• Growing up in a family with several children led her to be a lonely child. She was a brave young girl though, and for the sake of her parents she always put on a happy front. Who would have ever guessed there was a young child inside of her, just yearning for love? A child not quite ready to be the adult that was expected out of her. Was it really so hard to believe seeing as how she was only ten years old? The situation at the time required her to grow up a lot faster than what she would have liked, her parents had their hands full with all her other siblings, and young Sophia lost herself among her books and fairy tales. She read and read, she loved literature. Books were the only real friends she had, the only thing she had to turn to.

    I remember watching her from afar, and I wanted nothing more than to be her friend. I saw the countless hours she spent in the library and during her free time at recess just reading. We shared similar interests and I saw the young lonely girl inside her just waiting to blossom and radiate of creative beauty. I’ll never forget the day I finally got my chance to get her attention. As I admired her from the swing set, I noticed a group of three boys in the sixth grade, like myself, making their way across the playground to where she was sitting under the shade of a tree. They took her book out of her hands and tossed it back and forth to one another like buffoons. They shouted hurtful things such as, “Nerd,” “Bookworm,” ,”Go get some friends.” My beloved Sophia helplessly stood there, her eyes filled with tears. How dare they hurt her like that.

    A sudden urge of heroism ran through my veins as I jumped off the swings and charged for those imbeciles. I took a swing at the one holding the book but sadly missed. He pushed me down into the grass, and from there I kicked up and hit him right in the groin. The book dropped from his hands, but not as quickly as he dropped to the ground clutching onto his privates. The other two boys tried to rush to their friend’s help. I scrambled to grab the book before the other two boys could get the chance, but as i reached out, a teacher’s hand grabbed my arm. She demanded to know what was going on, and we were all escorted to the principal’s office.

    As I was being dragged to what seemed like would be my doom, I gazed over my shoulder and saw Sophia picking up her book. She stared back at me with those big warm eyes of hers, and mouthed the words, “Thank you,” with her tender lips. Those lips that never leave my mind, that keep me up at night just wondering if words were to breach her shyness, would her voice be just as sweet as I’ve always dreamt it would be? How extensive her vocabulary must be from all the literature she’s read by now. There was nothing I wanted more than to be graced with so much as having an engaging conversation with Sophia.

    I was suspended for two weeks, and to my surprise Sophia came to visit me after school one day. She thanked me for what I had done, “I’m not even quite sure what you’re name is. My name is Sophia.” Her cheeks turned a lovely shade of pink as she reached her hand out. Why must her beauty radiate so much, teasing my mind at night, and making me shy and freeze like a fool when I’m in front of her? I took her hand in mine, “My name’s Haley. Do you want to come inside? I’m making some of my special tea and I’m having my daily tea party.” She reluctantly agreed, and over a cup of tea we became more acquainted with one another, and might I dare say we became great friends.

    After Sophia finished the rest of her tea I took her into my backyard. It was a wonderful place filled with luscious green grass, and all types of exotic flowers. “Hey Sophia, since you love reading so much, want me to tell you a story?” I began to tell her a story of a beautiful land, where nothing but peace, love, and happiness existed, and where two young girls had the world all to themselves. She saw the wonder of every beautiful word leaping out of my mouth and become reality around her. I painted vivid images for her to see and feel as though she can reach out and touch. Soon enough we were no longer standing in my backyard, we were in a world surrounded by peace and tranquility. There was green grass as far as the eye can see, and mystical breathtaking creatures.

    We ran through fields of daisies together, rode beautiful wild horses, and gazed at the pink and purple cotton candy like clouds in the sky as we lay next to one another. Finally it was time for my story to end, and when it did Sophia was feeling very down. “Haley, how did you do that? Every word you said, every picture you painted came to life! I was there, I really was in that magical land. I want to go back, it made me so happy.” I took her hands and looked into her eyes, “I thought you would like it. We can’t go back yet Sophia, if you promise to come see me everyday, and promise you’ll be my friend forever, I promise to take you back to my fairy tale land every day.” She agreed, and I sent her home for the day. I watched her walk down the street, occasionally turning around to wave goodbye. Until tomorrow my sweet.

