I'm definitely awake now. The girl looks embarrassed, and guilt gnaws at my belly as I scramble to my feet, ducking my head and glancing at her out of the corner of my eye. I shouldn't have made her feel bad. She was just scared. “Sorry,” I murmur, averting my gaze and staring at the ground. “I didn't mean to scare you.” I should have gone back to the Tundra instead of taking up a cave in the playground just for a nap. I could have made it, or found somewhere to hide along the way if I got too tired. Instead I scared a girl and then snapped at her. Or if I had to sleep here, I could at least have been nicer about it.
“I'm sorry I was mean,” I whisper, trying to shrink inside my own skin even though I'm already plenty small compared to most folks my age. The sharpness in her tone sets my chest to crumpling inward, my head angling away to avoid her eyes, and I step back, trying to melt into the wall and disappear. “You kind of scared me too,” I tell her, still whisper-soft and full of apology. “Or at least surprised me. I didn't mean to snap at you.” I never would have done if I'd been awake. But sometimes when I'm sleeping I forget who I am when the dark creeps in and edges out the light.
“Oh, um.” I pause, trying to decide how to answer her. Is my name Neverwas, or Nevi? Is Nevi an affectionate nickname saved for family and close friends, or is it My Name? Torn, I open my mouth to reply, then close it again. Nevi is my armor, though, four little letters protecting vulnerability I've tried to bury deep down inside. Steeling myself against the impact of my not-quite-lie, I try again. “I'm called Nevi. It's nice to meet you, Lieschel.”
“I'm sorry I was mean,” I whisper, trying to shrink inside my own skin even though I'm already plenty small compared to most folks my age. The sharpness in her tone sets my chest to crumpling inward, my head angling away to avoid her eyes, and I step back, trying to melt into the wall and disappear. “You kind of scared me too,” I tell her, still whisper-soft and full of apology. “Or at least surprised me. I didn't mean to snap at you.” I never would have done if I'd been awake. But sometimes when I'm sleeping I forget who I am when the dark creeps in and edges out the light.
“Oh, um.” I pause, trying to decide how to answer her. Is my name Neverwas, or Nevi? Is Nevi an affectionate nickname saved for family and close friends, or is it My Name? Torn, I open my mouth to reply, then close it again. Nevi is my armor, though, four little letters protecting vulnerability I've tried to bury deep down inside. Steeling myself against the impact of my not-quite-lie, I try again. “I'm called Nevi. It's nice to meet you, Lieschel.”