Page 2 of Vexed
I give him a sincere smile before skipping off, yelling as I pass by him, “It was nice meeting you, Vex.”
“The pleasure is all mine, Lily.” His voice echoes from behind and when I turn around to wave at him, he’s gone like he was never even there.
My joy vanishes and the skip in my step is gone. Maybe I’m so lonely that I imagined someone was there. It happens a lot. I talk to myself most of the time and pretend I have a friend.
Mommy took me to the doctor because she was concerned about how extensive it had gotten, but he said it’s normal for kids to have imaginary friends when they’re lonely.
He said I should try and make morerealfriends, but that scares me. Mommy even took me to different play groups so I can socialize with other kids, but I always end up playing by myself.
Other kids scare me and I feel better when I’m on my own and in my little world. When I watch movies about fairy tales or magical worlds, I wish that I could somehow be sucked in through the screen and live there along with all the fairies and talking unicorns.
Blowing out a breath, I notice the street lights turning on one by one.I better get home before the sun sets and it’s completely dark outside.
For the next week, every day at the same time—Vex was at the playground.
He wasn’t my imagination after all. He would talk to me and make me laugh, even push me on the swing so high that I would laugh until my tummy hurt.
He liked the nickname I gave him. He says he also doesn’t have many friends. Like me. I gave him a nickname, not only because he is my friend now, but because his real name is too hard for me to pronounce. But every time I would leave to head home, he’d vanish. I told my mommy about him, but she didn’t believe me.
First, she yelled at me for talking to a stranger but as soon as I told her about his pretty colored eyes and his sharp teeth, she just sighed and told me it was my wild imagination. I swear it wasn’t. He is real. And he is my friend. My only friend.
Sitting at the breakfast table, I anxiously wait for Mommy to place the pancakes in front of me. Mommy’s pancakes are my favorite, especially when she decorates them with strawberries to make a funny face.
Daddy sits next to me, reading a newspaper and sipping on his cup of coffee. Folding the paper and placing it on the table, he asks, “Have you made any new friends at school, pumpkin?”
I softly reply, “Um, not really. No one likes me,” keeping my eyes on my hands as I twirl my fingers. Daddy’s hand softly touches my shoulder, and I lift my eyes to meet his. With a smile, he says, “That’s their loss. Anyone would be lucky to have you as a friend.” Daddy gives me a wink before taking another sip of his coffee.
“Well, I have madeonefriend. His name is Vex, and he always pushes me on the swings at the playground,” I chirp with a wide smile on my little face. However, Mommy scowls at me as she places my plate stacked with pancakes before me.
“He is not real, Lily,” she says sharply, sitting beside Daddy. My smile drops, but Daddy gives her a look before averting his gaze to mine.
“I’m glad you have someone to play with, pumpkin.” I know he is only saying that to make me feel better, but it doesn’t help. Vex is real. To me. He is.
I don’t care what Mommy says. I don’t bother saying anything as I start eating my breakfast. I’m not that hungry anymore, but Mommy will get mad if I don’t finish my food.
“Eat up, Lily. The bus will be here any minute,” Mommy says as she takes a bite of her own pancake. I always loved going to school, loved to learn and play. But there is this one girl who keeps making fun of me for talking to myself. She calls me weird. I don’t like it. I don’t like going to school anymore.
The horn of the bus makes me jump, and I quickly get up, grab my fluffy pink backpack, and give Mommy and Daddy a kiss on the cheek before running to the front door. I can’t wait to get home so I can go to the park and play with Vex again.
CHAPTER TWO
Lily
* Aged 10 *
Today has been a longer day than usual, and I can’t help but notice that the clock that hangs on the classroom wall is broken. The arms aren’t moving at all. It makes me worry about Daddy, who has to go to the doctor today because he’s not feeling too good.
He hasn’t been himself for a while now and Mommy finally got him to agree to go to the doctor. I really wanted to go with them, but Mommy said I couldn’t.
I don’t understand why not. When I feel sick and have to go to the doctor, I always want Mommy and Daddy to be there. Both of them. It makes me feel a lot better with them there, so why can’t I go with them to help make Daddy feel better?
Finally, the bell rings for recess, and I quickly grab my lunch from my bag. I head over to the wooden table that stands outside the cafeteria, the one where no one else sits except me.
Some kids call it the ‘loser table’, and sometimes I wish something bad would happen to them. Every time they say something mean to me, I imagine them tripping over and falling on their faces.
I take a seat at the table, sliding into the worn wooden chair, and open my lunch box. Mommy always packs me the best lunch, with a ham and cheese sandwich, string cheese, a pear, and a bottle of orange juice. She makes sure to include all my favorites.
Smiling to myself, I pick up my sandwich to take a bite, but suddenly, it falls to the ground as someone hits the back of my head.
