My Best Friend

Killing

Dec. 1951

Dear Journal,

I hate Mama and Jeremy. I just hate them! How could Mama do this to me? How could she do this to Daddy? She did this with Daddy first, not Jeremy. I guess now they won't have any time for me. If it's alright with Tommy and his family, I should just stay at his house. Mama probably won't want me around much longer. She and Jeremy have something more important than me to deal with. Looks like it's just you and me now, Journal. You and Tommy are the only people I can trust. Mama lost mine when she married Jeremy.

Mindy frowned as she looked around the schoolyard. Two days passed since Thomas protected her from Jesse. Mindy had been going to school like normal again. The only problem was Thomas hadn't been coming. She was starting to worry if there was something wrong.

"Mindy?"

Mindy turned around to see Thomas' teacher, Mr. Hanson.

"Yes, sir?" she asked.

"I'm going to see your friend, Hewitt", he said. "Do you know where he lives?"

Mindy took this as an opportunity. If he was going to Thomas' house, she could hitch a ride. This way she could see if he was alright.

"Yes, sir", she said. "I can show you where he lives."

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Mindy watched as the Hewitt residence came into view. Mr. Hanson drove straight ahead toward it. As soon as he parked outside the house, Mindy hopped out of his car and ran toward the front door. She knocked as Mr. Hanson came to the door with her.

"Hello, Mindy!" Luda Mae answered. "What are you doing here?"

"Hello, Mama. Is Tommy home?"

"He's upstairs, dear."

Mindy ran inside as Luda Mae stayed with Mr. Hanson.

"And what can I do for you?"

"I'm Thomas' teacher", he said. "I was hoping I could talk to you about your son's behavior and absences in my class, Mrs. Hewitt."

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"Tommy!" Mindy called as she climbed up the stairs. "Tommy? It's me, Mindy."

He looked in his room and found him drawing a picture. She tip-toed behind him to see what he was drawing. On the paper, she saw the image of herself. Thomas was drawing a picture of Mindy. on the top corner of the paper, there were little hearts. Mindy gasped out loud. Thomas turned around and quickly covered the drawing.

"Tommy, I didn't mean to scare you" she apologized.

Mindy started feeling a little nervous. Did Thomas like her? Did he LIKE-like her? She never had a boy have a crush on her. It was true, she liked Thomas, but she was worried she would scare him away seeing how she was his only friend. Would he know how to handle a girlfriend? Thomas and Mindy jumped as they heard a loud noise come from downstairs.

"Mama?" Mindy called.

She and Thomas ran downstairs to see if Luda Mae was okay. They went into the living room to see Mr. Hanson on the floor laying in a pool of his own blood. Luda Mae stood above him with a shovel in her hands looking angry.

"There is nothing wrong with my boy!" she yelled.

"M-M-Mama?" Mindy said. "Is he dead?"

Thomas rolled Mr. Hanson over and pressed his ear to his chest. He heard nothing but silence. There was no heartbeat. Thomas nodded to Mindy's question. She backed away frightened. Luda Mae just killed Thomas' teacher.