Visual Trigger

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Visual Trigger: Difference

Julia pushes Kane, the gang’s leader away with all her might as the bitter tears came gushing down. She covers her face, drown in tears and loudly exclaims, ‘She is just of a different colour, she is my friend!’

The light summer wind blow as the first day of the new school term starts. It is a new school environment, new people and new teachers for Julia and Tessa. They have just moved into the neighbouring city of their old home town, for middle school. The fresh air welcomes them as the school bell ring pass the main gate. Tessa holds on to Julia’s hand tightly, filled with excitement and a little fear. Julia and Tessa have been playmates ever since young, gone through pre-school and thick and thin together.

The tall gate of the grade four level’s corridor swings open, inviting the two girls to a whole new level of their life. Julia and Tessa of a considerable short height hold on to each other tightly. They then arrive at a class with a roaring volume blasting away. Tessa could not help it but let out a little squeal when a paper aeroplane flies to her feet. All eyes are onto the two girls now, especially on the dark-skinned one who has made some noise, which seem to disturb everyone of some sort.

‘Hey, you little puny, who do you think you are?’ shouted Kane as she stands towering behind the desk. ‘Well, she is our new student,’ Mrs Fields explains, walking to the teacher’s table from the door. Kane rolls her eyes as she quietly walks back to her seat, still quite irritated with Mrs Fields. Julia then brings her friend towards the tables as directed by the teacher.

‘Class dismiss! Remember to bring your homework tomorrow!’ Mrs Fields tries projecting her voice above that of the class of forty. With care, Julia and Tessa take out their pink lunch boxes, and places them atop of the brown little desks. ‘Wow, donut? That’s for sissies like you both.’ Kane shouts as she snatches away Tessa’s lunch box. ‘Yeah, pretending to be the Yin and Yang pair?’ Kane’s follower says following her leader, laughing away.

Then, Julia feels a nudge on her left shoulder. ‘Blondie, join us. Why do you want to be with that fellow of another colour?’ Kane tries cajoling Julia, as she puts her donut back. Tessa, nearly in tears as she backs away in her seat, trying to seek comfort in her chair, lending that few centimetres away. ‘Let’s go,’ Julia mumbles as she pulls her friend out of the classroom, escaping from all those horrors of new school life. The air is much fresher out of the classroom for the two girls. The bell rings again, and they find themselves returning to the big and spacious corridor of fourth grade level.

Days pass like months, each day, with lunch boxes thrown out of the window, and donuts stepped on. ‘Let’s tell the teacher,’ Julia tugs Tessa by her sleeve as they are walking towards the cafeteria for some food one day. ‘No, they will kill us!’ replies Tessa, trembling away, looking at the empty lunch box in her hand. The whole thing is then again being sweep under the carpet.

Back in their homes, Tessa’s parents are quarrelling away. ‘See, what did you do by sending her to the city’s middle school? Look at the bruises on her!’, ‘Tell me girl, did anyone bully you?’ Tessa father now directs the shouting away from her mother onto her, as she hides away in a corner.

Thoughts run through her head as Tessa thinks of her parents going to school the next day.

‘Julia, my parents are coming later. How, what if they find out what happens, and Kane finds us for trouble?’ Tessa confides in her buddy during break. Just when Julia is answering, a hand pulls Tessa and her out of their seats. Soon, the girls finds themselves at the rooftop, with no control of what was done to them.

‘What, what… do you want?” Julia asks with her hands held on tightly by two Kane’s followers. ‘Oh, nothing really, we just want to help teach your friend a lesson for coming here and invade our pure space!’ Kane replies, smirking away. A slap flashes across the dark face as Tessa struggles helplessly. Julia watches all these happening to her friend as she stands by, trying to break free. The bell for the next class ring when a second rock flies towards on Tessa’s head. She struggles on aimlessly as the blood run down her dark skin.

‘How can you do that!’ shouted Julia as she breaks free and pushes Kane, the gang’s leader away, with all her might as the bitter tears came gushing down.

‘She…fell down herself between struggling, I didn’t do anything.’ Kane fumbles over her words as she scampers away, with her ‘people’ following behind.

Julia covers her face, drown in tears and loudly exclaims, ‘She is just of a different colour, she was my friend!’ Julia and walks to the edge of the rooftop, seeing Tessa lying in a pool of blood on the ground floor.

Just then, Tessa’s parents walk into the school from the main gate.