Young Writers Society

September 30 • Monday

6:47 am

"Normality is a strange thing, a subject which I cannot fully comprehend. I've adjusted to a sort of normality in this new town, a strange way of doing things that's become familiar to me over the past weeks, months. However, the pattern that's become like a second skin to me is somehow something that's completely foreign to the rest of the world. School is where it happens the most: I see everyone going about their daily lives, lives that would qualify as "normal", lives so different from mine. Then I truly realize what it means to be different.

"-F-"

Finnley typed his blog post in the dull light colored blue from his still-drawn curtains. He let his mind wander, not focused on what he was writing. He only did it because of his promise. His therapist, living in another state but still stalking his blog, had left another message on his phone. He said that Finnley was being vague and thoughtful, but that he wasn't in touch with his feelings very much. He told Finnley (in an irritated and unusually nasally voice) that he should have gone with a journal if he didn't want others reading about him. Finnley didn't call back.

He hadn't been sure if Mia was still coming to school; she hadn't replied to his texts. He waited in the dewy grass outside her charred house, which somehow looked worse in the glaring light of day. It looked abandoned- it looked dead. Mia was probably staying at the hospital with her mom, or maybe the house wasn't safe to return to yet.

Finnley was just turning around to walk to school alone when a door banged shut. "Hey! Finny, wait up!" It was Mia, waving at him from the front porch of the house next to hers. She jogged over, and Finnley noticed that she wore a t-shirt with an exotic-looking plant on it along with jeans that had patches and holes as if they had been attacked by said plant.

"Whew," she said, resting her elbow on his shoulder. "Good goshes, have some faith in me!"

Despite everything, even her calling him "Finny", he had to smile as they started walking together. "Sorry," he replied. "You never texted me, so I wasn't sure you'd be here. You know, with your mom in the hospital and all."

"Oh! I forgot about that. I accidentally left it at home when we went to the hospital, and as you can imagine, it got a little fried," Mia explained as they turned the corner and began walking alongside the forest. Finnley glanced sidelong at it, but it seemed to have nothing new to throw at them- for now. "Don't worry though, my mom's fine. She might have some scars, but it wasn't a bad enough burn to cause real damage. We were just staying at our neighbors' place last night because no one's come to check up on our house yet."

"You could've come to my place," Finnley said quietly, breathing in the cool crisp air that signaled autumn. It pierced his lungs as though they were only made of paper, and it was as refreshing and soul-sucking as chewing a piece of mint gum and inhaling.

"Hey," Mia said gently, touching his shoulder. "You did enough for us. Plus, I figured you and your mom needed to work things out between you."

"That's true," Finnley admitted, and he was touched by how much Mia genuinely seemed to care for him, despite all the craziness they'd gone through. Perhaps because of it. "I ended up telling her everything- I couldn't lie to her like that anymore." Mia nodded in understanding, and they walked the rest of the way to school in silence, but not an unhappy one.

The school day was an unusual one, with everyone chattering about homecoming, groaning about it being Monday already... It was as if nothing had happened Saturday night, as if his life hadn't just been changed. It was like walking through a dream, just waiting to wake up. Or maybe it was everyone else living in a dream. Mia got a few condolences and offers for help on the house which she responded to graciously. The only truly interesting thing happened at lunch.

Finnley and Mia were sitting at a lone table, mulling over the events of the weekend, when Sylvie stalked over to them. Maybe it was the dreamlike feeling that Finnley couldn't shake off, but she didn't seem as realistic as she had just the week before, didn't seem threatening in the least.

"I heard you two ditched homecoming," she said with a smirk, propping an elbow up on their table.

Mia shrugged. "We had better things to do." Sylvie looked like she had more to say, but just then Mia got up and walked away.

Finnley was about to come with her, but his feet wouldn't move. Without even thinking, the words fell out of his mouth: "I know about the glass swan."

The smirk vanished in an instant, and Sylvie leaned towards him. Finnley hadn't even realized the connection until that moment: the war of pranks between Mia and Sylvie that had ended in her brother's broken leg. The swan made of glass Mr. Vaughn had showed him, the girl who had given it to try and help her brother. They were the same person. Sylvie.

"Finnley, are you coming?" Mia called over his shoulder, but neither he nor Sylvie was paying attention. She was staring him down with a vengeful fire in her eyes, and he was doing his best to hold his ground by holding her gaze.

Oddly enough, when she spoke, her voice was soft like a young child. "You. Me. After school." She pointed at him and then herself as she said the words, slowly, like he might not be able to grasp her meaning.

"I have a job-" Finnley protested.

"It won't take long. I just want to talk." Then she was whirling around, back towards her friends, and Finnley was jogging to keep up with Mia. Somehow, he and Sylvie both knew that he was going to meet her after school.