Can You Hear Me?
By - Becca The Monster
This story is told by the veiw of three different people who you will meet as you read. There is some cussing in this piece, so please be mature.
By - Becca The Monster
This story is told by the veiw of three different people who you will meet as you read. There is some cussing in this piece, so please be mature.
Prologue - Amanda
Without her, I didn't feel whole. It felt as if half of me was ripped away, and there was no way of getting it back. My best friend, found in her home, dead. It's a scary thought, one that will haunt me forever. Ella: her name sends chills down my spine, and tears well up in my eyes.
I wanted her by my side, as if all of this was just a dream. To wake up and see that she was still alive. Laughter filling our bodies. But this wasn't just some movie, this was real life. And in real life, nothing ever goes right.
Chapter 1 - Ella
Beep, beep, beep!
"How is it already 6:00??" I groaned as I pulled the bright blue covers over my head.
Beep, beep, beep!
I sighed. Of course it wouldn't let me go back to sleep. I pushed the covers off me, and sat up. My room was almost an exact replica of my odd self. The walls were a bright purple, with at least 100 photos of my friends and I doing random stuff. As well as drawings, and other stuff I just thought was cool. There were Christmas lights dangling from the ceiling, making my room bright and colorful. A big stuffed purple and pink snake that was at least 6 feet long hung up on one of the walls. The opposite side of my room was covered in drawings, zoo tickets, stickers, and random crafts that my friends and I did when we were on a sugar rush.
I crawled out of bed and my bare feet touched the hardwood floor below. My toes squished up from the shock of the cold, until after a few seconds they went normal. Slowly, I walked towards my dresser and pulled on one of the handles, making the drawer show the contents of all my shirts. I sighed and looked down at the pile of clothing. I grabbed a purple shirt that came in at the stomach and back out. This is what I called, a skinny-girl-shirt. Now I'm not really the slimmest girl in the world. Though I'm not one of those 300 pound girls that will choose a cupcake over a guy. No, I'm only about 20 pounds over weight, which is amazing for someone raised on fast-food. But anyway, back to the story.
I grabbed the shirt and threw it on the floor, hating it. I did this for many of the clothes that I wanted to look good in, but of course I didn't. I finally decided on a blue and white flannel, with a white tank-top underneath. I pushed that drawer closed and opened the one below it. It showed all of my pants, and I smiled. Unlike my upper half, I had nice legs and a killer butt. The only down-fall to my lower half was that I played so many sports, they were scratched and bruised. But those would heal, eventually.
I grabbed a pair of skinny jeans that fit nicely. I closed the drawer, and stood up, carrying the clothing. Walking over to my bed, I put my clothes on the messy piece of furniture. Shoving off my old shorts, I switched them for the pair of blue jeans that were on my bed. They were nice and snug, just the way I liked them. I pulled the baggy t-shirt over my head and quickly put on the tank-top, then the flannel. Looking at myself in my full body mirror, I had one thought: 'Damn! I look good!' Then I pulled my head into the picture. My hair had major bed head, and a small stream of dried drool lay on my cheek.
I laughed at myself, playing with my messy hair. "No worries my friend, we can fix this." I went to the bathroom and turned on my hair straightener. It would need time to heat up, so I started brushing my hair. Soon all the knots were out and all that was left was the fluffy, wavy hair. I was really bipolar with my hair; I hated it unless I straightened it every single day, or else it was a fluffy mess. But I loved it because when I did straighten it, it was beautiful and wonderful. It had enough volume where it held up nicely and it didn't look greasy. And I could do just about anything with it, put it up, leave it down, style it. It just needed to be straightened.
I touched the outside of the straightener to see If it was hot. It was warm, but not the required heat it took to do my hair. I left it on and went to get a washrag. I walked to the hall closet. It opened up to a small world of cleaning supplies, towels, and a vacuum cleaner. I grabbed a small washrag with a faded Disney character on it. I squinted to see who it was. Now, I don't know about you, but I like to know who I'm cleaning my face with. There was a bit of what looked like a pink dress on the rag, and maybe some blonde hair; maybe Bell, or Aurora. Whoever it was, they were going to wash my face. I walked back to the bathroom to wet down the washrag, stepped in front of the the mirror, and carefully rubbed off the dried droll. When it was all gone I touched the outside of the straightener agian. It was hot, as in hot enough that if I didn't do this every day, I would have pulled my hand away. But I did, and I probably didn't have much of a fingerprint on two of my fingers because of my hair. Oh well, as long as I looked good.
I put up half my hair and went to work, turning my puffy, waving hair into a straight, beautiful piece of blonde work.
A call came from downstairs. "Ella! Are you awake?"
"Yeah, I'm just straighting my hair! I should be done in like 5 minutes!" I called back to my stepmom, a petite blonde who was about 30 years old. I really didn't like the idea of mom and dad getting a divorce, or dad marrying that terrible woman, Tracy. She hated me, and I hated her; but we both put on a show for dad so he could be happy. Though in the mornings she just let me get up and do my thing. She didn't really bother me unless we were running late. Which did happen sometimes; okay, more like at least once a week.
"Okay!" She called back.
I continued the ritual of my morning, making sure my hair was as straight as possible, then putting on my make-up. It consisted of cover-up, eye liner, mascara, and eye shadow (optional). Now, just to clear this up, I'm not fake just because I wear make-up. You wanna see fake? Go watch some super models eat lunch: 'Oh my god, Katie! Your eating an orange! That has carbs!' Give me a break, that's not a lunch.
I unplugged my straightener and jogged to my room. I grabbed my backpack from the corner and my phone off the charger. The cell glowed to life and I descended down the stairs. Walking to the kitchen, I pulled out a bean burrito from the refrigerator. Popping the cold, almost frozen food into the microwave, I set the timer to 1 and 1/2 minutes. The microwave came to life and started heating the yummy goodness. I went over to a cabinet and grabbed a little blue and white cup. Putting it on the counter, I walked to the fridge again and opened the door. The liquids in the chilly place were normal: milk, an energy drink, some mustard. I sighed and grabbed the milk. I walked over to the counter yet another time to pour some for myself. I put back the milk in the refrigerator and closed the door.
