The Quiet One

Just watching them cracking jokes and laughing irked her. It hit something buried deep in her;
she knew she had no friends. She also knew that nobody noticed her. She tried to act like she
didnt care but it just didnt work. She knew she was jealous of the most popular girl in
school, Betty. She watched them everyday sitting alone in a dark corner of the room. She
never talked, not even once from the time she entered school until now. She only spoke when
spoken too, which was hardly ever. Even the teachers didnt notice her.
The best part is that even if they disregarded her and didnt know her name, they called the
The Quiet One. She always fantasised about being Betty, popular, pretty with everybody
just attracted to her. Just a few more hours, Mary. You can do this. She told herself. When
the final bell rang, she gathered her stuff and ran out of the school, only to not come back for
two months.
For the next two months, the school functioned normally with rumours diffusing to where
The Quiet One went. Some say she left because she was being bullied. Others say she left
because she dropped out. The truth was that she was violently sick because of a stomach
virus.
When she came back, she was radiating with beauty and happiness. People seemed to be
attracted to her now. She went from being a nobody to a somebody. Even Betty, seemed
surprised by this change. More and more rumours circled the school to what may have
brought on this dramatic change. Some say she was using witchcraft to make people attracted
to her. Others say it is because she is a vampire. When Mary hears rumours as ignorant and
absurd as that, she throws her head back and lets out her musical laugh.
As the days passed, more and more people became attracted to Mary but they all noticed one
peculiar thing that she always did. Five minutes into second break, Mary would insist on
being alone and she would walk to a specific tree located on the north-east side of the field
and go behind it. Twenty minutes later, Mary would come back looking more radiant and
happier.
Betty, who Mary has gotten quite close to, went up to her one day and asked her
what every person in the school, was wondering.
Mary, what do you do behind that tree? She asked bluntly.
Mary simply shook her head, laughed and walked away. With the curiosity
building inside of Betty, she had her mind set on snooping on Mary the next day.
Five minutes into second break, on the next day, Betty set out hiding behind the
pillar, waiting for Mary to pass by. As Mary walked past, looking anxious, Bettys
curiosity increased.
She waited for five minutes then followed Mary and practically ran to the tree.
She made sure she couldnt be seen or heard. When she reached the tree, she
peered around it and saw Mary sitting cross-legged with her eyes closed, facing
north-west. Although Betty was close to Mary, she wasnt close enough to hear
what Mary was murmuring.

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Betty stood there for about ten minutes, but neither did Mary move or speak
louder. Frustrated, Betty left with crazy ideas of what Mary might be doing. Was it
witchcraft? Was Mary chanting some spells? She simply could not figure out what
it was.
Thwarted, she waited for school to finish, to ask Mary herself. She couldnt hold
in her curiosity anymore. Betty wasnt jealous, she was curious. She let the
curiosity get the best of her and now she was going to extremes to find out what
Mary was doing. How did she get so popular? How does she make herself happy
and make people attracted to her? How?! She couldnt think straight as the
questions were circling her mind.
As the final bell for school rang, Betty marched up to Mary and asked her bluntly
for the second and the last time. Mary, please, Im dying to know. I saw you
today just sitting there cross-legged murmuring something. What are you doing?

Do you really want to know? Mary asked.

Yes Mary, please tell me, Betty begged.
Mary leaned in and whispered what she does to Betty.
Thats it?! Betty asked surprised. Are you sure? Youre not hiding it are you?
Betty asked
No, that really is all. I promise, Mary says
Are you sure its that simple? Betty asked again. Still shocked over what Mary
told her.
Yes Betty, if you dont believe me you can try it out yourself. Mary said
Well readers, Betty knows the secret and I am sure that you want to know it as
well. But Im sorry if I tell you, then it wont be a secret anymore.

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