The Addie Alexander Challenge

⁕ 11| Jose⁕

Music was playing over the speakers today and I danced with it. A smile was on my lips. Today was going to be a good day.

I got my truck back, got a raise at work, and my dad was out of town for the next few days. Mrs. Ceja said my brothers could stay at her house until bedtime and until my dad got back on Thursday. I was free for a bit.

Addie and I never set a day she could come over. And I wasn't having her over while my dad was gone. You would think that would be a perfect time because I wouldn't worry about him scaring her off. But I know she wouldn't approve and my brothers wouldn't be over and she wanted to meet them.

It was only Monday and not even first hour but I was happy and nothing was bringing me down.

The songs on the intercom changed frequently and usually cut off parts of the songs. Today had a Beatles theme. We had had Yellow Submarine, Hey Jude and it was now playing Penny Lane.

"And though she feels as if she's in a play, she is anyway!" I sang out. Plenty of people were singing and dancing along now and I wasn't alone. Thank you, Addie.

I slipped into my math class and sat down right before the song was turned off, signaling the tardy bell. There was a problem of the day on the board and I began to complete it.

Halfway through, Mr. Weaver stood up with a piece of paper in his hands and a grim look on his face.

"Students, listen up for just a second." There was the soft clatter of pencils being set down.

"I have to read this even though I really don't want to," he said. He held up the paper and began to read. "For the students' awareness: Jake Greenway died suddenly and unexpectedly Sunday evening. We have no more information than this. We are all grieved for this loss."

One person gasped and another kid's jaw dropped. No one else moved.

Mr. Weaver cleared his throat. "I believe he was a junior. But it does not do to dwell on the sad. I hope you all got the problem of the day finished."

I looked at the kid who had seemed shocked at this news and saw tears rolling down his cheeks, silently. A girl was staring at her hands, holding her breath. Tears were threatening to spill over. I was right next to her so I awkwardly patted her shoulder.

"Did you know him?" one boy leaned over to another. The other boy shook his head. "I knew of him mostly. Kept to himself and didn't have a lot of friends."

My desk was turned so I could see out the door. This was good so I didn't miss this one thing.

Addie jogged past the door. A hand was covering her face. I immediately raised my hand. "Mr. Weaver, may I use the restroom?"

"Hmm? Well, yes. Quickly now."

I stood up and ran out the door to catch Addie. She was down the hall and turned into an unused classroom. I followed her.

She was leaning against some cabinets, rubbing her forehead.

"You alright?" I asked. She looked up in surprise. "Oh, hi Jose. Didn't see you. I'm fine."

"You don't look it."

She forced a chuckle. "Yeah, that might be because I lied." She slid down the door and sat on the floor. I walked over and sat with her, back against the cupboard.

"So what's up?" I asked.

"Did you know him?" she asked quietly. I thought and realized who she was talking about. "Jake? No."

"I didn't either," she said regretfully. "I said hi to him a couple times and knew his name but that was it."

"You can't blame yourself," I said. "If that's what you're doing."

"Of course that's what I'm doing!" she exploded. I sat back. She jumped to her feet.

"I've said hello to everyone in this school. I know nearly everyone's name. You know why? Because I want to help. I want people to feel loved. I kind of pride myself on being able to find people who need extra love and I help them. At my old school, 6 people have told me that I'm the only one that was nice to them. 4 of them told me I was the reason they didn't take their life. I am so glad I was their friend. But Jake? I never got the chance. Maybe he would have changed his mind if I had found him first."

I swallowed, not sure if I should chime in or let her vent. She continued.

"Maybe we would have been best friends. But I don't know because I never thought he was struggling. He seemed so at ease. He fooled me and that doesn't happen to me!"

"Addie," I said. "It's not your fault."

She snorted. I sighed. "You didn't know."

"Yeah, I didn't know a lot of things." She turned around and walked out the door. I had no idea what she was talking about. What else didn't she know?

I groaned and stood up. I'll never understand girls.

In second hour, the intercom turned on for the announcements. We said the Pledge of Allegiance and sat down to hear the rest.

"Lunch today will be Pizza Rippers or Chicken Burger. The student of the week is Luca Harriman. Luca is president of FFA and is an all-around great student, according to shop class teacher Gary Smoot. Faculty and students, if you have anyone you would like to nominate for Student of the Week, fill out a slip in the office."

I sat up straighter. I know who I want to nominate.

The announcements went on. "To celebrate the joining of Riverton and Kensington to our very own Rutherford High School, we are having a dance this November. It's guys and girls choice but here's the catch: you can only ask someone from the school you didn't go to. So if you went to Riverton," there was cheering from the Riverton students, "You have to ask someone from Kensington and vice versa."

"What if they didn't go to either school last year?" someone called out. The teacher smiled and said, "You can ask them because they didn't go to school with you."

The guy cheered and high fived a kid named Ian. The teacher chuckled and said, "And who is this special girl, Oliver?"

Oliver turned red right to his brown hair. "No one that you need to know," he mumbled.

The class laughed and we almost missed the next announcement but it was nothing special. "-will be handed out at homeroom to decide the new mascot."

"Dragons!" a nerdy kid cheered.

"No!" the class booed. The teacher hushed them. "You can submit your ideas in homeroom. Not here."

What should we be? Something awesome but not cliche like wolves or bees. I knew of a school on the other side of the state that was Russet potatoes. We will not be potatoes.

"I wonder what Addie will think of for a mascot..." I overheard Oliver saying this to Ian. Jealousy reared up in me. Addie must be the girl he wanted to take to the dance. Not if I could ask her first.