Invisible

A Short Story

The night before the incident, Lindsay Green had worked her stomach into knots. She spent her nightly routine at her vanity, removing her makeup. Whether it was the stress of that day, exhaustion, or both, she yawned. “What do I have to do to get people to see me?” She cries, In the corner of Lindsay’s eye, a shooting star whipped across her window, her night lamp flickering. The girl shook her head, dismissing the strange occurrence and finishing her ritual for bed.

That night she dreamt a dream she was familiar with, Lindsay watched from the sidelines as her cheer squad expertly pulled off their individual steps that made up a group performance. Lindsay held back, running her hand nervously along her golden braid, awaiting to fulfill her role. The cheer captain, Jenna, directed the choreography.

Lindsay’s green eyes glared at Jenna. The morning before the incident, Jenna had called the entire team to the gymnasium before home room. Lindsay suspicions were that Jenna was to announce the Cheer Captain for next year. With Lindsay and Chloe being the only juniors, it was certain to be one or the other. Lindsay’s aspirations prayed it was her.

As they waited for Jenna’s arrival, Lindsay noticed a freshman sitting beside her, her leg shaking nervously. Lindsay couldn’t help but ask the girl if she was okay. The girl shook her head.

“No, I’m afraid Jenna’s going to do some cuts—.”

“I’m nervous too.” Lindsay interrupted, a skill she was quite good at. “What if Jenna doesn’t make me the cheer captain for next year? I’d just about die. After all, I am dedicated to this team. I was here the day after my Pop-pop’s funeral. And she never even thanked me. She just kept saying I shouldn’t have been there—.”

“Wow that must have been so hard for you.” The girl stated, turning away from her. Lindsay scoffed at the girl’s dismissal. Jenna arrived with a conflicted look on her face that made Lindsay’s heart drop, Jenna hadn’t decided who to pick. Jenna’s speech confirmed what Lindsay feared. What Lindsay heard of the speech anyway.

Once it became clear she would not be named Captain, Lindsay’s mind raced. Why was the decision so difficult? Lindsay thought. She put the team before everything. Perhaps, she wondered, if she claimed her spotlight at tomorrow’s big homecoming routine at the top of the pyramid, Jenna would have to promote her. Lindsay barely heard Jenna’s farewell as the bell rang. Lindsay’s pale cheeks burned red as she noticed Chloe and Jenna hanging back to speak with one another as she departed.

As her dream concluded, Lindsay expertly performed her steps and was ready for the spotlight as Chloe, the tallest of the squad, hoisted her up high to reach the top of the pyramid. Lindsay looked out into the crowd to find her family. She finds her mother, her step father who rarely attended her meets, her sister Sara, and her maternal grandfather: her Pop-pop. Lindsay’s green eyes blink, welling with tears as they find Pop-pop. Though he was gone, in her slumber, he never missed a meet.

Despite the din of the gymnasium, Lindsay was able to focus on the voices of her family over the crowd. Their voices sound unnatural, unsettling. Their words shook her to her core. All praise for her teammates yet nothing but criticism for her. Her grandfather’s eyes filled with disappointment. She had let him down.

The morning of the incident, Lindsay’s eyes shoot open and she sits up in her bed, light flooding her senses. The blonde shields her eyes from the beams that cut through her sheer curtains. A sweaty sheen covered her. The clock indicates that her nightmare will mean a late arrival to school, this fact added anxiety to what would already be a hectic day.

Lindsay felt strange. Almost as if she were still asleep. As she made her way to her vanity, her eyes settled on the memorial card of her Pop-pop. It had been two months since his sudden heart attack that contradicted a man who was young at heart. After all, well into his fifties he took the time to teach Lindsay how to play tag, play catch, and even paid for her first gymnastics lesson. All the events her father, whoever he was, never partook in. Deep in thought, it took Lindsay a while before she noticed.

Lindsay’s shirt floated. It didn’t make any sense to the girl, her clothes were present in the reflection, but she was not. She was invisible. “Oh my God!” Lindsay screamed. After a moment, the door shot open and Lindsay’s younger sister Sara stepped into the room.

