An Unexpected Luna

Grownup, a word everyone always used to describe me, Goddess, how I hated that word.

My name is Liliana Dupree, but I go by Lili, which is pronounced Lee Lee. I grew up in a small town in Wisconsin, bordering on Lake Michigan. I lived there with my mom, Jean. For as long as I have known, it's always been Mom and I against the world. My dad abandoned us when I was 5 months old, I never knew him nor have I ever heard from him. All I have of him is a picture from the day my parents got married.

My dad was tall, 6 ft 5 inches. How he towered over my mom's 5 ft 8 frame. They looked so young. Mom said she was barely 19 when they were married, he was older at 21. Both of them blonde, thin and striking - how did they ever end up with a daughter like me?

I inherited my dad's height, I was 5'10. I always towered over most girls in school and was ridiculed by countless boys because I couldn't hide among the crowd. To make matters worse, I was overweight, tipping the scale at almost 250 lbs. My hair was shoulder length, thick and auburn. It complemented my fair porcelain complexion and my striking blue-green hazel eyes that were fanned by long lashes.

I was halfway through my junior year of high school - I couldn't wait to get out of this place, out of this town. I wish I had a whole new life. My 18th birthday was 4 months away, little did I know that my wish for a new life would come to fruition in a way I could never have imagined, not even in my wildest dreams.

It's Monday morning, as I enter the doors of hell, also known as High School, to my left I hear sniffing sounds. Oh great, barely in the door and it's already starting. I take a deep breathe and roll my eyes, then glare at the group of boys standing by their lockers snickering.

"Do you boys smell bacon?" One of them says outloud.

"Now that you say something, yeah I do" says another. The other boys start agreeing.

I walk past them and hear them start walking behind me.

"Here piggy piggy" one of the boys comments.

I just keep walking, when all of a sudden, I'm shoved violently from behind. I fall forward hard, landing on my backpack as it's contents spill onto to floor.

"EARTHQUAKE!!" The boys start to yell and everyone in the hallway turns to look at us, everyone starts laughing. No one helps me as my face starts turning red.

I pick myself up, turn around and leer at the groups of boys.

"Why are you such a bunch of assholes?" I scream at my tormentors.

"Why are you so fat?" Screamed back one of the boys.

Tears begin to well up in my eyes and I start picking up the spilled contents of my bag.

"Oh look, piggy is going to cry" one of the boys laughed.

"She's gonna cry wee wee wee all the way home!" Another boy comments and the whole group erupts in laughter.

I won't give them the satisfaction of seeing me cry! I stand up straight, hang my backpack over my shoulder. Then look at the group of bullies and salute them with my middle finger.

"Miss Dupree! That is quite enough! Get in my office NOW" I hear from behind me, I groan and turn around only to come face to face with Principal Higgins.

Sitting in the principal office, Principal Higgins looks at me with furrowed brows.

"Miss Dupree, this is the third time you have been in my office this month! This behavior of yours needs to stop!" he scolds me.

"I completely agree Principal Higgins, except I'm not the problem!! It's that group of bullies!" I scold back.

"Don't take that tone with me young lady! I'm calling your mother right now! You will sit out in the waiting room until she gets here, now, get out of my office" Principal Higgins squawks.

I take a deep breath, stand up and go sit in the waiting room. My group of tormentors walks by the window, pointing at me and laughing. Taking a look around, I scowl at them and flip them off again. This causes a whole new burst of laughter from the group.

About 45 mins passes, and I see my mom come running into the office. She looks angry, her eyes find me and then soften. She walks over to me, and strokes my cheek, "Honey, what happened?" she asks me.

"What do you mean?" I ask her.

"Liliana, how did you get that bruise on your face?" She asks as she strokes my cheek again.

My eyes start to well up with tears and I look down at my lap, "I really hate this school mom, the kids are so mean" I reply to her as I hold back a sob.

Seeing my tears, my mom's eyes flash in anger and she stalks to Principal Higgins office, pushing the door open with such force that it slams into the wall behind in.

"I beg your pardon Ma'am, who do you think you are?" I hear Principal Higgins screech.

"Can you explain to me why my daughter is sitting out there with a bruised up face? She did not have that bruising when she left the house an hour ago!" My mother exclaims to the Principal.

"Mrs. Dupree..." Principal Higgins sputters.

"That is Ms. Dupree! And I expect an answer as to why I'm being called at work to come down her and my daughter has a bruised face!" Mom interrupts him.

" I called you in due to your daughter's constant disruptive behavior. This institution does not tolerate such vagrant disobedience!" He replies.

"Oh, but you tolerate bullying?! My daughter has told me about a group of boys that keeps bullying her. Why are those boys not in here too!" She replies back.

Sitting out in the waiting room, I stifle a smile. My mom ways my back no matter what.

"Liliana, honey, come in here please!" I hear my mother yell from the office.

I get up and drag my feet, stumbling into the Principal's office.

I see Principal Higgins eyes widen in surprise as he sees the large bruise on my cheek. "Honey?",Mom asks, "Can you tell Principal Higgins and me what happened?" She puts her hand on my back, rubbing gently up and down.

I take a deep breathe and recap all the events from start to finish. When I finish, I see both the anger in my mom's eyes and the paleness of Principal Higgins face.

"So, I ask you again, why are those boys not in this office? Where are their parents? My daughter does not deserve this and yet you do nothing to stop it!" My mom snaps at the Principal.

"Ms. Dupree,I assure you, if anything like that was happening, I would immediately take care of it!" He sputters.

"Are you calling my daughter a liar?!" She starts to fume.

"Ms Dupree, please calm down. I'm afraid I'm going to have to suspend you daughter for a week" he replies back.

"Suspend her? Suspend HER??! You can't be serious! Never have I ever seen such a poorly administered institution as this one! You don't have to worry about suspending her, because I'm pulling her out of school for her own safety! I'm also going to file a complaint with the school board! Lili, go clean out your locker, we are leaving!" My mother is just furious.

I turn to leave, my mother right behind me, as I hear Principal Higgins sputter "Now Ms Dupree, th-there is no need f-for that!" As he stands up from behind his desk to follow us.

As I clean out my locker, with mom's help, Principal Higgins is chattering away. Mom and I ignore him, look at each other and roll our eyes simultaneously.

"Cmon honey, let's get you out of here, we have time to grab some lunch before I go back to work" she says to me.

I smile weakly at her, "I appreciate that mom, but I'm really not hungry" I reply to her.

"Are you sure?" She asks gently.

"I'm sure mom" I reply back to her with a small smile.

"OK honey, I will drop you off at home before I go finish my day at the office" Mom says with a heavy sigh, wiping her hand across her furrowed brows.

"Are you ok mom?" I ask her worriedly.

"I'm fine honey, just get in the car" she gives me a smile.

We are almost home, when all of a sudden I hear my mom gasp, I look over to see her face suddenly pale and her eyes wide.

"Mom! What's wrong?" I ask her with a terrified look on my face.

She looks at me, "Lili....." she croaks as she slumps on to the steering wheel, causing the car to accelerate and veer into the oncoming traffic.

"MOM!!" I scream as our vehicle crashes head on with an oncoming SUV.

I scream out, and then my world goes black as the crash knocks me unconscious.