Journey by Jay T. (the gingerbread man read aloud .txt) 📖

and told the kid to leave. The kid hesitated and left after Steven threatened to kiss his ass. I started to get dizzy and Steven took my arm and led me out to his car.
“What’s happening to me? I feel all weird,” I say.
“The kid put a pill into your drink. I knew something was going to happen. What’s your name?” Steven asked.
“Steven, don’t you know me? I’m Mae…”I sigh, and look at him with a dazed look. Steven looked at me with surprise. He didn’t recognize me one bit. I knew that would happen, since I lost all my baby fat, I’ve looked like a completely new person.
“Mae? What happened to you? You look like a whole different person!” Steven said, voicing my own thoughts.
“Steven…”I stated to say, and then I blacked out.
The next morning I found myself in an unfamiliar room. It was definitely a boy’s room. I did not recognize it, but when I looked beside me, there was Steven. He was sleeping, but he was still fully clothed but instead of the clothes he wore the night before, he was in pajamas. I, then, looked at myself. I was in a pair of boxers and a baggy t-shirt. I look inside the shirt and see that I am not wearing my bra. I didn’t wear panties last night, so I didn’t look down there. I see my dress on the ground, along with my shoes. I sit up, and Steven stirs a bit, then wakes up.
“Mae, you’re up.”
“Steven…what happened?”
“The kid date raped you. I brought you here.”
“No, I mean…did you see my naked?”
“Yeah…but you wanted to change but you were so drugged, you and your body weren’t functioning well. So I changed you. I hope you don’t mind. I didn’t do anything to you though. Don’t worry.”
“I’m not. It’s just…I’ve never…”
“Don’t worry Mae; I would never take advantage of you, especially if you were drugged like that.”
“I’m saying I’ve never been naked in front of anyone, since I was four.” I laughed and Steven laughed along with me. I took a shower, and brushed my teeth, and Steven went to Liz’s house to get the clothes that I brought over to her house. I changed and Steven took me to Aunt Josephine’s house. She was out, and I Steven to the kitchen. We talked for hours, literally. He smiled when I started telling him about home, but his smile faded when I told him about Chance.
“What?” I ask.
“Nothing, I was just hoping that something would happen to us this summer, but I don’t want to get in your way. You know, I don’t want to come in between you and your boyfriend.” He said with a look of regret in his eyes.
“Steven, this thing between us…doesn’t give you the right to give up hope. I mean, you never know, it might not work between me and Chance. I still have feelings for you, believe me, I do. I just don’t want to be the girl who cheats on her boyfriend a month after they get together.”
Steven smiles and suddenly I feel regret. I want to hug him and kiss him, and tell him that I would break up with Chance right away. I mean, Chance and I have known each other our whole lives, and that could mean that we could stay friends.
The pang of my heart flares up with ever last word Steven says to me before he leaves, and within the blink of an eye, he’s gone. That summer, Chance started to call more, therefore, Liz stopped hanging out with me more and more, the parties I attended were less frequent, the friends I had in Atlanta became non-existent.
Detatchment Stage

