(I Just) Died In Your Arms ~ Stanley Uris

004

Stan's POV

Today wasn't going to be a normal day.

I could feel it. A weird feeling beating in my heart and rattling my spine. Bill had asked us all late last night to go to the 4th of July parade. I had agreed to go, since otherwise I'd be cooped up in my room studying the Torah.

I was forced to leave at 10 o'clock in the morning, since my parents left for work at 9. I wasn't going to tell them was going; they'd be up my ass saying how I don't care enough.

It was sickeningly hot outside. My curls were going to be matted and oily at the end of the day, which infuriated me. After cursing to my self for a good few minutes about the heat, I saw a familiar bike leave Canal Street.

I made a mad dash to Julia, who looked prettier than usual, and a smile was on her face.

"Hey, Julia!" I exclaimed as I caught up to her, standing on the pedals of my bicycle. "Happy Birthday!"

"Thanks, Stan." She turned around. Her hair was French braided for once, with Fourth of July ribbons tied to the ends. Julia also dawned a black skirt that fell just before her knees, and a navy blue tight fitting tank top. I thought she looked elegant.

Julia's sea green eyes looked me up and down, and she giggled biking a little faster.

"Hurry up! We're going to be late!" She called as her bike speeded away.

I biked forward to catch up to her, laughing on the way.

🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈We met at the Fourth of July parade, the losers including mike, and quickly ducked into an alleyway. Being in the public didn't only freak Julia out, it gave us a chance to become ruthlessly insulted by Bowers or any stuck ups.

The brick walls looked vastly different from the busy happy streets outside. It was like the corner of the room which you ignored, barely even glanced at. But somehow there was missing kid posters glued onto it, bringing us back to reality.

Another kid went missing. Well, most of him did. Edward Corcoran. He was in our grade. It felt like it was getting closer and closer to us.

Richie was playing one of the band kids baritones, horribly and off key. The poor band kid was going to get herpes.

"They say that they found his hand all chewed up by the sand pipe." I winced.

"He asked to borrow a pencil once..." Ben commented, shrugging at Beverly.

"He used to be my friend in like what, 3rd grade?" Julia frowned, her face dropping. "Number 8. That's the 8th person to go missing that was my friend."

Bill lifted up Ed Corcoran's poster to reveal Betty Ripsom's face, almost hidden from the world. Her poor family is out there looking for her, but the rest of us have already forgotten.

"It's like she's been forgotten since C-Corcoran's missing." He put the poster back down and gave a half hearted disappointed face.

"Will it ever end?" I asked. I knew there wasn't a good enough answer to that question, but I hoped. I hoped there was going to be one. I didn't want to see another kid go missing.

"What the fuck dude?" Richie exclaimed from behind us.

"What are you guys talking about?" Eddie appeared with two ice cream cones. His face was half worried and half nonchalant.