As iNPC Iris Fields

Spring Break

Iris slipped on her brown jacket and pulled the hood up over her silky blonde hair. Her fingers deftly tied up hiking boots over her jeans. The third year swung her backpack holding only a camera, a water bottle, a compass, and a journal onto her back and grabbed a peach from a bowl on the kitchen counter.
“Mom, I’m going out!” She hollered up the stairs. When no response came down from above, she scrawled a note on a page and stuck it on the fridge. ‘I’m going out, I’ll be back for dinner -Iris’
The girl slammed the door shut behind her and jumped on her old bicycle. Hoping to get out of earshot before her mom complained and drug her back inside for more chores.
“I, you’re not going out, are you?” A complaining voice called from a tree in the yard. Iris looked up, shielding her eyes from the noon sun with her hand.
“James, I’m not going out for long, just a hike, you wouldn’t enjoy it,” Iris began pedaling hoping to get away before her two years younger brother threw a fit.
“But you promised to take me this time!”
Iris didn’t respond as she steered the bike off the long gravel driveway and onto the paved street. She just wanted some time alone. Ever since she had left Ilvermorney for Spring break, her parents had been all over her. Asking how she had been and how the exchange program had went, and who were her friends and if she had a boyfriend and when she would be back. It was suffocating. She hadn’t had a single moment away from her younger siblings and just wanted some time alone in the woods like she always did when she was home. It wasn’t like they didn’t know from the numerous letters she sneakily sent.
Iris had spent the entire year climbing the rungs of social acceptance. She had even reach the point of being considered popular. She sat with the ‘cool kids’, she hung out with them, she only talked to them. She even had a trail of students who wished to be her so much that they followed her in the halls and were always vying for her attention. It was weird being liked by so many people. But Iris loved it.
The Thunderbird pedaled down the street, taking a left at the big oak tree, another left at the trail sign and a right into the parking lot for the nearest hiking spot. She hauled her bike over a small hill and hid it in a ditch hidden from the street. To further ensure it didn’t get taken again, she covered it with a couple token gesture pine branches. Instead of heading to the hiking trail like most people would, Iris walked off in the opposite direction, into the wilderness she considered more a home than her house was.

---

Everything was just how she remembered it. The smell of Tupper Lake, New York with the dense forests and lush greenery. Iris ran her hands along the bark of the birch trees, letting the dappled sunlight rejuvenate her. Just as she was about to climb up a tree and write some in her journal, she spotted a deer through the trees. As nimble as a dancer (or someone with years of martial arts under her belt) she slinked through the foliage, careful not to spook the creature. It wasn’t uncommon to see deer in the woods, but it had been so long since Iris had the opportunity to say hello to one.
The girl slowly took out her camera from her bag and snapped a few pictures, something to doodle later. Iris turned to give the animal some space and began off in a familiar direction. The feel of the forest on her skin was like a hug from an old friend. It had been far too long since she had been able to simply be herself.
Iris followed a hard to spot trail toward a bunch of boulders. She clambered up one easily, knowing exactly where each foothold and hand grip were. She slid on top of the rock and sighed, letting her mind drift freely. From where she was, she could see plenty around her. There would be nothing to spook her and she was in a relatively safe spot.
So, time to think. That was why she was out here, wasn’t it? Then why was it so hard to open up to herself. It wasn’t someone else, it was just herself. There wasn’t any mockery to start or anyone’s opinion of her at stake. Why was it so hard?
Finally, she began to let go. Her parents had been pestering her for the last year of how she was. She always said she was fine because it wasn’t like she was going to tell them the truth. They didn’t know about any of the popularity stuff because it wasn’t a big deal, she didn’t want them to know how much other people’s opinions meant to her. It wasn’t like it was their deal after all. She wasn’t depressed or anxious much, she wasn’t even sad or worried either. She did get stress headaches, but they were going away now. Or at least she told herself that.
And they always asked her how the exchange program went, her answer was always ‘good’. Iris suspected they saw through that by the amount of times they asked her. Iris didn’t know if they even knew anything about the Masked Ball and what happened. The last thing she wanted to say is that she had passed out and wasn’t there for the alleged stabbings or half giant attacks. That wasn’t something that was easy to say to parents who went from not caring to overprotective on a pin’s drop. She also didn’t want them to know that she had made no friends there and wasn’t even sure if anyone would have realized if she had run off into the Forbidden Forest and never came back.
After the exchange program, Iris had gone back to her school and decided that she wanted to change that. She wanted to be known, she wanted to be popular. So slowly, she had climbed the rungs of social acceptance. She talked like them, she dressed like them, she ditched classes when they did, she joined their games and partook in the gossiping. She didn’t want to be mean, but if she was popular, then everyone would like her. It got easier with time. Before she knew it, she was flirting and joking and gossiping with all the popular groups, even the few that were in older grades. Since Iris looked older than she was, she got away with it. She did keep her limits from the fights and other more sketchy stuff, but besides that, she was essentially popular.
There was one thing that nagged at the girl though. The fact that she hardly knew any of their names. Popularity came and went so fast. One day, Stephany was the top person, you wanted to dress like her and smile like her and wear makeup like her and then a rumor went around that she kissed a first year. All the sudden Stephany was one to pity and mock and laugh at. It was surprising that Iris never got singled out, there was one time that her best friend Alyssa had gotten mocked, Iris had box kicked a boy in the face and got detention for a week. But the next time Alyssa was cornered, Iris didn’t do anything. And with that, Alyssa wasn’t her friend anymore. Then Iris was popular, but she didn’t have any friends.
There was something about not having any friends that made Iris even more desperate to be liked. This time, she had stopped mocking. She would simply leave. Somehow, it didn’t get her kicked from the popular group. Instead, it had helped with the teasing in some weird convoluted way. Sure, they still did some, but if Iris didn’t tease, no one else really teased. It was that situation of power that had the boys begging for her attention. She walked with confidence, she had a pretty face, she did have something in her brain. First it was Jonah who loudly dedicated his love to her in front of everyone at lunch. Iris had quietly told him that she didn’t feel that way about him. Then there was Finely with the heart shaped balloons at Valentines. And Nathean with the chocolate, so much chocolate. And a few anonymous letters. Each time, Iris would quietly let them down. She really wasn’t ready for a boyfriend. Eventually it got around and boys stopped asking her. Well, that’s when she started wanting a boy. But by then, they had all lost interest in her. She was pretty much the only popular person without a companion. However, it didn’t bother her that much, or, at least, she didn’t show that it did.
Iris realized the sun was almost setting and if she didn’t hurry, she wouldn’t be at home for dinner. She shrugged on her backpack again and ran through the forest, dodging trees and stepping over roots. It wasn’t long before she was on her bicycle and heading home. Her mom only teased that she was late and when the questions started again over roasted chicken, Iris still dodged them. She wasn’t ready to talk about anything. At least, not yet.
The forest had done her some good, but there was too much to talk about and not enough time. Besides her three younger siblings were far more important to her mom than she was. But that was something for another time.