Walking to school has always been my favourite part of the day. Mostly because I love the outdoors. I love the smell of freshly cut grass and the feeling of the breeze rushing towards my face.

 But I have a few more reasons as well. People are drama. I mean I love people. All I want is for everyone to be happy. But people get angry over the pettiest things. I guess that’s how I found my place in the world. I am the peacemaker. The first time I realised this was when I was five years old. It was then I came to the conclusion that I hated arguments. Really what is the point at shouting at people because they disagree with you. Why can’t they just have a civilised conversation. I guess I like walking to school because there is no conflict. I start humming “I gotta feeling” as I stride to my favourite place on the way to school.

As the oak tree nears, I smile continuing to hum. I check my watch. I have an hour to kill. I sit down at the root of the tree pulling out my book “Cinderella is Dead”. I must have been reading for about ten minutes when I noticed a branch falling from the tree. I jumped up and caught it. “Woah! Sorry their babes. I didn’t see you there!” An unfamiliar female voice says. I look up. And suddenly time …slows? I feel like I’m in one of those romance novels. It feels as if it’s that part of the movie when the two one interests meet. The romantic music is slowly playing… as I set my eyes on the prettiest girl that I’ve ever seen. Her chestnut brown hair flows from her face like a beautiful river with small slight curls. Her eyes spark emerald green as shiny as a diamond. Her denim dungarees were open on her left side. She wore an abstract crop-top underneath that did wonders for her slim figure.  

“Ha-ha! Sorry my brother changed my ringtone for my girlfriend!” She laughs. Shit I was staring! I’m not supposed to have feelings. They are invalid for me. I’m not worth emotions! I laugh nervously as she answered the call, “sorry for bothering you” I squeak merely as a mouse. I grab my earphones and put them in my ears listening to ‘Dean Lewis’. As I near my school I take out the earphones and plaster a big smile on my face. “Hey Thomasine!” I beam, “how was your weekend?” “Ugh I don’t even know I had to go to this stupid family event and wear a dress. I hate dresses!” she sighs. “How was yours?” She asks kindly. “Oh fine. Want to talk more about how much you hate dresses?” I smirk. She laughs. I like seeing people happy like this. 

As soon as we enter class, I see Sarah. “Hey Sarah! How are you?” I ask her. She shrugs then sighs. “What’s wrong?” I ask Sarah as I hug her. Her lips tremble. I instantly realise Dean must have ended it with her. He came to me yesterday saying he felt trapped. It was then I helped him to realise he was gay. But now I must help Sarah. I pull her to my shoulder as she cries. “Shh now. It’s going to be ok now. I’m here” I soothingly whisper. “He said it wasn’t me but…” she starts. “I think you should trust him. You know Dean. He wouldn’t lie to you” I remind her. “I t-thought I knew him…” She sniffles. “He hasn’t changed. I’m sure of it” I smile pulling her closer. I look at the clock on my watch. “C’mon now let’s dry those tears and get to class or Mrs. Bolt will throw us both in detention!” I remind her. She giggles as I grab a tissue for her. I like seeing her happy. Happy is good.

We rush up to class with five minutes to spare. Unfortunately, Mrs. Bolt counts that as late. “Girls, were you off breaking rules?” She asks sternly. We look away bashfully. She scoffs then tells us “sit down!” We hurry to our seats. 

“Ok everyone today we have a new student in our form tutor. Please welcome your new classmate Jade Johnson” Mrs. Bolt announces. “Jade please stand up and tell us a little about yourself” Mrs. Bolt asks. Its only when she stands up, I realise. It’s the girl from the oak tree! She’s now looking around confidently until she notices me. She faulters for a second. It’s so quick I thought I may have imagined it. But she returns quickly to that beautiful smile of hers. Her smile turns to a smirk and then she turns to us all. “Hi everyone, my name is Jade Johnson, but I usually go by JJ. I like sports and doing anything adventurous. I can’t wait to get to know you all better!” she beams. I can’t believe she had the confidence to talk about herself like that. “Good girl… now why don’t you take a seat beside… ah now here is a chance to separate Elizabeth and Sarah. Sarah, please move in beside Kathleen. Jade, please sit in beside Elizabeth” Mrs. Bolt says while indicated her finger at me. As she sits beside me, she mutters. “I thought I made it clear my name was JJ”. “She calls everyone by their given name no matter how much you ask her not to” I whisper quietly. “That’s stupid” she groans. “Especially for Monica...” I mutter. “Why is that?” JJ asks. “Monica is transgender” I explain.

She never mentioned our brief conversation this morning… maybe she doesn’t recognise me without my reading glasses. Mrs. Bolt begins telling us the announcements and I zone out thinking about JJ. 

 “Wait so this Mrs. Bolt is a transphobic piece of shit?” JJ snarls quietly. Not quite enough. “Do you have something to say Jade?” Mrs. Bolt shouts. “Yeah, I do” she starts standing up, “my name is JJ not Jade for starters. When people tell you their preferred name you call them that, got it?” she finishes confidently. 

“Your name in the role is Jade. I will not call you any other. As for Martin whom I’m sure you were distantly referring to he was born male. He cannot simply decode one day he is a girl called Monica. I don’t know why the other teachers entertain this foolishness. Also, the school letting him wear skirts. Outrageous!” she screeches.

For some reason I stand up. Completely against my nature. Then again, I’ve never liked Mrs. Bolt. But the way I speak is as if somebody else is using my mouth. “With all do respect miss that’s bullshit. Being trapped in a body that doesn’t feel right is fucked up. And if your transphobic... what else are you homophobic, racist?” I smile. But it’s then I realise I didn’t stand up. I didn’t defend my friends. It was JJ. JJ did all that. I wish I did it. I need to apologise to everyone now that they are sad. 

Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry.

Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry.

Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry.

Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry.

The bell rings and before I can start to go to art I’m pulled into the old corridor. I turn to see her. Well, I think it’s her maybe I’m just hallucinating. I probably am. I always hallucinate at home. Wait no that’s Sonia… wait she’s gonna- 

“Deep breaths with me Liz. C’mon breath in, breath out. Breath in, breath out. Breath in, breath out” a calming voice says from the shadows of my mind. Or is it my mind? Where am I? “Breath in, breath out” it says again. This time I listen to it. I focus in and my surroundings start to make sense. I’m at school. Wait who was the voice? I stand up to see JJ walking away. Was it her?

Before I know it Sarah and we are heading to our first class of the day, art. I like art a lot but I’m not very good at it. I mostly do it because Sarah would be alone if I didn’t. It turns out JJ is in most my classes. Except for music and history. She’s really funny and really talented. Everyone loves her. I’m glad she makes them happy. And she seems to be happy to. She sits with Dean, Tara, Maya, Thomasine, Sarah and I at lunch. 

But she doesn’t mention the oak tree. 

Or the corridor.

Or really anything to do with me.

And in a way I’m disappointed. She was the first person to see me reading a book like that. She was the first person to see me vulnerable and notice. She became popular within minutes because of the way she stood up for everyone. 

She did mention her boyfriend.