“Come on Torey, lets go sit.” Kelly was waiting along with the rest of the people I called my friends. They stood by the table, motioning me to my seat. “I’m not that hungry. i had a big breakfast this morning.” most of my friends just rolled their eyes and sat down in their usual order. “Torey, you said that yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that...” her voice trailed off as she rubbed my forearm like a mother. “Im fine, Kelly. Really! I am! Im just gonna go practice with Ashton.” I walked away, trying to get away. But i could hear them them about me.
“I can’t believe her! Ditching us for that stupid boy.”
“What kind of friend is she?”
“I think we should ignore her.”
“Yeah. She’s a loser anyways.”
I shook my head before they could talk about me getting off the ramp. The ramp is where all the popular kids sit, rank, and pretty much live. Everyone in school gets a ranking. A ranking by the people and for the people. Kelly is the ultimate girl over the school. She has almost all the power over the rankings. The ultimate guy in our school is Cameron Austin. Every single girl swoons over him, and he has dated each and every girl on the ramp except me. Kelly and i have been besties since kindergarden and she couldn’t really ditch me when she got asked out by Cameron when she was a freshman. He was always the most popular kid, ever. Im on the ramp, they say, because i have ‘Class.’ They also say its because I’m ‘pretty’. If my mom didn’t care so much about me being popular, i wouldn’t try to be so perfect. If she didn’t buy me clothes in style, or wear a new outfit every week, or go to brunch with the top ranked, or do every possible extra curricular active possible, or do everything a pop is supposed to do, I would not be what i am now. I have so many requirements. I have to go to brunch every other Sunday morning. I go shopping every friday with the top 5 girls. I have an assigned seat on the stage. I have to dress appropriately for school. I have to keep my grades high. Not to mention the fashion rules i have to follow. Honestly, I hate it. The band room is my only escape. i’m supposed to keep Ashton on the down-low considering he is only middle-class. I slip into the practice room. “I waited too long for you.” He looked down at his clarinet. “But you still waited.” I smile. He gives me his usual greeting hug. “I know. What took you so long?” I take a seat next to him and we look at each other and say simultaneously, “Kelly.” I put together my flute, while he set up my music. We do thi everyday now, and it makes me feel like myself. “You’ve gotta stop missing that sixteeth note.” He is so critical, only to annoy me. I know he isn’t trying to be annoying thats one of the reasons I love hanging with him Sometimes, i feel as if he knows something about myself that I do not. I may be crazy, or wrong, or nuts but i Think I’m right. I put my flute down. “Are you keeping something from me?” I looked at him, trying to be as serious as i can. “No.” He couldn’t be more obvious. “I know you. You aren’t telling me something. Just tell me. I won’t be mad. I never get mad at you. You know that.” he sighed. and looked at me real serious and said, “I’m batman.” there was something he didn’t want me to know. Something serious. I’m getting worried, so i just practiced to calm my nerves. I pulled my flute down abruptly and so did Ashton, wondering why i was so scared. “What’s wrong?” he was worried too now, because i never freak out like this. “Do you hear it?” I lowered my voice. “Hear wha-”
“Shhh!” I scolded. “Listen,” He concentrated really hard, because his face was plastered with concentration. “Can’t you hear it?” He looked at him, wating him to tell me could . “No, no. Hear what?” i sighed. “The pleading. Can’t you hear it?” I stared at him for a long time with a pleading expression on my face. I sat back in my chair, finally, with the pleading, screaming voices of what seemed like people paining my ears. I waited for Ashton to say something but he was silent. He began to pack up and leave, but i quickly stopped him and said, “Wait.” he still had a worried look frozen on his face. “There is something I haven’t told you,” I knew it! Ever since i have started to ditch my ramp friends he has been acting weird around me. I never knew why, but it seems as if i have finally cracked him. “You have a condition.” I looked at him like he was crazy. “Sit. Let me explain.” i started to pack away my flute because it was almost time for my next class. “Don’t.” He practically pushed me into my seat. “What is it?” I hope this won’t turn into one of those dumb best friend love stories when he leans over on his knees and sighs. “I’m sorry I never told you.” I look at him confused. “You are either cursed or gifted with a power. Like me.” he was being completely serious. “What? What are you talking about?” He was really nervous about something. Maybe class? “The noises. The pleading you hear.” I was excited now, because somebody knew what i was talking about! “You hear it too?” I was smiling, but he wasn’t. “No, and I’m sorry.” my expression must have changed drastically in second because he always gets sad when i get sad. I have no idea why, but he just does. “You are listening to the innocent, dying people. You can only hear the innocents. You are a Loqui Mortua. But we just call your kind LM’s.” Everything that he was saying was just blowing over my head.”Who-who is we?” he looked at me like i should know that. “The re-rums! Didn’t your parents tell you anything?!” My parents never told me stories. They just expected things of me. I guess he really didn’t know anything about them. “Well, I guess my dad kind of had this thing with people who could see into the future and travel through time. He kinda studied them, until he...” I put my head down. My dad disappeared when i was 10 years old. I still think he’s alive, but everyone else tell me he’s dead, except Ashton. He nodded and put his hand on my shoulder. “Its okay,” He comforted. “That’s partly true. Re-rums have different perspectives on life. You are a re-rum who can hear people calling for help, and if you listen very hard, and try very hard you can actually save them.” Whoa now. So, now he’s saying that i have the power to save lives. I’m just on the ramp! That’s my only good thing! “Are you a re-rum?” The word felt funny on my lips. “Have you noticed its been almost an hour since we got into this practice room and the third block bell hasn’t rung yet?” I looked at my watch. The hands weren’t moving. “Y-yes?” I was beginning to be afraid. The voices still pounded my head. Who is Ashton? Is he just using me to do something? What’s he gonna do to me?
Hey Guys, I hope you are enjoying my new book! Find out what Ash is next week! -A
