Highschool Cliché

~ 0.6 ~

~ 0.6 ~

• Aubrey's POV •

"How come Jake isn't here? He's usually here early." I point out. He's Ethan's best friend and also my cousin, but we're not that close anymore.

"Hmm. He's probably ditching school with another girl." Jay remarks.
"Yeah. Probably."

As we're taking books out of our lockers, the bell rings. "Okay, I think we have chemistry-" a loud screeching sound over the loud speakers interrupts me.

There is a muffled sound and by now the whole hallway is still, listening for the announcement.

"Attention, students of Sterling High school. Please put your books back into your lockers and make your way to the gymnasium and sit on the bleachers stand. Make this as quick as possible." Our principal, Mr. Oakley announces.

I put my books away and wait for Jay to. "What is going on?" I ask.
"I have no idea, but I hope it's something good." She replies, shutting her locker. We follow the crowd of students into the gym and sit down on the grand stand.

Mr. Oakley and the vice principal, Ms. Harriet are sorting out a microphone to use. Unlike most principles and vice principals, these two are very funny and outgoing.

We're very lucky to have great leaders for the school. "Okay. Testing testing." Ma. Harriet speaks into the microphone, her shivering voice coming from the speakers.

"Why is she scared or sad?" Jaycee asks me and I shrug.

Both of them look very nervous and sad or something. They Exchange a few looks at each other then at the other teachers. The teachers nod, so Mr. Oakley speaks up.

"Alright, this is bad news." He says nervously. "As you all know, Jake Locksworth is apparently known as a arrogant rude bad kid. But we all know he really was good in here." He points to his heart.

"Was?" Someone shouts.

"Yeah, about that." Our principal continues with his voice shaking, "he was apparently drunk even though he was underage, yesterday night."

I gasp, causing people to look at me. I brush them off. He's not good when he's drunk, it effects him really badly.

"He was walking to his house from someone else's, when he crossed a train line and ignoring the horn, he still walked onto the track and unfortunately..."

He trails off, wiping his now wet eyes. It feels like my heart stopped beating. I freeze, staring straight at the principal.
"I'm sorry. But we have lost a student."

This isn't happening. This can't happen. He's my cousin. I can't cry in front of the whole school.

My body shivers as I process the fact. In fact, the whole gym was silent. Then, I start sobbing. I let tears fall down, but I tell myself it isn't happening. I look to Jay, she is gaping.

Jake Locksworth, my cousin is... gone. "No!" I whisper-yell. It feels like my heart is stuck in my throat. I give up and start crying freely. I liked him. He was always there for me no matter how far apart we were.

The gym is filled with my crying. I loved him because he wasn't always mean. He was actually nice. I felt embarrassed crying in front of everyone, even though they give me looks of understanding. No one understands!

Everyone knows I am his cousin. My throat throbs as my voice breaks while I'm crying. I want this to end. With eyes on me, I stand up and run down the stairs, and through the gym doors.

I need to escape from this. My blurred vision slowing me down, I push open a bathroom stall in the female bathroom and lock it. I rest my chin on my knees and bawl my eyes out.

Even though we aren't close now, we did everything together when we were younger. Now, this feels like someone broke into my happy life, added a drop of poison into it and now I don't know what to do with myself. I cry uncontrollably, memories of us having dinner together or building sandcastles at the beach replaying in my head. He was like a brother to me.

No one comes in or bothers me for the next half hour. I just sit there, rocking myself back and forth. I hug my knees tighter as a new fresh set of memories floods my mind and I cry remembering his laughter at his cute nerdy glasses that he sometimes wore.

I wipe my tears and try to calm my unhealthily abnormal breathing pattern. It doesn't work and I just sit there, basically replaying my whole life with him in my head.

What made me cry even harder was the fact that when he became popular, we let new people come into our lives which isn't a bad thing except the fact that if pulled us apart.

I sob and when I tell myself that it's going to be okay, my voice is raspy and my nose should've grown three meters because of that huge lie.

I check the time on my phone to see that I'd been crying for two hours. There are several other bathrooms in the school so girls probably went to them so I wouldn't be bothered.

I feel hot so I touch my forehead and feel sweat. I feel sick of this bathroom so I pick myself up and spend 10 minutes trying to calm my breathing and stop the tears. I push on my throat trying to get the feeling of it being blocked away. My eyes are red and I look like I've been crying for hours, which I have.

I wince as I step out of the bathroom. I see two chairs pulled up on each side of the door. I see Jay with a tear stained face, asleep on one chair. On the other is Ethan who is also asleep.

No feelings at all, I remind myself.

I walk past them and ignore the "are you okay?"s and the "what's wrong?"s. Idiots. I head straight to my locker and grab everything before walking straight out of the school without talking to anyone or giving Anyone eye contact. I stare at the floor.

I grab my car keys out of my pocket and get into my car. I stare straight ahead while I drive. Show no emotion.
I don't let myself care about the fact that Jay counted on me to give her a ride.

I pull into my driveway and get out of the car, locking it and unlocking my front door.

Mum looks up from her phone. "Honey. I'm so sorry. I can't believe my nephew and your cousin perished." She says, blowing her nose with a tissue.

She had been crying a little too. I didn't want to talk so I just stared at her. She must've seen the hurt in my eyes because her eyes softened.

Just hearing her say that caused a stray rebel tear to glide down my cheek and land on the floor. I looked down at it before looking up at my mum.

I feel no emotion.

I turn around and walk to my room before locking my door and pressing a button which makes my roller shutters close. I close them completely and take my shoes off. I then change into my penguin onesie and fall asleep on my puffy white bed with my small warm white lamp on, trying to get the only sleep I'll have for a while.

•••

Okay, I know this was a really sad chapter. If you've ever dealt with a death you know it's not easy.

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