Mel sat in the back of the bus, alone like always. She pulled out her notebook from her bag, and just wrote, ignoring the obvious stares from everyone else on the bus.

The girl wakes up in a hospital, besides her stands a doctor. "W-What the hell?", she says as she lifts her head. The man stares at her, "You were injured, so we brought you here", he says emotionless. "Where am I", she screams at him. "Calm down lady, you're at a hospital, there was a shooting at the city hall, there were a few injuries and two fatalities", he replies calmly. She relaxes but begins to cry as soon the doctor leaves, "This is all my freakin fault!", she screams and whacks the hospital bed. "If it weren't for me, those people would still be alive", she thinks.

"Is this a parallel to what happened today", interrupted Bella. Mel turned around quickly to see Bella sitting next to her. "What the hell is wrong with me", she finally said. Tears started raining down her eyes, "All I had to do is make a stupid lay up, I messed everything up", she yelled. The whole team turned to look at her, but Mel couldn't ignore them this time, "Can't you just mind your own F*cking business", she screamed at them, from the top of her lungs. "Hey, watch your language", replied coach, sternly. Them, there was only silence.

"So is this what you've been hiding this whole time, a story?" said Bella when the quiet got too quiet. "Yeah". "Well what's it about", she asked. "It's about this girl who her whole life just wanted to be a singer, but then she accidentally gets involved with some dangerous gang and now they're hunting her down...or something", she responded, looking to the opposite side. "So, is everything that happens in the story some sort of parallel to your life", Bella asked. "Sorta? Not all of it though" (same here). Mel actually felt comfortable talking to Bella. "She's kind like the person I want to be, strong, brave, social". There was a pause, "Do you want to be a writer when you grow up", asked Bella. "Yeah, I've always dreamed of it, but I'm scared that when I'm older, no I no one's going to be reading books anymore". Mel looked at Bella, she was making everything so negative, "What do you want to be", she asked. "A forensic scientist". This surprised Mel. She asked a few questions, got a few answers, and before she knew it, she was having a conversation. They kept talking and talking, all the way to the school and to Mel, that was the best part of her day.

© Azul Morales