I missed the alarm and quickly jumped up to my feet. I'm pretty sure I forgot to brush my teeth, and that the shirt I was wearing was my brother's, but I didn't care because I wasn't going to be late.

As I walked on to the bus, I noticed there was a bright glow coming from the back, so I walked towards it. As I walked towards it, I saw the lights in everyone else, but they weren't as bright as that one in the back. Even the bus driver had a light, but his wasn't very bright at all. It was barely visible, but I could still see it, and it gave me hope that these lights were the key to something more, in not just me, but in every single person.

"Ha!" he quickly stated as he turned to look at me. I could see that the ball cap looked familiar.

I could feel my anger taking over, as I quickly realized that this was the jerk who pushed me into the snow. The light that I saw as I was standing, waiting for the bus to come, was no longer visible to me. He reached out to introduce himself to which I quickly responded with a slap on his hand.

"Isn't the weather beautiful?" he asked, without even flinching from the slap I gave him.

As I looked out, I saw the light flicker from the corner of my eye, so I quickly turned to catch it before it faded, but it didn't fade and in front of me was the light that I had followed. Inside the jerk, there was a light, but it was anything but comforting. I moved to the front of the bus, but I could feel him staring at me, so I chucked my apple at him to make him stop.

The first day of 9th grade could have been easier, but it wasn't. I felt so trapped in the city that had so much to offer but little hope for anything, at least in this moment that's how I felt. How is it possible that in my 14 years of life, I only realized the existence of these mythical lights now?

I couldn't focus in class, and it didn't help that I started off the day by getting onto a bus with the jerk that pushed me into the snow. I felt so hopeful that I saw the lights, at my school, in real life, but I was very upset to find out that they were in him. As I walked through the hallways that looked like so many others I had seen before, I found a familiar face. It was Destiny. I didn't even know she was in my school, and she was walking towards me. She stood out among the rest of the kids in my school. Most people in my school were white, but something about Destiny made me feel like I fit right in, even though my skin would beg to differ.

Her presence was like no other. She had blond locks that brightened any room, and the sweetest southern accent you could just describe as sweet tea or biscuits and gravy. She rushed towards me, the familiar one in the unfamiliar crowd.

"Hey, sugar! I am so happy that we are in the same school" she said, but unfortunately, I didn't share the feeling. I felt like everyone stared at me, my hair, my darker skin, everything. The school I got assigned to was considered barely passing, so my mom called her friend to get me into this one. She knew that the ranking for this school was on the opposite end of the spectrum, and she would settle for nothing less than the best when it came to our education. I'd come on bus every morning and every night, but most of the kids on the bus and in my school looked nothing like me. I felt like an outsider, but I couldn't quite understand why. Maybe it was the fact that I could see the lights? Or maybe there was something more?

"What a place to meet!" I said to Destiny. "In this dump of a school where I felt that I learned nothing more than filling in circles and sharpening pencils; reading and math were just some make believe world thing because it's all about standardized tests and number two pencils here.Oh and don't even get me started on the ball cap wearing weasel. Who would even take that one home after giving birth to him? I'd leave that one for the brothers and sisters who haven't been very nice, kinda like Santa leaves coal."

I patiently waited for the final bell to ring, and I ran as quickly as I could to the bus. I could hear someone calling my name, but I didn't even bother to turn around because I didn't know anyone around here anyway. That person was relentless because they kept calling and calling my name. I finally turned as I was entering onto the bus, and I saw him. It was the kid from the other day again. He was like a piece of gum stuck on your shoe. No matter what you do to get it off you, it's still there, and you're stuck to everything you step foot on. He was so annoying. I quickly ran to the back of the bus, and I tried to hide, but my hair always gave me away. It looked nothing like the wispy hair on all of the other girl's heads, but I was okay with that. The kid quickly sat next to me, a little unsure of himself but comfortable enough to just give it a chance.

Suddenly, I heard Destiny's laugh, and I was relieved to see her in line waiting to get onto my bus. Mr. Push Me in the Snow started acting really awkward, so I pushed my way out of the seat next to him and ran towards Destiny.

I got off the bus, and the annoying kid made his way off the bus to get off at my stop. He quickly ran towards Destiny and I, and all three of us walked towards my house. Just as we passed what must've been the annoying kid's house, I could see his mom watching us from the window, and I saw her focus on me out of all of us in the group. I looked up at her, but instead of waving hello, she gave me a rather angry scowl. When Destiny looked at her, I could tell that her expression quickly changed, but I decided not to think about it or look into it too deeply.

When I approached my house, I quickly ran through the side gate and into the yard as quickly as I could because I saw that the snow was coming down in buckets. I just loved to feel the weather changes when it was snowing because even though the clouds were making ice, it was as if the angels were having a pillow fight and the soft fluff was pouring down on us.

I opened my arms wide, and I started to spin when I heard Destiny call my name.

"Autumn?" she called to me.

"Yeah?"

"What are you doing?" she asked.

