Chasing Ashes

I

THE CLASSROOM IS almost as dead as the air outside, the room filled to the brim with tension as we all wait for our teacher to walk in the door. We have a new student today, finally something that will make Lakeside High come alive again. The school has been dour, everyone owning their own thundercloud above their head ever since Dean Casen and Elliot Michaels were in a car crash last month. No one knows exactly what happened, but there are rumors of drunk drivers and comas and broken bones. The possibility of death has even come up, turning everyone a pale color.

Even Greg Summers, a preppy boy with hair perfectly styled, has allowed himself to stop fretting about his grades for once and just thinking of the two boys. His hair is unkempt, a blond mess above his red cheeks.

The door starts to open suddenly, and it's like someone lit a match. Everyone perks up, the tension now floating over our heads sparking and snapping. Only everyone crushes back against their seat as the door shuts again and Mr. Wales's gray shoe comes in view of the one window by the Chemistry door, down by the tiled floor. Abby Jenkins beside me is numbly chewing on the tip of her pen, her blue eyes glued to the door in anticipation. To someone new, we must look like a pack of sharks, all patiently waiting for the kill. Although, we all just need something new and bright. Something that will shine a light in our school with new gossip. Everyone is sick and tired of the person next to them saying how horrible the accident was and how they pray for Dean and Elliot who are already being chased by the grim reaper. There is talk of how Elliot was the one driving when a car drove right into the left side of the car, turning the truck sideways and finally spinning into a tree where he was thrown out.

I wince just thinking about it, looking down at my thighs covered with the thin material of leggings. My orange hoodie contrasts perfectly against the black of them, my combat boots speckled with mud from days before. I was rather in a Halloween-ish mood this morning, Brody watching the Nightmare before Christmas while my mother happily set up decorations, humming a thrilling song. Beside myself, I'm excited for Halloween, it's my absolute favorite holiday. Maybe it's the colors outside my window, all various shades of yellows, reds, and oranges. Or maybe its the fact I have the chance to dress up as whatever corresponds to my brother and Misha, my dog. There's just an excitement to the air that makes everyone smile. Outside of school, of course. It's almost as if as soon as you step foot into the noisy halls of Lakeside High, the excitement of the oncoming holiday is gone. Even homecoming--a usually very big subject--has been put on the DL and shifted back to November so people can at least have time to get over Elliot and Dean.

Normally, people would get over a car crash in seconds, but normally the people in car crashes are disliked people, or irresponsible people. Dean and Elliot were the complete opposite of that. They were loving, and everyone loved them. They were best friends since forever, both always training to become star football players. They had a future ahead of them, all relying on football. Now, Elliot--if he makes it out alive--may never be able to grasp the leather of a football again, due to the injury to his spine. Dean may be lucky, his injuries half as bad as Elliots, but still there.