Hushed Voice
Breanna Lamountain-Raya, Beyond the System Writing Contest
The sky is as light as childhood’s sky blue crayons but breezy and cold. I walk in the middle of my little sister and my mom. We’re all bundled up with each other's love and coats. The streets seem weary to be in this morning but it’s Monday and the place to be to get to school. “Mom, how long will it be til I get to see Cooper,” I say. She tilts her head.
“About 7 hours but Cooper will be fine,” my mom assured me. I frown. Seven hours without my dearest best friend? I’ll be missing his barks by hour three! My mom, sister, and I continue walking. This place seems like a nightmare. Gates of bronze guard this place of nightmares. I ball my hands into fists. My mom touches my shoulder. “You’ll be fine, Breanna,” she says.
I take a breath and walk through the gates. I wave goodbye to my mom and sister. This tall lady with a skinny figure approaches me and asks me which class I’ll be going to. I say Mr. Mcnell. She points to a long tan building with a blue door and tells me to go there. I walk carefully and sweat profoundly. “Why, Hello there,” a tall dark man says as he approaches me as I walk through the door.
“Hi,” I squeak.
“What’s your name?” He asks me
“Breanna,” I reply
“Breanna? Breanna Lamountain-Raya? The one and only?” He asks dramatically
I nod and start laughing. I walk around the room and notice that each desk has a name box on it. I look for mine. Aaron, Aaliyah, Abe, Acadia, Barry, Bailey, Ben, Bella, Biblo, Birdy, Breanna...Oh, that’s me! I sit there. I get comfortable. “Good morning,” a small girl says.
“Hi,” I say
“Hi, I’m Birdy,” she says
“It’s Breanna,” I say
“Nice to meet you, “ Birdy says
I’m guessing school isn’t going to be that bad. Everyone has been nothing but nice to me. School rocks! I learned many things. I made new friends and played hopscotch.
It’s August again. My mom and Ariel, my dearest little sister walk with me to school. It’s time for me to go to kindergarten. I should be happy except I’m not. I’m a nervous wreck, ready to explode. I keep it in. I hold it in and smile pretending that everything is fine. “Good luck Breanna the Banana, “ Mom says.
She hugs me before I walk off. I’m not okay. I’m already at the kindergarten building. I go in and all of a sudden the world has turned cold. I sit at a desk and ignore the world around me. I swallow my words and hold them tight. This becomes a habit of my darkening days.
Read more stories from the Beyond the System Writing Contest here.