The Smallest Coffins.

6

Jaylenn steps into the hallway for the first time since Juliet died. Eyes are on her, she's expected to be crying. She knows that, but she can't cry anymore. There's no tears left. She spots Ryland standing by his locker. She halfway runs over to him. "Hey," she smiles at him.

"You're talking to me?" he smiles. "At school?"

"Yeah, of course I am," she says. "Why wouldn't I?" She sees Gage and Sistine walk over to her. Ryland turns to walk away. Jaylenn grabs his hand and holds it tightly, not letting him leave. She gives the pair a bright smile. "Hey guys."

Sistine looks at Ryland, then to Jaylenn then down to their hands. Jaylenn cocks an eyebrow at Sistine "Problem?" she asks.

"Nope," Sistine says. "But you know he isn't sitting with us," she whispered into her ear and walked away. Gage follows her away after a moment of looking her up and down. Jaylenn turns back to Ryland and smiles.

"What did she whisper to you?" he asks.

"That you aren't allowed to sit at their lunch table."

"Oh," he lets out a small chuckle. "Because I care so much about their table."

The bell rings and the pair make their way to the first period. Their classes are right beside each other. Jaylenn walks in and goes to the back most seats. She grabs out a notebook and writes today's date and waits for the teacher to begin lecturing. Her mouth goes dry as soon as the phone rings, she just knows it's going to be another hospital visit for her. The teacher quickly tells another student to walk to the office. She let out a quiet sigh and looks down at her notebook.

After an hour and a half lecture the bell rings and she runs out of the class quickly. "I'll never make it to second period senior year... thanks to you," her sister's voice growls into her ear. "Why couldn't you have just walked to my room? You could have saved me, but yet you killed me. You let him do terrible things to me."

She shakes her head and runs to her locker to wait for Ryland. As soon as she sees him she hugs him tightly. "She says it's my fault," Jaylenn says with tears falling down her cheeks. He soothes her and runs his hands through her hair.

"I know. I know. It's okay," he says. She looks up at him with her eyes burning.

"You know?" Jaylenn asks.

"Like I told you, I get all of this but I don't want to trouble you with that," he says.

"No, tell me," She demands. He takes her hand and drags her to an almost deserted hallway.

"When my mom died this happened to me. Car crash remember?"

"Yeah," she says in a questioning tone.

"She finally stopped once I confronted the other driver. He admitted to me that he was trying to kill himself by running into her. It didn't work. He didn't even get a scratch."

"So I have to confront her killer?" Jaylenn asks. "I won't be able to have peace until we find her killer?" her voice breaks as the words come out of her mouth.She feels terrible for wanting her gone. Under normal circumstances she never wanted Juliet to leave my side. Now she can't wait for her to be gone.

"How am I supposed to find the killer if the cops can't even find him?" she asks.

"You just have to wait.Find a way to ignore her," Ryland says before hugging me tightly. . she hugs him back but I'm shaking too badly to actually hug him. She buries her head into his chest and screams. At least she tries to scream, but she knows no sound comes out.

"I don't know what to do," she says. "I can't get over this. I can't just ignore her. What if she's right. What if it is my fault?"

"It's not. You couldn't have done anything to stop him. Come on you know that," he says.

"No Ryland. I don't know that," she says almost screaming. "I don't know that if I were to walk out the door and see it... He may have ran away he may have left and not killed Juliet."

"Jaylenn come on. I'm taking you home," Ryland says, taking her hand. The two walked down the hallway and outside the door. The pair walk down the street to Ryland's car. The air is cold, being mid January. Snowflakes had just begun to fall for the day. A light dust of snow already covers the ground.

"I need to call my dad," Jaylenn says, her hands still shaking. They get into the car and Ryland begins driving. She pulls out the phone and calls the home number. "I left school. It all just reminded me too much of her," she says after their hellos.

After a moment she clicks her phone off and lays it in her lap. "He says I can stay out with you if you want,"Jaylenn says.

"Of course I want. How about I take you on a real date?" Ryland says. His rust colored hair falls over his . Jaylenn moves over to him and slowly pushes it away. He half looks at her while keeping his eyes on the road as well. He moves his hand to rest on her thigh which sends shivers through Jaylenn's entire body.

"That sounds amazing," she says with a smile. He drives out of the small town and into a neighboring city. Atlanta.

"Anything to get your mind off of all of this," he says thinking out loud.

"Thank you," she says, taking his hand. She leans in and gives him a small kiss on the cheek.

"Let's go to the aquarium," Jaylenn says and points to the large ship shaped building. Ryland pulls into a different lane and drives to the aquarium.

They both hop out of the car. Their hands immediately find each other and hold on tightly. "Don't you remember?" a voice says into Jaylenn's head. She looks at Ryland.

"Did you have a voice in your head? Trying to make you remember?" she asks him. Ryland nods.

"It goes away too."

They go up to the doors and Ryland buys two tickets. The two walk in and walk around the building. After a few hours they sit down at a snack bar.