Unwritten Pages

Chapter Four: Lies And False Truths

     Liane Chau—reporter, tough, intelligent...

     Manipulator.

     Those were my impressions of her. Those are still my impressions. She's horrible. I hate her.

     Hate is a pretty strong word. But I don't hesitate when I apply that word to Liane Chau. It's like Desiree hating me for the first two years she's known me. But obviously, Liane and I aren't going to magically fall in love.

     Now that I think about it... Did Desiree and I 'magically' fall in love? But the truth is, I liked her when I first met her.

     Hopefully, Liane doesn't have a crush on me... That would be... shudders. Repulsive. Disgusting. Unthinkable.

     Just as unthinkable as Winter killing herself.

     I shake the thought of Winter out of my head. I refuse to think about stuff like that. It's horrible.

     Anyway, I had woken up late. No one had bothered to wake me up on time. Maybe because my parents think that I'm suffering severely from the death of Winter.

     I feel bad. Because I don't even feel any grief. Yet. I think that if I watch clips of us, it'll feel like a distant memory. A distant life. I think I'll feel like I didn't even do anything with her—didn't even know her or talked to her.

     My saviour, dead. 

     Anyway, my parents leave early for work. Actually, they leave around the time that I leave for school. I'm waiting by the bus stop now. It takes about half-an-hour to get to school.

     I'm about forty five minutes late. The bus doesn't seem like it's coming any time soon. I think when I get to school, first period will be over. Oh well. One less class to sit through.

     I lean against the pole and wait. I'm not listening to my iPod. My head is too full of thoughts for any music.

     I think about Arianna's expression yesterday. The moment I told her that Winter committed suicide. Arianna had looked like she wanted to laugh. She didn't want to believe us.

     What kind of idiot would believe that Winterlyn Evaline Lawly would commit suicide? She had a perfect life...

     I close my eyes. What would have made Winter commit suicide?

    Suddenly, a loud engine makes me open my eyes. The bus is here. It stops and people get off. I wait until they're off until I get on and show my bus pass and identity to the driver before moving on.

     I find a seat by the window and sit down. Since I'm late today, there's not as many people on the bus. And most of them are adults too.

     Fortunately, this bus takes me directly to school. So I don't have to change buses or get on a subway.

     I observe the landscape as we pass. Everyone outside is acting normal like nothing has changed. But it has. Winter's dead. How could nothing have changed?

     Winter may be insignificant to them. But she is significant to me. Her death shouldn't go unnoticed by the world.

     But almost everyone's death is unnoticed by the world, I realize.

     The bus lurches to a stop near my school. I thank the driver before getting off. Then I cross the road towards my school.

     I'm so caught up in my thoughts, that my body is on auto pilot. I'm not paying attention to anything, really. I'm at my locker before I know it.