Post by Neeva Tessler on Nov 22, 2008 10:09:31 GMT -5
______________________________
Neeva was, for one of the first times in her life, disheartened.[/color][/size]Ethan had put her in a cab that morning, loading her single duffle/messenger bag in the trunk of the small yellow car. He had been, for once, completely sober. The young woman had been unable to carry her bag; the bruises on her torso and arms had not healed quite enough for her to manage that. The man had felt that, as the bruises were his fault, it was even more of his duty to help his sister than it would normally have been. After he had put her in the car he had handed her a letter, making her promise not to open it until she was at the school. She had promised him this, and let him leave with a gulp and a smile. As soon as the New York cab had pulled way from the graffitited project onto a larger street the young woman had begun to sob.
After a drive of a little under an hour with terrible cityt traffic, the teen had run out of tears. In her possession were several napkins covered with small sketches of clouds, birds, views of the streets she passed, and portraits of pedestrians. The small doodles were quite accurate, and strangely beautiful, with an ethereal and nostalgic quality about them that the real objects never could have possessed.
The dim smoggy light of the city bathed the young woman in an unnatural glow. The brown hair, falling in gentle waves around a slightly tanned heart shaped face, was bleached near grey by the unnatural light. Green eyes, usually full of sparkle, looked matte and dull. Thin brows crinkle over round eyes, searching for the destination. The car after being stopped in heavy traffic for nearly twenty minutes finally revved and moved, continuing the journey towards the girl’s new life.
The taxi had pulled in front of a large building set back by a set of steps from a busy street. She had smiled to the cab driver, parting with a few of the bills in the pockets of her gray pea coat. The driver had rudely taken her bills, speaking to her in a strange accent using a word she did not understand, but expected had been a derogatory slur. She had stepped out of the bus into the afternoon smog of a stark set of steps, wondering if this bland building truly held the beautiful future she ahd only dreamed about.
Neeva was, for once of the first times in her life, disheartened.
She looked up at the building, swallowing hard. Her free hand, the one not holding the ratty duffle over her bruised shoulder, reached into her pocket, fingering the envelope she had felt for the whole of her trip. Less than two hours ago she had been at home, in the one bedroom/one bathroom/kitchen/living room apartment she shared with her elder brother. Now she was alone in a new part of her city, standing outside of the school where she could be anything she wanted.
Strangely at that very moment Geneva Tessler, Sixteen year old Sophomore, wanted more than anything in the world to be back home.
She walked up the steps and stood forlornly in front of the school as the cab pulled away, hoping someone would come soon to bring her back to the happy girl who had the chance of a lifetime.
