Exceptional A young woman's struggle with mental illness. Demons in My Head : Young Love by Mistydawn

Katelyn is anxiously sitting in her homeroom class waiting for the bell to ring. Glancing at the clock, she sees the second-hand working around its facing. I have to be ready to go, she thinks, counting down the seconds in her head. Four, three, two, one. The thundering bell breaks the silence, Katelyn runs to the door. "Katelyn Howard," her teacher scolds over the ruckus. Ignoring the teachers warning, she dashes out of the room. Weaving her way through all the foot traffic, she makes her way to the door. "Walk, don't run," her principal warns, as she sprints out of the building. Katelyn doesn't like having to rush this way, but she knows what her bullies will do if she doesn't. Some of the older kids have been making fun of her since she's been on her new medicines. They say she acts weird, spacey, like a freak. Soon, they had all of the kids calling her zombie girl, mocking how she walks and talks. When she starts sobbing, they call her a bawl baby, making her cry that much more.  Katelyn knows she should tell someone, but figures tattling will only make things worse. Since she can't stand up to all of them on her own,  she decided the best thing to do is avoid them when she can. "Watch where you're going," an angry driver yells out his window as she darts across the street. Waving, Katelyn continues jogging down the block. A little further down, her muscles begin to cramp. Not now, she begs, trying to ignore the burning coursing through her legs. She looks up to find her house is only a few blocks away. I'm almost there, she thinks, pushing herself more. She's just made it across the rusty railroad tracks when she sees her enemy coming towards her, his friend is by his side. I have to get past them, she thinks, darting to the right. Jeff grabs a hold of her arm as she runs by. "Hey, freak, what's your hurry?" he asks. "Maybe zombie girl needs to take her medicine." Larry laughs. "Leave me alone," she yells, fighting to break free of his grip. "Zombie girl is getting mad, Jeff. Do you think she'll turn us into a zombie like her?" "She might." He laughs. "Is this how it's done?" Straightening his arms, Larry walks around real slow. "Leave me alone," she repeats, trying to pull away. Jeff squeezes her arm tighter. Tears fill her eyes as she winces from the pain. Don't cry, don't cry, she wills herself, fighting back her tears. "Please, leave me alone," she begs, trying hard not to bawl. Her small, frail body plummets to the ground when Jeff lets go. Drawing her knees to her chest, she nervously rocks back and forth, "Please let me go, please just let me go," she sobs. "The poor little zombie girl fell down." Larry laughs. "Boo hoo, baby, boo hoo," Jeff says, rubbing his eyes. "Does the baby need her bottle?" The boys laugh. A strange voice breaks through her sobbing. "You better leave her alone." Katelyn looks up to find a short, stocky kid walking towards them. "What are you going to do about it, punk?" Jeff asks, eyeing the strange kid. "This!" John grabs a handful of rocks and chucks them at the boys. Some whiz past, while others hit their mark. Wiping tears off her face, Katelyn darts towards her protector. "You heard him, leave me alone." Scooping up a handful of rocks she slings them towards her attackers. "Look at the babies throwing rocks," Jeff laughs, trying to dodge the flying debris.  Seeing a large pile of bricks, Katelyn runs over to them. Picking up a large stone, she tosses at her enemy. "Take that, you creep," she yells as it smacks Larry in the head. Noticing a new pile of weaponry, her newfound friend runs to her side. Picking up a brick, he chucks it at the bullies. The rock smacks the back of Jeff's head. "There's more where that came from," the stranger laughs, throwing another brick his way. "Yeah," Katelyn replies, picking up another stone. "Get out of there," a tall, rounded gentleman warns running towards them. Frightened, the four scamper across the field. When Katelyn and her new friend are a distance away, they stop to catch their breath. "Thanks for coming to my rescue," Katelyn says, gasping for much-needed air. "No problem." He pants. "I've never seen you around before." "We just moved in last week. See, my parents were transferred out here to help set up a new store." "What's your name?" "John, what's yours?" "Katelyn." "Nice to meet you, Katelyn." "You too." She giggles. "Do they pick on you all the time?" "Ever since I started taking this stupid medicine." Kicking a small rock with the tip of her shoe, she continues. "They say I act like a zombie." "I think you act just fine." Blushing, she looks towards the ground. She's never had a boy be nice to her, so she isn't sure how to reply. "Do you want me to carry your backpack for you?" John offers. "If you want to," she says, slipping the straps off her shoulders. "I know a great place to get free ice cream. Do you want me to show you where it is?" "Sure." She leans in and whispers, "It'll be our little secret, alright?"  "Mum's the word." He pretends to zip his mouth. She giggles again. "Follow me." She leads him down the sidewalk to their destination. "Here we are." The ice cream parlor is decorated with an array of bright colors, giving it a warm, friendly appeal. Even the tables and chairs are decorated with vivid patterns. Remembering his manners, John reaches for the door. "Ladies first." This is just like a grown-up date, she thinks. Giggling, she steps inside. Hearing bells chime, a short, rounded man turns towards them. His dark complexion and dusky eyes seem to magnify his white hair and his long fluffy beard. "It's so nice to see you again, Miss Howard. How are you, this lovely spring afternoon?" "Fine, thank you, Mr. Raina. This is my friend, John. He just moved into our neighborhood." He turns towards the boy and smiles. "Welcome, lad." "Thank you, sir."  "I always make a special treat for newcomers," Mr. Raina says, winking at Katelyn. She giggles. Sliding a glass door up, he starts scooping ice cream from assorted buckets. When he's satisfied with his colorful creation, he sets it on top of the counter. "What do you think about that?"  John's mouth waters as he eyes the delightful treat. "It looks delicious, sir, but I don't have any money." "It's my treat. Think of it as a welcome to the neighborhood gift." "Thank you, sir," John replies, glancing towards his bowl. "Do you want your usual, Miss Howard?" "Yes, please." Within a few minutes, he hands her a large chocolate cone. "Enjoy, kids." '"Oh, we will, sir." Grabbing his ice cream off the counter, John runs to a table. "He must be a hungry lad." Mr. Raina replies, watching him shovel ice cream into his mouth. "He must be." Giggling, Katelyn walks over to the table. "This is so cool," he mumbles between bites. "Remember, it's our little secret." Nodding, he shovels another spoonful in his mouth. A few minutes later, she glances at her friend who's staring at his half-melted ice cream remaining in his bowl. "What's wrong?" "I can't eat another bite."  "Me either," she says, shoving the last bit of cone in her mouth. They both laugh. "Do you want to meet my parents, Katelyn? They're working a couple of stores down." "Sure," she says, grabbing her backpack off the floor. "Follow me." They step into a store that seems to be well-stocked from wall to wall. "Your mom and dad own this?"  "I wish. No, they're just setting it up for the company." Mom, Dad, I'd like you to meet someone." Leaning against the counter, his mom asks, "What's your name, honey?" "Katelyn Howard, ma'am," "It's nice to meet you, Katelyn." "Nice to meet you too.." His father peeks around the corner and smiles. "That's my boy, not even in school a day and he already has a girlfriend." "She's not my girlfriend, Dad." "You might want to keep an eye on her because she is a cute little thing."  "Oh, Bill, stop, you're embarrassing the poor girl." Bill sees Katelyn's face turning red. "I'm sorry if I embarrassed you, sweetheart." "It's ok, sir. Well, I better get home before my mom starts worrying." Walking around the counter, Bill nudges his son's arm. "I... I'll walk you home," John says, giving his father an inquisitive look.   Bill winks again. "Nice meeting you," Katelyn says, walking to the door. "You too, honey," Wanda replies. "Come back anytime," Bill adds, as the kids step outside. "Your parents seem nice." "Sometimes they get on my nerves." "Yeah, mine does too. So what grade are you in?" "Fourth, you?" he asks. "I'm in third grade. I have a little sister, she's in first grade." "I have a little sister in first grade too. She always tells mom and dad everything I do to get me into trouble." "Katie does too, but when I tell on her, my parents will say, "stop tattling on your sister." "My parents always tell me no one likes a tattle tale." "Yeah, mine too," she laughs. "I'm beginning to think every parent has the same handbook." "I bet hospital hands the books out with every kid. Here's your baby and here's a how-to guide," she replies. They both laugh. "Do your parents tell you to eat all your vegetables so you'll grow big and strong?" "Yeah, and they tell me candy rots my teeth," she answers. "Mine too, but I don't care, I love candy." "Me too. Well, this is my house," she says, pointing behind her. "Can I walk you home tomorrow?" "Meet me at the water fountain when the last bell rings, ok?" "See you there," he says, rushing back the way he came. Katelyn turns to find her mom standing on the porch,  "Where have you been, young lady?" Madeline scolds, pulling her daughter into the house. "And who's that boy you were talking to?" "His name is John, he just moved in last week." "You're too young to have a boyfriend." "He's only a friend, mom," she says, plopping her backpack on the floor. "I want you to go upstairs and clean your room. When you get done with that, I want you to set the table." . "Yes, mom."  Walking into her room, she plops down on her bed. I'm back in here, again, she thinks, eyeing her dreary room. Ever since the kids started picking on her, she seldom goes out to play. She occasionally invites friends over, but because of her mother's strict rules, her friends don't stay long. Oh, John, I wish every day could be like today, Closing her eyes, she pictures his handsome face smiling at her. She then remembers how he came to her rescue. You're my hero, she sighs, drifting off to sleep. *** Meeting at the water fountain became a daily ritual. John would use his allowance for sodas and she'd pack extra food in her lunch box so they could have an after-school snack. Katelyn's parents didn't like the idea of them spending so much time together, at first. When they realized John is a good influence on her, they started encouraging their friendship. He'd often stay after school and visit frequently on the weekends. Before long, the two were practically inseparable. Their childhood romance continued to flourish through junior high and into high school. Author Notes This book is a bibliography of my friend's life and her struggle with mental illness, a story we started a few years ago. Although she's no longer with us, I thought it's only right to finish the book in her honor. I can only hope I'll make her proud. RIP my dear friend. The names have been altered to protect all parties involved, per publication agreement.

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