How to Save a Life ✓

XX: In Which They Make a Promise

I sit still, staring blankly at the various science posters on the walls as our teacher passes our A.P Biology exams back.

White noise fills my ears as students talk about their grades that they got. Some high five each other when they get similar scores while others bang their hand against the table in frustration. Andrew is beside me, his eyebrows creased in anger like always. We haven't said a word to each other since what happened two weeks ago.

Our teacher reaches our table. He first hands Andrew's exam, face down. Andrew turns it the right way and looks at his grade. I take a peek out of curiosity and see the large 79% on the top right hand corner. I turn my head back to the front of the room, but I can see from my peripheral vision as Andrew faces the other way. It lasts for a second before he takes his exam, crumbles it up and tosses it into his backpack.

Like he did with Andrew, our teacher hands me my exam face down and I humph a sigh of disappointment. He only does this when students get below an eighty on an exam. To him, anything below an eighty is a failing grade.

I turn my exam around and stare at the red 57% on my paper. There are various marks on the sheet of paper, correcting my answers. On the top on the paper, there were four words lined in a red pen.

See me after class.

I carefully fold my paper so the grade can't be seen, take a folder and put my test inside it. I shouldn't even be disappointed. There's no point in any of this anymore.

The bell soon rings and students file out of the classroom. I stay behind and approach my biology teacher. He seems sad, but I don't focus on his face long enough to notice. I stare at the floor as he begins speaking.

"Your grades have been dropping, Kate. You're in danger of failing. You realize that?"

I nod at look at like, "I had a bad week. I promise I'll do better."

"I sure hope so. You were my top student. I don't know what happened."

Life happened.

After reassuring him that this won't happen again, I leave the classroom. Aphrodite is outside waiting for me.

"What was that?" She asks.

"Nothing. He just wanted to ask me something." I lie casually, not caring about the consequences right now. We start walking to Noah's class before we head for lunch. It's quiet for a second but then she starts ranting.

"I can't believe I got an 88% on that exam. I studied for hours! I'm going to kill myself." I look at her and immediately know she doesn't mean it. Her eyes are still bright, and even though she isn't smiling right now, she will eventually.

"Your grade isn't bad. I've seen worse."

Didi shakes her head, her annoyance starts to grow.

"You don't understand. My mom is going to kill me! I should just get a gun and shoot myself now."

I internally flinch at her words, but say nothing. Little does she now, I feel the same way. The only difference; Didi isn't going to do it.

We see Noah in the next corridor and Didi smiles, forgetting all her troubles that she uttered only a second ago.

Didi and Noah share a quick kiss before we all head to the cafeteria. I stop for a second and they continue walking, not realizing that I stopped. A couple of steps later, Noah turns around like confusion on his face as he asks me what's wrong.

"I'm going to eat at the library today. I need to study for my next test."

Didi doesn't question the matter further, believing my excuse, but Noah is a little more hesitant to let me go.

"You sure? You've been eating at the library for the past week and a half. We barely see you anymore."

I start to get defensive even though there is no reason to. "You see me everyday, Noah. My studies are more important than sitting with a couple of friends I won't talk to in a few years."

"What's your problem, Kate?" Aphrodite seems a little offended, by the hair she crosses her arms and squints her eyes.

"I don't have a problem, I'm just telling the truth."

"Well, your truth is wrong. You don't have to take your anger out on us because you failed the test."

"Just like you did? 'Oh god, I got an 88% on my A.P Bio test, I'm going to kill myself.' Please, be more grateful. Now I'm going to the library. I'll appreciate it if you'll leave me alone." I say sarcastically, causing Aphrodite to glare at me.

"Gladly." She turns around and starts walking in the cafeteria. Noah watches her walk away, his confused expression turning stoic. He then glances at me, wary of what to do next. I don't know if he's angry or disappointed. Probably both.

I turn in the opposite direction and start walking to the library. I feel a little guilty about snapping at them, they didn't do anything wrong. I swallow my guilt and tell myself that I am doing the right thing.

My grades were fine before I met them. I have to make them great again.

I take out my student I.D and swipe my card before taking a seat and grabbing my textbook from my bag. I begin reading when I feel someone sitting on the chair next to me three minutes later. Not looking up, I glance down at their shoes and see a pair of black converse.

Noah's favorite shoes.

I glance up to see him see him reading a history book. Considering that he hates history, I assume that he just grabbed a random book off the table.

"What are you doing here, Noah?"

"I couldn't let you walk away like that."

"What about your girlfriend?" I respond as I close my book.

"I calmed her down. She's waiting in the cafeteria. She shouldn't have said that, it's insensitive to people who are actually suicidal. But, you shouldn't have snapped at her either."

The guilt comes back but I refuse to apologize. He takes my moment of silence as a sign to continue taking, "I'm not stupid, Kate, I can tell when something is wrong with my friend. I might not have noticed it before, but something is going on with you. You don't have to tell me, but you might feel better if you do."

I don't say anything and instead put my books back in my bag, Noah also stays quiet, still expecting me to say something. Then I look at him straight in the eye, showing a vulnerability that I rarely show anyone.

"Do you know how it feels to be lied to all your life?"

He seems taken aback by the question but he replies, "N-no. I don't."

"My mom told me that my dad was dead. But he isn't, I found him on Facebook around a month ago."

His eyes widen, not expecting that information, "How do you know? There are a lot of people with the lastname, Sterling."I knew he would be skeptical, I would be too if someone tells me their previously thought to be dead father is alive.

"He looks exactly like me, Noah. I saw a post that he wrote about his daughter that went missing. Her name is Kate. It can't be a coincidence."

A second passes. Another second. A third one.

"Wow."

"I spent sixteen years of my life in hell, thinking that I only had an alcoholic deadbeat mother to depend on. That's what my mom had me believe."

He extends his hand, and I stare at it with uncertainty. What is he doing?

"We'll find him, Kate. I promise."

It's then that I realize that he wants me to take his hand, as a way to seal our promise. I take my hand and rub it against my leg, trying to remove the sweat and then shake his hand.

Maybe things will be better, after all.