My Friend That Time Forgot

The Discovery

Three months have passed. I came into the class, clutching a bag full of scribbled notes and papers and of course lots of books. I sat in the front row as I always do. I took out my maths book and homework as I always do. Then she came in. She sat beside me. I noticed she didn't look better than on the last day I saw her. Still pink-haired and brace-less. Still having the shawl, bracelets and handbag. Still having the twisted mean smile on her face.

'Why didn't you text me over the summer? I thought we were...' but she screamed over me. 'OMG SHE THINKS WE'RE FRIENDS!' then I heard a dumb laugh from Stella. Without understanding, I shyly moved a few seats back. Then our new teacher came in. The one I feared we'd have as our 'Math Master'.

Ruben. Marine Ruben. 'Take out your books and open on page 122, do the test. Also, Miss Michelle (That's my BFF), we are not allowed to dye our hair. Please go to see the Headmaster right now, so he can put some sense into your filthy head. Miss Madeline (that's me!), go with her to make sure she gets there. I will not tolerate this kind of misbehaving!' Redden snapped without a pause and shoved us outside. I clutched Michelle with fury.

Michelle didn't move. 'Miss Michelle, I warn you, I'm no lamb to pester. Go. RIGHT NOW!' Ruben shouted from inside the class. Gee, she sure knows when someone isn't obeying her. Very reluctantly Michelle got up throwing Ms Redden a filthy look through the door. 'Don't smirk. Your end of the year test was horrible enough for you to get yearly detention! One more ugly face and I ensure you you'll never make it to High School if you miss one more lesson because you misbehaved' Ruben screamed. Wow, is she a witch or whatever? Or does she study divination?

We got up, and went out the door. But Michelle made it straight for the exit, and before I could ask her what the hell has gotten into her. She was outside before I could begin to playfully scold her, texting on an IPhone before I could wrestle her to the ground and kick and scream until she was nice. I could only gape hopelessly. Something broke down inside me. Of course I got detention.

Ruben didn't easily forgive plus she declared that we set all this up, even when I told her she sent me with Michelle herself. After school, I saw Stella and Michelle lol-ing together and it suddenly struck me. Stella enchanted my friend! I know how uncanny and impossible that seems, but it was like a vision. Maybe it wasn't magic, maybe she sued her into friendship or maybe at least lied that I'm backstabbing her.

I was so certain it was Stella's fault. I KNEW it! I felt it in my limbs! I made up my mind. I'll ignore them for now, let Michelle realize how she misses me, let her cool down, and forgive her stupidity. That seemed like a good plan at the time. So I spent the next few days living my own life. I played Don't Starve, went to guitar class, drama class, did some art junk, wrote a Warriors fan-fiction, had quality Daddy Time and ate cookies. I was sure time was the key of solving it all. Hm. Time. So very interesting. Little did I know time WAS the key to it all, literally. But not in a way I imagined it.

Days passed but no change came. I was having a rather nice day, maybe except for a fight with a ginger boy, and a quarrel with a certain pink-haired person, but I really aced my English essay. The one for next week was in a safe plastic folder in my backpack, and I was so happy I finished it in only an hour. It was so freaky awesome I was sure I'd get an A++. That was when a heavy girl pinned me down, and I felt a thin hand snatch the folder from my bag. Stella and Michelle totally stole my homework! No fair!

Over the next few days I got Dad as my bodyguard, and he was super effective because he's tall, ginger and bearded. I finished my snitched essay in under 2 hours, but mussed out on playing with my little bro. At least I made an even bigger effort than before, and ended up with better stuff in it. The homework snatching continued when Dad was too busy to walk me home, so I made photocopies with key words replaced by the word 'TROLL'. Stella and Michelle fell for it a few times, but soon learned to check.

When the two meanies stole a project I've been working on for three days (luckily a troll copy this time!) I was beyond absolutely certain it was witchcraft that made my buddy mean. Stella was a gypsy or whatever, I told myself for hours on end. Weekend rushed in, and a funfair was set up near the river. Stella and Michelle, or Meanie as I called her nowadays, went to snicker about, bully little kids, win awfully girlish dolls and teddies, and stuff themselves with sticky, sickly sweet cotton candy at the fair. Tis' was a perfect opportunity.

I casually strolled over to the house with a venomous green door, swung a rusty backyard gate open, and slipped into Stella's room using a wide-open window. It was a little dusty but clean overall, except for a stray copy here and there. I looked through her bookshelf, opened her diary with a tiny silver key and closed it again, inspected her calendar and even tried to find some X-Files.

I was about to give up and take a hint, when a yellow maths copy caught my eye. I wasn't sure I noticed it before, so snatching and opening it was just natural. It was very boring, with dates on it. Then I realized. 2008 was marked in red highlighter, bold and flashy. There was a small scribbled note beside the year: akomplishid. That was supposed to mean accomplished.

Like, no way dude. That's how I reacted. NO. POSSIBLE. WAY. I kept telling myself it was something childish and stupid, some sort of trick Stella did. Then again...it would add up, right? No, that's insane! I was going paranoid by the third day of having an inner debate. I was near emotional or maybe even mental breakdown when it hit me. Just like that. I knew it had to be it, no more denying. Stella was a...no...YES! She was a...