Lauren Sanders has been left to start a 'new' normal life with her aunt and cousin after her family died. Everybody knows almost everything except for two things: Lauren's parents' mysterious death and her schizophrenia.
Lauren goes out on a mission...
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"Hey," I hear a disembodied voice behind me, calling for my attention.
I peered out of my locker and turned around to see Savannah grinning at me while holding two tickets, one in each hand. As I rolled my eyes and leaned against my locker to close it, she wiggles her eyebrows at me.
"Here's your ticket for prom," she hands me a ticket. I stare at it for a long time, trying to make up my mind about going, even though I have already set my mind.
Last week, Savannah and I started talking, again. I remember crying as I left Aaren's house that day and almost getting lost on the way home. Luckily, Savannah saw me on the sidewalk and stopped after she left the supermarket's parking lot. I didn't utter a single word when she drove me home, and she didn't bother asking me anything about it, either, as I continued to cry.
But the next morning, I heard a loud bang on my bedroom door and saw her standing there with a worried look on her face. Apparently, she had found out that my parents' case had been reopened for investigation by the few students who were sharing their daily gossip in the halls of the school. She hugged me so tight that I unexpectedly broke into heated tears, confused about what I was crying about as she just shushed me like a child.
I push the ticket back to her, shaking my head, "I'm not going."
She raised an eyebrow at me, "Why not?" I watch her as she scanned my face for an answer, "Are you worried because these kids might spread more gossip around about the case? You know, we can always report them, right?"
"It's not that," I started as I took a deep sigh, "I just don't feel like going," I crossed my arms to my chest, unable to explain or even make up an excuse as I lack the energy to do so.
Savannah took my hand, opened my palm, and forcefully placed the ticket, "Please, go. It's our senior year! You should be making the most out of it."
She pleaded through puppy eyes and I can't help but roll mine, "I'll think about it," I told her as I forced a smile, causing her to clap her hands like a seal out of joy.
"That's the spirit!" She says, knocking her fist in the air. "Alright, I'll see you after school, okay?" She says as soon as the bell started ringing.
I nodded my head as we both waved each other goodbyes before heading in opposite directions.
Some students hurried inside the classrooms while others crammed into the halls. I had to wait for them to enter the room before I could continue. I was about to walk in when I stopped in my tracks and realized it was Aaren in front of me, blocking most of the entrance to the room.
He looked at me, awkwardly stopping to avoid causing a collision by stepping on each other's sides to allow the other to enter the room first. It became more awkward when he stepped on my right as well as I did. He unconsciously did the same as I took a step to the left. We continued doing it for about three or five seconds until I let out a groan.