"Hey! Hey, Ella! Your phone is going off! Right here! In your pocket! Better get it soon, or else an elephant from outer space might come and eat you!" Amanda's slightly squeaky voice came from my phone. It was my ringtone, and unfortunately I had no idea how to change it. So I was stuck with Amanda yelling at me every time I got a text. Sighing, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and looked at the text.
Amanda - Are you awake?
Me - No, I just sleep text.
I hit the send button and stared at my phone until it told me that the message had been sent.
Beep! Beep!
The microwave went off and I pulled the now steamy burrito out. It smelled delish, and I wanted to shove it down my throat, without worrying about getting it on my shirt or ruining my make-up. But of course I had to keep both of those things looking perfect, so I pulled out a fork and began carefully eating it. The cheese had a nice flow and the melted in my mouth. It was perfectly, perfect in every way. It was great, and I was glad I wasn't a 'popular' girl, they had to worry about what they ate. While I on the other hand I didn't, it just showed you, blending into the crowd is good at times.
Once the burrito was finished, I placed my plate in the sink and head off to brush my teeth. I reached my bathroom, and grabbed the little purple and white brush. Squeezing the minty tooth paste on the bristles and moving it to my mouth. Up and down, left and right, go in circles. It's funny how the human race has even perfected teeth cleaning. After two minutes, I cleaned the brush with hot water and put it safely back in it's cup on the counter.
"Ella! Your going to miss your bus! Get a move on!" Tracy's high pitched voice reached the bathroom.
"I not a completely stupid, Tracy! I know when my freaking bus comes!" I rolled my eyes, not really wanting to talk to her anymore than I had to. I walked over to the door, "I'm leaving Tracy!"
"Have a good day!" She called to me, odiously she was on the phone with dad.
"I will! Don't worry!" The squeaky door opened and I stepped out in the bitter January air. Now if I lived in somewhere warm, like oh say....California this wouldn't be a problem. But no, I live in Oregon, possibly the coldest place on Earth. But hey, at least we had killer heating vents.
I began walking the block that required me to get to my bus stop. The only person that was there was a lone figure, sitting atop a large rock. She had shoulder length, flat black hair, and pale, pale skin. A fluffy jacket covered her torso, making her look bigger than her normal twig self. And a pair of dark blue jeans were the only thing on her legs besides her black and white shoes.
"There you are! Do you know it's like 30 degrees outside and you don't have a jacket?" The figure stood up on the rock laughing.
I looked down with a fake surprised look on my face, "Oh my gosh!" I said sarcastically, "I have no jacket! What cruel fate has brought me to this?!?" I dropped on my knees dramaiticly.
The figure jumped on the ground laughing, "I believe it's a rare dease called BLONDE!"
"Oh shut up Amanda." I got up and brushed off my pant legs, "Your just jealous."
Amanda raised her eye brows, "Of what?"
I thought for a moment, "Well of corse this wonderful tan I have going on!" I pointed to my own pale skin.
"What ever keeps the tears away." Amanda laughed. She was of corse my best friend, she knew all of my secrets, and every thing about me! Of corse we had other friends, but she was my best friend. She knew what I was going to say before I said it, and visa versa. It's just part of the best-friends-forever package deal.
"What? Are you telling me this wonderful tan is all in my mind?" I was about to roll over from cbbbx hs.rsslaughter.
"Yup. I guess those guys who sold it to you were lying." Amanda grabbed her stomach as if holding it from bursting.
"That means my robe isn't worth a million dollars!" I tried acting serious, but ended up failing. A smile spreading across my face, and laughter bubbling in my throat. "They told me it could tell if a person was unfit for his job that the person would be able to see it!"
"Hey I'll give you a penny for it!" She reached in her pocket a produced a little copper coin in her hand, "Will this cover it?"
I grabbed the penny before she could react, "Sure, why not?" I flipped the penny in the air a few times.
On one of the throws to the air Amanda timed carefully and grabbed the penny before I knew what she was doing, "Ha! Now I'm holding it for ransom!"
I put my hands on my hips, "You know I don't give money to kidnappers!"
"Fine." A smile spread across her face as she turned around and threw he penny as far as she could. It landed about half way down the street, rolling on the ground before landing in some gravel.
I dropped on my knees again, now aware of the pain in my knees, "Nooooo!" I yelled. A woman who was taking out her trash looked up to see what I was yelling about. Once she saw who it was she rolled her eyes and went back to her business.
I got back up on my feet, and brushed off my knees yet another time. "Well glad to know that if I'm ever yelling again, she won't bother me." I began laughing.
Amanda started laughed, "Just don't go around during the night. You know the gangsters around here hate 'tan' people." She pointed to my pale arms.
"I'll just blend in with them." I bent my knees and put up a peace sign. Amanda didn't say anything, she just laughed, "What? Wouldn't I blend in?"
She patted me on the shoulder, "Don't quit your day job."
"I have a job now! Why didn't anyone tell me? I'm probably fired now!" I said with a shocked voice.
"Ya. I told you last week! You worked at the dumpster behind the school!" She held her arms over her head, "Your on top!"
"Hey guys!" A yell came from behind us.
"Oh god! It's her!" I turned around to see Kassy running towards us. Her matted, curly blonde hair blowing in the wind. She had on a pair of old boots, strings dangled off of them, in places you knew they shouldn't be. A tattered old shirt clung to her, the colors faded. We really didn't like her; she was annoying, lame, and well.....ANNOYING! But we put up with her because she really didn't have any friends. And we might as well help her out in the mornings, since we don't have any classes with her during the day.
"Hey Kassy." Amanda said with a flat voice, "What's up?"
