Worth

‘Have you finished?’

                                                                                              ‘Not yet’

‘Not yet what?’

                                                   ‘Not yet Miss. Sorry for my disrespect, Miss’

‘You should be’

                

                    Miss Sandra walked outside of the room, leaving me alone in the empty classroom. My classmates were at recess, but I wasn’t allowed to be outside with them. I was to sit on my desk, and work on the extra work Miss Sandra always had for me. ‘She is stupid’ she would say to the Principal ‘She needs to catch up to everyone else’.

I sat looking at my paper, silently.

      

                    Then Miss Denisse waltzed inside the classroom.

           She had a strange way to carry herself. Like a breeze, she would float in the tips of her toes, dancing more than walking. My mom carried herself in a similar way, but where my mother seemed natural, almost like a ballerina, Miss Denisse looked fake, like a puppet being forced to act. 

She stopped in front of me, the horrible feeling she always had filling the room.

    
She smiled sweetly at me.

‘How are you doing, Melanie?’

                                                                                                          ‘Melissa’

Her smile twitched.

‘Melissa, of course, my bad. How are you doing my child?’

     She still smiled, but something was wrong about that smile. Something strange, with the taste of raspberries and dry cherries had tainted the feeling she usually had. I jittered on my spot, not liking the change.

                                                                                  ‘Good’

‘You sure darling?’

                                                                                  ‘I am.’ Just go away.

‘Haven’t heard anything upsetting, have you?’

    

                Something was wrong; I could feel it in my bones. I wanted to run, to hide, to stay as far away as I could from her. But I was trapped, the door just a tad too far away.

                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                               ‘No’

             Her smiled turned sharp, her features slowly changing. Where her smile once was, an ugly sneer took place. She got closer to me, so close I could smell the roses of her perfume. I was dizzied for a second, not for the smell on her, but for something else. Underneath the roses and the candy, there was a stall smell coming from her.

                                                                                                                              The smell of death.

‘Oh? Haven’t you? Are you completely sure nothing has upset you?’ She laughed ‘How predictable! You think you are above everyone, don’t you? So smart, so pretty, so talented. Just like your mother.’ She sneered.’ That’s why you are not upset, because you don’t think anything can hurt you, do you? WELL GUESS AGAIN!’

        She got closer each time, cornering me against the wall. Her eyes were crazed, and the taste of raspberries getting stronger and stronger. I was afraid, so very afraid, and so alone, facing her by myself. Where was Miss Sandra?

              

                   Where was my Dad?

‘Let me tell you one thing kid: You are not. You are just as stupid and miserable as everyone else. Even more so, you are hateful. You are nothing. You shouldn’t even be alive. You are worthless’’

‘Miss Denisse?’A girl called from the door.

  She turned around, smiling, and walked outside.

‘Yes?’



I stayed on my sit, shaking violently. Her words echoed in my mind, repeating like a recorder.

                     Repeating.

                                               Repeating.

                                                                        Just repeating.

                                                                                      They never stop repeating.