~Cameron~

"What? I though you'd leave me alone after yesterday."

That kid was back. Gerald or whatever. He says it's not Gerald, but he won't tell me his name. I like him.

"No. Why would I do that?" He asked me. Ugh.

"'Cause I'm a loony toon."

"No you're not."

"How would you know? You haven't even been around me much."

"That's exactly why I want to be."

Like I said. I like this kid.

"Okay then, Gerald. Whatever."

"It's not Gerald!"

"But it's none of my business is it, so what am I supposed to call you?"

"Jaime."

"I- oh. That's your actual name?"

"...yeah."

"That's nothing like Gerald."

"I know."

The bell rang for third period. The shrill noise jolted me back out of our conversation.

"Bye Cameron," he called as he walked away.

"Bye Jaime."

•*•*•

~Jaime~

Science class is boring. We're learning about artificial technology, like limbs and stuff. It's boring because I've got two. I know every answer, and no one knows why.

It feels weird, even after a year, to raise my left hand, write with my left hand, tie my shoes with my left hand... I used to be a righty. Now I have no choice.

Even though they don't know why, the kids in my classes make fun of my handwriting.

"It looks like a three-year-old," they say.

"Are you still learning how to write?" they say.

Yes, I am, but I won't tell them why.

The bell rings for fourth period. That's when I have lunch.

Cameron is here, but she's trying to ignore me, I can tell. I don't think she's used to people being nice to her. She'll get used to it. I'm not going to stop.

She's like me, though she doesn't know it.

•*•*•

~Cameron~

"Jaime, leave me alone. I told you I'm loony, you don't want to be seen with me."

"I may not be loony, but I'm... I'm different too."

"Yeah, sure. 'We're all different, blah blah,' whatever," I sighed.

"No." Jaime said. He pulled up his sleeve, and there was the last thing I expected to see.

It wasn't an arm.

It was a piece of plastic, with a model hand at the end.

"You..."

"I was in a car accident a year ago. My aunt and dad died, I lost an arm and a foot. I may not be loony, but I have my fair share of 'haters.'"

"I- sorry, I didn't-"

"No, it's fine. No one else is very nice about it anyway. I'm used to it."

"You shouldn't be."

"Neither should you."

We stared at each other for a minute.

The bell rang shrilly, and Jaime laughed. "Saved by the bell, yeah?"

I looked at him. "Jaime..."

"See you around, Cameron." He walked away.

"Bye, Jaime."

•*•*•

~Jaime~

She probably feels like crap now. That was a bad idea, dropping it on her like that. I just couldn't keep it to myself any more. I had to tell someone, and she was just... there.

She has nothing to be sorry for, really. It's not like she was rude to me because of it. That's the real problem. She can be as mean to me as she likes, it only hurts if it's because of the amputations. Otherwise, I almost feel normal.

I like to feel normal. I like being made fun of for normal stuff. My hair, my face, my handwriting, anything but the real problems. When they insult the real problems, that's when it hurts.