"Well I was really late today. I almost thought I was going to be late!" She laughed her weird crackled laugh, "But odiously I'm not because you guys are here!"
"Ya, really funny." I forced a laugh out. Silence folded for a couple minutes, and I was glad when the big yellow bus pulled up to pick us up. Amanda and I got some seats in the back. I peered at my clock on my phone, 8:12. We were the first stop on the bus, so one of the great things in morning was watching the bus fill up with people until every seat was packed.
Chapter 2 - Amanda
The bus filled up quickly, soon all kinds of kids filled it. Nerds, 'popular', weirdos (like myself), and many other people that I could spend hours giving them titles. But that would be a huge waste of time. I twisted my black hair in little loops. It wasn't the best use of my time, my science teacher would say that I should have been doing my homework. But where was the fun in that?
RING! RING!
I looked down to my lap to see that my cell phone had lit it's self up. I picked it up and looked at the name, Quinn. My heart fluttered for a second, as I opened the little text.
Quinn - Hey beautiful.
I smiled, Quinn was my boyfriend. Probably the sweetest guy out there, and up there for looks with his dark brown skater hair and lean body. All it took was one look from those hazel eyes and I was his minion, ready to do what ever he wanted.
Me - Hey
what's up?Quinn - Just waiting in your hall. I haven't seen you in like a while day.
Me - OMG! A whole day! That's a long time.
Quinn - It is when it's you.
Me - That is probably the corniest thing I have ever heard. LOL, but it's cute.
Quinn - Not as cute as you.
Me - LOL, well I'm a about to get into the school so I'll see you in a minute.
I shoved my phone in my pocket, and stood up. Everyone was walking off the bus in the 'organized' fashion that the school wanted us to be in.
The school was just a big brick building, with patches of dry wall here and there used as repairs. Though we didn't need patches for an old building that will fall in a couple years anyways, we needed a new building. I read about district a couple cities over who got a brand new middle school! I mean, why can't we get that? We already have so many people at our school already, we need extra room!
Ella and I walked down to our hall; where, you guessed it, Quinn was waiting. He came up and grabbed me, giving me a kiss. How can I explain a kiss from this boy of mine? Ever been snow boarding? Just like that, but warmer. It was fun, and he did it like it was special each time. It felt as if I could stay in his arms forever as his tongue tried to make an entrance in, and it didn't take too long for mine to join in with the fun.
"Well this is fun." Ella's voice brought me back to reality, where we were at school, in our hall, by our lockers. He released me from his lips and grabbed my hand, "I thought we talked about this whole third-wheel thing."
"Sorry Ella. You know you wouldn't be a third-wheel if you got a boyfriend." Quinn's deep voice answered before I could, squeezing my hand.
"Oh yes. Let me just get one of the basketball players from my phone book. You know their all over me at the moment." she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.
"I could set you up with one of my friends." Quinn replied.
"Yes, because I want one of YOUR friends!" Ella crossed her arms, annoyed.
"You know I'm beginning to think your lesbian." I laughed.
"I am not!"
"That explains it!"
"What ever." Ella's voice was flat, with no wanting to continue the conversation. She turned to her locker and opened it.
"Oh you know I was kidding!" I laughed.
She opened her backpack and started shoving books into her locker, "Sometimes things aren't funny."
DING! DING! DING!
"That's the five minute bell. I gotta go." Quinn kissed my cheek and left. I watched him leave then turned back to Ella who was grabbing her algebra binder.
"Look, I'm sorry. I didn't know you would be offended by it."
Ella shut her locker door and looked past me, then back to me. She laughed, "I know. Now get your stuff before were late for algebra."
I smiled, "Okay." I got my stuff and we headed down to one of the other halls, where our algebra class was located.
We got in with about a minute to spare. We hugged and went to our seats. Our algebra teacher was smart enough that she put us on opposite ends of the class room. Now not just like in different rows, I mean I was in the front left corner, and she was in the back right corner.
DING! DING! DING!
Everyone sat down as Ms.Kinns walked into the class. She was an older woman (about in her late 40's), with large glasses and always wore skin tight pants from the 80's. Where she got her pants will forever be a mystery to me, because no store sold them! But she managed to get enough so that she never had faded colors or ripped cloth. Maybe in the 90's they were having a sale and she stocked up, or maybe she kept them in perfect condition. What ever it was, you could see EVERYTHING, if you know what I mean. It made me glad that she also wore extra long shirts; once she wore a normal shirt that ended at the hips. Well let's just say that there are things that you can never unsee, that was one of them.
"Good morning class! Anyone have anything exciting happen over the weekend?" Ms.Kinns asked in her cracked voice. No one raised their hands. "No one?" She pointed a wrinkled finger at a kid in the back, "Arron! What did you do this weekend?"
Arron was a tall ginger, a very cute ginger at that. He laughed, "I had the munchies." The class ripped with laughter, everyone understood what this meant. Except Ms.Kinns, she just stared at Arron until the class topped laughing.
"Well I don't see what's so funny about it all, but you all seem to think it's hilarious." Ms.Kinns said to the class.
I understood what he was say, it ment he was high all weekend. Probably with some other pot heads in a withered old basement. I so badly wanted to scream at Ms.Kinns about his mischief. But I would get my ass kicked if I said anything about him, so I kept my mouth shut. No one said anything, so lucky for him, he was safe. Ms.Kinns turned to another kid in the class, "Taylor, what about you?"
A kid in the front of the room had a pair of head phones in his ears, and a kid next to him jabbed him in the arm with his finger; the dark haired wonder torn out his head phones before Ms.Kinns had a chance to see them. He had jet black hair that went back his ears, a kind if skater hair style. He had sagging dark skinny jeans, and a purple t-shirt on it, with the name Stone Shoe (a local band) on it. "Ummmmm.....what?"
"What did you do this weekend?" Ms.Kinns repeated.
