1. Summer Day

Jenny

I don't like it when people mourn over someone who isn't even dead. Sure, someone kidnapped her, a year from today but it doesn't mean she died. There are no evidence, no cadaver to prove them right. However, there is no living sign of her either. Life simply knows how to play chaos with us.

Of course, no one believes me, I, not once in my life, spoken out for my right in public because it is just too embarrassing. Of course, I would tell Cella but she doesn't believe me when I say that Sol is very much alive. I could remember her voice as I last saw her that night.

"There can't be another way to say this but I have to. I'm saying good bye."

"What are you talking about?" I giggle. Cella and Christine laugh too but Holly hushed me. Her tone was serious.

I saw a tear fall from her face, "I can't tell you why but I'll be gone…probably forever."

I shivered, the memory made tears come out. Everyone else believes that she might have commit suicide but I say different. Then conflict begins, so I made up three rules: one, keep my mouth shut at all times, two, ignore anyone thinks of me as insensitive and three, absolutely and in no doubt ignore that painful memory of Sol.

These rules are crazy, but it was the only way to keep me moving. Sol wouldn't like the idea of me been stuck alone and crying because everyone seems to hate me. Hate is such a strong word, but everyone distaste me for been the only one for not crying for Sol. I did cry but in the beginning, I stopped because I knew I had to be strong. Only if everyone of my friends could do the same.

This was the last day of our junior year. My friends and I were going to visit her small monument. We were all dressed in black. This time it wasn't for us to represent ourselves as rockers but because to my friends, someone murdered Sol. As reported by school staff last week, the authorities announced she was murdered, was this assembly to say our good-bye along with several announcements before vacation starts. Still...maybe I was an insensitive girl for not saying good-bye to my best friend, but I believe that Sol may still be alive.

"Now we have a moment of silence for Marisol. After which, the Student Council would like to say a few words for Miss Marisol Carréon." said the school principal. Marisol is Sol's real name but she hates it when someone calls her like that. She also used to be on the Student Council until her sophomore year, she was depressed over heartbreak.

Behind the principal, a screen goes down showing the picture of Sol that she has taken when she ditched school with Cella, Holly and Christine. Her face pouted at the camera.

They should at least get a better picture of her.

The auditorium was hot, especially when there was body heat and I felt uncomfortable in this wooden chair and sweating. Yawning, I took out my headphones of my iPod, and played Blink-182. I looked at the ceiling, and a few strands of my short dark-brown hair fall on my face, I placed them back. I hated when my hair was long so I cut it short, now my wavy hair was getting on my nerves. I need a straighter. I wanted my hair straight and gorgeous, like that model from the Cosmo girl magazine.

"Jenny."

Holly widens her coal-black eyes, clearly upset that I wasn't listening to the Student Council's speech. I tilt my head back as though to tell her "what?" However, Holly shook her long raven hair, her porcelain face showed disappointment, and looked back at the student council's president. I rolled my eyes at her, and looked back at the washed-out ceiling.

She isn't even dead, why can no one believe me?

After the president finished with her speech, they dismissed us. I went off my seat and looked for Cella until I saw the back of her short ink-like curly hair touching her neck. I also recognized Christine's nearly six-foot figure, and then the others. Cella runs up and hugs me tightly before Christine's hug takes the air out of my lungs as she picked me up.

"Hey, guys," I managed to say before Christine dropped me. "So, are we going?"

"Yeah, we are but we're waiting for some guys to show up. . . I still can't believe it's been a year and now we know that Sol's actually dead, who could've done this to her?" Pollard asked. I notice Mathew's eyes went down. Pollard was the smallest boy of us, a black boy of five four with a great sense of humor. Yet, today, he looked miserable just like the rest of the guys that I turned away, facing the stage. I watched people leave the auditorium, fanning while they laugh happily with their friends. I wanted my group to be the same as the others, but that will be another time.

