Love Has Onyx Wings

PART I: Tabitha

"Tabitha Greene. Tabitha Greene. Please come to the office. Tabitha Greene." The respondent rolled her eyes.

 "Not caring," she muttered and tapped her foot impatiently. I don't have time for this, she thought, and she stormed hurriedly to the office and stepped onto the linoleum tiled floor. Instantly, the bright room cheered her and she waved at the secretary.

 "Good morning, Carol." The middle-aged woman acknowledged her presence by looking up and grimacing at the teenager's dark clothing. Tabitha grinned at the wayward look; it was like seeing an old friend. 

 "Good morning, Miss Greene. Principal Madorn will see you now." She cracked a rare, genuine smile and handed her a small, ribbon-wrapped gift. "And don't think I forgot about you helping John and fetching his medicine." She leaned in like she was giving a great secret. "You know how he gets when he doesn't have his medicine." She falsely shivered and chuckled. Tabitha nodded in agreement. He DID get kind of... scary. "It was really kind of you to help." Tabitha nodded her thanks and stepped into his carpeted office.

 "Jerry!" she exclaimed. "How are the kids?" The young-ish, but balding principal restrained a smile and taking a stern stance, he looked at his student seriously.

 "Tabitha Marley Greene, did you punch and ensue a fight with Mr. Jared Turner of the junior class?" Tabitha looked at her oh-so interesting fingernails.

 "No. He hit me first. And his little crew called my friend a nasty little-"

 "I've heard this before, Miss Greene." He shook his head and ran his fingers through where his hair had been, a frustrated, familiar gesture that had probably aided in or been a source of his remarkable premature hair loss. "Tabitha! You've promised me that you weren't going to fight anymore..." He unfurrowed his eyebrows. "You know who I have to call... You are dismissed." Tabitha stood to leave. "And Miss Greene?" Tabitha cringed.

 "Yes?"

 "I'm really disappointed in you. Just... just try to stay out of trouble. I know you're trying, but I want you to... just... could you try harder? Okay?" She nodded and tried to look repentful.

 "Okay."

 That whole time, Tabitha looked the man in a detached manner. Blah-blah-blah, very disappointed, how dare you, blah blah, snore. She may have seemed like a delinquent waiting to happen, but the truth was, she'd been here a million times. No one ever got on Jared's back. No, he couldn't be that cruel. He was a straight A-student. He was a jock. He was an all-around nice guy. NOT. She walked into the hall way, slightly irritated and abandoned the humble act as soon as she got out of the vicinity of the principal office. And, as soon as she was outside, her friend, Jillian McClentoff, turned on her Tabitha-detector and grabbed her arm. Unlike Tabitha, Jilly was inches shorter than her fellow mates, but liked by everyone, boys and girls alike, except for the cheerleaders who don't like anyone but the cheerleaders. Not even the sportsman. (Well... maybe a little.) Jilly was everyone's friend, but Tabitha was chosen to be her best friend. Sometimes Tabitha felt she was mistaken, but she never questioned Jilly's judgement.

 "Hey, Tabby. Don't forget tonight. It's Friday, so remember to come over my house for the movie fest!" She buzzed excitedly. "You already chose it last week, so I pick the flick, you pick up the snacks. Okay?"

 "Whatever. See you, Jilly. I have to go to my oh-so delightfully fun Trig class." As she parted ways with Jilly, she grinned as she gathered the usual stares of disgust, disapproval, and the occasional 'mm-hm' through pursed lips. "See you at seven," she said hastily behind her.

 "Have fun in Trig!" Jilly was the only person she knew who actually enjoyed Math. 'Fun' in Trig. As if she could.

 ~#~#~#~#

 "Alrighty then," Jilly giggled. Clearing her throat, she continued in an announcer voice. "Let's start with the beautiful, delightful, tear-jerker...," she paused for effect, "Moulin Rouge!" Tabitha (in good humor, of course) rolled her eyes while the younger girl (by six days) pressed 'PLAY'. Jilly was so, so overly dramatic. As they watched, Tabitha felt a small, small, tiny, tiny, tiny, sparrow-like pang of loneliness. Even Satine, who in today's terms was basically a prostitute and exotic dancer rolled all into one, got to find her true love while she, the CLEANEST, most sanitary person OUT THERE was  totally loveless. She was sure it was probably the black, but she was sure as heck not going to change herself for some guy. She wore dresses and stuff. They were just black or dark. The movie went on.

 "Never knew... I could feel like this..." Satine's mournful serenade filled the large living room. She's all alone... like me, she thought darkly, partially amused. The whole time, Jilly was dabbing away at her eyes.

 "Come What May!" Every time they watched this movie, Christian would always forgive Satine for her transgression, and this time was no different. By the time Satine had given her last dying breath in Christian's arms, with dry eyes in tact, Tabitha watched as tears flew freely down Jilly's face with dis-attached amusement. By the credits, Jilly had successfully dabbed away three rolls of toilet paper, a pillow case, a portion of a blanket from Jilly's bed, and a whole box of tissues. Jilly turned to Tabitha.

 "God, Tabby...," she sniffled. "Don't you ever cry?" Tabitha looked at her seriously with no hints of laughter to show that she was joking in her eyes.

 "No." The friend looked at her in surprise.

 "Why?" she asked curiously. Because crying is a useless emotion. At least laughing comforts you... if only for a moment, she wanted to say. Instead, she said nothing, staring listlessly at the letters that were effortlessly floating off the screen.

 ~#~#~#~#

 Weeks later at the funeral memorial, with the rain falling all around her, she felt the same. She felt like laughing and shaking her fist at the sky and screaming that the rain could not get her down. The whole school was here, mandatorily dressed in all black and still separated loosely into cliques. The cheerleaders talking on their cell phones whilst looking glamorous in their "funeral wear" which basically consisted of a really skimpy dress, long gloves with diamond bracelet OVER gloves of course (because everyone wants to know that they're all rich), black high heeled boots, pigtails, pearl necklace, and of course a black umbrella. The skater dudes were earnestly looking for a place to hide their boards, their suits and ties out of place on their wet, plastered down hair and speech she called with good reason 'skate-ese', a language she was fluent in. Suddenly, she saw a mysterious figure gliding through the cliqued crowd. She struggled toward him, trying to get a glimpse of the stranger who wore the funeral color, and yet... stood out. So much, in fact, that the crowd was parting for the two of them.

 "Hey! Wait up!" She shouted after him repeatedly, but he continued. Finally, she caught up and grasped his hand desperately. "Who are you?," she asked softly. He affixed her with a dark eyed stare. She stood, frozen as a waxen figure. He half-bowed gracefully and quickly and with that, disappeared from her gentle grasp, continuing his paced stride through the crowd of people.

 Beautiful, she whispered after searching for a word to describe him. She was rather intrigued. Who was the mysterious boy? She had to know... He was beautiful.