"Ummmm...slept?"
Ms.Kinns rolled her eyes, annoyance laced her voice. "Okay, let's get on with the lesson today." She walked over to her board. "Everyone turn to page 421 in your text books."
A vibration went off in my pocket, I took out my phone but kept it under the table.
Ella - OMG! Isn't he super cute today?
Me - Who?
Ella - The ginger bread man. Who do you think?!?!?
Me - Taylor?
Ella - Duh.
Oh yah that's another thing, Ella likes the kid named Taylor in the class. Big shock right? Wait, it gets better.
Chapter 3 - Taylor
I took out my phone and started texting my girlfriend. I really don't like texting much, but hey if I want some this weekend I gotta play nice.
Me - Hey babe.
Emily - Hey:) what's up?
Me - Algebra. How about you?
Emily - Art.
We kept texting as Ms.Kinns kept going on about some lame algebra thing. I really didn't care about the class, how I got in I have no idea. But at least the teacher really didn't care a out whether or not I did my work. I liked it better that way, I could read, text, and do my work if I wanted to. But I'm not a bad student! I have a C in the class, so I'm good.
I looked up to the old white board that Ms.Kinns was writing on, "Now, with the exponents you must..." I kinda ignored her once I heard the large word. I hated how adults used big words to make themselves feel smart, what was so wrong with using normal words that everyone knew? I think the reason teens made up 'Text Speak' was to counter act adults' large words.
The bell went off and we all stood up and walked out the door. Conversations started up all around me, it was irritating hearing so many voices at once. But what ever, I knew I would soon become part of the mass of talking in the halls.
"Hey man." A scratchy voice said behind me, I turned to see Marco jogging to catch up with me.
"Dude! What the [censored] happenend to your voice?" I asked. Usually it was pretty deep, like mine, but it seem as if he had jagged rock stuck in his throat.
"Man, I got a cold from that hoe Sam!"
"Your the guy who made out with her!"
"Hey she didn't pull away. I didn't know she would give me a mother [censored] cold!"
I rolled my eyes; Marco loved using cuss words, according to him they were descriptive words. And he got away with it in English for a while! Until he started 'describing' a girl as hoe. That's when Mr.Krantz got mad and decided that they were most defiantly NOT descriptive words.
I walked to my next class, wood shop. This was my favorite class, it was hands on and I got to talk to my friends. I had an A at the moment in this class and don't plan on lowering it. I went to the little locker that the school gave us for the class, '24-14-43' I thought, as the lock gave away and let me in. I took out my project, a cross bow, a pretty nice one at that. I lay it on the table and go get the clear coat of paint.
"Glasses Taylor!" Mr. Rumpis, our shop teacher, yelled from across the dusty room. He was a bigger man, about 6'3" and about 400 pounds. He wasn't really what you would expect a shop teacher to look like; before I met Mr.Rumpis I thought our teacher would be a tall skinny man with glasses perhaps. Boy was I wrong.
I worked though the period, carefully sawing, texting, and talking all at the same time. And before I knew it my favorite class of the day had ended. I threw my shop glasses on the work table, not really caring who picked them up and put them away. Grabbing my binder on the way out, I made my way out of the dusty place. Swiftly walking to my 3rd period class, sadly one of my worst, social studies. I hated this class, what was the point of learning a bunch of old dates and people when I will forget them in a month or so? And when am I going to need to know this in real life? Never.
I walked into the classroom where the old and wrinkled Ms.Zembeni stood. Her eyes were like a predator stacking her prey, always scanning the room to see if she could write someone up. A shiver ran over my spine as her gaze ran past me, my eyes dropping to the ground trying to escape eye contact. I more or less ran to my seat as the bell sound that my hour of hell will began.
A creepy smiled spread across my evil teacher's face, "Hello students, I hope you've been paying attention for the past trimester. We're having a pop quiz today; and it shall count for a tenth of your grade."
My jaw almost dropped to the floor. A pop quiz? How could she do this? I'll tell you, she's the devil in the flesh. She probably WANTS the entire student body to fail; I think at this point I hate her more than any person I have ever meet. I didn't even know that my forehead and desk had meet until I felt the pain surging though my veins. Moans were circulating around me; students calculating what their chances of acing this quiz, which for most was low.
I took a large gulp as the paper of doom hit my desk. I looked at the first question, 'Who was the first Native American tribe to trade with the Europeans?' I heard a deep, depressing groan come from my mouth. How was I going to even pull a D out of this?
Chapter 4 - Ella
The rest of the day went without a hitch, after algebra, came science, then english. Following lunch was art, gym, and social studies. Though out the day I caught moments with Quinn, engraving the moments into my brain.
I walked to my locker, where Amanda and Quinn were having another make out session. I gulped at seeing the tiny space between Quinn's backpack and the lock to my locker, a whole 3 inches. So I decided to just do the easy thing, "Oh don't mind me, just trying to get to my locker, no biggie."
Amanda pulled away from the tall brunette, "We'll move." her laughter laced with flirtation ment for Quinn, as she pulled him about a foot away from my locker as she shoved her tongue down his throat again.
And I hated to say it, but I was really jealous that they had each other. That they could tell each other anything, then DO anything. It seemed really nice, and they seemed invincible in each others' arms. If only Taylor showed any interest in me, then I would go for it, or hey! Maybe even Arron, or that kid that sits next to me during art? I just wanted someone that would stand next to me, holding me, telling me I'm beautiful like what Quinn does to Amanda.
I sighed as the squeaky locker door opened and I grabbed my backpack. I tried shoving my binder into the old bag, but it ended up falling on to the ground paper floating though out the hall. I heaved another sigh as I looked at the huge mess in front of me. I looked up to my best friend to see her still locked on the boyfriend's lips, not wishing to be taken from her dream land. And I wasn't going to pull her from it. I looked back to the jumbled papers and started grabbing all of the social studies stuff. I fought to keep my head focused on the papers instead of making a snappy come-back to everyone who was laughing at me.
