SHORT STORY

Untitled Part 3

                 " OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OH- STORM YOU'RE ALIVE!!" My best friends voice rings out from the drop- off area for students. She's the only one that I have told, and trusted. She will keep my secret.

"So, how was it? You didn't chicken out did you?" She looks at me anxiously and pats me down before hugging me as if to prove that I was there.

"Lower your voice girl, people are starting to look!"

Oh, sorry." Crystal looked like a wounded puppy for a second before she bounced back to being worried about me.

"You should have let me come! You know the Whisper", she lowers her voice for emphasis, " are a very dangerous group. You know, I really think that life hates us sometimes."

"Bad things always happen to good people. I believe that the more experiences you have, the good and bad will make you a better person, because you will be wiser. More people, if they just had moments of their life when they just stop for a minute and enjoy the fullness of life, I believe that we would have a way safer, and trusting world. Don't you agree?"

"Ya, and that's good and all, but hun, can you come back to Earth? I miss you."

This was the main reason that Crystal is my friend. She grounds me. Whenever I think about the world in general, I start to figuratively float away. Crystal gets me back on track, and tells me that what I am saying is not something that normal sophomore thinks about. But we aren't your average sophomores.

"Can we go inside please!?"As Minnesotans we are used to weather being cold and generally miserable. Fifty degrees is nice. Sometimes it's even short sleeve weather. In the mornings now, since it was early October, the temperature was starting to drop to the high thirties. That was getting cold.

"Sure!" We walk into Adams High. It's not like I am very pretty or anything, but like I said earlier, Crystal, and I are complete opposites. She's a really pretty girl who wear cool clothes, is in a lot of sports, and has the opportunity to make a lot of good friends. Once again today I marvel at her. Why would she be friends with someone like me? Her very tan skin and glossy black hair stand out compared to my mostly pasty skin, and short hair. She wears her hair just below her shoulder blades, not too long, or too short. The look works on her. The only thing that I have in common with her is our wardrobe. She actually owns a bunch of T-shirts, and sweatpants from various softball or basketball tournaments she has been in. I don't know how she fits this all in, and still has time to take me skiing in the winter, but somehow she does it.

"Earth to Storm. I think you zoned out again! You literally walked right past your locker!"Whoops. I cast a embarrassed smile her way.

"Sorry! Meet you in five?"

"My locker this time. I want to show you something."
"OK", I trail my voice off. What does she want to show me? Absentmindedly, I put my books, and backpack in my locker. Crystal, and I have a free first period, but my mom can only drive me to school early in the morning, and she has to take the bus. But whenever Crystal is here, there is never a moment that is boring.

♦

Other student still crowd the halls, and I have to shove my way through a kissing couple, and a pair of sweaty boys taunting one another in the hallway to get to Crystal's locker.

"God it's like a jungle in our hallway!" I tell Crystal as soon as I get to her locker.

"Then you'll like where we're going. I don't think that anyone knows about it."
"What?" I ask instantly nervous. This girl has a free range of the building after basketball practice. Who knows where we are going.