One More Suicide

//Chapter One//

     Hattie didn't know how, but a video of Zion had appeared all over social media. His last video. She never really checked the laptop that had been abandoned on the bed that day or any day that followed that. She, then, was aware that he had recorded the last words he would ever say again.

She hadn't seen the video--she couldn't. She wasn't brave enough to do it. Seeing him, the way he was that day, would make the memories more vivid than they already were. She regretted the way she let herself be held back by her mother when she wanted to help him. If she would have fought, he would still be there.

     A week passed before she returned to school. The principal had allowed her to miss a week, as he felt like it was too much for Hattie. His funeral was torturous, not only because she had to sit through the whole thing as she stared at the coffin but because a large percentage of the people that arrived were the ones who had shoved their rejection at his face.

     Then came the stupid memorial at school. It wasn't because she didn't like that they were telling Zion's story, but who they were telling it to. They were telling a bunch of ignorant and narcissistic people that didn't care about him. The way they acted like Zion was one of their closest friends just made her want to punch each and every one of them. They did not think of that when they pushed him into the metal lockers or when they beat him to a pulp.

     Zion's parents were another thing. Hattie had kept an eye for them, and yet she was surprised when they did not show. She didn't know if it was because they were embarrassed of their actions or of their son. She just knew that they never showed their faces.

     The anger and depression almost made her explode. It did. She arrived at school, people had already begun to stare at her once she walked through the door, but stopped once she saw Malik Chandler as he laughed and flirted with his girlfriend, Arabella Cook.

     Malik Chandler was the captain of the soccer team, the golden boy of the school. His blonde hair and blue eyes called for attention and shouted that he was a high class boy. He announced Zion's sexuality to the whole school when he found out. He was the leader of the other five out of nine guys on the team. He was the one, along with his friend, that made Zion feel worthless.

     He stood there, no sign of regret or remorse on his face. He probably didn't even understand that he was the reason why Zion was dead. That her Zion is dead.

     She ran towards him, not able to control her anger. She pushed him and he stumbled against his girlfriend. He cursed and turned but stopped to glare at the young, petite girl that stood in front of him. She swung and smacked him straight on his cheek. "You're a murderer! You killed him! You killed Zion!" She went to kick him but he dodged it and in the process fell to the floor. She went to hit him again, but before she could she received a slap from the popular Arabella Cook.

     "What the hell is wrong with you?" Arabella demanded. Her green eyes threw daggers at the panting girl.

     "What the hell is wrong with you!" Hattie threw the question back at the fuming girl. Hattie attacked the model like girl, pulled the strands of her blond hair as she knocked her to the ground. Arabella struggled as she reached for the brown strands of hair from the girl on top of her. Malik grabbed Hattie by the waist as he pulled her off his girlfriend, but, before Arabella could even get up, Hattie was back to her attack.

     Hattie threw her arm back and sent a punch straight to Arabella's cheek. She felt arms around her waist and she slapped the hands away. Then she was off of Arabella and her back was against the coach's chest as he pulled her back. Arabella was picked up by the school's vice principal, Ms. Torres. The girls panted, and Malik hurried to Arabella's side.