The Leading of Paper Cranes

Chapter 4: Replay Remake Refold and Start Again

The day I have been dreading, it is my day to come back to school. Academically I should be okay, Jazz sent me all the work, it's just presentations I will be worried for. I head to school by bicycle, the snow melted the day of the funeral, two days before today. The sun is high in the sky, blinding the excess branches as I bike through the forest. The school approaches and it seems to enlarge as it comes closer to me. It seems really daunting, like the first day at a new school. It's like I have megolophobia even if I don't.

Everybody stares at me. They stare at me like I'm some kind of outlaw, or criminal, or even just something that I don't want to be. Jazz appears out of thin air like he always does.

"Well well well, look who has returned from their slumber." He speaks as if he is a villain.

I play along. "I'm the valiant hero here to slay the evil musical mastermind." I don't care if I gain any unattractive looks. Jazz plays my heart like lyre strings whenever he speaks like this.

Mr. Ramirez walks in before we could say another word. It is a miracle that I sit next to Jazz, otherwise I wouldn't be able to get through the day. The class somehow finished the book, start to finish, in the weeks I was gone, today was the test. I start breathing faster and faster. Jazz looks at me and taps my thigh. He throws a look of concern, then a smile. I calm down, his infatuation smothers the flame of anxiety. I bury my head into my desk as I wait for the tests to be passed around.

Every question seems as if I am reading a highway sign, only if I were moving at the speed of a subway and I had to read mini paragraphs. My head is in a spiral, any information is found on the 65th floor however my mind feels as if it can only go up 10 levels. In short I can't think. Like some of these questions are incredibly opinionated, hell some of the questions literally say "In your opinion...". For example "In your opinion, why did the girl jump into the water?", this is not how you ask a test question.

I somehow finish the test. Surprising since it felt like an endless nightmare. I exit the door and get this shrill feeling as Taylor Swift starts playing on the PA. The school apparently thinks that music will make people get to class faster, if anything it makes us slower. Sounds like something from one of her newer albums, don't know what it is, but it's making me tired.

Woodworking is next. Quite honestly I enjoy it. Mainly for the singular reason that the two best people in the world are there, Jazz and... well now Mr. Freynas takes the spot. That one spider web is gone. My phone snatches my attention away. I see in the corner of my eye that a different teacher walks in. At least it's someone different instead of Mrs. Haslow. She would have had me traumatized in my tracks. Again Mr. Freynas is never usually away, this is the 2nd time.

"Good afternoon class," All I hear are groans and a monotone voice coming from that teacher. "My name is Mr. Baffel, please read whatever is on the board and complete it."

He seems better than Mrs. Haslow. Someone then seems to approach me.

"Hey," her voice is soft. "I heard what happened, I was wondering if you need someone to talk to.".

I would normally decline but I am inclined on the idea. My mental game seems to be falling into its own traps. "Sure, just so you know, I wouldn't normally accept so willingly."

"Oh, okay." She seems distraught. "My name is Shai. No need to tell me your name, I already know. Meet me after school at the 2nd entrance. I'm intrigued to learn about you more."

I hesitate for a smile. "Okay."

Woodworking goes by quickly and it seems as if Jazz also has this uneasy feeling, I can see it in his eyes. I walk with him to his next class as I can miss a couple minutes of PE. We walk all the way to the 3rd floor. On the way we check the crime scene, it seems as if a class is happening. We don't disturb them.

We meet our destination of Jazz's French class. "Cya Jazz. Gotta run my judge."

He laughs in the cutest way. "Cya my jury."

We somehow say at the same time. "Time will be our executioner." We both laugh hysterically and I bring a smile as I head down the stairs. The halls are busy, crowds of people everywhere. It's like traffic you would see if there was traffic on the highway, and that's what it was exactly. I slowly push through the crowd to see what happened. People were taking videos and pictures. I reach the end and I see another shot I can't undo or delete. A girl laid there on the floor. My eyes widen and my mind becomes purged of colour. I run up to her and she looks familiar. Paper cranes surround her as if she was being sacrificed to a god, a morbid scene. Is this person even in relation to me? I become enraged and I throw a paper crane across the hall. The girl's eyes open softly.

"Maybe trying your sister's craft wasn't the best choice." She speaks so softly even when she is grasping on the ledge, her heart beating inconsistently. "Roland, I have answers that I sadly..." she grasps for a breath.

I try to cry again. No tears. "Someone call the main office!" I yell at the audience. "You have your phones out for a reason, use them!" They stand there in confusion.

"You really are empathetic..." The girl grasps for another one. "I was right about..." Her eyes close. "You..."

I check for her pulse, check for her breathing, check for something. I scramble through my thoughts as they race across the raceway in all different directions. It feels as if corruption fills my head. No words or thoughts or actions could free me. I sat there enraged and out of my mind, making two victims no one was willing to save. The only thing I could vaguely remember is Mr. Ghoar picking me up and laying me down on the bleachers.

While I was out I had this dream, I met Shai for the first time when I was just a baby. She visited me often, like an older sister. Then a stormy day came, a downpour like a waterfall that took place all around the town. She visited me, or at least tried. She was at the door, but my parents refused. She was outcast and left to go back home. And she hadn't come back since. She hadn't come back until she came back in my life somehow, I can't remember how, but she did. Then she left for good, all without me knowing. I stood at the top of a skyscraper, until I was pushed by the wind. The voice of Shai sat behind me saying I would be okay. I fell, I fell for an incredibly long time.