Mission 101 Heart Captured

[1] - A New Headstone and Old Memories

♣ Ariadne's P.O.V. ♣

"Ariadne Kaelin, I like you. Will you go out with me?" There was a boy, kneeling in front of me in the middle of the corridor, like he was proposing to me, and everyone was staring. The guy was on one knee, offering me a bouquet of roses. He looked up at me with his pale brown eyes, waiting for an answer.

For a few minutes, I just stared at him in silence, my eyes roaming his face. With every second that passed, he looked more and more nervous. After a minute or two, I bit my lower lip in surrender, an apologetic expression on my face.

"I'm sorry, but who are you again?" I asked, staring at him in confusion. His eyes widened as what I had just said registered in his mind. He stood back up immediately, his eyes never leaving mine.

Suddenly, he started to laugh, almost like a madman. I stared at him in confusion as he just couldn't stop laughing.

"It's funny," he choked out between his giggles. "How you don't know me, but here I am, confessing my love to you!" He just kept laughing after that, not even stopping to breathe. I am in such an awkward situation that I do not even know what to do.

"Rule number one of best friends, Ari. Never date your best friend's ex boyfriend, especially if the two broke up because the guy was cheating." Brook's voice echoed through the corridor. As she and Elody walked towards me, the crowd parted for them, as though they were queens.

In some strange high school way, they were queens. Queens of high school, that is. Brooklyn Sparks was like Regina George, in 'Mean Girls', except that people respected Brook because they genuinely liked her. I mean, what's not to like about a beautiful, blonde head cheerleader who doesn't have a single mean streak in her body?

Elody Blayze was worshipped in school. Why? Because she was a prankster. She was a rebel in the most obvious and 'fashionable' way possible. Also, boys followed her around like lost puppies. Head cheerleaders aren't always the female players of the school.

As usual, both of them looked great, their clothes accentuating their perfect roles in school.

Brook wore her jade pleated skirt, which just looked turquoise to a fashion moron like me, with a white floral cropped bodice and a pair of white wedges. I have a hunch that they call those 'shoes' wedges because wearing them gives people wedgies. Just a hunch... Her blond hair was down in the usual layers.

El was in her favorite varsity jacket with a pair of black slacks. As usual she wore her black wedge trainers. Her snap back was on her head, accentuating her flaming red hair.

"You're not worthy, Joshua Evans, and guess what happens to boys who aren't worthy. They get sliced." Elody smirked, standing right next to me with an arm slung over my shoulder.

Getting sliced is possibly the worst thing that could ever happen to a high school guy. It's life scarring. When guys get sliced, they get pranked for a whole week. Let's just say, it gets nasty, but only when Elody's around. Boys are only sliced when they get rejected or when they are broken up with, but it only happens to boys. Sexist, I know.

"No, please! I don't want to get sliced!" Josh wailed. "Please just go out with me, Ariadne!" Brook rolled her eyes next to me, shaking her head at his pathetic display of cowardice.

"Sorry." I said softly, looking away as the crowd carried him away. Without a doubt, his life is going to be hell. Still, lots of people loitered around, probably just to stare at Brook and El.

"Darn, I feel sorry for him now." El mused, staring at the disappearing crowd. "I always feel this way. Maybe I was too hasty with my decision."

"Don't sweat it. He deserves to be sliced. He cheated on me, after all, just because I wouldn't sleep with him." Brook pointed out. Only populars had the authority to stop someone from getting sliced, so the three of us were the only ones who could stop the school from slicing Josh.

"But, I don't think he should get sliced because of me." I protested, the guilt starting to take over my words.

"Don't sweat it, Ari. I won't join in the pranks, so his life won't be hell." El said, ruffling my hair.

"Liar." Brook and I said simultaneously. The last time someone had been sliced, El had promised us the same thing, and guess what happened. She had made his life a living hell.

"Fine. I swear on my life not to participate, help out, or even consider pranking the poor guy. Okay?" Elody relented.

"Yeah." Brook said. "Let's go. School's over, and you know where we have to go."

The mood shifted three sixty degrees, and both El and I nodded. We walked out, people moving out of the way as soon as they saw us. All of us, as soon as we reached the parking lot, raced to Brook's car.

Her car was awesome. It was an electric blue Lamborghini with a lilac stripe right down the middle. Obviously, it stood out. We got in, with El and Brook at front and me at the back.

"Do we have time to get changed?" Elody asked.

"No. The roses are at the back, in the trunk. Remember, we need to get to training at 6 pm. They're not cutting us any slack just because of... That." I said calmly, hesitating to mention her name.

"Are you serious? We deserve the rest! I mean, I'm not trying to use her as an excuse but..." El was cut off immediately.

"Can't we just spend a few minutes in silence?" Brooklyn demanded angrily. Both El and I shut up immediately, knowing that she was a sensitive topic to Brook. With absolutely no words whatsoever, Brook drove us to the cemetery.

As soon as we arrived, Brook cut the engine and stormed out. El glanced at me, shrugging as I grimaced at her. We both knew Brook wasn't actually mad. She was just upset.

El and I got out, and we followed Brook, who was already kind of far away. We all knew exactly where her grave was. For some reason, in the cemetery, everything seemed to be shrouded in mist, hiding the mysteries of such a depressing place. As soon as El and I arrived at the headstone, Brook was already there, carefully placing the flowers on the grave. Her favorite red roses...

Amber Fay
1995 - 2013
'She's now watching us among the angels with white wings of her own.'

Amber, sweet Amber. She'd been more than just our friend. She had been our sister. I stared at the headstone, fighting the tears threatening to spill out. My throat clogged up, and my eyes seemed to burn with the tears just waiting to spill. Faintly, from the corner of my eye, I could see Brooklyn crying silently, clenching her fists at her knees. Elody was right next to her, holding Brook as she herself cried. Still, although the tears were there, I couldn't cry. Amber had told me not to...

Gulping down the tears, all I could do was watch as Brook and El pulled themselves together. I clenched my fists, clamping down on the urge to run away, away from the miserable place that only brought me tears and memories.

From behind us, suddenly, someone cleared his throat. I spun around, just to see a pair of hazel eyes watching me through the mist.