Saving Everest

1.

BEVERLY

It's not every day you hear about the most popular guy in school attempting to commit suicide.

That was actually the last thing I expected to hear this morning.

I knew the first day of my senior year would be filled with a dreary attitude, because honestly, who likes the first day of school? But I never knew that dread was going to mingle with the topic of death.

"Why are we even talking about him?"

"It's not like he actually died."

"Who would have known Everest was a freak?"

"He probably tried to kill himself because he realized how much of a demon Cara was. If I was dating the devil's spawn, I would try to kill myself too."

I honestly thought that this was a rumor. Everest Finley is the most popular guy in school, so it's not that surprising that rumors would be circled around him. I once heard that he had an affair with the mandarin teacher, but then I realized our school doesn't even teach Chinese.

But even the teachers huddled outside their classrooms, glancing around every so often as they whispered in heated conversations. Taking sips from their ceramic coffee mugs and nodding their heads, as they engaged in their own whisper fest.

I walked through the halls, stunned by how it seemed like no one even cared. These people practically worshiped the ground he walked on for the past three years.

Everest was one of those people you couldn't help but like. I don't have any friends. Being the only black girl at a predominately white school made me stick out like a sore thumb. I didn't really fit in anywhere, so I'm always kinda just thrown off to the side. Everest though was admired by everyone.

He is the quiet jock, and when he would talk, he would sound so polite and well educated. He was ridiculously amazing on the football field, and was so humble and modest about it.

It seems as though I was the only person who felt sympathy. Just because his body wasn't dead, doesn't mean his soul wasn't barely living.

I wonder what made him want to die. Everest had the world at his feet, so why did he want to leave it?

I remember him picking up my book once. He didn't even look at me as he gave it back. My book fell off my desk as I scrambled to leave the classroom, and as he was walking down the aisle and out of the class, he bent down and laid it on my desk. It was such a simple thing for him to do, but I appreciated it anyway.

That was just about the only interaction I had with Everest Finley. After that day though, I watched him. That sounds incredibly creepy, but I did.

I noticed how he tugged on his lush sandy brown hair when he was thinking.

I noticed how he was always polite and respectful, even when his friends were actually stuck up and rude.

I noticed how his eyes weren't exactly blue or green. It was like the two colors were fighting for dominance, the blue in the lead most of the time. If one thing was for sure, Everest Finley had some breathtaking eyes.

I noticed how he laughed a lot and had one of those smiles that were perfect—rehearsed even.

Everest has been the topic all day today. By the time lunch rolled around, it was like hearing every conversation all at once. It was all disgusting, and my heart went out to Everest at that moment.

His girlfriend Cara sat at the usual popular table. A handful of cheerleaders and inbetweeners at her side as she cried. Nash Spies, Everest's best friend, wrapped his arm around Cara in a attempt to calm her down.

"How could he do this to me? I can't handle this kind of stress." The cafeteria was so loud, but I was able to make out the words that passed through Cara's lips.

Nash's face held no kind of emotion as he rubbed her back in a soothing manner.

I entered the line.

"Everest is so selfish."

"Seriously, he really failed his suicide attempt."

"His story is now on the news. Do you know how bad this makes our school look?"

"Imagine if he comes back. That would be totes awkward"

"I don't care if he's crazy, I'll still suck him."

I can't explain to you how happy I was that I didn't have to stand in the line anymore. Every conversation was about the boy who tried to kill himself.

I bought my water and exited the line.

I gripped the bottle as I passed the popular table and noticed that Cara was now laughing and smiling. She must have reapplied her makeup when I was in the line because her mascara was no longer running.

I hurried and made my way to my spot. The place where I can be alone and eat—the library. It's not like anyone notices that I don't eat lunch in the cafeteria. No one is ever in the library on the east wing.

If someone were to need a book they would use the new library in the west wing of the school. When the new library had been built, it seems as though everyone had forgotten the east wing library. Which provides me with an escape from everyone.

Sitting at one of the old oak tables, I pulled the brown paper bag out of my sack and unscrewed the cap of my water before I took a sip.

Alone.

But that's how I'm used to being anyway.

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First chapter : ) 

Hopefully you guys liked it and added this book to your library. Honestly I feel like everyone that gave my story a chance deserves Taco Bell. Because awesome people need to eat awesome food.

-Sky