Pricked by a Thorn

Chapter1: Change 

 "ZARA! Wake up young lady! You are late for school!" Aunt Mindy storms in my room without knocking, already wearing her work clothes with a piece of toast between her red lips.  

"Aunt Mindy, I'm already up" I groan while rolling to the other side of my bed. "And i think there's no school today." I lie.  

"Zara, you can't carry on like this for forever. One day, you'll be able to move on and change your way at looking things." I can feel her looking at me with pitiful eyes, her eyebrows up and her hands folded on her chest. I mumble yeah in response and wait for her to close the door, and walk out of the front door into her car before I fall asleep again.

It's been almost a year since I last saw Spencer's perfect face. And it's been almost a year since I've been me. I always think that maybe life hates me. Spencer Crone was the most beautiful man I have met, dated, kissed and fell in love with. Yes, was. Spencer's death was the one thing I could not ever forget.

I wake up to the sound of the doorbell ringing continuously. I look at the clock which is sitting on top of my bedside table right beside my lamp. 8:48 it says. Its been only 13 minutes since Aunt Mindy left. Who would be looking for me at this hour? I think unamused. I got out of bed grumpily without changing out of my 4 day old pj's and went straight to open the door along with my smelly morning breath.  

The doorbell kept ringing until I yelled "I'M COMING!!" I open the door and see my bestest friends from school.

"Oh my goodness Zara! What's with that awful smell?" Belle exclaimed, her hand reaching to cover her nose.  

"That's my breath, my clothes, my hair and the house." I reply nonchalantly.

And that's when I see him. My mouth slowly forms into a perfect shape of an O; a short quiet gasp escapes from my mouth. Spencer, running across the street probably out to catch his usual bus. He disappeared around the block before I could even yell out his name.

"What's wrong?" Haden asks. His hand reaching to touch my shoulder. I shake my head with disbelief. "Spencer." The three of them look at me like I'm seeing a ghost which I think I actually am.  

"Honey, he's gone." Lauren says soothingly.  

"Why don't we just go inside and catch up, okay?" Haden suggests.

Once settled inside, I ask all of them a question, "Don't you guys have school today?" Lauren looks at Haden and when Haden catches her look, he looks at Belle. Belle sighs "We skipped." I look at them, guilt and shame printed across all of their faces and I laugh because that is the only thing that i can do right now.

"You guys! You are making me guilty now!" I reply in the middle of my laughing. "The catch is, we are dragging you to class right after lunch." Haden responds seriously. I stop laughing. "You can't expect me to just walk in school like nothing happened!"

"But Zara, its been almost a year! You just have to move on. You're not the only one who lost Spencer!" Lauren exclaims. That's right. I almost forgot. Belle and Spencer were friends since they were basically toddlers and Haden was his best friend. 

"I lost him too Zara. But I learned how to move on." Haden replies.

I nod in response and look outside. A little part of me hopes that that was Spencer who I just saw running but a big part of me hopes that it wasn't him. I sigh, got up, and walked slowly towards the kitchen, ready to change.

**********

The bustling students in the hallway is not enough to hide my crumpled tangerine chiffon blouse and my old skinny jeans. My dark brown hair is in a high ponytail compliments to Lauren's wonderful skill. And even though I put some make-up on, it is still not enough to cover the dark circles under my eyes; thanks to all of those sleepless nights.

Principal Marvid still gave me my timetable even though I haven't been to school since the starting of the semester.

"You have a lot of catching up to do missy." Is all what he said to me after handing out my schedule before dismissing me.

My class right after lunch is Grade 11 Biology with Ms. Vanderbelt. Great, I think to myself. Ms. Vanderbelt is a single 36 year old lady who is really strict and has nothing better to do other than bully the students.

I make my way to the room which is at the far end of the hallway located in the west side of the second floor of the school. The bell rang just as I pick a seat at the far back corner of the room.

As students starts to hustle inside, I also dig right into my book bag fearing to look into their accusing stares. Another student comes right in time a second before the second bell rang. It so happens to be that the seat next mine remains unoccupied.

Still pretending to find something in my book bag, someone sits right next to me and a deep familiar voice says, "Hello there. Never seen you before."

I force myself to look up and regret the very moment that I did. One name escapes my mouth.

"Spencer."