Helium (story)

“Oh my God, Adrion, don’t do it!” Waves of laughter poured from the back seats of the bus. “Please! Don’t! My reputation is at stake!”

Adrion glared at Chelsea, his dark eyes throwing sparks into hers. Chelsea stared in horror as Adrion positioned himself near the rear window of the bus. The chanting was nauseating. Chelsea closed her eyes and buried her beet red face into her hands as the guys roared with laugher, giving each other high fives. Why does he do this? Chelsea thought to herself. Why does he have the need to show his derriere to every damn vehicle that passes us? Chelsea remained in the fetal position until the bus arrived at the class’s destination: Pierce Park.

This is Chelsea’s story…

She felt the bus come to a halt. Finally I can escape this nightmare. She quickly gathered her things and marched down the aisle, relieved for fresh air, but disgusted at the mud and bugs. She set up her lawn chair a couple feet from the bus and plopped down, waiting for her group of friends to gather around her. She moaned at the thought of what the sun and bugs could do to her pristine complexion. Why must Ms. Murphy insist I sit next to that…animal! She thought angrily as she smeared the sunscreen / bug block concoction onto her alabaster face. I mean…we only went out for like…a month. That does not make us like…a couple or anything. I’m glad I broke it off with him before my reputation was ruined for good. She tied her blond No. 12 hair into a pink scrunchie as Adrion walked off the bus. Her emerald eyes burned into the back of his head as she watched him join his group.

Once Chelsea got the assignment, she tossed it into her backpack and led her group toward the beach. It seemed like a good idea to Chelsea at the time: sitting on the sand while munching on the dessert that was meant for the pot luck, but soon complaints were flying from her followers’ glossed lips as well as her own.

“It’s too hot!”

“My feet hurt!”

“Something, like…bit me!”

“Are we there yet?!”

So the group decided to sit in the sun on the side of the road. They set up their chairs and opened their assignments. Chelsea was baffled. “Write a poem? Like, does she think we’re all Woody Allen Poe or something? I’m going to work on my tan.” She complained out loud. She laid down on the grass, stretched out and decided to rest her eyes.

* * *

Chelsea moaned and turned over. “Stop poking me! God!” She sat up and rubbed her eyes. “What do you want?” She opened her eyes to see Meredith staring down at her through her dark, stringy hair.

“What are you doing here, Loner?” Chelsea rubbed her face.

Meredith’s eyes darkened. “You’re all late for lunch,” she muttered under her breath. She walked away, hunched over with her arms crossed over her chest.

What a loser, Chelsea thought to herself. She looked at her group, smiling to herself. “WAKE UP!” She screamed. All of them, startled out of sleep, squealed. They then all looked at each other and laughed.

“Oh my God! You are like…so red!”

Their laughter infected her ears, making her cringe. What airheads, Meredith thought. She walked toward the potluck lunch where everyone was enjoying themselves. She sat down in the shade under a large maple tree, staring at everyone through the dark hair covering her face.

This is Meredith’s story…

I’m tired of this, she whispered in her head as she stood and leaned against the tree. She crossed her arms as if to warm an everlasting chill. She looked around at the rest of the class: all laughing, chatting, having fun. She disliked them and their stares, whispers, and gossip. Survival of the fittest in high school meant those smart enough to keep their business out of the public eye, and Meredith was not surviving. She sneered at all of them, ignoring their comments as she stormed through the picnic tables and walked down the road. The destination did not matter to Meredith as long as she was away from the taunts of her classmates that haunted her memories. But she could never get away because the malicious past bestowed upon her lovingly from her contemporaries tailed behind her like a lost puppy.

What did I do to deserve this?

she wondered as she collided into a white fence encasing the cemetery. She slowly stood up, using the fence posts as braces for her to lean against. As she stared into the well-kept burial ground, so many thoughts ran through her mind: like what it would be like to be laying inside a satin-lined coffin alone with nobody to talk to. It’s not at all different than life is for me right now. At least the taunting would stop and I would be at peace. She grasped the fence posts like a prisoner inside her cell staring at the freedom that was so close yet seemed so difficult to obtain. Meredith bit her lower lip as she slowly opened the tiny gate and walked through. She breathed in deeply and thought, this is where I‘m meant to be.

