Over Time

Chapter nine

Parker was right. I did see him. I saw him every day, casually running into him at school, at stores, at the park and even the dark alley way he helped me escape from. I never saw him for more than a few minutes and never spoke a word to him. He'd just stare me down in my eyes, his mouth turned up in a slight smirk. Then as soon as my heart began to race he'd turn around and walk off somewhere else without saying a single word.

To me it seemed strange that it could be a coincidence that he's always where I am, and yet he doesn't find it strange at all. It feels almost like he's following me, stalking me like I'm his prey. I know I should be scared, that I should be full of fear and that I should confront him, face to face and ask why he's stalking me, but for some unknown reason I just couldn't bring myself to do so. Instead I would gulp and go right back to what I was doing before.

"Brook" I heard Miranda say to me, yanking me harshly from my thoughts. And it was only then that I noticed that I had been staring intently at an apple I had picked up at the salad bar.

I peered up at Miranda to find her frowning with concern. "Are you okay?" she asked.

I dropped the apple gently onto my plate and forced a smile "Of course! Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well," She starts "You've only been examining that apple for twenty minutes. Were you even listening to me?"

I frowned then gazed up at the clock hanging above the open cafeteria doors. Miranda was right. We only had ten more minutes of lunch and I still hadn't eaten anything at all. My stomach grumbled from the lack of food. I reached down and grabbed a French fry before stuffing it into my mouth, feeling slightly relieved something was going down my throat.

"I'm sorry. I guess I just gazed off into my own little world. What were you saying by the way?"

Miranda sighed, leaning down close, her face inches from my own the peering over the top of my head, almost as if she was making sure the coast was clear of someone. "I was saying" she breathed out "That my parents are good friends with Andy's parents and they invited me to his private funeral, and they told me to tell you that you are invited as well, knowing you were close to Andy."

I shook my head and sighed, then took a bite of my burger in front of me, rushing to scarf it all down before the bell rang signaling the end of lunch. "I don't know about that Miranda" I told her "I just don't know if I can get up and see his dead body in a coffin. It's already hard enough just to see his empty seat in class."

"But you need closure, Brook. You can't just live your life without saying your final goodbyes to him, besides, it would mean a lot to his parents. They need this too" she explained.

Miranda just didn't understand my reasoning. It takes a lot for me every day to not just break out in tears and cry when I see his empty seat in class, or his deserted locker or his picture that hangs along the wall of championship trophies. It's getting easier to hold them back but I'm not sure I'm strong enough to hold them back once I see his cut and scratched up body laying lifeless in a black coffin.

"I don't know. It doesn't sound very pleasing to me, but I will promise to think about it" I said wiping my mouth with a napkin.

"Good. Oh and before I forget...you have a date this Friday" Miranda stated, a mischievous smiling overtaking her face.

I cocked my head to the side and frowned. "This Friday? What do you mean?" I ask her, not quite sure what she meant. I don't remember ever setting up a date or even agreeing to go on one.

"Yes" She continued "I have set you up on a blind date this Friday with someone special, so dress pretty"

"How could you just go and do that!" I demanded in a venomous voice that I had not intended. I meant for it to come out soft and calm but it came out nothing like I thought.