What If The Earth Was Flat?

Chapter One

Tragedy, poverty and denial of oneself. That was what was currently fresh in Heylian Roloes’s mind after seeing her father taken to the hospital morgue.

“Why now? She asked herself. “Why now when it was only a week ago they left mom back in China to come here to Dayton Hills, Louisiana.

It was supposed to be perfect she thought. They had no money and her dad just got a job through his mother’s contacts and this just had to happen.

She was waiting. She was waiting for someone to come comfort her like a doctor or a nurse like in the movies.

It struck her ironic that she didn’t feel like crying after seeing her deceased father taken away for good.
She had no money and no idea how to get out of the hospital to her dad’s cousin’s home.
“Don’t be weak and never depend on others to get what you want.” Is the motto she lived by ever since she could read.

She had nothing to sell herself as “impressive”. Average grades, average looks and a pretty pessimistic attitude.
She went up to a receptionist’s desk to ask for a taxi.
The receptionist pretty much didn’t give a damn how Heylian felt, mostly because Heylian wasn’t showing any grief and had the look of a rebellious teen, which was the complete opposite of who she really was, a silent reserved girl who was the perfect target for being picked on by bitches.

She got in her taxi and plugged earphones in her ear in case the driver was the chatty type but she forgot her battery was dead, nevertheless she hoped it would fool the driver into staying silent.

“What you listening to?” he asked while humming to a beat himself.
“Music” she answered half-heartily. She felt so depressed that she had half the mind to scream at the driver to leave her alone.

Once she got home she got out of the car and rang the doorbell, hoping that her relative would be home, otherwise she would have to wait till he did get home.

No answer.

She ran again to no avail.
“Everything alright kid?”
She turned around and saw the driver out on the porch leaning by his car taking a smoke.
“Go” she said out of the blue. “Just leave.”
He inhaled his cigarette and exhaled, then faced Heylian with a childish, nasty look.
“Where’s my money, then?” he replied mockingly.

Heylian turned bright red. She forgot she was supposed to pay him by asking for money from her relative, who seemed to be away for the moment.

“I won’t run!” she retorted in a terrified manner.
The driver chuckled. “Ok, ok I know you won’t.” He threw his cigarette and pointed to the beach chairs.

“I got two hotdogs my son made me for lunch.” He said.
“Wanna eat? You look hungry” he said.

That was true, ever since she got the call from the hospital during school she didn’t hesitate to go see her father. She was already given the same hostile treatment in China here in the States.

Her father was the only living thing she loved, with no pun intended.
“I guess.” She said heartily for the first time today.

“Then come on.” he said cheerfully taking a seat in the beach chairs carefreely.
Heylian walked over cautiously not knowing what else to do and eat the hotdog the driver handed to her.

“Sit down, will ya?” he said patting the chair beside him.
“Umm…” Heylian hesitated. She was beginning to feel more uncomfortable by the minute.
“Speak up little urn, I’m not going to bite you.” He said quoting a line from a comic series.

Scratch that, she was getting uncomfortable by the second.

Seeing that she had nothing lase better to do and didn’t want things to be more awkward and uncomfortable, she took a seat.
“The name’s Paul what’s yours?” the driver asked.

“Heylian”

“That’s a unique name, my son’s named Dack just like you.”

“Why would you name him something bizarre like that?” Heylian asked surprised.

He grinned, showing his perfect teeth.

“Well… I liked the name Jack, cause it’s short and perfect for our last name: Donvoy. But my wife liked anything except Jack so we changed It to Dack and it actually went on his Birth Certificate.”

Heylian laughed openly. Which was a rare occasion for her. She never felt so comfortable talking to a complete stranger.

“Your turn, why did you look so glum in my car then?” he asked.

“My dad passed away.” Heylian replied casually but on the inside, there was a lot of dread in her heart.”

“Whoa… most people wouldn’t do what you did if they were in your shoes you know?”
“What do you mean?” Heylian asked.

“I mean most people aren’t as tough as you, you an army brat?”

“No. I just moved here.”

“You attend Sainton High right?”

“How’d you know?” Heylian asked surprised.

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He shrugged and said “Dacky goes there,
although he’s been out with a flu on the first day and had to take the damn week off.”
Just then a black Mercedes pulled up into the driveway. Paul instantly stood up and with a hasty goodbye to Heylian went back to his car.