“Lindsay are you ok—. Oh my god? What… what am I looking at right now?” Sara questioned completely dumbfounded.

“Sara, we’ll get into you barging in my room later, but can you see me?” Sara watched with wide brown eyes as the sleeves move frantically.

“That’s a negative Lind. Why can’t I see you?” Lindsay’s eyes start to tear up, her nose sniffling. Sara gasps as she grabs a tissue from the vanity and approaches, reaching up and dabbing at droplets that appeared in mid-air, hoping she wasn’t jabbing her older sister in the eye. “Don’t cry.” Sara soothes.

Lindsay wondered why Sara was being so comforting, after all, the morning prior she had been rude and dismissive of Sara when she asked to borrow an item of hers. She explained her behavior away by telling Sara to not be sensitive and put on a brave face. Lindsay had forgotten what it was Sara had even asked for, she was too preoccupied the morning before the incident to remember. She didn’t deserve Sara, she thought. Lindsay returned to the present, hyperventilating.

“Sara, the big cheer meet is today, I’m in deep sh—.”

“I got it. Look, we’ll figure this out. We have each other’s back’s, cause we’re sisters.” Sara assures. Sara paces back and forth. Though the young girl was only 13, she was quite bright and had been able to surpass eighth grade to become a high school freshman over the summer. Lindsay hated having to attend the same school as her kid sister, but at least she got to leave Sara with her clique so that she could focus on team meetings with the cheer squad. Sara snaps her fingers. “I got a plan, I will meet with Jenna, and I will tell her that you offered to take over for Howie as the Phoenix mascot after his injury?” Sara suggested. Lindsay pouts before remembering that Sara cannot see her.

“But then no one will be able to see me at the top of the pyramid!” Sara narrows her gaze.

“Linds, no one can see you either way!” Lindsay kicks the chair in front of her vanity down in frustration. Sara jumps back, her hand shooting to cover her heart. Lindsay sighs.

“I’m sorry Sara, I didn’t mean to frighten you. It’s just that the last three years has led to this. I am supposed to be at the top of that pyramid. I am supposed to have the spotlight. I am supposed to become cheer captain! This was not how this day was supposed to go. I was not supposed to be invisible! Why can’t Pop-pop be here? He’d know what to do. He could always see me for me. Like no one else could” Lindsay notes. Sara nods.

“You were always his Lil’ Lindy.” Sara points out. A bit of sadness and envy poked through Sara’s words. “You know Lindsay, everyone sees you. We see how talented you are. We see how hard you work. We see all the struggle you have overcome. People seeing you has never been the issue. It’s you that needs to see everyone else for who they are.” Sara advises. Lindsay sniffles.

“When did you get so smart?” Sara chuckles at her sister’s teasing.

“The day I started following my big sister’s advice and putting on my brave face. Tell me where to meet Jenna and we’ll get through this. People won’t see your face, but they’ll see your brave and your talent.” Sara assures. Lindsay nods, knowing that they didn’t have any other plan.

That morning, Sara set the plan into motion, leaving Lindsay to wait in the gymnasium for the rest of the team. She notices Chloe make it first. Lindsay frowns, now that she thought of it, Chloe was always the first one to the Cheer meetings and was often the last to leave. Jenna arrives shortly after Chloe. The two greet one another with a hug.

“Hey Chloe, thanks for coming on such short notice, we need to come up with an entirely new choreography. Lindsay’s little sister told me that Lindsay volunteered to take Howie’s spot as the mascot. So now we need to kill the pyramid.” Jenna groans. Chloe nods.

“Well, we can still have the individual steps that lead us into a line formation instead of the pyramid. Won’t be as flashy but we can still spotlight everyone.” Chloe suggests. The pair get tow work, making changes to the routine that accommodated the changes but would not stress out the others. After some time, Jenna lets out a breath.

“Chloe, be honest with me, who do you think I should make captain, you or Lindsay?” Jenna questions. Chloe chuckles awkwardly.

