Seven Years
Aine curled up into a ball the best she could with her spacey leg. Her parents were arguing again, an increasingly common occurrence. The voices reached a crescendo, followed by the sound of a door slamming. The girl buried her face in her knees and cried.
A few minutes later, the door to Aine’s room creaked open as her leg spasmed again.
“Hey, honey,” her mother said tiredly. She came to sit by Aine on the bed. Aine shifted so her back was to her. “You know your daddy and I love you very much, but...”
Ten Years
Aine’s leg had been getting progressively worse through the years. She had been diagnosed with the most ridiculous things, from spasmodic muscles to missing ligaments. She found out later that she had a mild case of cerebral palsy.
“Aine.” Her mother came into her room, the same room she had had since she was seven. “Aine, I’m sorry. The results of the MRI just got back, and...”
“So it’s true,” Aine said despondently. “I have brain damage.”
“Oh, honey, it’s not that bad...”
Aine turned away. “Yes, it is that bad, Mom. Do you know what the other kids will say when they find out? I already use a crutch 24/7. I’m already an outcast. And they don’t even know about my birthmark!”
“Well, the doctor is suggesting a treatment—“
Aine cut her mother off, her frustration and anger suddenly boiling over. “I don’t want treatment, Mom, I want to be normal!” Tears pricked at her eyes, and she angrily brushed them away. “I just want to fit in.”
The blonde girl curled up on her side facing away from her crestfallen mother, her leg still jerking spasmodically.
Thirteen Years
“Hey, look, it’s the Brain!”
Aine kept walking through the hallways of her middle school, trying her hardest to ignore the stinging comments. She deftly maneuvered her books to her bag while still leaning on her crutch. A smirking boy sidled up to her.
“Hey, Brainiac, I’d ask you to play basketball at lunch with the dudes, but on second thought, I don’t want to have to give you a leg up!”
His buddies laughed, guffawing at the kid’s wit.
Aine gave them a once-over, then used one of her pre-prepared comebacks. “And they tell me I’m the one with brain damage,” she said loftily, and brushed past. She didn’t let it show, but the comments hurt, and the others knew it.
What they didn’t know about was the red birthmark that covered half her face, hidden by a sheet of golden hair.
When Aine arrived home, her mother was waiting. Her parents had gotten divorced the year before. One look at her daughter’s face told her mother all she needed to know.
“Aine, were you bullied again today?”
“It doesn’t matter.” The curt response was not surprising; Aine had been becoming less and less social.
Her mother chewed her lip nervously, then said, “Here,” as she held out something in her hand.
Aine glared at her. “I don’t need more meds, Mom. Everyone already thinks I’m a druggie.”
“It’s not meds, honey.” Aine’s mother pressed something cold and round into Aine’s hand. Dubiously, Aine looked down at it.
A single Pokeball was nestled in her palm.
Sixteen Years
Aine’s mother gave her a swift peck on the cheek. “Goodbye, honey,” she whispered. “I’ll miss you.”
“Don’t worry, Mom,” Aine said brightly. She no longer suffered from depression, and her Joltik partner eliminated her need for a crutch. “I’ve got my phone. I’ll text you when I get there.”
“The Pokémon Academy is a great school,” her mother sniffled. “Take care of yourself, Elaina.”
When her mother used her full name, Aine knew she was going to cry. Spark, her Joltik, scrambled onto her head. “I’ll... I’ll miss you too, Mom.”
And she was off!
(To be continued in the Pokémon Academy RP thread...)
Aine curled up into a ball the best she could with her spacey leg. Her parents were arguing again, an increasingly common occurrence. The voices reached a crescendo, followed by the sound of a door slamming. The girl buried her face in her knees and cried.
A few minutes later, the door to Aine’s room creaked open as her leg spasmed again.
“Hey, honey,” her mother said tiredly. She came to sit by Aine on the bed. Aine shifted so her back was to her. “You know your daddy and I love you very much, but...”
Ten Years
Aine’s leg had been getting progressively worse through the years. She had been diagnosed with the most ridiculous things, from spasmodic muscles to missing ligaments. She found out later that she had a mild case of cerebral palsy.
“Aine.” Her mother came into her room, the same room she had had since she was seven. “Aine, I’m sorry. The results of the MRI just got back, and...”
“So it’s true,” Aine said despondently. “I have brain damage.”
“Oh, honey, it’s not that bad...”
Aine turned away. “Yes, it is that bad, Mom. Do you know what the other kids will say when they find out? I already use a crutch 24/7. I’m already an outcast. And they don’t even know about my birthmark!”
“Well, the doctor is suggesting a treatment—“
Aine cut her mother off, her frustration and anger suddenly boiling over. “I don’t want treatment, Mom, I want to be normal!” Tears pricked at her eyes, and she angrily brushed them away. “I just want to fit in.”
The blonde girl curled up on her side facing away from her crestfallen mother, her leg still jerking spasmodically.
Thirteen Years
“Hey, look, it’s the Brain!”
Aine kept walking through the hallways of her middle school, trying her hardest to ignore the stinging comments. She deftly maneuvered her books to her bag while still leaning on her crutch. A smirking boy sidled up to her.
“Hey, Brainiac, I’d ask you to play basketball at lunch with the dudes, but on second thought, I don’t want to have to give you a leg up!”
His buddies laughed, guffawing at the kid’s wit.
Aine gave them a once-over, then used one of her pre-prepared comebacks. “And they tell me I’m the one with brain damage,” she said loftily, and brushed past. She didn’t let it show, but the comments hurt, and the others knew it.
What they didn’t know about was the red birthmark that covered half her face, hidden by a sheet of golden hair.
When Aine arrived home, her mother was waiting. Her parents had gotten divorced the year before. One look at her daughter’s face told her mother all she needed to know.
“Aine, were you bullied again today?”
“It doesn’t matter.” The curt response was not surprising; Aine had been becoming less and less social.
Her mother chewed her lip nervously, then said, “Here,” as she held out something in her hand.
Aine glared at her. “I don’t need more meds, Mom. Everyone already thinks I’m a druggie.”
“It’s not meds, honey.” Aine’s mother pressed something cold and round into Aine’s hand. Dubiously, Aine looked down at it.
A single Pokeball was nestled in her palm.
Sixteen Years
Aine’s mother gave her a swift peck on the cheek. “Goodbye, honey,” she whispered. “I’ll miss you.”
“Don’t worry, Mom,” Aine said brightly. She no longer suffered from depression, and her Joltik partner eliminated her need for a crutch. “I’ve got my phone. I’ll text you when I get there.”
“The Pokémon Academy is a great school,” her mother sniffled. “Take care of yourself, Elaina.”
When her mother used her full name, Aine knew she was going to cry. Spark, her Joltik, scrambled onto her head. “I’ll... I’ll miss you too, Mom.”
And she was off!
(To be continued in the Pokémon Academy RP thread...)
