The Deceased

Chapter Four- Snap

The events that happened the next morning were painfully repetitive. First, i had a shower, shaved my legs and my armpits, and washed everywhere else. Brushed my teeth, decided to have my hair down for the millionth time this year, applied my halfhour worth of makeup and smokey eye, chucked on leggings, a singlet, and a black button-down trench coat, grabbed my bag, phone, keys, and stepped out into the mystic fog.

i was dreading the day to come, looking at my phone as i sit in the car, knowing ill have a photo of that mysterious man soon. Closing my eyes, i remind myself it's for a good cause; a gift card to LaceyJane's.

I take off through the forest, shivering as the cold drifts in through my windows. I turn on the heater and blast some Flyleaf, singing along and stopping at the traffic lights. Once i arrive at school, im still headbanging to the music while scanning my student ID, a laminated piece of cardboard with my picture on it from year eight that apparently gives me permission to go into my own school. The gates fly open, and, searching for Jane, i realise must be late.

Parking in one of the two empty spaces, a space all the kids know belong to Jane and i, and will until we graduate, the time of my blackberry tells me i'm the one that's early. Never before, that i can remember, have i been early to school. It's just one of the things that i don't allow myself to do.

Jane arrives ten minutes after i do, and clearly, through her tinted windows, she raises her eyebrows, surprised that i'm actually early. "Well, this is an interesting turn of events," she says as she steps down from her ute. Today, jane is surrounded by a blue summery dress, wearing a scarf, and a black leather coat with black short heels.

"I dont know what i was thinking," i tell her honestly.

"Excited about that photo," Jane winks, linking her arm with mine and walking towards school, "you'll never guess what happened last night."

"What?"

She leans towards me excitedly, "I got offered a place at Edward's."

i freeze in place, her words shocking me, "no way," i havn't even thought about University yet, though the year twelve coordinator wont stop mentioning it, University completely slipped my mind. "That is great Jane. We need to celebrate."

"uh uh," Jane wrinkles her nose, "we both know how much i like celebrations, but i won't hear of it until you've been accepted into Lochlan. Have you sent out your application yet?"

Shaking my head, i listen to her expected gasp. "What? Girl, we need to go to the library straight after school to print it off. We can look at other Uni's if you like."

"That sounds good, Jane. You have work last night?"

We both use our weight to push open the double doors to school, walking down to my locker, jane staying near me while we talk. I look around her, searching for the man i saw yesterday, but he was nowhere near his locker. It would have been much easier if i could just show Jane rather than taking a photo.

"Yeah, i did. Dad drove me, he's been driving me for a year, Val. Since Sarah got murdered. I really can't take it, he gives me all these lectures about not getting into a mans van. I know all that."

laughing, i give her a look, remembering all our 'stranger-danger' lectures in primary school when a man was driving around, picking up young boys from outside the gates, boys waiting for their mothers. It was sick, and it relieves me to remember that he never succeeded and was arrested before he even touched a child. Dad, as all dads do, took me to school and waited for me to get inside before driving off, and in the afternoon, he picked me up from the gate, bringing my ID so i wont run out when he wasn't there. It took him years to finally trust me enough when i say i wont get into anyones car.