The Life, and Afterlife, of Hallie Kennon

Chapter 6, Sammie

Chapter Six, Sammie

I slammed my locker door. Everyone was on edge. No one looked the same. Even whatshisface, oh yeah, that guy Jake something or other. His brown eyes were wide. Shell shock is what first came to my mind. I felt his pain.



For once, I can finally actually relate to you people.

I slipped into my homeroom without detection. That’s when I opened up my textbook and saw something that didn’t belong. A note.

Don’t even think about telling.

My heart started beating faster. I knew that handwriting. I knew it all too well. How the hell did that bitch get into my locker? I read on:

I know you were there. I saw you get into that swanky car of your Mom’s boyfriend’s. What you know is not certain, but I know that you know SOMETHING. Don’t speak of it to anyone at all. Wouldn’t want to get that pretty little face of yours hurt now would we?

“What you got there?” Echo peered over the desk. I flinched and snapped the book shut before she could even see the letter. No one can know. She made that clear.

“It’s something Dylan gave me to cheer me up.” I lied. Huh, the second lie came a lot easier than the first.

“You never did tell me about you little Ben Franklin trip,”she smiled, “You two usually blab on and on when you are around each other.”

“Didn’t feel like talking.”

“Well that’s expected, you were sick.”

Silence.

It wasn’t like I didn’t want to tell Echo everything. I wanted to tell her all about Dylan and I’s kiss. I wanted to tell her about how it felt. The fireworks, the confusion. I wanted to tell her about Hallie. I wanted to tell her about Hannah and Emily. I wanted to tell Echo that I did, in fact, know Hallie was dead before she did. But in light of the recent letters, and the feeling that there were more to come, stopped me from mentioning any of these things. In fact, it made me even quieter than usual.

I watched to the clock intently. I heard the mummer of people in my class. Everyone was still shocked about Hallie Kennon’s death. Everyone looked like it was their best friend who died, not just our Vice President. I wanted to say something, anything, to ease their pain. But I looked down at my science textbook and kept my mouth shut. I wasn’t the person they would believe. They wouldn’t take me seriously when I recounted that night. No, they’d just say I was lying to get attention. I mean that’s all I ever really wanted. Attention.

The announcements came on. My ears couldn’t understand them though; my brain didn’t care about what they said. I just wanted to go home. I wanted to go back into my bed and smell the sheets again. I wanted to sleep with the sunlight pouring in the room and waking me up gently. I didn’t want to deal with the overwhelming guilt I faced.

The bell rang just as I was about to show Echo the note. I was too late, again.

I slipped out of my chair and walked down the hallways. People were wide eyed. They didn’t know what to think. Here this amazing person’s life was cut short, and for what? Because of a jealous rage? They didn’t know what I knew about it. No one knew, expect for Hannah and Emily, and they didn’t really seem to be any different than the rest of us. I heard Savannah Adams start to cry. She didn’t usually show any emotion except for a smile. I felt my own eyes start to tear up.

I can’t believe it. I know something that would help these people and I can’t even bear to remember it.

I walked faster to Mr. Hendrix’s room. I didn’t want anyone to notice that something about me was different. People probably were a little suspicious of me because of my absence at school. I took out my notes and started doodling again. No one would think anything of my doodling. Not even Dylan.