2

I went to school for the first time after “it” happened today. Even my friends avoided me. The only one who came near me was Michelle, and our conversation was so brief the I don’t even remember it.

The teachers were all pretty simpathetic and nicec. They gave me my make-up work and made sure I understood it. It was pretty easy that day. Until ian came into the picture.

Ian. Three words can describe him: Hot As Hell. His dirty blond hair was always spiked in the front, he had baby blue eyes, had a muscular body, and was on the football team. The latter made him only available to cheerleaders, which I was definatly not.

I had had boyfriends before jason, but jason was the first person I had actually had feeling for. Real feelings. I thought I loved him. But now I have to stop that love. “He’s dead.” I tell myself “and he can’t love me now.” But I still felt that I was betraying Jason by even LOOKING at Ian. But when Ian comes up to me while I’m at my locker and asks me what I’m doing Friday, what else am I supposed to do but look up?

“I understand if you don’t wanna go, I mean your boyfriend just died..so….”

“I’m not doing anything.”I interupted him. Now I felt really bad about Jason.

Ian smiled.

At me. :)

“Pick you up at 8.”he said.

“Okay.”

And just like that I was no longer someone to be avoided, but someone to go up to and talk about Mr. Hot As Hell. I was supposed to be grieving, but I was already seeing someone. My dad would be disappointed- if he was alive. And my mom doen’t care.

But what about Leon? I couldn’t help wonering what would he…

“Natalie! Why don’t you answer?”

I looked at Mr. Testa’s ugly face. I didn’t the answer to whatever he was asking me. But this was math class. So all I had to do was say a number, right?

“7”

“No!” he said “The answer is a polynomial. Would you please pay attention?”

Anyone who paid attention to anything Mr. Testa said was crazy.

“Sorry.” I mumbled

He turned back to teaching and I turned back to thinking.

But then I saw it. I mean, I saw HIM. Jason.

That’s impossible.

“Mr. Testa, can I go to the bathroom?” I asked

He glared at me.

“Please?” I pleaded, “Its an emergency”

“Go.” He said coldly.

“Thanks.” I got up and practically ran to the door, almost tripping over a pair of long legs and slipping on a stray paper.

When I got out of the room and silently closed the door behind me I looked around. Jason wasn’t there anymore.

I decided I would explore the halls. As I did, I remembered the poem, or, a line from the poem that I had said that night on the stargazing rock. “I’ll pray to God Almighty that you can have a second chance.”

And I had prayed.

Was God that powerful? Did he really answer my prayer? It sounded too supernatural. I was never too religious.

But I swear I had seen Jason.

“Adara!”

I turned. Adara had been Jason’s nickname for me. It meant beauty.

“Adara, over here!”

The voice had come from by the waterfountain. No one there.

“Adara!”

No one.

“Adara…..”

Why was he teasing me? If it really was him…

“Adara!”

I saw someone turn into Locker Hall. (It was called this because lockers lined this hall only.) I ran to catch up.

I ran into someone as I turned the corner and fell to the floor with him.

“Sorry.” I stammered, “Did you…” I looked at the person and gasped.

It was Jason.