"I know." Cella grimaced, always finding something good to say about people. "Sol may have been talkative but she was funny, I miss her...let's go and see her already."

"Hold on, let me text Harry to see where he is." says Curby, a tall boy with curly short hair. Then I saw everyone had a white rose in his or her hand. I didn't have one. I didn't see the point but apparently Christine notice.

"Why don't you have a rose for Sol, Jen?" I blushed.

"You know why, Christine. You guys are stupid enough to call yourselves Sol's friends."

Holly joined us. "What are you guys waiting for?"

"For Kevin, Harry, and Jessica...dude, can we just go already, we can't be late you know." Mathew grew impatient. I noticed that he didn't have his video camera with him, which was odd because he was clearly inseparable from his precious camera.

"Hold on, Mathew, its only noon, besides you know that none of us would want to wait much longer." I said rather warily. He was already getting on my nerves. I looked the pasted decayed ceiling again, which glowed from the sun that peeking through the windows from the balcony and the east side of the building.

"Where are they?" Holly asked, texting fast, she hated when people just ditch at the last minute.

I heard Pollard mumble, "Paying their temps." Already more than half of the auditorium was gone. Those just barely came greeted everyone but me, pretending as though I wasn't even visible.

We were at least twenty of us and some more were with us but we didn't know them. Sol is a weird person, and as much as she annoyed us with her loud voice and aggressive attitude; she is still a friendly person and a good friend.

We continued to wait until the last three finally showed up. We left the school and headed towards the park, the sun roasting us with its high temperature. The park was big and had many baseball fields next to a big hill, where people played soccer and dogs were barking at each other. We were all silent that I continue listening to my iPod.

I didn't give any attention to anyone, since half were still mad at me for not showing at least sympathy for Sol. Sure, Sol and I are best friends since the first grade but I knew she is alive since she made me a promise. She always kept her word. The memory started to come to me but I shook my head off trying to avoid it.

We arrived to where I last saw Sol with Holly, Christine and Cella. This was where there were many trees, on the back of the park, along with the river. There was a memorial for her next to a huge old tree. One by one, my friends gave their rose and have a few minutes of their thoughts to her. I took a step back; I wasn't going to do anything. Instead, I looked at the sky, where gray clouds were coming, more and more by each minute as the temperature decreased. The weather here in Chicago is crazy lately, one moment it's a hot sunny day next thing it's getting cold and dark.

Like last night.

I was lying in my purple-quilt bed in my room, listening to The Used. I felt my eyelids growing heavy as my body was slowly becoming senseless, slowly drifted me in a deep sleep.

A call that I wouldn't like to had answer at all. It was raining bullets in my dream. I was in a forest with a tall tower behind me. Thunders roared throughout the darkness as the black clouds move swiftly as lightning glowed in red. The wind shifts as the tall trees fluttered angrily against each other as though warning me. As the fog covered up, I can see that indistinguishable silhouettes moving the in the dark forest.

I struggled for a breath. Every cold water-drop fall, washing inside my clothing, making me shiver, I sat with my legs curled under me; my arms fold tightly around my chest. My hair was soaked and I couldn't see through my glasses, so I took them off, I kept breathing hard.

In. Out.

A feminine figure coming out of the darkness, walking gracefully and almost as though she was dancing, and approached me. Her wet light-brown hair, curling up in her ends, and then lighting glowed, my eyes went bloodshot. She was from plain to beautiful.

That isn't Sol, it cannot be! There is no way that it can be her, she looks too beautiful!

She didn't wear her thin-frame glasses, her eyes were from walnut to dark-hazel, her eyelashes were bigger and thicker, it looks like she wore mascara and eyeliner but she didn't. Her light tawny skin turned pale, her nose turned perfect, her mouth was the same, plump, expect a little larger on the sides. I saw what she was wearing, she had a long sleeves white dressed shirt with a black corset, a black mini schoolgirl skirt with long socks the almost reach her thighs with black sneakers. She was breathtaking and perfected. She smiled; my eyes went wide as I saw her canine teeth grew into fangs. She was not human.

