Fly Away

 

 

Quieta watched the snowfall outside the window. Despite popular belief, it wasn’t always snowing in Switzerland. In fact, it was usually sunny this time of year. However, an early snowfall caused many of the flowers that usually littered the grounds to die quicker then they should.

‘Remind you of anything?’ She thought to herself, tapping her pencil idly against her desk. She closed her eyes, sighing. When she opened them again, she spotted something. A small section of wildflowers. Shielded from the snow in such a way they could still receive the light they needed –both artificial and natural. They flourished. Quieta smiled, slightly.

‘…Just like her… No matter what, she could always flourish in any condition. She smelled like wildflowers too…’

“Miss Deus!”

Quieta looked up.

“Will you PLEASE pay attention?!” The teacher yelled. Quieta casually shifted so she was sitting forward. She didn’t feel the need to say ‘yes ma’am’ or anything else. She knew the teachers couldn’t punish her more then in-dorm suspension, and THAT would be WELCOME. Quieta needed a break. She couldn’t remember how long she was at the school. WHY she was there, though…

She focused her mind.

‘No time for such nonsense. This is your life. This is how things are. That was… it was nothing. Nothing at all.’

 

Quieta walked along the shoveled walkway. The snow was three inches higher from when she had first checked this morning.

Her dorm. She wanted to be back in her dorm. She was lucky (read: Rich) enough to get a single, so she could practice her dancing in peace. Which was all she really wanted to do right now.

She was so immersed in her thoughts on dancing; she didn’t notice the lone figure against the tree she was unknowingly approaching.

“Hey, White.”

“My name isn’t White. It’s Quieta.” She murmured over her scarf.

“Man, you Australians can’t take a nickname, can you?”

Quieta stopped and looked at whom she was talking to. The girl looked a couple years older then herself, and if the school Quieta was going to HAD a male uniform, she was certain that it was what the girl was wearing. Out of the side of her mouth, a cigarette hung loosely. Her hair was bright red. So much it hurt Quieta’s eyes. She was wearing sunglasses, so Quieta couldn’t make out her eyes.

“…Who are YOU?” Quieta asked icily. The girl smirked.

“Iydmin.”

“Certainly that can’t be your real name.”

“No, but it’s what m’ friends call me.”

“Well what do you want with me, miss Iydmin?”

Iydmin stood up, walking over to Quieta. Only then did she realize how much taller the other girl was.

“I see you around a lot. To most you’re practically invisible. Usually girls angst about not being noticed, but you seem to rather like it. Like you’d rather not have anyone know who you are, or that you even exist.” She said. She was confidant, her voice unwavering. Quieta remembered when she used to have that kind of unfaltering confidence. She summoned it up once more, along with her icy indifference.

“Why do you care?”

“Why shouldn’t I?”

Quieta was taken aback. She hadn’t expected that answer.

“Look, White. All I’m say’in is be true to yourself. You want for something. You want for something somthin awful. You’ve been shipped to this godforsaken nunnery of a school, of all places. It can’t get any worse then this. Something tells me you have nothing to lose that you don’t want to lose anyway. So whatever it is you want for… go get it. You can’t live your life being afraid, and you can’t live your life being timid. You’re young. You have your whole life…”

Quieta thought this over.

A plane ticket back home was incredibly easy for her to get.

She knew people she could stay with.

She had enough to get by even if she couldn’t.

There was nothing she wanted here.

Nothing she wanted out of her current life.

She had nothing to lose.

And everything to gain.

“Home…” She whispered, surprised at how convincing Iydmin’s words sounded. “I’m going… home…”

“Home is where the heart is, White. Follow your heart and you won’t go wrong.” Iydmin smiled. She tossed her cigarette into the snow and walked toward the school. Quieta watched her leave. Who was that girl? Quieta hadn’t seen her around school, but… for some reason she felt she should trust the girl’s words. And they made sense. She had nothing to lose… Her path was set before her. So, running back to her dorm to get her things, once more Quieta Deus stepped off the path, and made her own. This time, for good.

 

 

The airport was almost empty. There was staff, of course, but almost no one was there. Mostly business people. A young pretty girl was very out of place, but no one asked, thankfully. Quieta pushed her sunglasses up so they reached her sunhat. She had remembered how warm it was in Australia and had dressed appropriately.

“I can only hope that things go well…”

She took a deep breath; it felt good to be home.

Outside the window that was practically the entire wall, the sun was just beginning to rise on the horizon.

“ ‘The future exists first in the imagination, then in the will, then in reality.’ Well, I have the imagination, and the will. I can only hope the reality will come soon.”