I don't know why people ask what you're doing when they can see. Now, if a blind person asked me, they definitely have every right to, but Destiny asked when she already knew because she could see. I think the more appropriate question would have started with a "Why", but nope, that never gets asked because people love to ask questions they already have the answers to as if it gives them an edge in life.

"I'm catching the snowflakes" I quickly replied.

"Get down!" she said.

I didn't even get a second to look and see why I need to get down, but then I felt it. It was cold as the ice it was made of. And then I heard him laugh.

" Gotcha!" he shouted as he prepared another snowball to throw at me.

"What's your problem?" I snapped back.

"Actually, no problems here. I hit my target" he responded.

"Hmff!"

I was so angry I could sock someone, and I just so happened to have someone pretty close to me, so I went over, and I felt someone grab my hand and pull me.

Destiny quickly reached out her hand to introduce herself to this sore thumb in the form of a boy.

"Destiny! What's your name?" she asked him.

"Anthony", he said with an annoying grin on his face.

As he reached out for her hand, I punched him , and pulled Destiny away.

"Why would you even say hi to that jerk who just looks as jerky as he seems?" I asked.

"He's seems like a really nice guy" she replied.

"He lives down the street from me and helps anyone who needs help in their yard or taking out the garbage, but I never quite caught his name. He's not so cute, but hey we are all in that awkward stage where we are somewhere between being that ugly duck and becoming that beautiful swan. He had really dark hair and dark eyes, and it stood out against his fair skin and flushed cheeks. He was from Grafton(that's in Wisconsin), and that came with this funny accent that almost sounded like he was Canadian or something. His parents divorced when he was very young, so all he really knew was having his parents in two different homes. He loved to talk about anything and everything because he had this love for life and all things in it that not many people have. It might have come about because he spent so much time alone, wondering why his parents weren't like other parents: married and such. He has a kind heart.... and a wandering eye" interrupted Destiny.

"He's still a cutie though, isn't he? But, you have to be careful with that one" she said as she giggled with such mischief in tone.

"Yuck! He is far from anything cute! And you don't have to worry about me and that guy like ever. I can tell his mom doesn't really care for me." I quickly answered back.

I turned back, and I saw him smile at me and wave with one hand. The other hand was covering the red mark I left on his cheek from that perfect sock in the face. I felt pretty proud to have left my mark on that one.

I didn't even care that he knew where I lived, but I waited to see him very soon. I called Destiny to see if I could come over. I made sure to ask my mom if it was okay. When I asked my mom, she quickly okayed it, and I walked out of the door.

I was just a couple of blocks away when I heard a door open to one of the houses nearby. I turned to look and before I knew it, he was in front of me.

"Get away from me!" I shouted out at him.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry" he said, as he put his head down and went back towards his house.

He respected me enough to listen to what I said. He kept his distance, as he told me sorry. I could tell he meant it too.

"Don't touch unless I say it's okay, dude! My body, not yours" I said.

I was not okay with him thinking he could come over and push me like he did the other day. If I didn't say he could touch me, why would he think it's okay?

"I'm sorry" he responded with sincerity in his voice.

"Prove it!" I exclaimed.

"What do you want me to do?" he replied.

"For one, do not ever put your hands on me. Didn't your mom or dad teach you that you do not touch someone or get in their space without them being okay with it?" I asked him.

"Yes." he said as he put his head down again.

"My mom always told me to set the limit. I do not like to be touched, and I decide that, not you. You can help me up if I fall down or you can give me a high five on my hand with your hand to congratulate an achievement, but everything else is off limits" I responded.

"Okay, I apologize. I assumed that we were just playing." He said with his head still down.

"A game to you is not automatically a game to me." I ended it with that.

He agreed.

"Can we start all over again?" he asked, as he reached out his hand to shake mine.

"Yes!" I responded as I reached out my hand to shake his.

Suddenly, there were flurries all around us, and he caught one on his sleeve.

"Do you know what creates all of the designs in the snowflakes?" he asked.

"No." I said as I kept walking towards Destiny's house.

On the way there, I began to see him glow as he explained snowflakes to me. Where they come from? Why they look the way they do? And the fact that each design is truly unique. There was so much pride in the way he described each detail, as if something had taken over him. Snowflakes were more than just iced water flakes; they were the potential in a raindrop mixed in with the magic of mother nature.

"What's happening?" he asked with fear in his eyes.

"What do you mean?" I replied.

"What's happening inside me? Where is this pink light coming from?" he filled the silence with questions that couldn't be easily explained or denied at this point.

I tried to pretend that I didn't see anything, but as we got closer and closer to Destiny's house, the lights got brighter and brighter with each step we took.

He stopped talking, and suddenly, the lights were gone. I could tell he was shaken up a bit, but I wasn't going to be the one to explain what had just happened. I remembered the way my mom looked at me, and I did not need this kid I just met to judge me with the same eyes and look.

"I need to go!" he quickly shuffled the words into sound.

"No, wait! Come with me." I said to him, as I asked to take his hand and walk him over to Destiny's door.