"You need some help?" I looked up to see a tall dark haired god standing by where I was kneeled. My heart fluttered for a second as his name came to my mind. Taylor.
I laughed slightly, trying to be as appealing as possible, "That would be awesome." He kneeled down and started picking up a couple papers that were straying away from the pile.
"Hey what's this?" I heard his deep, beautiful voice ask me. I looked up, trying not to look like I was this excited to be around my crush. Glancing at the slightly crumpled paper that was in his large hands and at that moment my heart shank. Staring at my little secret obsession that was now laying in his hands. My poem.
"Oh, ummmmmm...., just a little thing I've been trying. It's not very good." I tried to get his attention off the poem; really I had been doing poetry for about a year, and in his hands was something I had been working on during the past day. Trying to get some truth out in the open without blowing up in someone's face.
Taylor shrugged his shoulders, "Do you mind if I read it. I have to write a poem in english and anything would work."
I wanted to rip the paper out of his hands, protecting the words from his gaze. To make sure my embarrassing obsession didn't get out. But I really didn't want to seem to be a weirdo, especially to my crush. "Well I guess."
He cleared his throat as he began reading. (Make up life poem) Once done he looked up from the page as he finished the last couple words.
I could feel the blood rush cheeks, the realization that he hated it sank in. And I wanted to burn the page from his memory, burn this moment from his memory. But of corse I can't, "It's really good." Taylor said, smiling. "I really love it, it speaks so much truth."
I sigh of relief swept though her body, "Thanks I-"
"Taylor! Baby! I though we were meeting by my locker!" A high pitched voice interrupted me. I turned to see the preppy little Emily Greensmen walk up behind Taylor, wipping her long brown hair over her shoulder. She tilted her head, "I guess you forgot." she eyed me oddly.
"Oh yah, I was just helping Ella here pick up some papers." He smiled sweetly at his girlfriend, threw together some papers together in a ramdom order, leaving the poem out.
The popular girl reached down and picked up my poem and started reading without my permission. Little sliver heels were the only thing left between her feet and the cold hard ground; a little yellow dress that barley fit the dress code clung to her like a fat kid to a cupcake. She finished quickly, as she started laughing, "Life could end with a pen drop? Oh please, sounds like a bunch of rubbish." She took the paper and ripped it in to little pecices.
My heart sunk as the little papers floated towards the ground, making me really pissed off. Why rip up the poem just because you don't like it? That dosen't mean that someone else didn't like! Or spent time writing it. I wanted to scream at her, to punch her in the face! To teach her a lesson about messing with my stuff. But of corse I was too chicken to do anything about it.
A evil smile spread across Emily's face, "Come on Taylor, were going to be late for the buses." She turned on a little sliver heel as her boy toy followed her out of the hall.
I watched as the 'happy' couple walked out of the hall; I finally noticed that only a few others were in the hall. None of them wanting to come help me since I now looked like Emily's next victim. Now that's a scary thought, the last girl to become Emily's victim got cought with drugs in her locker. She didn't do drugs, she was one of my best friends; right behind Amanda. Now she is home school and her mom never let's her leave the house, and no one is allowed to talk to her.
But I tried to shrug off the feeling of being a target and forced my focus back to the pile of papers. I didn't have time to organize them like I wanted to, now that little Miss. I'm-Perfect-In-Everyway took away my help. Angrily, I shoved all the remaining papers into my bag, not really caring what got ripped or crumpled.
I stood up, and started walking towards where the buses were already starting. I pretty much had to run the rest of the way to the bus. Where about in the middle Amanda had saved me a seat. I plopped down on the seat as she finished a text and shoved the phone back in her jeans' pocket.
Amanda looked up as her best friend sat down, "Hey, I'm sorry about ignoring you today. I was kinda-"
"Making out with your boyfriend?" I finished for her.
"Yah. Sorry."
I shrugged my shoulders, "What ever. It's cool."
"No not cool." Amanda said a litle annoyed. "I know your mad. Which is why you should be happy that your coming over all weekend long!"
"Don't I basically live over at your house?"
"Oh shut up. Were gonna go roller skating! And no Quinn."
Now that was something to be happy about, Quin wasn't going to be with us. "Alright, because your words have move me sooooo much!" I laughed.
"So when me and Quinn left, your welcome for that, I saw you were talking to Taylor. How did it go?" She bumped her shoulder with mine.
"Well....Taylor read one of my poems, said be really liked it. Then his girlfriend showed up, read my poem, ripped it to peices, and left leaving all the papers for me to clean up."
"Wow, what a bitch! I would have punched her in he face! Like seriously, who does she think she is?"
"She's his girlfriend. Thats who she thinks she is." I sighed. "Maybe I should just give up on him."
"What are you thinking? Your gonna give up because his girlfriend is in the way? Isn't he in our algebra class?"
"Yah. So what?" I said rubbing my eyes. He was never gonna go for me.
"Well why don't you ask him for help on the next test? Ask him to tutor you and then you two can get to know each other!"
I lifted my head up from my hands, hope glimmering in my eyes, "Your an evil genius you know that?" I laughed.
"No duh. Now if only city council will accept my 'destroy the world' idea." Amanda joked as he bus came to a screeching stop at our stop. We hopped off, followed by Kassy.
"See you later best friends!" Kassy yelled, she started jogging towards her house that was down the opposite direction of my own.
Amanda snorted, "Yah, 'cause were her best friends." She laughed, "I'll text you later. I gotta go watch my little brother."
"Okay. I'm was kinda hoping that you would come hang out with me. My dad and step mom left for California today for their anniversary."
"That is awesome! How long are they gone?" Amanda seemed even more excited than I was. What was so special about having a large house to yourself? I was kinda afraid to be there all alone; but it was a school night, so no one can come over and spend the night.
"Till next Monday."
