The Misadventures of Daria Pigwidgeon by Amy Lunderman

along. It’s nice. I don’t mind hazing into the background for once. It’s definitely different than being forgotten that’s for sure. And I should know. There are so many times than I can’t count on both hands how often I was forgotten at home. But with them I did do it intentionally. Except for the times that I didn’t.
    I have so many memories of being left in a playpen as a baby, that it’s not even funny. Sure I was given a bottle or random toddler snacks. But it’s not the same as being held or loved. I suppose I should thank my father for even consider giving me a bottle. Most days back then, more often than not, they would forget to change or feed me. Lucky for me I was resourceful. Who knew right? A resourceful toddler.
    I would spy on my siblings quite a bit, not unlike the cake incident with my sister. Before that one though, my sister would always catch me. And before I could do anything about it, I’d be one of the many stuffed animals she had lining up around a table in her room for a tea party. I never memory blocked her during these times though. It was the only time I had something good to eat. She would stuff me up with all sorts of things.
    If I didn’t think she was big on the torture, I might’ve thought she was being sweet. Never the less, pretty soon my mother caught on to my sisters ‘giving’s’ of me and they stopped. Again, I could have made them forget and go back to getting spoiled, but I didn’t. Instead, I went about stealing my bounties. That in itself gave me more me time. Whatever that is. Thankfully I grew up, and as I did, I became even more resourceful. In more ways than one.
    I still can’t believe I stuck around there for so long. I’m just glad I finally came to my senses that no, they’re not going to change, and got out of there. It hurts to think about the ways they burned me (and yes sometimes literally – my father’s ability was a little hot to the touch. Meaning as my mom could make a room freezing, my dad could make it hot). I can only imagine the different ways my life would have ended if I hadn’t intervened. Would I be here? Standing before a set of see through double doors that lead to the biggest cafeteria I’ve ever seen?
    I’m going to go with no, probably not.
    But it doesn’t do anything good for my self-esteem thinking about that stuff. So what’s the point? There isn’t. That’s why a smile is plastered across my face and I clear my head of anything bad. That way, there’s room for my nerves as I push open the doors. I certainly have a plethora of those. I’d be a whole heck of a lot calmer if I were still wearing Chance’s jacket. But sadly, I had to leave it in my locker. Apparently when it cools outside, the heat is cranked up too high in this place. So I had to shed the coat pretty fast to avoid sweating like a pig.
    Having not seen Ashley or Chance for the better part of the morning, I really hope they are in this lunch period. One of the lesser fears I have is sitting alone at lunch and seeing everyone else surrounded by friends. Hopefully, my earlier statement of already having to friends didn’t go unnoticed. Feeling a blush in place, I hurry inside before I look like a weirdo just hovering at the door. As I make my way to the lunch line, no one so much as glances in my direction. I like that.
    It lasts until I have a tray of food and I’m left staring into the mass of bodies with not so much as a place to sit. I feel panic setting in and the urge to bolt is strong. I’m just thinking about a perfectly good stairwell I could probably go to eat in peace, when I see a familiar arm attached to a Lilith blonde figure waving at me from across the room. I quickly make my way over to Ashley, thanking my lucky stars that she’s here. I plop down right beside her without looking at anyone else at the table.

    “Hey neighbor lady. How’s your first day so far?” Ashley asks me as soon as I’m done fidgeting beside her.
    Glancing at