One week went so fast, I could barely count the days before I was sitting in the back of the car wrapped in my blankets and surrounded by my pillows and items from my bed so I didn't freak out. The first thing to be set up in my room was the lamps and my bed. I fell asleep halfway through the car ride and when I woke up, I was in my bed with all of my stuff and my wheelchair and braces in plain sight. I sat up and got into my wheelchair. The house was one story and handicap-equipped, with a huge backyard, fenced in by a charming picket fence. I rolled through the hallways, familiarizing myself with the area before finding my mom.

"Mom, can I go outside?"

"Outside? If you want to, sure. Just be careful." I wheeled myself back to my room and strapped my crutches on. I decided not to use my braces. I was unnaturally skinny, my hips and ribs sticking out, my knees unusually large-looking, and my face was thin. My straight brown hair tumbled down to my hips as I never went out for a haircut. I put on my favorite gray beanie and some gray skinny jeans. I slipped on black sweater Uggs and a gray sweatshirt. It was September, right before school started, and it was already snowing. I walked out the front door, thankful for the ramp that made my life so much easier. I walked along, not really paying attention up where I was going, mostly walking with my crutches, every once in a while walking normally to practice. Snow settled in my hair and the sight made me laugh. I came across a park and went through the gates. I sat on a bench and laid my crutches next to me. I watched a snowball fight going on between a few teenagers and kids, and smiled bitterly. I wondered what it would be like to join in, to run, to not have crutches strapped to your arms, to be able to bend down without losing your balance. To scoop up snow and hurl it through the air while running. I sighed and put my chin in my hands, watching wistfully. I saw a snowball headed towards my face out of nowhere and ducked. It smacked the back of the bench. I looked around for who had thrown it, a slight frown on my face. The kids having the snowball fight, from roughly ages 17 to 8, had stopped dead and were staring at me.

"Whoa-"

"Did she just-"

"She dodged his snowball-"

"He never misses-"

Those were only some of the things being said. I said quietly and nervously, "Who threw that?"

They walked closer, and my instinct was to flee, but I stayed put. "What did you say? I couldn't hear you."

I was almost shaking and the frown had disappeared, but I repeated myself, a little louder. "Who threw that?"

A boy in the front cocked his head to the side. "Who do you think?"

I shrank back a little as they all stood right in front of the bench. "I- I don't know. I d-didn't see." I stuttered.

"Well, take a guess." A male voice came from midair, above my head, and it laughed.

I shivered in fright and pointed in the general vicinity of the voice. "Whoever that is. Whoever's throwing their voice or something. Please leave me alone. I didn't do anything." I shivered again and drew back into my hoodie. "I was just watching. I've never been in a snowball fight before, it looked fun."

"Well, then come on! You're in Burgess, Pennsylvania, the home of early snow and snowball fights! Your first snowball fight is going to be your best ever. My name is Jamie," the boy in the front said.

I shivered again and scooted away from his hand. "I can't."

"Of course you can, right Claude? Right, Pippa?" Several people nodded enthusiastically.

"No, I really can't."

"Come on!" The voice said and I was being dragged to my feet unexpectedly by an invisible person.

I stared in shock at my wrist, where I could clearly feel a hand, but I couldn't see anything. I collapsed as soon as all my weight was on my feet and sank back down onto the bench in defeat. I spoke bitterly. "No, I really can't. I guess I'll see you guys around. Or not, since I'm an introvert and claustrophobic and a whole bunch of scientific mumbo jumbo I don't feel like saying. So ta-ta." I strapped my crutches back on dejectedly and started hobbling away. I hesitantly tried to walk and lifted my crutches triumphantly only to put them down a moment later as I lost my balance on the ice. I slumped my shoulders and started crutching my way home, hanging my head.

.:|Jamie's pov|:. (Sorry if it sucks)

Whoa. I did not see that coming. She seemed just like everyone else in most ways. Some things were odd, but acceptable, like how her expression was so bitter, how thin she was, how she was looking at us so wistfully. I just don't understand how she can feel and hear Jack but not hear him. That's what confuses me. He pulled her to her feet, and she was looking at his hand, and she looked terrified. She seemed to get so scared so fast. It was sad, watching her use her crutches and every once in a while pick them up and walk a few steps, only to put them back down quickly. She looked so sad and upset when she walked away.

"Jamie? Jaaamiiieee, are you even listening?" Sophie waved her hand in front of my face.

I blinked. "Huh?"

"Somebody's thinking about his crush," Sophie teased.

"Shut up, I do not have a crush. What did you say?"

"I said, maybe she's new to town. We've never seen her before. It would explain why she can't see Jack. Maybe she's going to school! She looked about your age, maybe you could talk to her. Explain about Jack."

"Oh. That's a good idea." I blinked again, still thinking about her. I feel so bad for her. She probably hates pity, too. Stop thinking about her!.

A snowball hit the back of my head and I started laughing inexplicably. "Hey, no fair! We didn't call 'time in'!"

"Time in!" Jack called out and threw another snowball at me. It hit me in the face and I fell over backwards.

"Oh, you're on!" I yelled.

The war resumed, all thoughts of the strange girl gone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I didn't realize how much I hadn't been posting! I'm so sorry, all my readers! I've been writing a ton. I'm also moving. And starting high school in two days. OHMIGODS only two days *hyperventilates*

Please go read Sandy's Twin! it would mean a lot to me!

Toodles my noodles!

~iamanawesometaco