“It’d be very easy to just say me. But if I’m being honest, Lindsay. She needs this more. I mean, she is always talking about how she is in her element. She is such a strong candidate. And she has proven her passion. She was here after her grandfather passed. When my father was sick, I took like two weeks. Luckily he recovered… but still.” Lindsay looked down, knowing that Chloe was attempting to make herself look as though she was not dedicated.

Lindsay felt her heart twinge, as she had never known about Chloe’s father. Then again, she rarely listened. Soon, their pre-meeting was over and they waited for the rest of the team to arrive.

Lindsay got into her Mascot costume and made her way out to the middle of the gym to help the squad prepare the mats. Jenna notices Lindsay and motions to her. Lindsay approaches apprehensively. “Lindsay, I wanted to ask, who do you think should be made team captain, you or Chloe?” Jenna inquires. Lindsay exhales deeply, knowing what she needed to do.

“Clearly it’s Chloe.” Lindsay states, but even Lindsay’s ears strain to hear what she has said.

“I’m sorry what?” Jenna asks. Lindsay curses the mask for obstructing her voice.

“Chloe!” Lindsay projects, but Jenna narrows her eyes and points her ear to Lindsay.

“Try taking the mask off. I can barely understand you.” Jenna leans in to remove the mask, but Lindsay backs away. “Lindsay, stop fooling around I can’t hear you!” Jenna shouts out. This draws the eyes of the rest of the team. Lindsay’s eyes tear up, knowing that once everyone saw her condition, her status was over. Lindsay felt hot, as if her skin were boiling. Her hands fumble to the edge of her mask. With an exhale, Lindsay accepts her fate and removes the Phoenix head from her own.

“I said, it’s got to be Chloe! She is always the first one here. She doesn’t care about the spotlight, only the team. Also, she is a talented choreographer along with her skill in gymnastics. She is such a great part of this team. She only cares about helping us reach our best.” Lindsay looks around and notices shocked looks. Lindsay shakes her head as she removes the gloves only to see the pink fleshy digits underneath.

Lindsay blinks multiple times, as if to ensure that her eyes weren’t playing tricks on her. Jenna nods. “Thank you for your advice.” Jenna notes. With this, the team gets back to work. Lindsay smiles as she joins her team in setting up. She finds herself across from Chloe. Chloe’s brown eyes tear up.

“Thank you for your kind words.” Chloe whispers. Lindsay smiles.

“I’m sorry for not saying them sooner. Especially after everything with your father.”

“I told you about him?”

“After everything that happened with my Pop-pop, I did a lot of talking, I promise from now on I’ll do a lot more listening.”

“I appreciate that. And I hope you know that regardless of what Jenna decides, we make a great team, we’ll rely on one another.” Chloe promises. Lindsay smiles and nods her agreement.

As they prepare, Lindsay realizes all the hard work that Jenna and Chloe put in to change the routine, she was not about to challenge this further by ditching the mascot. Lindsay was ready to do whatever she had to for her team.

The result was one of their best routines yet, including a standing ovation. Lindsay had never felt prouder. Following their meet, Jenna named Chloe as her successor for Captain. Chloe named Lindsay as her “Senior Advisor”. Lindsay was grateful for the opportunity to be there for her team and to practice her skills of listening to those she cared for.

The night of the incident Lindsay was in her room with Sara, the pair discussing their grief over the loss of Pop-pop. Since his passing, she had not been there for her sister, nor had she acknowledged her grief. It was a nice end to the most hectic day of her life. Soon, it was late and time for bed. The sisters were so exhausted that they fell asleep suddenly, holding hands, Lindsay in bed, Sara sitting in an armchair beside her.

As slumber took her, Lindsay was suddenly back in the gymnasium. This dream was like others she had before, but this time it was different. Lindsay focused her energy on her team, making sure that they felt appreciated and valued in their own spotlight. As the routine ended, Lindsay applauded her team. She found her Mother, her sister, and Pop-pop in the crowd. He smiles at her and nods.

“I’m proud of you, my Lil’ Lindy.”