The Leapling: Book 1, Chapter 1
The Leapling
Book 1, Chapter 1
The rays of the sun peeked through the thick curtain of the darkened room where a figure lies unmoving under the comfort of the bedcovers. Amidst the mountain of bedcovers lies a young girl with honey-colored hair; strands of which are framing the peach-colored pillow. She’s in deep slumber as the sun ascends more to the horizon.
Her slumber was interrupted by a soft knock by the bedroom door. The door opened slightly in order for the woman behind it to peek through and smile at the sleeping form of her daughter.
“You should be up by now, being your birthday and all,” she remarked and moved towards the curtain covering the windows. Instead of pushing the curtains to let in the streams of sunlight, she made a beeline towards her only child who is pretending to be sleeping.
“Wake up Sophia or you’re going to be late for school.” Sophia slowly peeked underneath the covers. Her mother sat down beside her and she flinched as a hand stroked her ruffled hair.
Sophia noticed that her mother was wearing an elegant blue dress that accents her fair skin tone. The blonde hair that crowned her mother’s head was pulled up in a bun, making her neck longer and more elegant than before. But what makes her mother more enticing is her stunning blue eyes, as blue as the sky on a cloudless sunny day.
“Good morning, uhm… Mama?” the girl with honey-colored hair said and stifled a yawn.
“Good morning birthday girl. Now, get up as you are going to be late for school and disappoint your friends.” Her mother smiled instead of frowning at her. She stood up gracefully, her blue dress sashaying around her, and leaving her daughter alone to dress up.
Sophia sat up and looked around her room, and was amazed at the size of it. Clearly, it was not the room she slept in for the past 11 years of her life. The room was elegant, with an off-white wallpaper highlighted by the dark brown carpet the covered the floor. Her bed was equally stylish and can fit a several more person as thin as her. Things on top of the dresser beside the bathroom door do not belong to her and yet, she had a sense of familiarity that she had used most of them from time to time. Before she had a chance to remove herself from the comfortable bed, another knock was heard and the door opened to reveal his father.
Her father was wearing his black business suit, tailored to his body to emphasize that he is as fit as his wife. His dark brown, almost black hair that was usually unkempt was tied at the base of his neck. This emphasizes his broad shoulders and soft brown eyes that always reflect laughter and happiness.
“I didn’t know that being twelve means your going to slow down…” her father remarked, laughter evident in his eyes as he opened the curtain revealing the bright new day. Her eyes squinted at the sudden light that invaded her previously darkened room.
“I thought you’re angry at me…” she whispered softly to her father.
“Angry? What for?” her father said, giving her a curious look. “Are you still dreaming?”
“Ah. No. Sorry, uh, Dad.” Sophia tried to smile as her father tried to crack another joke and left the room when she expressed that she wanted to get ready for school.
Facing the mirror on her dresser, she noticed that each of her parent’s features contributed to her looks. From her hair to her complexion, even her eyes are mismatched to accommodate her parent’s lineage. It’s like as if two bodies decided to mix with each other but didn’t fully absorb one another.
Opening the closet, she noticed that a calendar was pinned on the door and the 29th day was encircled in the month of February. Balloons were drawn beside the number indicating a celebration for that day. Before she could process any further, her clock beside the dresser chimed, signaling her that she should hurry up.
It was later revealed that today was indeed the 29th of the month and it was her birthday. Sophia frowned at the idea for she didn’t understand why her parents retained her birthday in a leap year. Usually, a parent with a child whose birthday falls on a leap year has an option to change her birthday to either February 28 or March 1.
“What leap year?” Jessica, her bespectacled seatmate in Geometry remarked when she asked about it. She was sporting a black headband that compliments her copper hair, instead of braiding it like the usual. Beside Jessica was Brad, the awfully silent classmate who never uttered a word unless it’s about class. Brad was looking quizzically at them for continuation of the discussion but never contributed in it.
“Regularly, February has only 28 days instead of 29 because of the rotation of our planet.” Sophia tried to explain. Jessica gave her a curious look and shook her head in disapproval.
“There’s always 29th of February. Are you alright?” Before she had a chance to reply, their teacher entered. Despite the endless droning voice of her teachers and assignments, her mind drifted to her birthday as well as the absence of the leap year.
By lunch time, she was sporting a headache at the events that was happening unexpectedly.First, she woke up in a different room instead of a run down apartment her parents own. Then it was her parents’ attitude towards her was odd as if she wasn’t included in a life altering circumstance months before.
A lone tear escaped her eye as she remembers the headlights in front her, hypnotized at the bright intense beam. It was followed by the darkness that surrounded her accompanied by wails of her mother as she finally opened her eyes. The tears are not for her however, but for her older brother who died saving her from a car driver by a drunkard. After that, her parents were not the same anymore. Their scorn and indifference leave her hollow inside that she usually shut herself in her cold room.
Sophia wiped away the tear and walked towards her locker to get the other books she needs for the next subjects. A couple of students caught her attention as they were huddled in the corner of the hallway, whispering to one another. She caught one of them; the girl with a jet-black hair looks at her from to time and continued with her conversation with the other student. The other was Katherine James; her best friend since they were little was also acting the same.
“Katherine!” Sophia shouted, waving her hands in an effort to get her noticed by them. Instead of being acknowledged, the two girls looked at her uneasily and hastily removed themselves from the corner of the hallway.
“Do you want to go to the principal’s office again?” She looked at Jessica who was instantly next to her, grasping her right arm in an effort to dissuade her from pursuing Katherine. She was perplexed at Jessica’s statement about the principal’s office but before she had the chance to ask her what she meant, the bespectacled girl went her own way. Equally baffling was her seatmate’s ignorance about the leap year, that it was a natural occurrence that there is a 29th day in February. And even Brad quietly supported Jessica’s claims about it.
Brad followed Jessica to the cafeteria who in turn motioned her to follow them. Her headache still persisted and she casually massaging the bridge of her nose to ease some of the dull ache.
“What do you mean about the Principal’s Office?” Sophia asked her red-haired classmate after seating in one of the tables in the cafeteria. Brad joined them and ate silently but listening to the conversation.
“Remember the stunt you pulled at Katherine and Amber last week? The one involved spreading a nasty rumor?” Jessica said in between the bites of her macaroni and cheese. The only guy in the table nodded in agreement and looked at the other table where the said parties are sitting.
Sophia widened her eyes and she stopped breathing for a second; she feared that she would be hyperventilating soon if not for Brad’s nudge at her shoulder. Not in the million years she thought of spreading a nasty rumor about her best friend, let alone a complete stranger. Amber who was sitting beside Katherine was still whispering to her about something, completely absorbed at the discussion that she failed to notice that everything around her.
“What rumor?” she asked breathlessly at the only one who can provide her the answer for now.
“Well, apparently, you told everyone Katherine and Amber was a couple, and then it spread like wildfire from there. Brad and I were the only ones who didn’t believe the rumors though. Unfortunately, the Principal sided with Katherine and Amber and scolded you until your ears were burning.”
“I don’t even know Amber! How can I spread a rumor as nasty as that?!” Sophia exclaimed in a loud voice, earning her several looks from the nearby table.
“You don’t know Amber? Do you have amnesia or something?” Jessica dropped the fork she was holding and placed the palm of her hand on her forehead. “You don’t have a fever or anything…”
What the hell is happening? It’s as if the world suddenly turned itself upside down for her and the only remnants of the previous one is the memories that resides in her head. Her headache evolved to a full pledge migraine and white dots began appearing in front of her eyes. Sophia stood up in alacrity to get away from the things she was learning that day. Before long, her vision darkened and the floor slowly greeted her.
