Most people live a healthy life and experience normal things. But to me, normal is a dryer setting. I live in my world, where items are different.

People don't understand because they don't want to or at least try to. They prefer to say I'm weird, or there's something wrong with me. What they don't understand is this hurts my feelings.

Mom tells me they are ignorant. I say she's right. I don't understand why they say these things. When I ask, they laugh. All I want is an explanation.

Going to high school is a challenge. Some lights and noises bother me, which my parents made adjustments along with the staff. I like the team. They're friendly, unlike the kids I encounter daily.

Even some kids who are beautiful aren't.

I have autism; I'm not deaf. I hear and see everything.

Besides the kids who annoy me, I like my teachers and school. Math is my favorite subject because it's concrete: Black and white. There's no guessing. You either get it right, or it's wrong.

I like other subjects because they are factual. I don't do well with fiction or nonfactual information because I don't understand these things.

The one thing I do like is puzzling. Puzzles are amazing. When you put the pieces together, it becomes a picture, just like me. That was fine. In my world, I can be me. No judgments, no issues.

The only thing was, someone was about to enter my world, and I was about to enter theirs.

I met my guidance counselor to figure out what I needed to add to high school credentials. I wanted something different to add to it besides sports and various clubs.

She had me meet her at a room to introduce to someone I would be helping. I told me they needed someone like me to help them.

She opened the door to a room, and there sat a girl my age working on a puzzle. I knew who she was, Rainbow Hardwick.

She walked over to her and said, "Hello, Rainbow."

"Hello, Mrs. Crawford," she whispered.

"What puzzle are you working on today?"

"Landscape. It's simple. All the pieces fit together. If you look at their shapes, you will see how they are to go," Rain said as she put another piece together.

"Rainbow, I would like to introduce you to Antonio Grasso."

"I know who he is. He is the captain of the football team, baseball team, student body president. GPA is 4.0333. Your mother and father married. No siblings," she said to her.

"You know a lot about me," I said as she looked at me.

"Why wouldn't I? You're popular. Everyone knows who you are," she said, a matter of fact.

"Antonio will help you this year," Mrs. Crawford told her.

She looked at us. "Okay." She went back to her puzzle. Mrs. Crawford looked at me. "Don't feel bad. Rainbow isn't very close to people. It's part of the autism. It makes it hard for her to relate socially."

I looked at Mrs. Crawford as she patted my shoulder, reassuring me. She turned and left us alone. I took a seat and watched her. Every piece she picked up, she put it where it's supposed to be.

I watched her. I knew who Rainbow was. I heard the comments and the whispers, the jokes, and the laughter. She bothered no one. Yeah, she was different, but she didn't bother anyone.

"Do you stare a lot," she asked.

"What do you mean?"

"You keep staring at me. Do you stare a lot?"

"No, I'm trying to figure you out," I told Rain.

She looked at me. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you trying to figure me out?" She asked in a delicate voice.

"You have this world of your own. I'm just wondering why," I replied.

"Just because I live in a world of my own doesn't make me different. People see me differently because I'm not them. They're too preoccupied with superficial things and nothing real. Who lives in their world? Is it me or them?"

I never thought about it like that. Rainbow was different for sure, but she saw things as they are. That made her more unique than anything.

"You hate when people treat you differently, don't you?"

"I dislike people who do. Hate is a strong emotion. People claim to hate things, but they don't. They dislike them. It's a big difference."

Damn.

"I don't like certain foods or clothing or sounds."

"How come," I asked her finding myself intrigued by her.

"My brain doesn't like it. Our bodies have receptors that transmit signals to our brains. My brain doesn't like how it's transmitted. It dislikes it," Rain said.

"Because you have autism," I asked her.

"I also know Autism Spectrum Disorder as ASD. I'm high functioning," she said with a look.

"And you're okay with that?"

"It's who I am," she shrugged.

The most exciting part is that Rainbow was excellent with whom she was while others weren't. That made me want to know her more.