"We should have a party, and invite everyone!"
"I don't know, in all of the movies the parents always come home early."
"And in all of those movies the main characters are stupid preps who care about getting fame and money. Not to mention, it's all fake!"
"I don't know, I'll think about it. Okay?"
"Okay. I gotta go, for reals now. Love ya!" I watched as my best friend started walking down her street.
"Love ya too!" I started down my street. Going down the familiar bumpy road, I started thinking of that party idea that Amanda had. Would it really even work? Or would I be jut like the movies where the parents come home early and teach the kids a lesson about sneaking around?
I knew I wanted to do it, but was it really worth getting grounded for it? But at the same time I could invite Taylor and talk to him, providing that his girlfriend wouldn't be there. Or one of his friends, or anyone cooler than me, so that ment basically no one. So it would be a slim chance that I would even talk to him, but was the little chance even worth the risk of being grounded?
Whatever the answer I knew that I needed to get in the house and do my homework. And sadly Mr.Slanky had decided that we just had all the time in the world because we had a project due on Friday, on a war of our choice. I knew nothing about any world except that my grandpa had served in World War two. Other than that, I knew absolutely nothing.
I walked up the cobble stone path that lead to our front door. I shoved the key in the upper lock, then he lower, they were both unlocked already. Tracy, being the blonde that she is probably left the door open.
I opened the door and stepped inside, threw my backpack on the floor and turning around to lock the door again. As soon as I was done locking the door I flickered on the light switch and walked toward the kitchen, looking for something to eat.
My blood ran cold as I turned the corner and saw that I wasn't alone. Standing in the corner of our kitchen was a large, tall, muscular man spinning a knife in his hands.
"You shouldn't make me wait Ella." His deep, cracking voice echoed in my head. "It angers me, a lot actually. You don't want to make me angry do you sweetie?"
I nodded my head from the left to the right. Staring at his red stained shirt and regular blue jeans. "Good." He took a step towards me, "Now Ella, do you mind if I call you El?" I shook my head again no. "Good. Now I got a call a few days ago, wanting an order on your death. And when I found the price on your head is about 20 grand, well I just couldn't say yes fast enough."
I gulped down the large lump in my throat. This man was here to kill me! And not only that, but someone had hired him to do it! How was I going to get out of this situation? I couldn't offer more than what he was getting; 20,000 was a lot of money! I barley had 20 dollars!
"So El, how are we going to do this? The easy way or the hard way?" He took a couple more steps to me.
And for some reason, I couldn't move my legs. For that matter I couldn't move my entire body, I seemed to be frozen in my tracks when all my head, heart, and soul were screaming for me to run outside to where the neighbors would be. The man laughed, "Oh the easy way. I haven't had this one in a while."
He took one more step to me, closing the gap between us, "I just wish that you know that I have never hated you or have wished you dead. But you know, business is business."
But there were only a couple words that came to my mind, "Who are you?"
"Ella," He laughed, "Is that really the best you can think of? Your a smart girl, there must be some better question that you can think of."
And there was, one question that kept screaming at me. That kept throwing itself at me time and time again, "Who sent you?"
"Yah, now that's a good question." He leaned in close to my ear and whispered one single name. A five letter name that I never thought would want me dead. But it made sense why she would want me dead, that way the love of her life could pay attenchen to her and not me.
That is when i felt the first knife wound stretch deep into my gut and blood followed freely though the cut. And burning sensations rippled though out me as he turn the knife 45 degrees to the side. It seemed as if burning lava ran though my veins, as blood rushed out and he lay me on the tiled floor. He stood over me, his eyes the same as a predator going in for the kill. And with on more stab of the knife to my neck, my breathing slowed rapidly. Everything burned, what hurt the most was the 5 letter name that echoed though out my ear drums. Breathing took huge amounts of effort, though my heart seemed to be slowing, no matter what I did.
Then, as I turned my head just slightly, I saw it. The beautiful light that took away all of the pain. Every time I looked at it the pain washed away, but every blink returned the pain. I knew that the shimmering light was my only way out, so I stood up. Looking down I saw my bleeding body, and I knew that I was dead. Now there was only one thing to do. Walk into the light, the light that seemed warm to the touch. The light that welcomed me with no pain, it seemed to stretch across the room, covering everything in it's embrace. I took a step into the brightest part of he light; that's all it took to release the rest of it's brightness.
The light spread around me as the purest white swept around me, taking away all pain and my physical being. I was no longer a human being, with hopes and desires. I was a sprit, on a journey to who knows where.
Chapter 5 - Amanda
RING! RING!
I rubbed my eyes as I turned over on our family couch, the old leather was faded and ripped. It was saturday morning, well what teenagers called morning, so it was about 10AM.
RING! RING!
I grabbed my phone and looked at the caller ID. In little bright blue letters the name Katie June were clearly written. I flipped open the cell, "Hey Katie. What's up?"
"Turn on the news! Now! Channel 5, it's about Ella!" Her voice was frantic, and I could tell that she had spent a good amount of time crying.
"Slow down," I sat up and grabbing the remote and turning our old TV to channel 5. "Whats the big dea-" I was cut short by the news caster's voice and a picture of Ella in the upper right corner.
"Today a young Ella Winter was found dead in her home." The news caster said, her voice was as calm as if she was talking about her dinner, "Authorizes say they have no leads, but are working hard on the case. Young Ella was 13 years old and home alone. If you have any information please contact the police."
I clicked off the TV screen, "Thanks for telling me Katie." And without waiting for her reply I just closed my phone and dropped it on the ground.
How could she be dead?
I felt numb, and my breathing slowed as my chest tightened. I had talked to her about 14 hours ago, how could she be gone like that? What had happened? Had she committed suicide? Or had someone come in and killed her? By why would someone want to kill a 13 year-old girl?
I fell to the floor, normally shock would have spread though out my body like a zip line. But not now, I barley felt the cold hard wood as it hit my body. But what does it matter? Ella was lying somewhere, but couldn't move either.
