, what are you doing looking at those freaks.” What? Who said that? “Helloooooooo. Keith?” Oh it’s Jack.

“Sorry, nothing.” He looked strangely at me.

“You OK man?” And I nodded. I don’t know what to do.

After school I saw Allie and Aadya ride home together. I put my hands in my pocket and felt ANOTHER NOTE!

I opened it and it read: Thanks

How do these notes end up in my pocket?

The next day was really like any other. I almost completely forgot all about Aadya and what she said to me about my friends, but they Kay’Lee brought her up.

“So you know how Aadya is known for getting people out of detention? Well, I was late to class because I was doing my makeup in the locker room and I got my fifth tarty in the class, which means I got detention.-”

“And you want her to get you out.” Bobby said with a smirk. And she nodded almost vilely.

“Hey! Keith has been talking to her maybe he can ask her!” Everyone at the table looked toward me and I had such a bad feeling. They started asking if I could get them out of trouble and all this other random stuff. I said I would to get them to stop talking, but I know I’m meant to be doomed.

At the end of the day I went over to Allie and Aadya and saw that they were again talking in the weird language behind the pillar.

“Reaa uoya ctuallyaa oingga ota oda tia!?” Allie said.

“Upya!” Aadya held a folded piece of paper in her hand, but I couldn’t see what they were doing cause they saw me.

“Keith, go away.” Allie said. She was one of the main girls Kay’Lee couldn’t stand because whenever people passed a volleyball to her, she always missed.

“Sorry. Look today at lunch Kay’Lee was telling us how she got in trouble-” Aadya cut me off.

“Because she was using a lot of time in the bathroom for her stupid make up. Yeah, so? It’s been all around school, because everyone’s favorite snob is in trouble.” What’s her problem?

“Okay, one stop being so mean to Kay’Lee. She worked hard for what she’s gotten. Also what I was going to say is that she wanted me to ask you to get her out of detention. I asked them about it yesterday and they told me what you did.” I said my tone was angry about the last part. “I knew you wouldn’t do it, but just so they could see I asked.”

“Well you’re right. I won’t help her, also I told you to stay away. I guess yesterday was luck. Let’s go Al.” She nodded and they were about to walk off, but I wasn’t done. I was mad.

“No. You acted like they were mean, but really it’s you! You hurt people! Why do you act that way! Kay’Lee just tells people hat happens!”

“I never hurt anyone! If you would’ve stayed away none of this would’ve happened! All you people are jerks! Little bratty parasites! It’s people like you who blame me! People like you who want me in their schemes! I helped the people who needed it!” Her face was as red as her hair. I looked at her balled fists. Are they glowing? “I never care what people think because all they did was point or glare. But for some reason I’m caring right now… Just get away!” Her face was turning back to it’s normal shade of pale. Allie looked and glared at me. It was more than just her angry face that stuck with me, but the words.

People like you.

I never hurt anyone.

In there schemes.

Blame me.

People like you.

I had such a sour feeling in my stomach.

“What really happened?” I said after a while. A tear dolled down Aadya’s cheek.

“All my life there was something different about me. I was friends with the outcasts. Not that they did anything wrong. They were just weird. They would make the stupidest jokes, they would point out the weirdest things. Sing the craziest songs. Many people do that though. But they might mess up doing a sport or mess up a class. Then that’s when they become lesser. I never cared though. I had my friends. Why would I care what anyone else thought? Because I was a transporter. Or that’s what I call myself.” What? “Basically I have teleportation powers.” Now she’s lying. I know it. “That’s now you go those notes.” My face turned pale and she smirked at me. Then her face turned dark. “Then I started caring ever since 6th grade. See I know there are certain people who don’t deserve to be in detention, so I get transport them out. I would only do it to people who deserved it though. Soon a girl got in trouble for a good reason and I wouldn’t help her out, so she found a way to get me expelled. I told them it was fake, but everyone believed her. Guess why?”

“Popular?” He said almost a wince.

“Yeah, then I realized the pattern from school to school. I’ve made true friends, but when my powers malfunction, which they have many times, it ruins everything. But it’s always people like Kay’Lee who make it worse.

I suddenly realize everything that’s been going wrong. The way not just my friends, but myself have been treating people. Gossiping and pointing fingers. It’s not right.

The next day at lunch I decide to confront them with it.

“Hey, don’t you think were being a bit mean? I mean were always pointing out bad things.”

“Stop being ridiculous. We’re just telling the truth.”

“It’s still mean. I mean don’t you wanna do something else besides making people fell lesser than you?” The whole table looked at me as if I was crazy. But this time I don’t care. I’m not going to participate in these terrible acts. SO I got up and left the table.

I believe we can make a difference if we stand for what right.