I tried to push myself back against the wall, my hands dug in the dark moist soil. She took a step closer to me, I touch the wall and the stones help me pull myself up. I screamed as fear finally caught up to me, my palms were beginning to sweat, the hairs behind me stood up as a cold shiver went down my spine. I felt my mouth closing in, my breaths shallow but long. Sol struck her hands at sides of my head; her hands were long but graceful. I was staring at her eyes turning brown to bright red.

"Help...me...longer." Her voice was soft but elegant, struggling to speak. I stopped screaming when she spoke but the impression wouldn't go away, my gut tells me that she has the intention to kill me.

"What?"

"You...stop...hurting me...please...I..."

I realize that something was different, "Please, Sol…wait, you're not dead! I knew that you're still alive, Sol, you're still alive. Look at you! You're still flesh and bone."

"No." she smiles coldly and I felt as though fear stabbed me again, making it harder to breathe that my heart was beating faster against my chest, my blood turning from warm to cold. I didn't know if she meant that she was alive or that she was refusing to look at herself. However, whatever it was, she was frightening, I couldn't move from this spot, I wanted to runaway. It wasn't safe to be near her. The night grew more terrifying as the wind was getting stronger moving me against the wall, harder to move. Sol just stood there, unaffected by the wind.

"You should be back with the guys, they need you and I need you. You don't know how much we miss you, please Sol, don't hide anymore, I know you find a way to escape from that guy that took you away, you promise."

"Y-you're...not friend...you're...using me."

"What? I can't even hear you right; your words are like turning mute. Sol, what's going on? I know you and this isn't really you."

"Don't...again...got it...Jenny!"

"Sol?"

A bright light glowed from Sol's back, she yelled in pain and in desperation; her fangs retreated, her eyes turned walnut again. She looked human once more. I screamed at the horror, I didn't want her to leave especially now that she was burning in front of my eyes.

I fell hard on the ground that my knees nearly touched her.

"Sol?" I said sadly.

"Witch-hunter." She says before she disappears.

I looked at her, thunder grew deeper as the clouds move more rapidly and turning into more darkness. Tears came down from my eyes, stinging me, stinging my heart. The storm was over; it finally was clearing up.

I woke up, startled, I was breathing hard like in my dream but I finally calm down. For now, those two words were that frighten me. My iPod slowly fell from my trembling hands.

"Jenny?" My sister walks inside of my room, behind her, was my dad. They have the same look on their faces: worried, scared and yet anxious. I sat on my bed when I felt that I could move again. I took my glasses off and rubbed my eyes. I groaned and felt my dad close by, but my sister was still at the door. She knew when I wake up from a nap I get very grouchy.

"Had a nightmare, sweetie?" I groaned again in response. My dad told my sister to get warm milk, I didn't hear her leave, my dad pats my back. I push his hand away, falling back to bed. I didn't want to feel pity or their consents of my dark dream.

"I'm tired. I want to talk to mom."

"Your mom is asleep right now, why don't you just talk to me, instead? What did you dream, Jenny? You were screaming in your sleep." My cheeks burned in anger and embarrassment. I can't believe I was screaming in this nightmare, it was bad enough that I dream about Sol. My sister came back with a glass of milk. I only took a sip of it.

"Bring me the phone, Mimi." I ordered.

"You're not the boss of me, get it yourself. I'm not your slave."

"God, do I've to do it everything myself? I just ask for the phone. Dad, tell her to get the phone, I want to talk with my Aunt Sylvia."

"Hey, don't talk to me like that, okay? Only because you're older than me by three years it doesn't mean you have to boss me around." Mimi snaps. My dad comes inside with the phone on his hand.

"Jen! Mimi! That's enough! Instead fighting with your sister, Jen, you would already be talking to your aunt right now." He hands me the phone, "Don't talk long with your aunt, it's late and tomorrow you have to go to school. Come on, Mimi, I want you to do your homework before your mom wakes up and yells at me for not been responsible of your work."