The next day, I walk into school a little less dark. I wore colors and put a little effort into what I looked like. The people still stared at me all around, and I still ignored them all day. I passed by Kiera, Chance, and a weepy Lia, but I walked right passed them; I go to my first class. The day went by slowly, and with every passing second, I wanted to get out of this town more and more. My father came to pick me up at lunch, and this time, I actually stayed the whole time.
When he drove me back to school, I went to my classes and there were no weird looks. I wasn’t Miss Popularity anymore, but I was not a total social reject. I guess that could be good. The thing I needed to worry about most is whether or not I wanted to stay.
There’s no possible way that I can make that decision. All my family is here. Darren, though, is in New York with my career and David. I am so conflicted right now. How do I choose between two things that I love the most? I don’t understand how I can choose between them. I stayed in my room when I got home. The world looked so confusing in that moment, I passed out. Thinking back to the day I got my mission, I remembered the voice had said something.
“You can only see me if you are in transition.”
What did this mean? I didn’t understand. What am I?
I don’t even know what I am, how I’m going to choose, or what I’m supposed to do. My mind goes blank, and my body goes numb. I fall on my bed and everything in my mind disintegrates until there is just darkness. All my senses are missing, and a part of me feels like at am trapped and cannot move.
“Mae, you are the one who triggered the transition phase. You thought about what you are, and you are not human.” The voice enters my ears and I can hear it loud and clear. “You are very important in our world. Your journey affects us all. This transition period will be difficult, but you must bear the pain and suffering. We will all be here to protect you.”
“What am I?” I hear myself whisper.
“You must not find out until the end of this transition. There are three stages to this transition period. You are now in the first stage. This is the detachment stage. You will look like you are asleep on the outside, your body will have a fever, you can feel nothing, talk to no one except we who protect and guide, and you will learn the way of your people. You will be in this stage for the longest. It takes about three days for this stage to be over.”
“I am going to learn what kinds of things?”
“The way of our people is different from humans. Think of us as ancient people; we are much like the Greek royalty. The way we dress, the way we walk, the food we eat.”
“So I have to learn a whole new life? Just like what I was doing in New York?”
“Not exactly. You are just learning the basics.”
Everything in my life is so strange…

Three days passed and I was ‘recovered’. I learned that the only difference between the Greeks and these people were that they had wings and powers. I don’t know what could be stranger, me being a weird non-human with wings, or the fact that I was cooped up in the dark part of my mind for three days.
My mom was there when I woke up. I also saw that I was not in my bedroom. I was in the hospital. It looked to be midnight and I heard footsteps coming toward this room. My father enters with some coffee, and I close my eyes quickly, just to make them think I was still asleep. He sits on the couch behind my mom and she sat next to me holding my hand. I stayed absolutely still.
“How are you in a coma? I don’t understand.” I hear my mom whisper. My heart breaks, but I feel as if I have to stay like for a little while longer. Good thing I don’t move much in my sleep because I started to drift off.
I slept for a few hours and I woke up to a few people talking to my parents. They were Kiera, Lia, and Chance. What are they doing here? I didn’t want to wake up while they were around. I wanted to wake up with only my parents. Darren wasn’t here, and the closest people to me, after Darren and David, were my parents. I want to laugh at the absurdity of them coming to visit me because I was in a ‘coma’. I want to understand why they would still come and see me even after what I had said.
The feeling of betrayal is still fresh in my mind, but for some reason, I want to forgive them. My parents let them in and they all gathered around me. I feel a hand on my hair, stroking it. I feel someone grab my hand, and I hear my parents tell them that they would go home for some clean clothes.
“How did this happen? Is she sick?”I hear Kiera ask.
Some one sits in the chair that my mother had occupied. The lay their hand into mind, and I can tell it’s Lia. I feel a tear on my arm and I have the urge to wake up and comfort her.
“Chance, what did she tell you? That day in the forest, I mean.” Lia asks.
“I already told you.” His voice sounded like it wanted him to break down.
“I just can’t let her feel like this. I want my best friend back.” Lia starts to sob, then. “I just want her back. I want…”
“Well, I don’t think you can win her back that easily.” Kiera says softly. I can tell she is feeling uncomfortable because I can hear her shifting. “I’m going to go find something to wipe her face.” Her footsteps leave and I hear Chance walk to stand next to the nightstand by the bed. I guess now is a better time to start to wake up. I open my eyes slowly to the scene in front of me. Lia is resting her head on Chance while he strokes her head. As if she can feel my eyes on them, she glances at me and gasps. She breaks out of Chance’s arms and takes my hand.
“Mae! You’re awake!” She smiles through her tears. I don’t know how to respond.
“Uhm, what happened to me? Where are my parents?” I look at the both of them.
“They went home to change and they’re going to come back soon.” Lia says. Chance just stares at me, and just then my cell phone rings. My body feels weak, so Chance grabs the phone, I stare at him in horror, and he sees and so he hands the phone over. It’s Darren.