CHAPTER 3

Fortunately, my mom had prepared my lunch for school that day . On the way to school, I met Jessica.

“Hi Bella! I have joined your school and today would be my first day. Mind if I join you ?”

If it was not her, I would have declined. But I didn’t mind being with Jessica . We talked all the way to school. I don’t know why but she was looking a little different. Her eyes looked a little different. And her face. Something told me that she concealed her face and from inside she was an alien. Or maybe it was just my imagination. So I threw out that thought . I learnt from her that even she had to stay at home alone as her parents had gone for an emergency too. Queer but even she didn’t have a clue how long she would be staying alone.

We were so involved in our conversation that we didn’t notice we had reached our school.

“Bella, please don’t introduce me to your friends. I just want to hang out with you.”

I gave a laugh and replied warmly, ” You don’t have to worry about it Jessica. You happen to be my only friend at school. “

“Oh ! Okay, cool. “

I took Jessica for a tour of the school. We started by going to the library, followed by the chemistry lab, physics lab, biology lab, basketball ground, badminton court, Principal's and Headmaster’s office, sports room, music room ( we went there at a bad timing, there was a cacophony, trrrrrrrrr), computer lab, playground and lastly to our classroom.

I always sit on the second bench. I insisted Jessica on sitting parallel to me but she was very persistent on sitting on the last bench. I couldn’t object her.

The bell rang .The teacher entered the class. We all stood up intuitively and said in a monotonous tone “Gooóoodddddd morrningg teacher” I hope you'll are familiar with that sound.

She started taking the attendance. I had expected her to introduce Jessica to the whole class. Because that is what is usually done with the new students.

“Trissa, Fiona, Sara,....Bella, Neha, Juhi, ..” she called out fifty names, but she never mentioned Jessica’s name. Surprising. I looked behind to check on Jessica, but to my utter surprise, she wasn’t there. “Bella!! Why are you looking behind?” The teacher shouted at me. “Nnnothhing ma’am! Sorry” . “Pay attention here”

She started with her lesson. It was Trigonometry, one of the topics which drew my attention. But I was so preoccupied with the mystery of Jessica. Where did she vanish? Was she bunking the class? If so why didn’t she tell me earlier? Or was she kidnapped? Wait, or did some spirit posses her? Or was my dream a vision? The math class got over, English started and ended followed by the last class before lunch break, History. Amid all these classes I was only thinking of Jessica. Atlas the bell rang for the break.

I went over to my usual table, where I sit alone.

“Hi Bella! Mind if I join you?”

Startled, I looked up to the voice which sounded similar. And, no jokes, it was Jessica!! I couldn’t believe my eyes!! Ouch, I pinched myself. It was really Jessica. The same Jessica who came with me in the morning till my classroom but flew away unknowingly when the class began. I was speechless. Looking at my wonder-waiting eyes she said, “Bella , I need to tell you something important. But it is going to sound unendurable.” Before she could tell me a gang of people came over , “Hey Bella! Won’t you introduce your friend to us? “ This was Anne, the so called “coolest” girl in the school. Humiliating me whenever she gets a chance is auxiliary for her. She always wants to be associated with cool people, and surely she found Jessica one of them. Her group included some more cool people like Seane, Diana, Ben to name a few.

So, rest of the break time went in blabbering with Anne. And again for the next classes my mind was preoccupied with Jessica. Now, what was she going to tell me? My mind was brooding over all the possibilities , actually saying even the impossibilities , in context to my dream. Amidst this, subconsciously I started staring at the ruler which was in front of me. I kept gazing at it for quite some time till I starting feeling weird. Every pound of my blood was dynamic. A second later, I felt very tiny and flattened. I realized that I was seating on the table and it felt as if I was right next to my ruler, oh wait I was the size of a ruler!! On probing further, it seemed as though I was also a ruler. I couldn’t believe myself. I couldn’t even prick myself to check whether I was dreaming or this was real. It just seemed so surreal. Fantasy. Gulliver’s travel came across my mind. I started to panic. I wanted to become Bella again. It was nice to be a human. I could walk, talk, play. Oh my, how will I play badminton. I miss the times when I smash the cock on the opponent’s court. Subsequently I felt as if I was blooming. I felt my face, then my eyes followed by eyebrows and then limbs and so on. In thirty seconds or so, I was Bella again. I was so happy that my happiness knew no bounds. Did I possess a superpower?? How cool! If my fellow students would come to know about this, I would become the coolest girl in the school! How awesome it would be! But I shouldn’t behave like a happy-go-lucky person and just boast about my power. I should consult someone and learn about my newly discovered power.

What an irksome task it was, waiting for the bell to ring! As soon as the bell rang, I ran out of the class and was hoping to find Jessica. She was the only person I had in mind to whom I wanted to tell everything about. Gratefully, I met her right outside the school. She was waiting for me. I ran into her. I didn’t know where to start from.

“Jessica!! You won’t believe what happened today! I, I turned into a ruler!!”

I thought I was rattling too fast but thankfully she caught what I told her and asked enthusiastically, “Tell me all about it Bella” I was expecting her not to believe me. So I told her everything in detail.

After I finished telling her , everything under one breath, she giggled.

“ Bella, your mom was waiting for this time and she knew it was near. “

What?! My mom knew I would turn into a ruler? This was too real to believe. Jessica assured me that she would tell me everything, but before that we had to be somewhere else..