The Final Chapter

Chapter 2

Beep beep beep beep went my alarm clock in the morning as I bolted out of my bed to get ready for school. I started pulling out my phone to check my messages but I realized I didn't charge over the night so it was dead. I quickly stuffed a bagel into a bag to eat later because I was late for the bus. I ran outside to and the bus was just down the road about to come to my bus stop, I sprinted to catch it not wanting to miss it for the third time in a row. I jump on the bus just as the doors shut with a click and look for Allissa, not seeing her I sit down in an empty  seat and wished my phone was charged so I could see if she sent any messages because she is rarely late. When the bus finally gets to my school I get off and go to the library so I could upload my project and make sure that I saved it correctly. The school bell rings signaling everyone to get to class. I quickly gather up my stuff and go to my classroom and sat down at my seat next to Allissa, or at least, where she should have been. I take out my cellphone and ask the guy sitting next to me if I could borrow his phone charger. I plugged my phone int o the wall and waited for it to power up enough so I could use it. My teacher, Mrs. Wilkins walks up to start class and I start worrying that something had happened to my best friend Allissa who has been my friend since I moved here four years ago from Thailand while everyone else made fun of me or ignored me. I couldn't focus on the lesson at all so when I heard "Ren could please tell us what we have been covering for the past 20 minutes" Mrs. Wilkins asked, I turned read and told her "I don't know ma'am" "well you better pay attention, and as for a punishment I want you to write a 5,000 word essay on the concept of paying attention due by Friday." I start too protest but realize that it would be futile to argue against her and I decide to stay focused for the rest of the period. The class ends after what felt like an eternity and I finally take out my cellphone to check my messages. I got one from Allissa and I feel more relaxed about her not being here but when I actually read it my stomach drops and I feel nauseated. I go run into a bathroom and start to cry and puke because my best friend sent me this, “I’m so cold, please do something. I can’t stand this empty feeling that I’m having. My head is horrible. Stop the pounding it hurts so much. I have no control over anything in my life. I’m breaking into pieces. Somebody do something.” I just continued hiding in the bathroom but someone finds me and takes me to the principals office. The next thing I knew is I am laying in my bed at my house and I remember the text message but I don't cry anymore, I simply cannot comprehend why Allissa, second best in her class, popular, rich, and happy would commit suicide. I just sit in my room and listen to the cars pass by and watch birds flitting without a care in the word. My mom walks in as I am staring vacantly out the window. she then sits next to me and says "Look Ren I know it's hard for you after your friend died but you don't go throwing tantrums like that, yes she may have been your best friend but it still doesn't mean you can't forget about her." I was shocked and then I started getting mad at my mom for being so blunt and uncaring. I tell my mom "At least she stood up for me when you didn't and she probably cared for me more than you do." "You watch your tone young man" said my mom "I birthed you and feed you" "and decided to ignore me even when I was suffering in the hospital" I objected "Allissa visted everyday, you didn't even send a card." My mom turned red and yelled at me "BUT AT LEAST I STARTED TALKING TO YOU NOW." I say calmly "but that's only when you are high on weed and come home to grab more money to pay the creepy guy down the street for the hits you took." My mom turns and withdraws from the room, and sure enough leaves the house soon afterwards with cash in her hands. I pace in my room having nothing to do as I scan my surrondings my attention falls onto the book I bought with Allissa just yesterday and I could't bring myself to read it. It was the last peice of my friend I have left. My mom returns walking straight to her room without even greeting me and closes her door probably locking it but I don't even bother to check. I walk out to the kitchen to get some thing to eat and open the fridge. I decide to make myself a couple sandwiches and bring some cans of soda back to my room so I don't have to talk to my mom. As I start putting ham, cheese, lettuce, and salsa between two slices of bread I start finding the silence beginning to become to much to bear. I finish as quickly as possible and race to my room to turn on my computer and start blasting music through my headphones. I eat my food and finish off the soda and somehow I find sleep in that dark place of broken dreams. The next morning I was excused from school because I was "traumatized" so I decided to go out and walk around. I leave the house after grabbing my jacket and the chilly air stings my face as I walk down the street in the general direction of the lake. I start climbing up a hill and decide to stop to rest for a little bit when I reach the top. I can only think of what Allissa has done and why she would've wanted to end her life. No matter what I think of I couldn't figure it out so I decide to continue my trek away from the city, the noise, the constant pollution, and the muddled memories that lie within it's borders. I finally reach the secluded lake surrounded by trees and hides the city from view. I look through my jacket pockets and find a bag of chips. I sit there eating, trying to clear my head of all the noise and confusion and take a nap. When I wake up it is getting dark so I walk home and when I finally get there I turn on my laptop and go on 4chan all night but on all the boards there is pretty much the same theme, people committing suicide for no apparent reason. This information startles me, many people committing suicide on the same day all over the world. I then try to think if anything what could connect all those deaths. I decide to research it more such as, what age group is dying, what part of the world, is it religion, and is it willing or forced. I turn on the news on my radio and hear the same news I have learned from 4chan but apparently there are no specific so far. i then realize it could continue on for days until we discover the source of this madness. I start to feel relief over the fact that it might not have been Allissa deliberately ending her life but it could be a chain reaction created by some guy on the internet but then I realize why would anyone follow what a random guy says on the internet. the more I thought about it the more ridiculous it sounded so I decide to give up for the night and go to sleep. I wake up in the morning refreshed and ready to go when the bus came for the first time. I read the essay I wrote for my teacher, I got it done a day early so I could have more free time and not have to worry about assignments. I was determined to be the one who figured out why everyone was killing themselves and when I did I would avenge Allissass death.