A Different Life, A Different Story

Felix - An Eye of Emeralds

In history class, I sit with Charli and Ray. They are my only friends, other than Alaska. We promised we wouldn't make it weird even though we dated and we lost our virginity together about four months ago, still, we managed to stick together even though she's dating my brother. I still haven't got past that.

"I heard that there's a new girl," Ray gossips to me.

"Yeah--"

"I know her!" Charli says pointing to a girl with a teal backpack on matching her eyes. She has frizzy hair and tan skin just like the photo. Is she the one that lives--

"She lives in that yellow house across the street from your Gramma," Charli interrupts my thought.

Mrs. Retroe steps in and introduces her to the class, "Class, this is the new girl, Indiana Yarrow treat her with respect and kindness."

Alaska follows her as the two girls sit down at the table next to us. I look at her. Wow, she looks like a model, no wonder why Charli didn't have a chance, she's literally a painting!

After school, I go to her funeral. My world's crumbling beneath my feet. I place the flowers on her grave tumb. I fall to my knees. The funeral is at a church. The pastor is old and white with a black strip in his hair. This is my least favorite place to go to. I look at the frozen body in the casket. Maria...this isn't her. This can't be! She can't be...gone. I walk around the funeral home. People talking, laughing, kids running around playing, and people crying over her casket. People that I never saw in my entire life. People hated her until she was gone. Gramma couldn't even come neither could Ade. Donnie's out by the bridge drinking beer. "Hey," I say leaning up against the bridge.

"Sup."

"So, wanna come inside?"

"Nope, Imma stay out here."

"Do you think you could go to school?"

"Nope never went in the first place. Prolly jus' drink alloma feelins' away."

I hate seeing him like this, but I understand. I take the dog. Maria always wanted me to have. Maria.

I wake up the next morning to take Sparkey out on a walk. We got him three years ago. Maria and I picked him out and Donnie named him. Sparkey is fully black and big. He's the only thing that's I have left of her. God, I miss her. I see the girl from my history class sitting on the porch with Alaska. I think about Maria and take a double dose of my anxiety meds. I think about Maria constantly. What if she got the chance to meet...her. I stare at the beautiful angle on the porch sitting next to Alaska. Damn, she's an absolute goddess.