"Hey guys!" I scream cheerfully as I walk down the nearly-empty hall to my locker. I get a chorus of 'hellos' from the students that were messing around in the hallways. One of the (very few) advantages to going to a small, private school- everybody knows everybody.
A couple of the disadvantages?
85% is a C+. The teachers know exactly who to blame when certain things happen. And course-work that tends to be two years ahead. Oh, and everybody knows everybody. So everyone's all up in your face 24/7 about the latest drama.
Yeah, I'm not school's biggest fan. Though I'm not sure school has any fans.
"CLARA!" I turn around and am immediately tackled to the ground by two of my (midget) best friends. Myra, with her short black hair and slanted eyes, and Andy (technically her name's Yolanda, but if you say her real name she will not hesitate to bite you. Most of us learned that the hard way.) Andy's shiny gold hair glinted under the lights as she and Myra got off of me, grinning like Chesire cats.
"You're both bumbas." I say with a playful scowl, and then dump my defected backpack into my locker. Seriously. I can't hang my backpack up because the strap broke, and I can't leave it in the hallway because Ms. Kruller will pitch a fit. So, therefore, the only option is to dump the backpack on the floor of my already-cluttered locker.
"We have to take the IOWAs today." Andy says, leaning against her locker, which neighbors mine. Myra has already left. "I am really not in the mood for a whole shitload of testing. " The IOWAs. Our school's standardized test that us kids all spend the first half of the year dreading. Well, all 150 that actually take the test that is. (Keep in mind that my school is Pre-K to Senior year, and the IOWAs are taken by grades 3 to 10. Yeah. We're kinda small.)
"Yeah well, at leas-" I pause as I notice another one of my best friends, Chris, dumping his stuff in his locker. He has an extremely upset look on his face, and I raise my eyebrows as I turn back to Andy. Her eyes widen and she stands on her tip-toes, leaning over my shoulder. Top-Secret Shiz Mode.
"You remember that guy that Chris's mom has been dating for the past three years?" I nod, curious as to were this is going. Did Dan break up with Miss Clark? I don't think that's really a possibility. I mean, the guy has pretty much already assumed the role of husband and father in the Clark family. Which is really great, since Chris's ass of a father left after Hannah (his 6th grader sister) was born.
"He died in a plane crash last night. Chris messaged all of us. You weren't on-line. Apparently, he was going to propose to Miss Clark as soon as he got back home."
I can literally feel my heart break for the Clark's, and for Dan's family. He was one of the nicest guys I have ever met. And he was Chris's role model. And God knows Chris needs someone like that in his life. Especially since...
I walk over to my best friend and wrap him in a hug. "Chris..."
He doesn't even say anything- he just hugs me back and rests his head on my shoulder. After a couple of seconds, he lets go. There isn't a tear in his eye, though they are a bit red rimmed.
"Hannah..." I look back over my shoulder at the small blond girl who had just walked down the hall. She looks at her brother and I can see how hard she's trying not to cry.
"Chris, I can't. I can't I ca-" Chris walks away from me, only to enfold his baby sister in his arms.
I look over at Andy as Chris starts murmuring into his now sobbing sister's ear. She mouths, Let's go, and I nod silently. I take one last look at the pair before walking into my homeroom.
All I can think is, they don't deserve any of this.
