AN: It's back, guys!! I really wanted to revive this and after positive feedback from my good friend @Coffeeing, I've decided to repost this! Chapters 1-4 will (probably) be up by the end of today, and I'll start working on Chapter 5 right away! By the way, what do you guys think about the new cover? Please let me know!!
Also, I should mention that I haven't made a single edit to this since September last year, so it's a bit crap. I'll start editing once I've posted all the chapters!
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-Eddie-
I sat on my bed, reading “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare. Not that I wanted to, but Marlene Samson, the President of the Drama Club, was totally in love with the play, and she insisted that we put it on before she graduated. She also assigned roles to all of us, and asked us to memorize our part over Christmas break, but I had one too many events scheduled, family to visit and problems to get over, so I only got to read the script once. And so, I had 3 days to memorize 45 lines
Just as finished reading act 1, I got a text from Mary Jean Johansen. “Eddie, I just heard, I’m so sorry” It read. I threw my phone on the ground. I guess Mary Jean mustn’t have gotten the notice, but people don’t like being reminded about dead family members.
My alarm went off in 1 in the morning, which I should probably sleep. I got up and picked out a pair or pyjamas from my drawer, and headed for the bathroom – I didn’t like getting changed in my room.
On the way there, I passed by a mirror in the hallway, and took a quick look at myself. My eyes were puffy from crying, and my once-long blonde hair was short and choppy, as I had cut it this morning with a pair of scissors.
As I brushed my teeth, I decided that I would visit Ms. Bennett once I woke up.
I walked back into my room and slipped into my bed. Before I knew it, I was asleep.
I woke up at 10 in the morning and got changed into a casual red sweater and jeans. Luckily, Ms. Bennett only lived 9 doors down. I paced myself towards her light turquoise house. It was an old house- she’d lived in it as a little girl. I knocked on the door.
Ms. Bennett opened the door with a smile on her face. “Eddie!” She exclaimed in her usual, enthusiastic tone. Ms. Bennett was this half-Italian chubby lady with salt-and-pepper hair. She was also my psychology teacher. “Come on in!”
I gave her a polite nod, walked into the house and positioned myself on the couch. Ms. Bennett bought in chocolate chip cookies and some milk.
“The girls are staying over.” She explained, “Their parent’s went off to Spain.”
By ‘the girls’, Ms. Bennett meant Aurora, Sandra, Evelina, Donna and baby Rose, her grandchildren. Their parents usually dropped them off at Ms. Bennett’s house for every single break their school gave out
“So, Eddie... Why are you here?”
“You know how you told me that I could get extra credit if I formed an advice club or something? Like, a counselling service?”
“Yes...”
“I have decided to accept your offer. I don’t want any more suicides in my life, and our school seems like a place where there will be many... if this kind of behaviour keeps up...” I tried to hold back my tears.
“Aww, Eddie...” Ms. Bennett hugged me, “I promise you, there won’t be any more suicides this year.”
“Please, Ms. Bennett. I really don’t want anyone in school to be upset over something.”
She sighed. “Well, if you really want to... there’s an empty room in the management wing, but it’s kinda small... Would you like me to ask Ashley about it?”
Ashley was Ms. Bennett’s only daughter, and the middle child. She worked as a counsellor in school, too, in addition to helping Ms. Bennett with things.
I nodded, and Ms. Bennett smiled again. “It’s so nice to see that not all kids are completely self-centred these days.”
We sat there for a while, eating cookies. Footsteps could be heard from the second floor, meaning Ms. Bennett’s granddaughters had woken up. Sure enough, a little girl with long, black hair ran down the stairs, calling for Ms. Bennett. She stopped when she saw me.
“Eddie!” Evelina shouted as she tackled me onto the couch. The others must’ve heard her, because they tumbled down the stairs and joined us in our hug. All except Sandra, who hated hugging.
When we broke the hug, Aurora, who was the oldest and top-of-her-class, asked, “Eddie, why’re you here? I mean, we’re not complaining or anything but...” She was also very awkward, but it didn’t bother me.
“I’m working on a project for your grandma’s class. I explained. They all oohed and aahed. Ms. Bennett handed each of them a plate of cookies.
About an hour later, I left the light turquoise house and trekked back home, wondering if I was ready for this, because I didn’t feel ready at all.
The door to my house was open, so I just slipped inside and walked into the kitchen to get a snack. My mom was preparing something for lunch.
“Hi honey.” She mumbled as I entered, pushing a strand of brown hair out of her green, green eyes. “Where were you?”
“Ms. Bennett’s house.” I answer. My conversations with Mom were somewhat short lately. “What’s cooking?”
“Pasta e fagioli.” She said, with her slight Italian accent, “How did Ms. Bennett’s go?”
“Pretty good. I’m starting an advice club- or something like that. Basically, I’ll be a counsellor.”
That grabbed Mom’s attention. “Eddie, is this about-”
“Yeah.” I cut in, because I didn’t need to be reminded, “I don’t want any more deaths in my life.”
“Honey,” she said, hugging me, “I promise, there won’t be.”
I dismissed her promise, because I was pretty certain there would be at least one or two more. “When’s the funeral?”
Mom frowned. “Your dad said that if there were to be one, he wouldn’t pay for it. And, you know, funerals are expensive. I’m not sure if we’ll be able to pay for it without your father’s help.”
“Damn him.” I cursed, which is something I didn’t usually do. “Why does would he do such a horrible thing?!”
“Eddie, please... I know it’s ridiculous, but...”
“But what?!” My voice was just a level below shouting, another thing I usually didn’t do.
“...I’m sorry, Eddie. I really am. But there’s nothing I can do about it.”
I nodded weakly and went up to my room. I knew it would be pointless to argue with Mom.
I grabbed “Romeo and Juliet” and sat on my bed, but I couldn’t concentrate on it. I felt like throwing the book at a wall and crying my eyes out, but I knew that would too. So I buried my face in my pillow and just lay down, doing nothing.