Chapter 6 - Taylor
I sat at my computer, clicking though different YouTube videos. It had been a pretty boring day, Patty (my little sister) was at dance practice, and Roger (my older brother) was at baseball practice. I really liked sports, but being on a team really didn't interest me in any way.
RING! RING!
I picked up my cell phone, it was Arron. "Yo! What's up fool??"
"Dude!" Arron's deep voice was anxious, "You know that blonde in our algebra class?"
"There's like five blondes, can you be more specific?"
"The one that's always chilling out with Quinn's girlfriend?"
"Yah, Ella." I replied.
"She's dead man! She was found in her house in a pool of blood!"
"What? Dude that's not cool to joke about, what if she was dead?"
"Dude no! She really is dead, the police are everywhere over by her house!" He stopped for a second to catch his breath, "I bet it was a robbery!"
"Why would she be killed over a robbery?"
"Maybe it was the guys' third strike?"
"I doubt that. Maybe it was someone in the family!"
"Or maybe it's someone is becoming a serial killer!" He yelled into the phone, his voice excited with the fact that he was talking about an unsolved mystery.
The front door opened and closed as Patty's little footsteps entered the house. "Tay-Tay! I'm home! Where are you?"
"Dude my little sister is home, I gotta go." I said into the phone. Out of all the people in the world, I just had to protect her from anything and everything. And that included not letting her be worried about a killer being out there.
"All right man, see ya tomorrow." I clicked off my phone, and walked to the living room where Patty was sitting and staring at her hand were a little birth mark sat.
"Hey Bug," I called her by her nickname, "Did you walk home?"
"No, Abby's mom gave me a ride home. She insisted on it. She said that something bad had happened to one of the girls that go to your school."
"Oh that. It's nothing."
"Tay-Tay," She looked up at me, her blonde locks bouncing around her face, "should I be scared?" Her lower lip quivered.
"No," I sat on the couch next to her "I'm just gonna have to pick you up from dance now, or maybe mom. But mom usually has to work so it'll probably be me."
"Tay-Tay, what happened to that girl? What was her name?" Bug curled up into my lap and looked up at me with her big brown eyes. Her extra long blonde hair curled up around her shoulders.
I sighed, "Her name was Ella, and they found her dead in her house. A very, very bad man came and killed her."
Tears swelled up in her eyes, "Why?"
"I don't know why, just that it happened."
Tears poured out of her eyes like a river, and she barried her head into my chest. I wish I hadn't told her, she wouldn't be crying if I hadn't. But what was done was done and the was nothing I could do to do about it. But in the long run it probably was best that she knew so she could watch out for herself. "Who did it Tay-Tay?"
"That's the million dallor question."
Chapter 7 - Ella
I awoke in the light, but now it was everywhere. The light was everything, there was no floor, walls, or even a ceiling. It was too weird, "Hello?" I called out. It seemed to echo though out the space, but mo one returned the call. "HELLO?" I called out again, but this time much louder. Again no one replied. I tried walking, but it didn't seem to be doing any good.
A giggle sang though the space, "Silly girl," A high pitched voice rang with the giggle.
"Who's there?" I yelled, fear filled my voice as the pitiful sound stretched out.
As the words began to fade a little girl in a red Christmas dress and long white socks, little shiny black dress shoes tapped out a beat as she skipped over to me. Blonde locks hung down to the little girls' waist, they bounced as she moved. "I'm here to help you."
I watched as she moved closer to me, once she was about 10 feet away from me I noticed that she was walking on glass-like panels, but they seemed to disappear as soon as the black shoe pulled away. "Who are you?" I asked, my voice shaky and unsure, "And how can you help me?"
"I am Cloud. I am-"
"Cloud?" I interrupted her, "What kind of name is that? Are your parents hippies or something?"
"My real name isn't Cloud, but I prefer it to my real name for my work." Her words seemed to be sung rather than spoken.
"What work?"
"Let me explain, this is called the Half-way. This is where people who have been killed and their murders have never been solved. Once your murder is solved you shall go to The Place. The Place is called many things, Heaven, Valhalla, there are many others. The Place is ruled by Him, also known as God, Allah, Zeus, he has many names."
"I'm confused, where do you come into this mix?" I asked. Really none of this made sense. How did any of these people even involved with me?
"I am known as a Halfy, I'm supposed to help you on your journey to The Place." Cloud sang.
"But your so young! Your maybe seven years-old at most!" I yelled, "And why are you here and not in The Place anyways? Shouldn't you help yourself first?"
"I died young, but I assure you, I have been a Halfy for about 25 years. I have already been to The Place many times, but I choose to have the life of a Halfy instead of a angel."
"But why be a Halfy instead of an angel? Don't angels have wings and can do what ever they want?"
"Well angels do have wings, and it's true that I will never get to have any wings. But I love my job, I wouldn't be able to just lay about doing nothing. I knew as soon as I passed over to The Place that I was going to be a Halfy, and that's what I became.
"But enough about me, I am here to help you. Here at the Half-way you shall learn to use your energy powers, and will until your murder is solved."
"What if.....what if my murder is never solved?"
Cloud lowered her head, and took a deep gulp, "There are cases that someone stays in the Half-way forever. They are called the Wanders, they wander forever, normally they end up roaming Earth, some haunt mortals, some help their families, and some just watch as time goes by."
I nodded my head, I slightly wished I hadn't asked, but at the moment I just pushed it our of my mind. Little did I know, this information would be more important than anything I had learned before.
Chapter 8 - Amanda
Eventually mom came home and took me up to my room. Dinner was made, but I didn't eat much. How could I even think about eating when Ella was gone? I had talked to her just hours ago. It was like the 12 dancing princesses lost half of their group into a pit of no return.
