Names of the dead

Chapter Two

Chapter two
I stare at the phone, my eyebrows crinkled together in confusion. One week to do what? I read the text over three times, just to make sure I didn't miss anything. No, the same vague information glares at me behind the shimmering screen. I chuck my phone on my bed, it's probably just a prank made by one of the guys at school. I grab the book and jog down the stairs, repetitive beeping tells me that the pop-tart is ready, so I fling the microwave door open and grab the pop-tart, slam dunk it onto a plate and take it to the couch. I settle on the couch, book propped up on my knees as I chomp down on the pop-tart. All thoughts of the text disappeared from my mind.

***

My alarm clock sounds, bleeps ringing in the back of my mind. I roll over onto my side and slam my hand down on the clock, silencing the beeping and allowing me five minutes of sleep before my mother storms into the room.
"Willow! Get out of bed now! It's 7:30!" She screams.
I glance up at my alarm clock.
"No it's 7:28." I mumble sleepily.
"Willow Anne Parks! Get out of bed now! And don't talk to me like that!" I groan and roll off the end of the bed. She sighs and walks out of the room. I struggle to my feet and walk over to the doorway, I hobble down the stairs into the kitchen where my brother and my parents are already sitting at our circular, wooden table, gnawing on a breakfast of pancakes coated in sticky syrup.
"Glad you could join us." My mother exclaims, fork halfway to her mouth. I roll my eyes and sit at the end of the table, yawning loudly.
"What got you so tired?" My dad inquires, he inhales a mouthful of pancake and arches an eyebrow.
"Waking up." I state simply as I eye the leaning tower of pancakes, syrup streaming out from the layers in waves of steaming goodness. My dad sighs.
"You know, you could make an effort to talk to your family." My mum snaps.
"I don't see Ben saying anything." I snap back. My brother, Ben, sits in his seat slowly chewing his pancakes. I look nothing like the rest of my family, with my long strawberry blonde hair compared with my mothers chin-length peroxide blonde hair and my fathers closely cropped, russet brown hair, I wonder sometimes whether I am adopted. My brother, even at ten shares more resemblance with my parents than I ever have, with his russet brown hair closely cropped and carefully styled into a quiff at the front. My family's faces are all sharp angles and defined cheekbones, however my face has a soft curved shape, and I have rose-tinted chubby cheeks. I sigh and stand up from the table, I turn and walk back up to my room, swinging my hips in a strut to piss off my mother even more.
"Where do you think you're going?" She calls from behind me.
"I'm getting ready for school." I holler back.
"Without breakfast?" She struggles to keep her voice calm.
"I'll pick something up from McDonald's on the way." And with that I vanish up the stairs before my parents can reply. I grab the first T-shirt and pair of jeans I find, which ends up to be a faded white, baggy top and high-waisted jeans. Not the best combo, but it'll do. I run to the bathroom and hastily apply my makeup before grabbing my shoulder bag and disappearing out the front door.
I let out a sigh of relief as the door slams behind me. I pull my IPhone out from my bag and text Sophie,
Hey can u pick me up Soph? My mums being annoying again.
I tap send with my thumb and impatiently wait for the reply. I wonder if Jake just moved here, I haven't seen him around school and in this town everyone knows everyone. A ting sound comes from my hand that holds the phone and I scan the screen.
Sure, I'll be there in 5, The text says. Sophie can be annoying at times, but she is the most reliable and forgiving person I have ever met. If I could just text Jake, Damn, I didn't give him my number. I inwardly kick myself for being so stupid, now I'll just have to hope I see him at school, if he even goes to our school. A small Toyota rolls into my drive and I open the passenger door.
"Look Soph, I'm sorry for ditching you yesterday, I had a lot going on and I needed some headspace."
"I get it Willow, but you could have just asked me for space and I would have let you go."
"I'm sorry Soph, can we forget it happened?" I know it is unlikely that she will accept, but I'm desperate for a friend again.
"Okay Willow." She starts the car and we drive to the school in silence. When we get there the parking lot is almost full, but we snag a parking space relatively near the entrance. After parking Sophie stares out the window curiously.
"Who's that?" She asks returning her gaze to the guy leaning against a red pickup, it's Jake, Thank God he goes here.
"Whoever he is he's as hot as a furnace." She mimics fanning herself with her hand and I laugh.
"I wonder who he's waiting for?" I say, Could it be me?
I open my door and hear Sophie's slam behind her. I step out and almost immediately my ears get blasted with Jakes honey-sweet voice.
"Willow!" He runs toward us.
"Do you know him?" Sophie whispers to me.
"Vaguely." I whisper back.
"Are you serious? Go talk to him!" She giggles and pushes me forward. I stick my tongue out at her before turning back to Jake.
"Hi Jake."
"Hi, um I just got here and I was wondering if you could show me around."
"Yeah of course." I turn and lead him toward Sophie.
"This is my friend Sophie." I gesture to Sophie. "Sophie this is Jake."
"Hi." She shyly waves.
"Hi." He says. "Should we go now?"
"Oh, yes" We start slowly walking toward the school entrance and we make it about two steps before Sophie jumps in with her questions.
"Did you just move here?"
"Yeah, um, I came here from Michigan, we couldn't afford our house there so we decided to move here." He says, effectively answering Sophie's next question.
"How do you like it here in Beaufort, South Carolina?" I ask.
"It's good so far, the fair was nice." He winks at me and Sophie notices, her mouth gapes open and I sigh, this is going to be hard to explain to her.
"Yeah, although I only stayed for a little bit." I try to subtly hint to Sophie that nothing happened, but she is still looking at me and Jake that way, like she knows. Even though it didn't happen.
"Why was that?" Jake asks curiously.
"I had a lot of thoughts occupying my mind at that moment and I needed space."
"Did you two know each other before or...?" Sophie asks, leaving a space for me or Jake to answer.
"No, actually we met at the carnival yesterday." He informs Sophie.
"Yeah, we sort of bumped into each other." I add and he laughs his infectious laugh.
"You could say that."

By now we have reached the school and I am about to go to my locker when Jake takes my shoulder.
"I need to go sign in, so I'll see you later?"
"Yeah sure." He waves behind him as he walks away and I wave back until he disappears around the corner. Immediately after he leaves I am pulled aside by Sophie.
"Okay, No.1 he's hot, No.2 he's totally into you and No.3 What happened yesterday after you ran away?" She demands.
"Okay, No.1 I know, No.2 You think so? And No.3 Nothing, we just bumped into each other and said hi, I didn't even give him my number so stop giving me that look."
"Okay, but this isn't over. We have to get to class, but right after, I'm asking questions!" She then struts off to her locker and leaves me in a fit of laughter.
I finally regain control of myself and walk off to class.