One key, flash backs
How can one key chain bring back so many memories?
My friend, Winter, made me that key chain. Our thing was to hide in a locked classroom at lunch almost every day. In our tiny 5 room high school you were really packed in tight with everyone and their bullshit. We never liked to deal with other people’s drama, especially since it could deal with drugs, pregnancy, depression, law enforcement, a work schedule or learning disabilities. We went to an Alternative High school. It was pretty much a cozy island for misfit teenagers. But it was the best place in the world.
I would read at lunch in a classroom if a teacher would let me. It was my true break of the day so I could power down and regroup before the rest of the day tried to smother me. After awhile the teachers caught on that I was spending every day inside, they didn’t care. It was just I wasn’t the only one doing it. That’s when the teachers started shuffling me and this other girl another. One day we would be allowed to be in the English teacher’s room because she had papers to grade or the Math teacher's room because he always brought his lunch.
After about a week, I realized what was going on. This girl and I were very similar; we were out of place even in a land of misfits. Souls too old to give a shit about what fad was going on, but to young in body to say, “FUCK THIS SHIT. I AM OUT OF HERE!” Usually I would have my book and she would have hers. We would sit on opposite sides of the room, because to be honest I was still wary of her.
That is until I saw her making a dream catcher. It was for a small child in her family, if I remember correctly. It was so beautiful. Her face was so intense. You could see her pouring her energy into the dream catcher making it a breathing thing. I asked her if I could sit down and started asking about the materials she was using. We talked for a little while then I went back to reading my book while she crafted.
From that day on we would sit at the same table or at least on the same side of the room with each other. In that 30 minutes every day we could be silent and it was okay or talk about our families and finally be listened to.
We weren’t the kind of friends that did shit after school, but we always went against the grain of society together.