Kileah
Kileah
She was a fiery red head with fierce emerald eyes. Her skin had been freckled from the limitless time she had always spent in the sunbeams of the summer sun. The pale girl wore a dazzling pink shirt to school that day hopeful to be noticed by the fashionable popular kids. She once was a member of their crowd and was anticipating that after the two years she had lived with her grandparents she might still be accepted into the group that was once hers.
She tugged at the belt loop of her Roxy jeans and carried her American Eagle purse high on her shoulder. Her naturally curly hair had been straightened and pulled away from her face with a pink ribbon as a stand-in headband. She elegantly glided down the stairs of the public transit bus and stepped onto the partially paved parking lot of the high school.
This was a high school shared between the two small towns of Coal Mountain and Copper Hill. It was a small school for Kileah but for the two towns it fit the population nicely. The school was located exactly 7 miles in-between Coal Mountain and Copper Hill. This was farming territory which is something Kileah long since forgotten.
Kileah had moved around quite a bit in her life and now was moving to the town of Copper Hill again. Along the highway there was a tractor driving five miles per hour holding up the traffic. It made Kileah thank god she had already arrived. Apparently Kileah had forgotten how things were ran in the farming community.
Kileah meandered towards the front doors of the school preparing herself for the high security and the metal detectors. She knew she would be searched because her jewelry was metal and her bag had a metal Altiods tin. Approaching the doors she saw no security guards nor any metal detectors!! Yet again a new surprise.
Kileah walked into the office only to be greeted by a single rosy faced secretary. The secretary introduced herself as Laura Ullerich and led Kileah to the counseling office to schedule classes. The consistent clacking of Ms. Ullerich’s heels was somewhat comforting. Laura Ullerich was not a tall woman nor was she a small person. She had blonde hair and lovely blue eyes. She wore semi-rounded glasses and a lavender blouse with tan khaki pants. She was a slightly thin woman and always approached people with a smile.
In the counseling center Ms. Patterson sat waiting for Kileah. She was also a fairly attractive woman. Kileah wondered why these women lived without the fashion and the high tech devices the city had to offer. While Kileah’s mind was elsewhere Ms. Patterson’s piercing voice broke away Kileah’s thoughts.
“Kileah is it?”
“Yes ma’am. That’s correct.”
“Well Kileah welcome to our school and I am sure you are going to enjoy it here. It is a big change from the city and if you feel a little overwhelmed or out of place my office is always a place you can come to sit and talk or if you just need a break because things are hectic with the move, know I will be here for you. So far how do you like it here in our towns?”
“ Well to be honest Ms. Patterson, quite frankly I dislike small towns and I am sure that I will not fit it with the 4H or rodeo kids and I know I won’t fit in with those kids that try too hard to be city kids. I am used to the big city and this is going to be a great challenge to make it in the farming area!” Kileah responded matter-of-factly.
Ms. Patterson seemed to be taken aback by the shrill words the student had spoken. She readjusted her primrose skirt and gently flipped through the profile on Kileah that the many other schools had sent. She read of the many places Kileah had lived and delved into the life of a child who had never settled in a place for more than a year.
“Kileah my gosh you have moved a bit!!” Ms. Patterson said experimentally.
“Yeah I guess my family can’t figure out just who should raise me so I guess it is my fathers’ turn again.”
This answer was very unexpected and very straightforward. The awestruck counselor had expected something rather the opposite and Kileah hadn’t realized that this counselor looked deep into the internal problems and wanted to handle everything that could possibly be interfering with the child’s life. Ms. Patterson finished up Kileah’s schedule and sent her on her way to her classes.
Walking into the hall she recognized a lot of faces and remembered some names. She kept walking until she saw her old group. They were still the same and they all had not changed much. She arrived at her first class and settled in her seat. Delia started to sit next to her and then noticed who it was and found a seat in the back of the class. Kileah couldn’t help but long for her once upon a time friend to still care for her and to make her feel welcome. The rest of the class soon filed in before the bell rang and Kileah was left to sit alone in the front of the class.
The teacher introduced Kileah and soon enough had the class all introduce themselves to her. Kileah knew all but three people in this class. She tried to focus mainly on the class and not worry about fitting in.
The rest of the day before lunch went similarly. She had not met anyone who made an effort to be her friend. All of these kids had grown up together and the new ones had taken a year to get into the group they belonged. Kileah bought her lunch and sat outside on the bay to eat. It was a beautiful sunny day and not a single cloud had shown in the clear Colorado sky. Kileah called one of her friends in the city.
“OMG Rhea I miss you guys so much!!
"Sorry Ki. I gotta go...."