Claustrum Thoughts

By Evelyn Anne D'Apice

Molly has been at a special needs school almost her whole life. The only time she gets to see her family is summer time. When it's not summer time the only person she has to keep her company is her best friend. But her friend can't be with her all the time as they are not

• Language: English
• Publisher: Evelyn D
• Release date: Jun 25, 2023
• ISBN: 9781088191873

Book preview

1

Surrounding each of the 2,000 plus windows were tan bricks that had probably been there for 40 years. Inside was a school. Through the hallways you could see kids in wheelchairs and crutches. Not all of them couldn’t walk well but the kids at the very fancy private school across from the place said they walk either weird or just different. Through one of the many windows, sat eleven-year-old Molly on her black-framed bed staring at the kids in blue and white uniforms. They looked like they were having fun out on the courtyard shared by both schools. Their outside time wasn’t until after lunch. But Molly could wait, she didn’t want to see them anyway. Molly turned her head away from the window, she glanced down at the light brown wooden floor. Under her left foot was a thin white sheet of paper. She picked it up. It was the letter her Grandma sent her this morning. Molly awkwardly giggled to herself as she opened the envelope. On the letter was about 17 lines. Molly knew she couldn’t read all of it, but she’ll enjoy the part she will read.

Dear Molly Anne Pierce

The flowers against my garage have started to bloom. Later I will go out and pick one of the purple ones and reserve it for you. I promise it will be there when you come home this summer. I keep having the window cleaner guy come every other day! I can’t see the fog building up very well. But you know how it is in Washington. Must be much sunnier in Spokane. Hope you and Val are doing well out there.

Love you, Grandma.

At home Molly slept in the same room as her younger cousin. Her cousin didn’t have a disorder or condition like Molly, but they were always able to understand each other, which Molly loved. But here, the kids that were more high functioning had roommates. Molly was the only one that didn’t. She glanced at the empty bed on the other side of her bedside table. Do they not trust me with one? Molly whispered. Molly has epilepsy, maybe the administrators thought she would scare them with her constant staring. As Molly was deep in her thoughts the bell rang.

The first class of the day was English.

Molly walked out of her bedroom with the bag of books and writing stuff. She walked down the long hallway; she started seeing all the kids come out of their bedrooms, but Molly noticed two kids would come out of one room. She stopped and stared at all of them. All of a sudden Molly felt a bump on her shoulder, she jerked her head up and kept walking. Molly wished that the class that the principal would usually come in was her English class because then she could show them that she could control her staring. Molly usually came to class last since there were only eleven kids in the class.

Hi Val, Molly smiled.

Val was sniffing the air, "Ruff" she yelped. Hi Molly, she gasped. Molly sat down next to Val as she pulled out a piece of paper. Look I drew this bird, Val made bird sounds as she held up the drawing for Molly to see.

As Val put the drawing back in her bag, Molly turned her head forward and sighed.

I wish we could be roommates, she glanced back at Val.

I agree, Val blinked her eyes really fast at Molly.

But Molly knew that couldn’t happen. The administrators didn’t want Val to share a room. They told Molly that once she could control her yelping and facial grimacing better, she could. Her symptoms weren’t complex, but they thought she should wait until she was older.

Hello everyone, hope you’re having a good day the teacher came in.

One of the other kid’s aide placed her hand on Val’s shoulder to stop jerking her head. Today the teacher taught all the kids suffixes for the word help. Val raised her hand to say the words out loud a lot. Molly didn’t even care about raising her hand, she didn’t need to. But sometimes the teacher would try to get her to answer questions. She always refused but sometimes the teacher wouldn’t let go and Molly would lose the battle. Usually, Molly found herself getting help from her friend and she rarely had to help Val with things, she was so confident. Molly was not confident-- not even around her family.

The teacher asked someone to pronounce helpless and as expected Val raised her hand high.

Valerie let’s give someone else a chance to say these words, the teacher smiled.

Val grumbled, as Molly looked down at her hands, she noticed the teacher was looking right at her.

Molly, do you mind saying this word she smiled.

Molly glanced nervously at Val. Val rapidly nodded her head and smiled. Molly glanced at the teacher, she didn’t say anything and stared off at the chalkboard behind her.

Molly dear, the teacher smiled and waved her arm. Molly’s head jumped back.

Umm, helpless, she whispered.

The teacher quietly tapped her hands together.

Very well done.

The teacher slowly taught other words such as helpful, helping, helped.

Very well done my students, have a wonderful day.

Molly grabbed her books and bags off the floor. She glanced at Val.

I’ll see you at lunch.

Val moved her eyebrows up and down Absolutely.

Molly slowly walked out of the classroom. She jerked her head as she walked down the hallway. Most kids either walked with an aide or another kid. Each day Molly walked by herself through each and every hallway.

Once she got to one of the stairways and elevator, she stared up at the right one. It was hard for Molly to break her constant staring if there wasn’t anyone there that would pay attention to her. Sometimes kids would accidentally bump her on the shoulder and that would help a lot. But usually if it happened in the hallway another kid’s aide would have to snap her out of it.

That was the case here. Out of nowhere Molly felt someone tapping her on the shoulder. When she turned her head, she saw a man with gray hair smiling at her. Next to him was a boy, he had Cerebral Palsy and used a wheelchair.

Thank you, Molly whispered to the boy’s aid.

No problem, the man smiled.

Molly sighed and walked up the stairs, maybe I’ll hang out in my bedroom. The stairs really tired Molly out, but probably because she was feeling upset with herself. If Molly had a roommate, her roommate would have to snap her out of her stares all the time. She knew someone like Val wouldn’t mind, but it didn’t seem like there were many kids like Val at the school and especially the private school.

Molly opened her bedroom door and placed her books and bag on the floor next to the wall. She slowly sat down on her bed; the room always felt so empty. What made it worse was that there was a matching bed on the other side of the bedside table. All the bedrooms had two beds; Molly sighed as she turned her head to the door, patiently waiting for another kid to walk in.

2

Molly kept staring at the door, for a second she thought she was having another episode of constant staring. But no one was around so if no one had gotten her to snap out of it, nothing would have happened at all.

It was after Molly had turned her whole body to face the bed pillows, the sounds of knocking creeped through the wall. Molly quickly sat up,

Come in.

The principal, Mr. Gibson, peeked his head into Molly’s bedroom.

Hello Molly, he fully opened the door and walked in. How are you this fine day?

I’m good, Molly replied and then she noticed the assistant principal, Mrs. Tamron, was standing in the doorway too. When Molly turned her head back to Mr. Gibson, he took a strong breath in.

Molly, this is going to be a big deal for you,

Molly leaned into him. Mr. Gibson didn’t say anything, instead he looked at Mrs. Tamron and nodded. Mrs. Tamron gestured her arm towards the hallway. A girl the same height as Molly appeared from behind