The Invisible War: School Struggles

By Emily Hutnyak

September 3. The first day of school. A prime opportunity for battle.

I clutch Elsie’s right arm and glare at Insecurity, who holds her left arm.

It’s another one of those days I wish Elsie could see us and our battles. Knowing how much power she has over us would help her defeat those lingering self-worth issues, which would deal Insecurity a crippling blow.

The Negative has been Elsie’s close companion for far too long. Even now, she leans down to whisper in Elsie’s ears. It breaks my heart when she listens.

I grind my teeth. “Ignore her, Elsie. You know it’s all lies.”

Insecurity stumbles on the flowing hem of her dress, and her free hand flies to hold her glittering mask in place. “Leave her alone, Hope. She’s mine.”

My grasp on Elsie slips as she pushes through the front doors of the school. I cry out and grab for her, but I’m too late.

Fear solidifies in front of me, snatching Elsie’s arm. His ever-shifting eyes take in the room. “Hurry! Hide! He’s coming this way.”

What? I scan the room and find the school bully, Fredrick. Oh. That would do it.

I haven’t faded away yet, though, so I take a deep breath and rush Fear, fists flying. “He hasn’t even seen you, Elsie!”

On second thought, it’s probably a good thing we’re not visible—the authorities would throw us out in a heartbeat if they saw us fighting in the middle of a high school.

There. My bond with Elsie strengthens as Fredrick moves toward the other side of the room, and I shove Fear aside.

Just as I reach for Elsie, something slams into my shoulder, sending me to the floor.

Dazed, I throw out my hands to catch myself as Fear swells to a giant. He smirks down at me, then grabs Elsie’s chest in his now-massive hand and squeezes.

My heart sinks as Elsie trembles. She’s still staring at Fredrick, who’s now towering over another girl with a sneer.

So that’s what this is about. Elsie thinks he’s coming for her next. She’s probably scared for that girl, too.

“Elsie—” I wheeze, but before I can force out another word, Selfishness appears, adjusting her current mask: One of me.

“Elsie,” she croons in a passable mimicry of my voice, “look on the bright side! This way, he’s distracted. Just keep moving and maybe he won’t notice you.”

That crooked little cheater.

I choke as I begin to fade, now unable to do anything but whisper. “She could be your friend, Elsie. Don’t you see that pain in her eyes? You felt that. You’ve been wanting a friend, haven’t you? Now’s your chance.”

All three Negatives wheel on me, Fear in the lead. He reaches for me, but just as he’s about to crush me with a huge fist, a battle cry rings out.

Love materializes between us, light armor flashing and gleaming sword swinging.

Fear howls and stumbles back. He clutches his bleeding arm and shrinks back to his usual size.

Love advances on Selfishness next, his sword clashing against the seemingly unending supply of shields and masks she hides behind.

My body solidifies, finally strong enough to obey me. I rise to my knees and gently touch Elsie’s elbow. “You can change that girl’s day for the better, Elsie. You can be the person you’ve always wanted someone to be for you.”

Love shouts as my words inspire Elsie to lend him even more power. His blade slices clean through Selfishness. With a shriek, she vanishes in a wisp of mist.

Fear and Insecurity glare at us, whispering furiously.

Love turns to me with a wide smile and tosses me his sword. “Deal with them, will you? I have a few things to tell El.”

Hope armed with love. Perfect. I grin and give the weapon a few practice swings.

Then I charge, yelling as Fear and Insecurity cower before me. A few quick slices, and Fear is gone.

I lunge at Insecurity next, but my sword pauses an inch from her throat. I can’t kill her, sadly. Elsie keeps her too close—a major frustration to the Positives. Someday soon, we’ll go on the offensive. But not today.

Following Love’s lead, Elsie approaches Frederick and the new girl. She drags Insecurity along, and I keep pace, holding Love’s sword at her throat. When Fredrick looks up, Elsie’s leaning so heavily on Love that there isn’t room for Fear to return.

“Hey.” Elsie adjusts the straps of her backpack. “Why don’t you go bother someone else for a while?”

Fredrick blinks, then scowls. “Oh, and what makes you think you can order me around, chicken girl?”

Elsie swallows hard, returning his stare. Love sets a gentle hand on her shoulder, and she takes a deep breath. “The teachers will take our word over yours if you bother us. It’s two against one. Do you really want to get in trouble on the first day of school?”

Such brave words. I give her a quick hug.

“Uh… whatever. You’re not worth it anyway,” he sneers, then hurries off into the crowd.

The girls are silent for a moment before Elsie lets out a shaky laugh and holds out a hand. “Hey. I’m Elsie.”

Insecurity perks up, but I prick her with Love’s sword, and she yelps.

“Not today, Insecurity.”

She pouts but stays quiet.

The new girl shakes Elsie’s hand timidly. “I’m Riley.” She tucks a strand of honey-colored hair behind her ear. “Thanks.”

Elsie sits next to her, happier than she has been all day. “No problem. It looked like you needed a friend.”

“Oh.” Riley smiles too. “Yeah, I… have kind of a hard time with that.”

Elsie nods. “Same. Maybe we can brave the school year together.”

Love and I share a smile. The first day of school. A prime opportunity to celebrate Elsie’s victory.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Emily Hutnyak is a young writer with dreams that touch the sky and an overactive imagination. She spins stories about teens like herself finding their place in the world and tales of the light and hope that can be found even in the darkest of places. When she’s not writing, you can generally find her hanging out with friends and family, reading, or, on rare occasions, venturing outside to get some fresh air and sunshine.

---

More Stories