She walked to the back of the cemetery, reading the sayings on each of the tombstones. Here lies Meredith Murphy: Teacher’s daughter and plague to all. She imagined her grave area to be covered with plastic wrap in order to keep her virus away from all the other corpses, lest it seep into their soil and effect them in the after life. It was not her mother’s fault that Meredith was avoided in school. After all, she needed to make a living, and her mother loved to teach. Just some days Meredith thought it would be easier to gi

ve up on everything and just float away.

This thought infuriated Meredith. After all, she knew it was not possible. “I ENVY YOU!” she screamed at the top of her lungs to her silent audience.

All the guys at the table burst out in amusement as Adrion let out a resounding belch that echoed throughout the park. When will this end? Adrion thought. What reasonable person laughs at a burp? The guys all cheered and turned around just in time to see a group of badly burned girls finally show up for lunch. Adrion smiled as the girls approached their table. “Uh, excuse me maître d’, I believed I ordered these girls medium-rare, not well done.” The guys slammed their fists on the table, their sides splitting from the amount of laugher emerging from their guts.

“God, Adrion.” Chelsea rolled her eyes, “You’re SO immature. Shove over guys.” They all moved over to make room for the girls. Adrion frowned in Chelsea’s direction, then brushed away his chestnut hair as he surveyed the scenery until he saw Meredith leaning against the tree.

This is Adrion’s story…

He smiled at her, but she did not look up. Why does she always sit by herself? Nobody should have to sit alone. Adrion was about to get up from his seat when Meredith stormed past their table with what seemed like tears in her eyes.

“Why there’s the piece of vermin now,” Chelsea stated to the rest of the group. The statement just quickened the steps of Meredith.

Angered, Adrion stood up. “I’m tired of you guys! I’m tired of pretending to be a funny guy when it means making fun of other people!” He started to walk away. “I’d rather be vermin than a bunch of friggin’ airheads like you!” He stomped away from the stunned faces to go after Meredith.

He followed her to the white fence, standing behind her and watching her actions: how she gripped the fence posts so firmly, how her intensive stare created feelings in him he could not express before. If only she’d be less introverted, Adrion thought. She’s so intelligent whenever she opens her mouth. I love the mystery about her. Screw everyone else.

He followed her into the cemetery, making sure to remain out of sight. He watched her until he heard her yell at the tombstones and crumple to the ground. He ran over to her, putting her head in his lap. “Why do you envy pieces of granite so much?” He said: his first ever words to her.

“I envy that which is underneath them. They do not have to listen to the cruel words of others. They just lay there, resting and at peace. They have more than I do.” The tears emerged from her black eyes.

Adrion rubbed Meredith’s fanned hair and smiled. “You are far more blessed than anyone I know. I’ve liked you for a long time. I just didn’t have the courage to tell you how much better you are than those jerks I hung out with.” Adrion began to blush as Meredith’s eyes emptied into his. “Plus, if you were dead, I wouldn’t be able to do this.”

His face leaned toward hers. His pulse quickened as their lips made contact, energy flowing from each other. Meredith did not want the moment to end, and neither did Adrion. When they pulled apart, they stared at each other for a long time. “Oh my God,” Adrion whispered.

“Oh my God,” Meredith purred.

“OH…MY…GOD!” screamed Chelsea from the white gates of the cemetery.

* * *

The ride home should have been hell for both Adrion and Meredith because as soon as Chelsea saw them kiss, she ran and told everyone at the park. The heckling followed them as they got onto the bus and into the middle seat. However, to them it was not hell because the taunts did not effect either Adrion of Meredith one bit. They just remained in their own world, ignoring all the sneers and comments from Chelsea. They did not care because they now had each other. They ignored everyone else because they both knew it was them who should be mocked. After all, Meredith thought with Adrion’s arm around her, who cares about anything when you’re floating away?

** I am working on an alternate ending that is not so corny / cliche for those who hate cliche endings…I know this version is kind of sappy, but I needed something for my class and it was too long already…so the alternate ending will be available soon!**