Dead Friend

The Day Everything Went Wrong

What the news anchor said isn't what got his attention. It was the picture.

It was a picture of my two best friends, both dead. I couldn't believe it. They had been shot and the gun was left at the scene with them, and the police had no leads. Then there was a knock on the door. "Thomas! Get the door!" I heard my mom yell. "Coming!" I yelled to whoever it was that was at the door. I walked from the living room over to the kitchen, where the front door is. I looked through the peephole to saw two police officers and I opened the door. 

"Are you Michael Martin?" The female said. She was blonde, roughly five foot five, and bright blue eyes, and looked oddly familiar. "No" I replied, "that would be my dad." "Could you get him for us?" The male asked. He had brown hair, hazel eyes, and was roughly six foot. "Dad! It's for you!" I yelled. 

My dad came down, and by the look on his face when he saw the police, I thought he was trying to keep from hitting me again. He probably thought they were there to arrest me. Instead of acting out, he put on a worried face and asked, "What did he do?" "Michael Martin?" The male asked. "That's me." My Dad replied. 

Then the female spoke, "Mr. Martin, you are under arrest for harassment and child abuse." My Dad tried to attack. He was drunk, as usual. The female acted quickly and fired a single shot, luckily just his left shoulder. When he fell, they took him away, just like that. That's when my mom came down.

"What was that about?" She asked. She sounded worried, which is why I quickly explained what happened. "I called" my mother admitted. "Why?" I asked. "I couldn't stand to see you and Addy get hurt again." She replied. Addy is my little sister. I'm 16 and she is 12. "That doesn't mean you have to call the police!" I yelled furiously. I can feel the tears welling up in my eyes as I continue. "We could've gone-" "Michael!" She suddenly snapped. I quickly shut myself up and looked at her, absolutely terrified. I'm roughly 3 inches taller than my mom, but she's still got that scary mom look.

She takes a deep breath before she starts her mini mom-lecture. "I did what I had to in order to keep you and Addison safe," She says calmly with a hint of anger in her voice. "Yeah, but-" I started when my sister walked down. "Hey, mom" She started before stopping. Both my mom and I are looking at her when she speaks again. "Why are you looking at me like that? And where's dad?" She asks. I can see the terror and nervousness in her eyes and I hear her obvious confusion. I hear my mom take a breath, obviously choking back tears, and I look at her. "Your father has been arrested for abuse and harassment. Now both of you, go upstairs and do your homework."

My mom said we didn't have to go to school the next day, but both Addy and I went anyway. When I got to school, most people were unhappy. My friends, Aaron and Arvis, were everyone's friends. The guidance counselor was on top of it. She had a signup sheet for individual and group sessions. I didn't want to bother her, so I didn't sign up. Maybe I'll see if she's free tomorrow.

My first class was Math. I'm advanced by two years and it's still too easy. I whiz through my online class and got some reading done before the bell rang. I was walking to History class when Mrs. Thompson, the guidance counselor, pulled me into her room.

"I've been wanting to talk to you," she says. She walks to the other side of her desk and sits down. "Um, well I have a class right now. Maybe we-" I start before she interrupts, "I've already talked to Mr. Wisneeski, and he's alright with you missing class. Please, sit down," She gestures to the chair across from the desk. I sit down slowly, completely confused. "I understand that you were close to the Ames boys, correct?" She asks, professionalism in her voice. Of course, this was the topic. I should've known. 

"Yes," I reply slowly. "Is there a reason you wanted to talk to me, other than about them?" I ask quizzically. I wonder if she knows about my dad yet? That'd be almost impossible, unless... "Well, in fact, there is. I realize this is not the first time you've lost someone close to you. Bianca, I believe it was?" At least I'm not in trouble? Although, that would be almost better than reopening this wound.

I suppose I should give some background info, huh? Well, Bianca, or B for short, was my girlfriend last year. We may have only been sophomores, but I was in love. She was beautiful, sweet, smart, loved to read, and was nice to everyone; people and animals alike. She was the perfect girl, as well as the perfect one for me.

It all ended that fateful day. She was over at my house like she was every other Friday night. We went back and forth. One week at her house, the next at mine. That's beside the point, though. That night she had shown up at my house crying. She said she and her baby sister, Brianna (just an infant), were made to watch her father "Teach her mom a lesson". She said it took her mom a  heck of a lot of convincing just to get her to leave her poor baby sister.

Her living conditions were horrible, but only if you knew the story. She lived in a nice house, with very nice things. The baby's room was a light, pastel pink and looked like a baby princess's would. B's room was a light, pastel blue and right next to her baby sister's room. The two room's join through a secret passage, one that only B and I knew about, and Brianna would learn about in her early childhood.

Her father was always abusive, and her mother hardly seemed to care unless it was done unto herself. There was even one time her mother joined in the abusing. Bianca always asked me not to tell the police, and I didn't. I really wish I had, though.

I eventually calmed B down, and we were watching Robin Hood, for we were both suckers for Disney movies. The classics were our favorites. Now that I think about it, I haven't brought myself to watch a single Disney movie since, well, I'm about to tell you what happened.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. She was already asleep on my shoulder, so when I got up I laid her down gently. Gosh, she looked so peaceful and beautiful. I wish I hadn't gone to open the door.

When I opened the door, nobody was there. I was seriously thinking about hunching my back and yelling, "I'll get you back someday, crazy kids!". Yeah, I know. I'm mature. 

I walked back downstairs, making a pit stop in the kitchen for some more popcorn. I'm a pig, so I was planning on eating all of it. When I got downstairs, she was gone. There was blood on the couch and floor. I quickly pulled out my phone and dialed 9-1-1.

"911. What's your emergency?" I heard the dispatcher say. For some reason, the correct words wouldn't come to me. "She's...gone," I finally said. "Sir, please calm down," she said, all too calmy, "Where are you and who's gone?"

"M-my girlfriend. I am at 222 East Rosewood Drive" When I calm my breath, reality seems fake. I feel like I'm dreaming. Maybe I am? No, that's ridiculous. Or, that's what my mind wants me to think? Yeah, that's about right. It's a reverse psychology type of thing. I'm in a dream, so my head is making it feel fake, to make me think it's real. I'm obviously dreaming!

"Thomas? Thomas!" I snap back to reality. "Um, yes, um, Mrs. Thompsan?" I can't believe I did that in front of a person! At least it wasn't a kid. Us teens are ruthless, you know. "You kind of just spaced out there. Is there anything you want to tell me?"

I contemplate this question before answering. "Um, no." I wonder if she can sense a lie? Although this isn't a lie. I have things to say, just not to her. "You do know that what we talk about in this room, stays in this room, right? No need to worry about being embarrassed." I fight the urge to roll my eyes.

"Anywho, you were fairly close to Bianca, correct?" I wince at this question; she knows very well that I was. "Yes, ma'am," I say. I decide that I'm just going to answer 'Yes', 'No', 'Maybe', and 'I don't know' for the rest of this session. That faster I can get out of here the better.

"No need to call me ma'am, Thomas. I just wanted to check to make sure you were ok," I feel my fists clench. The last time someone did that was, well, let's just say it was her. "I'm fine. I have a big project to work on, though. May I be excused?" I ask. I'm not generally this polite, but I really want to leave right now.

"Yes, you may. Thank you for asking so politely," I get up and am just about out the door when she calls my name, "Oh, and Thomas?" I look back at her. "You can talk to me whenever you need to, ok? Now go," She gestures to the door and I get out of there as soon as possible.