Heylian didn’t even have time to thank him for the hotdogs.

“Who was that?” a male voice asked.
Heylian turned to face her uncle who was in his thirties carrying a briefcase and a bag shaped like a prism.

“My driver, could you please pay him? I don’t have money on me.” Heylian asked earnestly.
The man sighed and whipped out his wallet and went over to Paul’s car and handed him some notes.

The car then took off suddenly after that. Making Heylian once again feel as if she had someone important depart from her life.
Enough with the drama.

“Let’s get inside.” The man said, reaching in his pocket for his keys.
Heylian followed him inside and went straight up her room which she shared with her father.

As she reached for the doorknob she started having second thoughts whether she really wanted to open it or not.

Inside the room consisted of many photos of the time Heylian spent with her father before and after moving to America. The warm cardigans knitted by his father at his own birthday were spread on to the bed which she wanted to sleep on.

She was already wearing the most recent one he made for her which was green on the bottom half and white on the upper.
She didn’t have the strength to see all those recollections and not cry. She definitely didn’t want her uncle to think she was weak and frail.

“Hey, come down here, hurry up.” Her uncle called for her.

“Here it comes.” She dreaded. She knew her uncle was gonna kick her out since she was dead weight dragging him down.

Every step she took to get down the stairs felt like stepping on thumbnails.
Her uncle, Marshall was eating pizza with his bare hands and a paper plate.

“You didn’t eat anything this morning so I brought pizza home.” He said with crusts smeared on his lips.
Heylian took a seat and hesitantly reached for one.
Her uncle handed her a paper plate.
“Do you know? Sir?” Heylian asked. Trying to start a conversation.
Her uncle nodded since he was busy chewing.

“It’s unbearable to lose your father just after a week since you moved here. This must be hard on you, so just take your time adapting to the new situation.”
“What new situation?” Heylian asked in a rush.
“…it’s just gonna be me and you in this house, I didn’t even know you existed until my aunt called.” He said demeanor manner.

Then everything’s still gonna be the same, won’t it? My life, my living situation and school.” Heylian asked hopefully.

“I promise you there won’t a problem like that. Except for one small thing. You need to get a job.”

Heylian didn’t seem shocked by his words, seeing she had braced herself for something much worse than this.

“That’s no problem.” She replied automatically smiling… but in a sad way obviously.

Her uncle smiled and carefully reached out to pat her head.
Heylian felt awkward and did not know how to respond.

“Heylian…why are you purring like a kitten?” Paul asked sounding surprised.
Heylian opened her eyes. “Is that not what your meant to do when someone is patting you?”

Her uncle laughed. “No, Heylian you do not have to hum in a dead manner whenever you get pat on the head.

“…Oh” Heylian blushed for what could possibly be the first time since China she felt that emotion.

“Ok, why don’t you eat some Pizza before it gets cold? I don’t know what you like so I just ordered “Today’s Special”, though it’s quite weird that it’s spinach isn’t it?” He asked looking puzzled.

“Yeah, I’m hungry” Heylian replied in a lighthearted tone.
That night she slept with her uncle.
That is, she slept on the floor on a futon that her uncle used on camping trips.

She didn’t know how to comprehend how she felt for the amount of emotion that went through her head today. She was dreading her uncle to be evil and everything after her father passed away, but he didn’t seem to be. And that’s what Heylian dreaded all along.

The next morning, she woke up to find her uncle already out of the house for work and left some money on the table for her allowance.

She felt guilty taking money from an uncle she barely knew and promised herself to pay him back as soon as she got a job.
As Heylian walked to school, she reminded herself that she had to keep her head down if she didn’t want any trouble from her regular “bullies”.

She didn’t get why she was constantly being treated coldly and just wanted to fit in like everybody else.
Her first class was biology.
The teacher walked in dragging a boy Heylian’s never seen before by the arm who seemed unfazed by what was happening to him.

“C’mon now Waydens, you’ve been in the bathroom for more than thirty minutes I think you’ve urinated enough for this morning.

“I wasn’t takin a piss!” the boy protested, hearing the laughter of the class.
“Do you wanna introduce yourself?” the teacher asked sternly.
The boy turned towards Heylian and cracked a grin.

“Hello everyone, My name’s Dack Waydens, and I want to ask you all a question: What if the was Earth flat?”

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