I lay on my bed, belly down on the warm quit. My arm hung off the side, my finger tips brushing the ground. Tears continued out my eyes like tiny rivers, flowing freely with no control to take over.
Time seemed to hold still. I watched the light from a near by lamp post flooded the room. Mindlessly I whispered what I knew, but didn't want to acknowledge. "She dead, she's dead." It was so hard to think the words, but my mouth had it's own mind. Going and going until my mouth was dry and I was forced to drink water.
There was nothing I wanted to do, but why would I? I had known Ella since I was little. I can vividly see the first day we met.
Mom finally got her promotion and decided that we were going to move out of the crummy apartment building that we used to live in. We had just unpacked the last box when Ella and her parents came to greet us to the neighborhood. While mom and her parents talked, we play with some of my toys in my bedroom. We were both just 5-years-old, barley old enough to go to school. That day we decided to be best friends forever.
But who knew forever was so short?
Chapter 9 - Ella
I stood atop a glass like window that Cloud had made me, which I found out was called a stepping stone. Turns out that it was energy that her mind was making that made the glass appear. They were the only way to move around the Halfway. Unfournatly, this was much harder than it seemed like. "You must focus on it. You must see, touch, and taste it or the stepping stone won't come."
I tried focusing, but it didn't seem to work. I found myself closing my eyes and thinking of that encounter with Taylor and his girlfriend. I could still feel the sting as she rip up the poem, and how he just followed her like a little dog. My locker with the hundreds of sticky notes all in a random order. The cheap floor cleaner that the school used much too often that made the entire school smell like a gym sock.
"Oh Ella," I heard Cloud sigh, "What am I going to do with you?" I opened my eyes and I found myself in the hallway of my school, watching myself talk to Taylor and Emily. Papers spread across the floor of the hall, my face as bright as tomato with anger.
"Come on Taylor, were going to be late for the buses." I watched as Taylor and Emily left. Flickering my eyes between myself who sat on the floor and the couple walking away. But I wasn't going to be ignored by these two again. Maybe this was a sign that I could change my past? Maybe even a way to make me come back to life and fix everything!
I started running towards Emily and Taylor, "Hey you crazy bitch!" But she seemed to ignore me. I walked in front of her, but held my ground a few feet in front of her, "Hey Emily! Yah I'm talking to you!" Strangely, she walked right though me, not even noticing me.
'Maybe only past Ella can save me!' I thought. I ran over to the now standing me. "Ella! Go confront her! You'll die if you don't! Do get detention or something! Please!" But just as before, the past person just walked though me.
"They can't see you, or hear you." Cloud came up behind me. "It's a memory, not time travel."
I spun around to the small child, "What? Why not?"
Cloud flicked one of her golden curls, "It's a memory. All you can do is watch and listen. It's really very rare for someone who is so new, to be able to do this. Took me a few years to get the skill down."
"Well that's just perfect!" I slammed my fist against a locker, "Why can I do such a stupid skill if it can't help me?"
"Every newbie has a skill that they are best at, mine was making objects come when I need them, for example, the stepping stones." She made three of the glass-like windows appear by her, "It helps you remember the good times, and the bad. Some halfies would kill to be in your position, to be able to remember their friends, families, homes. Some forgot all they knew of before they came to the Halfway. All they know is people they should know, but don't, are crying over them."
I blinked in surprise as the words were uttered from her tiny lips. Some of us couldn't remember, and they wanted to be able to see this sense in front of them. Of the guy they wanted dragged away with their worst enemy, and to be left embarrassed and angry. But something was eating away at her, "Does that mean they can even remember?"
Cloud nodded, "Most can, some can't. It just matters how badly they forgot and how long ago they lost it."
I nodded, sadness sweeping into my chest, wondering how it would feel to forget my mom, dad, dog, home, school, best friend, crush, my first kiss, my basketball trophies, my first party, all my wonderful friends, all those nights waiting for the stars to come out. It would all be gone, and who knows if I would get it back. I looked down at the child, "Let's go. I don't care where, just somewhere."
Chapter 10 - Amanda
I had finally cried myself to sleep that night, waking every few hours from nightmares. But slowly, 6:00 rolled around I knew it was time to get ready for school.
I mindlessly shoved on a pair of jeans, an old shirt, and without brushing it, threw my hair in a ponytail. I didn't bother with make-up, it just hurt to think who had gotten me into it, who helped me those first couple days when didn't know lip liner from mascara. But no matter how much I tried, Ella's image was literally littered around my room.
I walked over to the door and saw a little picture of the last time we had gone to the zoo, only last Summer. Mid summer sun draping around us, a seal statue sat between us as we smiled. Tears formed in my eyes as the happy day came back to me, and the pain of her death came even harder. Streams started coming out of my eyes as I jumped back on my bed.
School could wait, my feelings needed tending to.
Chapter 11 - Taylor
It was strange how a death affected so many people, and places. On the bus that morning, I had seen many people leaning over their shoulders, as if waiting for a killer to appear out of nowhere. And many buildings had my classmate's picture posted over them. And it wasn't just outside of our bus, inside there was an eerie silence that seemed to echo thoughout the bus. Phones were silent and the normal chatter seemed to be no more then a slight whisper here and there.
Finally, after what seemed like forever, the bus parked in front of the old school building. A dark cloud hung over the school from the death. The halls were silent, the normal chatter gone. Ella's picture seemed to be splattered around the school. Many of the advanced art students had tooken Ella's Facebook photo and drew it on dozens of posters, putting R.I.P. on top and her birthdate and deathdate on bottem. Her blonde hair wrapped around her shoulders making her look a lot prettier than what she normally was. Though it felt odd to say that about a dead girl, a dead girl who I really knew nothing about except that she was dead.
A bell sounded telling us that it was time to head to class. With about as much enuthuasim as a pack of zombies, we all walked to our destinations.
Ms.Kinns watched as we all walked in to class, she was clearly quite shaken by the whole incident. As was the rest of the town.
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