Stephano | ✔︎

(05) Metanoia

Metanoia (Met-ah-no-ia)
n. change in one's way of life resulting from penitence or spiritual conversion. e

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Riley was always known to be different. She found it hard to make friends due to that reasoning. She was always made fun of because of the way her mind worked, or the way she spoke out her strange thoughts.

As a child, her mind worked as if she was many times older and children just couldn't seem to grasp the fact that she was matured, she had to be. Her mother and father left her to the orphanage where no one truly cared for her. Every day she had to grow accustomed to the fact that she will never be loved, never be nurtured, never have any worth.

One day, as she was walking to her first-grade class with her head hung low and her old dirty bag slouched on her shoulder carrying the supplies needed for the school year, she bumped into a girl. A girl who had the most beautiful blue eyes of the ocean and long black hair that only enhanced her features making the beautiful little girl much more appealing.

"Oh, gee! I'm sorry," she cheerfully spoke as she bent down to grab the ugly book bag that belonged to Riley on the ground. Riley saw the pretty purple backpack strapped onto the girl's back which had glitter plastered all over it. Her sparkly purple shoes matched it along with her purple dress that resembled much of a pink t-shirt attached to a purple too-too.

"My name is Da- Amara!" The girl giggled after she had handed Riley her bag back. Riley stood gawking at the girl, wishing she could be just like her-pretty, and loved.

"Are you shy? There's no need to be. Me and you are gonna be the best entire of friends in the big 'ole galaxy," Amara continued. Riley wanted to tell her that her sentence was grammatically inaccurate, but she didn't want to scare her away like all of her other past short-term friendships.

"Its-I'm Riley," Riley settled with as she began moving her tiny feet in the direction of her classroom away from the girl. She passed by many children holding their parents tight with tears streaming down their face, while others were screaming and delivering punches along with kicks at their parents all while yelling, "I hate you! Don't make me go!"

Dashing through the halls with her small echoes of footsteps pounding the ears of others, she quickly strolled to the front of her teacher's classroom. Riley's teacher resembled much of an older woman who had gray hair wrapped up in a bun and glasses that barely hung on her face as it reached the tip of her nose. Riley sped into the classroom, and she dramatically threw herself on the chair in the far back before letting out a quiet sigh.

She sat down on the chair, dove her head in her arms before closing her eyes. Laughter played around her like a sweet melody. The children all talked about their boring life at home.

She continued with her silence. No longer concentrating on the fellow students around her, but staring into the sea of endless darkness behind her eyelids. The silence in her mind was enjoyable, and she found herself escaping so deep into her imagination that she couldn't even feel the constant tap delivered to her shoulder. "Excuse me," the cute voice of the little girl spoke, still tapping her shoulder in a continuous pattern.

Riley was snapped out of whatever daze she was in and darted up as if she were surfacing up from water to catch her breath. Riley turned toward the voice to see the black-haired girl from earlier. Her deep blue eyes were gazing into Riley's mesmerizing green ones.