P-A-R-A-N-O-I-A

• Zoe Vasilia Fountotos, Grade 10
• Short Story
• 2018

Today was not a good day. Understatement. Today couldn’t have gone worse.

The mood was ruined and that was all because of me. No surprise there. It’s always me.

Everyone at school associated me with bad luck and sometimes tragedy. Once, after an episode they had joked I was possessed; my auburn hair had been unkempt, my dark eyes wild and my chest heaved erratically, gulping as much air as my lungs allowed.

“There she goes again guys. Make sure she doesn’t vomit all over you!” Jessie had sneered. From my fetal position on the ground I had only seen a blurry image of her skinny, tanned legs and polished stiletto boots but I could easily imagine her expression; her green eyes blazing with contempt for me and her lips pulled back to reveal teeth in an animal-like gesture.

My sister.

Jessie, my only sibling. My bully.

“Is she possessed?” A female voice had travelled to my ears after a particularly loud choke and twitch that overtaken my whole body.
Everyone had laughed.

How paranoid. How weak. How hysterical.

My incoherent thought process was never under my control… how pitiful.

I felt a gentle hand touch my shoulder, snapping me out of my reminiscing. I turned and was face to face with a girl I didn’t know, she was albino but with a contrast of intense brown eyes. They were kind.

To match her features the girl was wearing an angle costume.

“Hey, I’m Elena.” She must have noticed my perplexed expression. “I’m new.” She giggled, most of our conversation was drowned by the music.

“I’m Kenna.” I shook her hand and cringed as I realized no one does that anymore, unless you’re from another century.

“Nice name.” I mumbled a thank you. “An angel and a demon, huh? Weird match.” She smiled brightly, revealing a row of white teeth.

I looked down at my costume; my black dress reached mid-thigh, my choker was too tight, and my black wings were heavy on my shoulders. She definitely looked better, I thought as I studied her attire.

Her left wing was slightly crooked. Her white dress had a tinny stain near her abdomen.

She was wearing three bracelets and five earrings.

I hurriedly closed my eyes and took a lungful of air, calming my racing brain. I couldn’t risk having a second episode in one hour, especially not while everything seemed to be getting back on track. I pushed myself further into a dark corner, away from prying eyes.

I opened my eyes and found Elena assessing me, I cocked an eyebrow. “You’re very brave you know. You’re a fighter.” She said with certainty.

“I’m really not.” The fact that I was still stressing over Elena’s imperfections and faults didn’t help, my left eye started twitching.
I wanted to scream at her to fix the wing.

“Then why are you still here?” Elena squeezed my hand, gave me a look and walked away.

I breathed and stepped forward.