I have a little bit of a headache, but it's not as bad as it was last time. Everything is a little foggy, but whatever the blue pill was, it definitely helped the travel. The sound of laughter and snickers fill my ears as I slowly open my eyes. Teenagers step over me and keep walking on, some snickering as they pass or talking about how the crazy girl is finally getting what she deserved.

  A teacher stands over me with black curly hair and these thin glasses  strapped onto her nose. She scrunches her nose and looks at me with a concerned expression, "Are you okay?"

  I blink my eyes and respond, "Yeah," I rub the back of my head, "I think so. What...uh...happened?"

   The teacher searches my face with sympathetic gray eyes and reaches out to my hand on the floor, "You fell dear and you seemed to have hit your head, are you sure you're alright? I can take you to the nurse's office if you're not feeling well."

  I shake my head and push myself off of the ground, "I'm okay...um...have I missed any classes?"

  "No dear. First period is about to start, do you need me to walk you back?"

  My face starts to turn red from mortification and I quickly shake my head. I'm already bullied enough for just existing, but to be taken to my classroom by a teacher like an elementary student? Is she suggesting that I never have a moments peace or sanity again? I pick up my books, mutter a quick thanks, and head down the hall.

  I look down to the grimy tile floor with my blond hair hanging in my face. The laughter and sneers are thrown at me as I limp down the hall. I seem to have hurt my leg somehow when I fell. I look up and realize that that was a mistake. A tall tanned senior with his gel-drenched hair looks at me with a smirk. I recognise the guy from my chemistry class, Derrick Hale. he notices my arms that are struggling to hold all of the books I have and gives another ugly smirk.

  "Hey kid! You need any help carrying those books?" He extends his leg outward, causing me to trip. I fall to the floor and my books seem to fly out of my grasp. His laughter is joined by the snickers of his fellow "friends". I grunt softly as I lift myself off of the floor. I hear an angry male voice overhead almost yelling at Derrick for performing such an idiotic action. I look up to see the teacher dragging Derrick by the ear and another teacher peering down at me.

  "Goodness! Are you alright?" The concern is evident in her warm brown eyes, she mutters under her breath about how the students here need to be more civilized and how they shouldn't try to bull one with...difficulties. "Here, do you need a lift up?" I've had enough embarrassment for today, so I quickly shake my head. I pick up my books and start to head down the hall.

  "Young lady! Hey, are you so certain that you are alright?" I turn around, nod my head, and softly whisper an affirmative. While I head back down the hall, the teacher's heels click clack as she comes running beside me and hands me a slip of paper, "You might need this for your class so you aren't marked as late." She gives me a quick smile and turns back around towards her classroom.

  I reach the door to my math class and slowly twist the knob. Class has already been in session for fifteen minutes, so I know I'll draw some unwanted attention once I step inside. I open the door, and like I expected, twenty nine eyes turn to my direction. An uncomfortable warmth climbs up my neck and splotches my face. I cross the room, hand the red slip to the teacher, and walk to my desk in the back of the room. Eyes follow me, boring into by back. I sit down, and like a snap, class returned back to normal.

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  I exhale, look at my profanity etched desk, and let the math lesson pass from one ear through the other. A though sneaks up into my head and I am reminded of what happened. Did it really happen? Flashes of pictures and places go through my mind. The girl Addie and her family, a world of steam and the boy with the pastries that makes me sigh with content. Can that truly be real?Every logical part of my body strains to label the experience of that other world as "dreams" or "make believe", but for some reason, I can't. I take a sigh and look to the white ceiling littered with dots. I close my eyes and mutter, "Welcome to reality Riley."

 -----

  The shrill of the bell reverberates through the classroom and students shoot up from their seat, eager for the next class, lunch. I slowly stood up, gathered my books, and walked out of the classroom. I like lunch because everyone is focused on themself and their friends. No one spares me a glance, no insults are tossed my way, and I can just disappear.

  I make my way to the lunchroom, after making a stop at my locker to drop off my books. The scent of overcooked noodles and burnt sauce invades my nostrils. Great, spaghetti for lunch. Despite the smell of our meal, a line of students make the perimeter of the lunchroom. I walk to the back of the line, making sure to keep my head down to protect myself from unwanted attention.

  The line is shorter as I get my plate full of processed carbohydrates. I start to walk out of the lunchroom, making slow steps to the door, when this figure runs into me. To my horror, the plates of food refuse to stay stationary. The read sauce and brown rubber noodles fly towards the kid, landing on his stark white t-shirt. His hair and face is now littered with spaghetti sauce dots as he looks at me with a flabbergasted expression. The whole lunch room goes silent, the tension in the air is almost thick enough to slice through.

  He's going to kill me. I barely breath. I want to run away, but my legs won't listen. My heart is thumping a million miles an hour and my jaw drops. The boy's muscles tense underneath his shirt as he grabs my arm and yanks me toward the open metal doors, making me drop my tray in surprise. The lunch room explodes.

  Shouts and jeers are thrown at me, shredding any resolve that I had before. People start throwing their lunches and I feel every particle of food that lands on me. My cheeks are damp with tears and I try to apologize, but all I can make are gasps. The boy doesn't look at me until he drags me from the lunchroom and into the hall. He glares at me, shoves me against the lockers and yells, "What the crap was that for you clumsy idiot? You freakin just got my shirt screwed up and you will pay." He brings his arm back, winding up for the swing and whispers, "Get to the girls bathroom." I have no idea where this came from. I try to open my mouth, but nothing comes out. My body starts to shake and more tears stream down my face. "This is an act, get to the bathroom now. If you want to know if Tiephriam is real, get there."

  My eyes widen with shock at the mention of Tiephriam and my jaw drops. He notices my movements and he shoves me, harder, against the old blue locker. He yells, "Don't think this is the last you'll see of me! You'll see." The boy releases me and stalks off down the hall. Suddenly air fills my lungs as I take loud gasps, I guess I've been holding my breath the whole time. Mumbles travel down the hall as I slump against the wall. Footsteps clamor against the floor and jeers cover me, bury me, engulf me. A pain shoots up my thigh, but I simply wince. What do I do? How do I know what that kid said wasn't an act?

  He seems very familiar. My mind races and I close my eyes, my gut seems to trust this. Surprise fills my conscience and I take a shuddering breath. I slowly stand and make my way towards the girls bathroom. As I walk, my mind races and tries to figure out what happened. This boy, who yelled and shoved me against the lockers, wants to tell me about Tiephriam, a place anyone else would call imaginary.

  I reach the bathrooms and stop. Do I really want to do this? And for the first time in my life, I trust the hand that hurt me.