    As she promised, Sophia visited me everyday while I was suspended. I kept my side of our promise by taking her to my, no, what is now our Eutopia everyday after our daily tea party. With each visit to that fairy tale land our happiness there grew and grew, but our sadness, especially Sophia’s, worsened each time we had to leave. She felt horrible every time one of our trip’s were over, and I could only promise her more happiness if she came back the following day. “Haley, I’ve read so many fairy tales, and now I finally get to live in one. Why must you make me wait until tomorrow, why does it have to end now? Why can’t we just leave this world, and stay in there forever… together?” I tried to ask her to be patient but she grew agitated and tired of waiting, but still she came day after day.

    One day Sophia didn’t come. I waited by my window for her all day, and three days following that. But she did not come. I grew impatient, until Sophia finally showed up at my door step. “Well, well, look who’s finally here. Did you forget about that promise you made me?!” I looked into her sad eyes with a cold, lonesome, bitterness that she had left in my heart. Her eye’s were empty, a blank nothingness of the beauty and warmth that they used to hold. And as they filled with tears she took my hand, “Please Haley, don’t be mad at me. I hadn’t been focused in school because I’m always up all night thinking of you and our fairy tale, I can’t even eat or sleep at all.” It was true she was looking thinner, and paler. Her cheeks were no longer painted with that beautiful hue of pink I had grown so fond of. “I feel horrible when I’m at school, all i do is space out. When I’m not with you and in our wonderland together I feel horrible. My mother was so upset with me, she wouldn’t let me go anywhere. I had to sneak out to come see you, because I miss our friendship, our daily tea, and our trips into your fairy tale. You were my only true friend. But I’m afraid my mother won’t allow me to be your friend anymore, and I can’t always keep sneaking out like this.”

    “But you said you would be my friend forever, you promised. You even wished to be with me forever!” I was filled with so much anger, and it took everything in me to hold back my tears. I saw fear strike her face, so I quickly calmed myself down, I didn’t want to scare her away. I thought quickly and said, “I understand Sophia, you can’t help it. Well, what if I told you that we can live in our fairy tale forever. Will you run away with me?” I reached my hand out expecting her to take it, but to my surprise she didn’t. “I can’t, my mother and father would be worried if I leave forever. I didn’t think it would be possible, it was just wishful thinking. I could never worry my family like that.” This hurt me, but I kept my hand reached out towards her. “It’s okay, how about one more cup of tea and off to our fairy tale since you’re already here? I don’t know when I will be able to see you next so we should make the most of our time. What do you say?” She nodded and took my hand, and for the very last time she closed my front door behind her, forever locking and intertwining our destinies together.

    I can’t believe all this has happened within a bit over two weeks. And as she lays here in the grass next to me in the cold stillness of the night, too weak and in pain to speak, staring at me with those sorrow filled eyes seeming to ask, “Why,” I can’t help but wonder if this was the right thing to do. You said you wanted to be with me forever Sophia, be careful what you wish for. I suppose out of some anger, spite, and irrational thinking, I put a bit too much narcotics in our tea this time. Poor Sophia, if only you knew all the deceptive ways I stole your heart, your innocence, if only you knew how corrupted I was inside and how I would do anything and everything to be with you. It’s all out of love really. But now I can’t help but question if I deserved your love and loyalty for all eternity. I know as I lay here next to you and as we both begin to O.D. my body’s temperature has reached extreme numbers of overheating, and in it is more pain than I could have ever imagined, but I still feel so calm and serene. I stare back into your eyes and watch tears slowly roll off the tips of your lashes. I can feel you screaming to me for help past your state of imprisonment within your still, and already lifeless looking, fragile body, but I can’t help but keep a calm look upon my face and think to myself, Finally my love, we can be together forever.