Church Mouse

Blue Jay

I want to see how this chapter goes before I continue with this story.

Enjoyyyyy :P

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•Toni•

I watched as the blue jay landed on the picnic table in front of me, eating the bread crumbs I'd laid out for it. I admired the way it's feathers would ruffle and stick up, just to settle back down neatly. Its feathers were so vibrant and soft looking it was beautiful. I reached out to touch it but it flew away quickly before I got the chance.

I watched as it let the wind carry its wings, gliding through the air so effortlessly. I wish I could be a blue jay. I know that God doesn't make mistakes but somehow I feel like I was the one exception, like I had slipped through the cracks some way. I would much rather be a bird or a fish, hell I'd even settle for a cat. Anything other than a shy, goofy looking seventeen year old who wore binocular sized glasses and had a mouth full of metal. Mama says, I shouldn't fuss too much about my appearance but it's easy for her to say, considering she's been beautiful her entire life. I felt a nudge to my shoulder that brought me out of my thoughts,

"Toni." Jackie furrowed his eyebrows and pressed his lips in a thin line knowing I wasn't listening.

"Huh?" I hadn't even heard a word he said.

"hUh?" He mimicked me dramatically, squinting his eyes and sticking his tongue out slightly.
"I asked if you were still coming over after school today so we can finish that project."

"Oh yeah, but is it alright if I come a little later? I have choir practice today and you know how my mama gets." I pushed my glasses up the bridge of my nose. Jackie smiled from ear to ear and took the other half of my pb&j sand which.

"Alright sounds like a plan and don't worry bout it boog, just as long as you come." I frowned at the nickname and watched as he ate while talking with his mouth full. Boys are so disgusting. And as for the nickname 'boog', I hated it. It started back in the third grade when Sean Baxter who sat next to me, dug his nose and flicked his booger landing it on my face making me cry. I've had a phobia of boogers ever since and Jackie thought it was the funniest thing in the world. He calls me 'boog' as an inside joke which is short for booger, and to this day he won't ever let me forget that traumatizing memory. I shuttered thinking about it almost gagging.

Jackie and I have been best friends since kindergarten, most people always found it odd that we were so close since we were complete opposites. Jackie was a football star, and the towns popular golden boy, while I was the quiet nerdy girl who barely spoke a word to anyone accept Jackie. Girls were always trying to suck up to me in order to get close to him, but I could always spot the fake ones a mile away. They even went as far as starting a rumor in seventh grade that I was secretly in love with him and that's why I never liked any of them. That was the farthest thing from the truth I mean sure, Jackie was handsome anyone with a brain could figure that out. He was tall and lean, with a bright smile and beautiful bronzed skin, not to mention he was kind and smart. But he was more like a brother to me than anything else. Just thinking of being something more made me want to crawl out of my own skin.

The bell rang signaling the end of our lunch period and we made our way back inside. Jackie walked me to my class like he always did before leaving to go to his own. He moved a little slower now since he sprained his ankle at practice and was now on crutches.
The rest of the school day was a drag, the only thing I was looking forward to was choir practice. My father was the pastor of our church and my mother the First Lady, was also the choir director. Mama has made my sisters and I sing in the choir since we could properly form words. Most of my sisters hated it, but I didn't really mind it all that much as long as they put me in the back row where nobody could see me.