Dabria awoke to the rattling of the school bell. First, she reached for her shoulder but felt only her dress. The Raven was long gone. She groggily got to her feet and followed the sound of students rushing outside. Many teachers yelled at her peers to slow down, but nothing they said could stop the onslaught of footsteps.
Upon entering the hallway, she didn't see any birds outside the building. A frown etched on her face as she longed for her feathery friends. Without them, her world looked dead. It didn't matter if the flowers and trees were blooming or if she saw children playing in leaf piles. If the birds didn't wait for her, she might as well have been living in a ghost town. She got on her tiptoes to reach the door handle of the main entrance, but the bickering of the girls behind her caught her attention.
"She's walking home instead of hopping on her broomstick!" A girl said. After turning around, Dabria realized it was none other than Hadley making fun of her. While the other students waited for a chance to tease her, Hadley and her two loyal friends created opportunities.
Dabria looked up to see the girl's face. Being two grades above her made Dabria seem like an ant in comparison. Meanwhile, Alyssa and Julie shadowed Hadley wherever she went. Hadley stood in front of them, acting as the ringleader, while Julie worked as more of a sidekick. But despite their dedication to torment Dabria, Alyssa was always hesitant in every encounter. In fact, she would act as a voice of reason, cautioning Hadley and Julie to ease up on her whenever they got too physically aggressive.
Dabria looked at Alyssa, hoping that she'd say something, but the little girl averted her gaze. "Hi," Dabria said meekly.
Hadley laughed so much she snorted. "God, even my baby sister, Lisa, is braver than you!" she gave a sharp but soft poke at Dabria's chest. No matter how ruthless Hadley acted, she never failed to praise her baby sister while putting Dabria down.
"In that case, I suppose Lisa is pretty brave, right?" Dabria backed into a corner. She gave a wry smile to hide her fear.
"Hey! Don't mention Lisa! I don't care if you're complimenting her or not. As long as her name comes out of your mouth, it's disgusting!"
Julie cracked her fingers and walked forward. Unlike her friends, she was more of a tomboy, always looking for a fight, just like her older brother. "How about we make her say sorry?" she chuckled at her own suggestion. But after she took another step, Alyssa stood in between them.
"H-hey! It's getting late. Our parents want us home as soon as possible." Dabria hid behind Alyssa while the girls towered over them.
Hadley rolled her eyes. "I guess you're right. Let's go home, Julie." Julie stuck her tongue out before leaving. In the meantime, Dabria froze, wondering if she should thank Alyssa or let her go in case Hadley returned.
"I'm sorry," Alyssa whispered before running away.
Dabria's eyes grew wide. She couldn't fathom why Alyssa played with Hadley and Julie. Her actions desperately made Dabria want to reach out to her and form a bond just as strong as the one she had with Dante and the birds, but the moment Dabria left the building, those fantasies washed away as Dante's shadow cast over her. His head blocked out the sun like a solar eclipse.
"Are you ready to go home?" he asked gently. Rather than answering, Dabria gave him a tight hug. "I guess that's a 'yes.'" He patted her back and held her hand while they walked.
"I wish the weekends were longer." Her voice fell, but as always, any bit of sadness, no matter how small, caught Dante's attention. "At least then I could spend more time with you." When she looked up at him, he said nothing, but the long silence that followed told her he had something on his mind. "Dante?" she asked, confused.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I guess I was staring off into space again," he said.
"I-is something wrong?" Dabria pulled on his sleeve and raised herself with the balls of her feet.
Dante shook his head. "No, I'm just a little tired. Even though my school dismisses us a couple of hours before yours ends, it doesn't mean I get to lie in bed. I've been studying a lot." He slightly tightened his hold on Dabria's hand. She wanted to break free of his firm grasp, but the roughness he displayed was so out of character that she spent more time being confused.
"Are you okay? You look worried."
"I'm just stressed about graduation." He blurted. Afterward, he picked up the pace almost to where he could have dragged her across the pavement.
"But you don't look okay."
Rather than restating his claim of being 'fine,' Dante changed the subject. "You know, I think I'll buy you a typewriter one day! I've seen the way you look at those things."
Dabria avoided eye contact. She needed to push further, but she knew what it felt like to be on the receiving end of someone's unrelenting demands. So, she gave in to her brother's playfulness.
"Really?" she asked excitedly. She forced a smile, but once Dante pulled her around a corner to the front of a shop window, her happiness blossomed into a genuine feeling.
"If mom asks why we took a while to get home, tell her you forgot your backpack at school, and we had to get it." Dante pointed to the window, showcasing a brand-new typewriter displayed on top of a wooden counter.
Dabria leaned into the glass, letting her breath fog the window. "Will you get me one just like that? That one with the silver keys?" she pointed at the display, and Dante nodded.
"I'll get you that exact typewriter." He gave her a side hug.
"But wouldn't that be expensive?" Dabria eyed the item like she was trying to evaluate the price of a jewel.
"The cost doesn't matter. I'll get it for you, I promise. Then you can write whatever you want, and you can let the world know how you feel."
When Dante pulled her away from the window, her heart fell to the pits of her stomach. The sight of the typewriter made her pulse pound. "Thank you!" she said while she skipped beside him.
"Oh, and one more thing." He stopped and knelt at her height. His serious face returned, instilling Dabria with a sense of dread. "If you ever find a letter addressed to you, bring it to me."
Dabria furrowed her eyebrows. "But why? If my name is on it, then it's mine." She didn't mean to speak as sassy as she did, but once the words escaped her lips, she hoped Dante's feelings weren't hurt.
"Remember when mom told you not to talk to strangers? Well, getting phone calls and letters from strangers isn't good either." He smiled at her, and even though she didn't know the source of his worries, she did as he requested.