Are you serious? Do I really have to go? I just moved here 2 years ago and now I have to change schools? My mother is silent, and I reluctantly step out of my house and into the car so she can drive me to school. Now before I continue, let me say it is Elementary School. North Tamarind, to be exact. I was starting my 4th grade year there because the school district switched the boundary lines of certain areas in the city, and mine was closest to that school. Well, needless to say, I didn’t want to go. But, by the end of my first day I was very glad I did…

       I step out of the car into a puddle of murky water. Great. Not only was it the first day of school, which I hate, but it is also furiously raining. For some reason I have never owned an umbrella, so I just run into the school to try to find my room number, P1. I avoid the rain as much as possible, and finally end up on the far side of the school, soaking wet and freezing. Turns out my room is in a portable building, so I quickly climb up the ramp and, my heart beating fast, open the door. A huge gust of warm air greets me first, and then a big man with a cane. “Morning!” he yells at me, and I nervously look at him without saying a word. Then I am pushed forward by someone behind me, and stumble into a desk. I turn around and hear, “Oh, sorry! Sorry! Are you okay?” 

“Yeah,” I reply back. It takes me a while to get a good look at the girl who pushed me because she moves so fast. One minute she is apologizing to me, and the next she is getting a donut from the teacher’s desk. “Goodmorning Nikita” he says to her. 

“Hi Mr. White!” she replies. After grabbing two cartons of milk, Nikita quickly glides her way over to me, and she gives me a carton and donut to eat. I take them, and   she runs to the door to hold it open for the rest of the class to enter. After everyone comes in our teacher introduce himself as Mr. White, and we start reading a book called The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. I find it fascinating, and when the bell for recess rings I don’t want to go outside. I want to keep getting sucked into the fantastic world of Narnia because I hate being the new kid in a new school. “Are you coming?” Nikita asks me by the door.

“Yeah,” I tell her, and I stand up to join her outside.

       Recess is my favorite. I just love the little break from school to eat, to play with friends, to do pretty much whatever you want. But today I am shy whenever Nikita invites me to play games. She doesn’t seem to notice though, because she is everywhere faster than I can blink. Then she pushes me for the second time, and says “Tag! You’re it!” and runs. I laugh and start to chase her and only her. We travel through the playground, past the huge tree in the middle of the field, and end up by the library on the opposite side of the school. She finally stops running, and when I tag her I say “No tag backs!” which makes me the winner because nobody else followed us all the way over here. She laughs loudly and then asks me why I was so shy. I tell her that I am new and she looks at me funny. “What?” I ask her.

“You’re silly,” she says. “There’s no reason to be shy.”

“But I don’t know anyone here,” I tell her.

“So? You know me. And besides, I’m new here too.”

The bell rings, she smiles, and she takes off like a rocket leaving me behind. Her hair flies behind her, and her arms are flailing at her sides. Then I smile, realize I’m going to be late to class on my first day, and begin to run back to P1. When I return I find Nikita sitting next to my seat, and I happily join her so we can talk about random things that were so important to us at the time, but I can’t seem to remember them. All I remember is her face. Beautiful, milk chocolate-colored, with a few freckles on her cheekbones. Dark brown eyes. Radiant smile. Nikita.

    After the bell rang at the end of the day, I could tell Nikita and I were going to be very good friends. There was something about her that I quite couldn’t figure out, because she seemed so carefree and open-minded to new situations. She probably woke up earlier for school, and did not think twice about her old school. So when I got home I promised myself I would try to be more positive about things, and that is exactly what I did. I don’t know where I would be today if I did not go to North Tamarind on that rainy Monday, but I’m sure glad I did. I loved going to school. I would spend recess with Nikita everyday, doing various mischievous things together. It was all good fun, until 6th grade. Many events occurred that year that I don’t know how I got through it, but I know of one major thing that I won’t ever forget.

Nikita moved away.

It made me hate middle school, until a young woman by the name of May Fallen saved me.

You were cold when we touched

Inhuman, lifeless, cold

I could not believe our hands were clutched

That we would be so bold.

The lights outside blurred into the sky

My breath became short

Suddenly I knew I could fly

With you as my support.

But then the car came to a stop

Our hands became unclutched

My hand fell with a flop

And there I was untouched.

My hands smelled like pennies. They had not been washed the whole day, and I was counting coins a few minutes earlier. A lot can happen in a minute, I thought to myself as I laid there, on the cold, dark bathroom floor. The tiles, having been plastered together, caused even more discomfort than I had already experienced. My heartbeat was slowing; I could feel it pumping fresh blood into my weak body. Why is this happening? You’re fine, I told myself. It was nothing, nothing at all. So I tried to get up, but it seemed as though my skin had glued itself to the floor. My mind was racing, thinking of all of the events that occurred merely hours earlier. The Songs kept playing in my head, swimming in and out of my thoughts, obstructing the flow of neuron traffic. It seemed like hours passed. Then my eyes flew open. All became soundless in my head. I heard a dog barking madly outside. Slowly, my penny-smelling hands reached up knowingly to grab hold of the sink. My body followed, and I stared at the shadow of my reflection in the toothpaste-stained mirror as it crept up higher and higher. I flip the light switch. Light bathed the room in color, and I stared at my face for a couple of seconds before I headed for the door. I did not want to leave my sanctuary, but I had to sooner or later. If I didn’t open the door, I would be safe in my bathroom. But no, Now or Never, I reminded myself. Get Effy out of your head. So I took a deep breath, paused for a moment, then turned the knob and stepped out to face the world with my penny-smelling hands, stronger than ever.  

“I was b o r n, with my back to the s t a r s,

Turn Me Over

I’d Like to see.

Here comes the Morning, 

To End this d r e a m.”

Hello there. My name is Perry, Perry Evans. And I am here to tell my story. Of course, everyone has a story of their own. But mine is a little different. I was born Today, on the Day of Love. I woke up and walked outside, to see people carrying flowers, balloons, and chocolates to their loved ones. But I have never ever had a Valentine. Believe me when I tell you that I know Love exists, because I see it expressed everyday in different forms. But I have never experienced Love first-hand, which is a little alarming considering I am 18 years of age. Not to worry though, I still have plenty of time to find it, so this is why I created this blog. To share with you my experiences, stories, poems, conversations, and anything else I can think of that is worth posting. I may not be someone you know, but hopefully I am someone you can relate to, or imagine yourself being friends with. I began this blog with some lyrics by an artist named Until The Ribbon Breaks, because his music is captivating and underrated, and his videos are thoughtfully presented. Before I go, I should mention my inspiration for opening up my eyes, and writing about my life. She goes by the name of May, May Fallen. I have know her for quite some time now, and will always be referring to her because she is my source of infinite brightness everyday of every year. Thank You So Much, Darling May. I Adore You. But for now, I will let you go off to your own lives, to ponder or forget about me. The choice is up to you. But remember, I am Perry Evans, I was born with my back to the stars, and I am here to stay.

-P.E.