My Sister Emily

Chapter Two: Back

That next morning I was almost late, almost. Totally what I needed. Not. Most guys my age don't give a crap about their grades and would rather make out with the cheer leaders or go out to paries to get high or drunk. Probably both. Not me though. I give all the craps I can give.

I was running like I was running from a phsycopath who had a new, shiny, nice sharp axe. Yeah what an enthusiastic way to describe running, but my sister had just died so give a guy a break. I knew what Em would've said if she knew I was running late: "Not supreme as you think Joshua Cilven!" Or something like that.

The school bus came into my veiw and I leaped in right after the last person got out of my way The doors snapped shut right behind me. Terri, the bus driver looked over at me with a look of concern on her face.

"Just in the knick of time, kiddo." she said in her chineese accent.

I'd known Terri since the first grade, that's when she had moved to the States. She and my mom had become pretty good friends over the past couple of years. Mom helped her with her english and Terri would sometimes look after me and Em after school. She was like a second mom.

I nodded in response to her comment because I was too busy catching my breathe. I started my dreadful journey down the small lane between the leather seats. I saw Meg sitting alone. Well sorta. Her "boyfriend",Tom, was in the seat behind her, he was playing around with her red hair. I coud hear him saying: "Come on babe-"

Meg put her headphones and turned her music up, obviously ignoring him. They'd been fighting again. That had been, what? The ninth time this year? I didnt now wgat she saw in that loser. I stopped by where she was sitting. She looked up at me.

"Hey!" She said with a small, sad smile. "You took your time. You okay?" She made roome for me by moving her purse onto her lap.

"Yeah. I'm surviving." I took a seat.

She was wearing a denim dress with and unbuttoned plaid shirt over it. She looked beautiful, as usual. I, on the other hand, looked like a mess. I looked like I had been electrocuted, then like I had also been hit by a truck. My hair practically stuck out everywhere. I was wearing grey sweatpants and a white t-shirt, what I wore to bed last night. The only thing I'd bothered to grab were my converse shoes, which I started to put on. It' not like I cared what I looked like. And Meg never noticed. Right?

"So," She said hesitantley, pulling me back to reality. "Do you guys know when the funeral is?"

I looked down and stared at my shoelaces. As if I had suddenly found a new interest in them.

"Um." I said in a low voice. "Yeah. It's in two weeks, toward the end of spring break."

She nodded. Tom slowly tried to lower his hand down her neck but she slapped it away very quickly. Epic failure, idiot. I thought to myself.

"If there's anything you need, anything at all, j-"

"Just ask. I know. There's actually something i wanted to ask you about."

I glanced over at Tom, who was glaring at me. He started to crack his jaw and knuckles. As if he thought it made him more intimiating. It was pathetic.

"Erm," I gulped. "I was wondering if you'd sing that one Katy Perry song Ems liked-"

"Fireworks," She giggled. "Of course I will."

Emily had adored Meg. Last fourth of July Megs family had invited us over. It had sorta been a tradition for all of us since Meg and I had met in third grade. Each year one family would go over to the others for a barbeque than go see fireworks at the docks. Last year on the radio "Fireworks" by Katy Perry had come on and Emily started to sing it none stop. It was her favourite song ever.

  ***

In sixth hour chemeistry our teacher had ditched us for a basketball tournament. So, naturally, we had a substitute teacher. She was a very short woman, but you would've thought she had been in the military at least once in her life. She wore plenty of make up, especially eye shadow, but she was probably one of the most terrifying woman I'd ever seen. She was seared into the back of my mind for the rest of my life.

" In case you didn't notice your teacher, Mr. Petressen, is gone for today." She said in a loud, stern voice. "I am Miss Ogley,"

"More like Miss Ugly." One guy whispered.

"But you may call me Miss O. Your teacher has left instructions on what to do on the board." She glared at all of us. "You may talk to friends if you do not understand. But if I see any technology out I will call security and the assistant Principle." She then went on to lecture us about how she had to do that the last time she had subbed at our school.

Everyone then went off with their groups. I sat alone at a table in the back of the classroom. I was doing alright until Tom strutted over. He srugged off his leather jacked and tossed it onto the chair next to me, then leaned on the table while he slicked his dirty blonde hair back from his face. I had to hold all my equipment to stop them from falling over.

"So. Your sister died did she?"

"Yeah. What's it to you?" I clenched my jaw.

"Nothing, but it's pretty upsetting for Megan," I could tell this wasn't going to end well.

"I bet."

"I'm not that suprised she's dead. Since you were all over my girlfriend when it happened ."

"I wasn't "all over" her!" I said. "We're good friends. Something you wouldn't understand."

Toms face started to go dark red. I was half expecting half hoping he'd explode.

"You're never going to have her. She's mine." He snarled.

I scoffed, "At least I'm not a jerk who treats her like trash."

"Well at least if I had a sister I wouldn't let her get hit by a truck like she was a dog." He knocked over all the beakers, chemicals, all that kind of stuff. I had to leap back, out of my chair, to avoid getting burned. Tom put his jacket back on.

"Whoops," He said. "My bad."

He walked back to his group of blundering idiots. Miss Ogley started shouting at the top of her lungs, shouting at everuone to get out while she cleaned up the mess. I'm pretty sure I heard an explosion as I stormed down the hall.

  ***

The bell rang and I bolted bolted for the door. Meg was waiting for me down the hallway but I just kept on walking until I passed her. She followed me but I outwalked her. I was not in the mood to talk, if she wanted to talk she could talk to that jerk boyfriend of hers.

"Josh!" She called.

"I need space." I yelled.

I reached the wall where I used to meet Emily after school. I sat down on it and put my head in hands. I needed to calm down. Is this what mourning did to you? Are you meant to feel miserable and alone even when you had your frends aroung? It was ridiculous. I missed Ems laugh, her smile, and how she used to draw mustaches on my face when I was asleep. Two days ago I thought she had been the most annoying kid on the planet...now I wanted her back.

"Well someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning." Said a sing-songy voice.

My heart skipped a few beats. I slowly lifted my head from my hands and looked up. I thought I had been hallucinating because I saw the impossible. I saw Emily standing next to me on the wall.