After Last Year

After Last Year [1]

After Last Year [1]

"I have seen so much passion in this school," the balding man standing on the stage says.   The people around me chuckle, the sound like thunder from how many people there was in the school theater.

The man's name was Mr. Edwards.  He was visiting the school for the day to host an assembly about finding yourself.  Or was it confidence?  I'm not really sure. He was very entertaining but I was finding it hard to concentrate with the presence of the entire student body around me.

"Oh yes." Mr. Edwards continues, winking at us. "Passion." He paused and then began pacing slowly across the stage. "For example," he says. "When I walked into your school one of the first things I saw was Aiden and Becca!"

I turned my head and saw Aiden's familiar figure stand up from his seat in the theater.

"Yes, Aiden. You and Becca do have something really special." The students chuckled and Aiden looked back to his girlfriend, Becca, who was sitting somewhere behind him and smiled.  I smiled faintly at the look in his eyes.

Love.

"There's passion in this school," Mr. Edwards said again as Aiden sat down.  "Some of it is plain in sight and the rest is carefully hidden."  He took a breath, stopping his pacing.

"I was walking through this school's hallways on my way to the theater when I saw them.  The hallway was full of people but I could see them clearly.  There was a boy walking down the hallway and a girl the opposite direction towards him.  The boy's eyes were fixed on the girl the whole time he walked.  The girl was looking everywhere but him."

Mr. Edward's eyes met mine and my blood ran cold.

"Jacintha, please come up to the stage."  I cringed at the my full name.  The people next to me turned and stared at me.  I held Mr. Edward's eyes, shaking my head faintly.  He smiled and beckoned me.

"Come on," he urged.  I glanced to my left and caught the beady eyes of my principal, Ms. Garcia.  She cocked her head slightly, her eyes silently telling me that it wasn't a request.

I slowly got up and made my way to the large stage, feeling the eyes of everyone in the theater on me.  I climbed up onto the stage and stood next to him.   I didn't look towards the crowd because I know my eyes would search for his face, no matter how much I didn't want them to.

"So, Jacintha-" Mr. Edwards began but I cut him off.

"Jac," I corrected and he paused.

"Jac, what can you tell me about Thomas."  My body went numb at the sound of his name.

I managed to shrug, keeping my expression neutral.  "Nothing much.  I don't really know him."  The silence of the theater was killing me.  I could practically sense the entire student body leaning forward, wondering what was happening and where the carefree Mr. Edwards had gone.

"Is that so?"  He asked, his voice serious and demanding, so different from the Mr. Edwards standing here only moments ago.  I avoided his eyes and nodded.

"Thomas!  Thomas Grant, come to the stage please!"  Mr. Edwards voiced echoed over the theater.  I tensed up, one of my hands slipping behind my back as I dug my fingernails into my palm.

It was dead silent as Thomas made his way to the stage.  I kept my eyes on my shoes, not wanting look at him because I knew if I did it would start all over again.

I heard Thomas' footsteps come to a stop as he stood beside me.  His fresh surrounded me and I tensed, trying to block out the sickeningly sweet smell.  I could see the corner of his black shoes and I quickly looked away.  Instead I brought my gaze up to the high ceiling, the bright stage lights burning my eyes.

"Thomas, what do you know about Jac here?"  Mr. Edwards asked.  I kept my eyes on the ceiling, trying to ignore the eight-hundred fifty-two sets of eyes focused on me.  I shifted uncomfortably.

Thomas paused and I could practically taste the curiosity in the air, everyone in the room waiting to see how it would play out even though they had no idea what was going on.

If Mr. Edwards knew what was really between us he would have never called us up here.

"I had a few classes with her last year," Thomas said finally, his voice making me tense up.

"And what do you know about her?"  Mr. Edwards pressed and I felt Thomas' eyes on me.  I didn't move, keeping my eyes fixing on the ceiling.  He continued to keep his eyes on me, judging what to say.

"I don't know," he said after a minute.  "She's on the honor roll?"

But it was too late.  By the time Thomas had decided to lie everyone already knew one truth.  That there was something between us.  Now everyone was hungry for the whole truth.  They were curious.  Curiosity was bad in high schools, especially mine.  People love to talk― give them something to talk about and there's no stopping until it's all out in the open.

Thomas realized this too and I could sense him tense up.

"Are you saying Jac and I are the two people you saw in the hallway?"  Thomas asked.  "The two with the hidden... passion?"  Thomas' eyes fell on me when he said that and I felt something stir inside of me.  Dread filled me as I felt the familiar sensation.

No, not again, I thought, trying to shove the feeling back down.  Trying to put it back in the box I had sealed it in not so long ago.

"I don't even know here," Thomas finished but it was too late, he had already said too much.  A buzz of whispers filled the theater and unease flooded me.  The lights were twisting above me, my vision spotted with black.  I blinked rapidly, trying to stop the tears welling in my eyes from the brightness.

"Is it though?"  Mr. Edwards said ominously.  Suddenly the bell rang, startling me.  My eyes dropped away from the lights, meeting Thomas' gaze.  His brown eyes stared down into mine and for the first time I held his gaze.  Parts of his handsome face was blocked by the black dots in my vision, not allowing me to see him clearly.

We continued stared at each other for an unknown reason, unwilling to take our eyes off the other.

"Have a great weekend!"  Mr. Edwards exclaimed, his carefree personality back, turning from us and towards the rest of the people in the theater.  The theater was already abuzz with excited chatter as every talked about what just happened.  I could tell rumors were spreading like wildfire.

I tore my eyes from Thomas' and turned and walked away quickly.  His eyes stayed on me as I slipped into the crowd.  Once the people around me realized it was me the chatter grew louder.  I ignored them, my focus was on his gaze drilling into my back as I slipped out the exit.

I walked quickly down the crowded school hallway, glad to be rid of his gaze.  Instead the eyes of the students around me prodding me, pointing me.  Trying to find out my secrets.

"I heard they had a fling,"  I heard a girl say to her friend as I passed by.  "Then he broke her heart because..."

"They're in love," said another girl.  "They sneak out of their parent's house to see each other when..."

"He stalks her, that's why he always in her classes..."

"She cheated on him and then he lost it..."

"They always stare at each other," a girl said, flipping her hair.  "Haven't you noticed?"

I kept walking, not getting caught up in the spreading rumors.  Of the five I'd heard so far one was a half-truth.  The rest were lies, dreamt up by romantic minds.

If they knew the whole truth they'd understand.  But if they knew the whole truth everything would change.

Everything's better when it's a secret, I thought as I pushed through the hallway, hearing the rumors echo after me.  When no one knows the truth, no one gets hurt.