I nodded as I finished dialing, I knew that I couldn't say anything to my dad, so the second person I could trust besides my mom, was my Aunt Sylvia. My cousin Hector answered the phone.

"Hey twerp, let me speak to your mom now."

"Bossy, as usual," I heard my cousin in the background before he called his mom.

"¿Bueno?"

"Aunt Sylvia." I said in Spanish only my cousin and my sister could speak in English, which was not good for me. I remember how the girls used to make fun of me because they said I sound like a "white girl" speaking Spanish. In addition, I'm Mexican.

"Oh, hey, honey, what's wrong? Is your mom alright?"

"Yeah, walking a little faster," My mom had an operation in Mexico. Therefore, she's unable to walk much, "I had this weird nightmare, though."

"What happen, Jenny?"

My aunt always told me since I was little that if I had strange dream to tell her or my mom, I thought it was weird because usually people aren't that interested in other people's dreams. However, that's how I was raised: tell my mom or my aunt only. My dad wasn't even the picture. It was as though I had a hidden secret from him. My dad is used it by now that he doesn't question my mom or me, but I knew that he was hurt inside and it hurts me inside but rules are rules even though they're so strange.

"I dreamed about Marisol, the one I told you that she was kidnapped. It was weird, though, she wasn't like human at all."

"What do you mean she wasn't human? What did she say to you?"

"Um, she had fangs and she was really beautiful, better than the girls from the magazines. Somehow, I couldn't understand her much until some light burned her; I think it was the sun. But she also said: Witch-hunter."

"Witch-hunter?"

"Yes, she said that, but what does it mean?"

"Oh, honey, it's a lot better than I had imagined!" she sounded excited but at the same time confused as I was. I just look at the phone and mouthed 'weirdo' "You have to come to my house tomorrow after four, and don't you call me weirdo. Anyways, I've to go now or your uncle will get grumpy if I don't make dinner."

I hung up the phone, she knew what I had mouthed and that was a freaky conversation, it didn't even make any sense. Why was my dream better than she had imagined? What did she even imagine? I lay back on bed, I've a weird family and I wish I were more like my dad's side, like Mimi.

I heard my mom finally waking up. I, instantly, hid myself under my covers after turning off the lights. As much as I wanted to tell my mom, and the whole nightmare to go away, I could find myself putting into words again. Therefore, I chanted "American idiot" softly as my eyes went heavy. Maybe tomorrow will go better than tonight. What else could go wrong?

I notice the time from my iPod that it was time to go and meet my aunt. I took a step back, meanwhile everyone was finishing given out his or her flowers. Kevin notice that I took a few steps back. He wasn't going to let me go.

"Jen, you're leaving and not even try to say something to your best friend? Harsh, don't you think?" I realize they were waiting for this moment, to confront me.

"Why don't you just shut up, Kevin? You, of all people, should be mourning for Sol―"

"C'mon Jen, you act as though she's alive!"

"She is! It's your fault that you won't believe me. Besides, you're not even crying for her, you're probably happy to think she's dead." Kevin just stares at me with his monkey face and short brown hair that matches his eyes. He was taller than I was by a head and he was so skinny, almost anorexic.

"Shut up." Mathew jumps in. "You guys only do is fight each other, not leaving Sol in peace, and she wouldn't want this."

"Oh, how do you know? You had chance with her, and you blew it by going after her friend, Jessica." I saw tears going to his eyes, Holly was about to say something, but I stopped her.

"No, Holly, don't even defend Mathew, he has a part of this and you know it! Don't forget how Sol suffered by this bastard. Yet, she was still helping people, to avoid the pain, and he just let her suffer."

"Just shut up!" Cella finally spoke, slapping me across the face that was unexpected from everyone. My cheek burns from the sharp pain.

"Sorry."

I sighed sadly without even bothering to say good-bye to anyone. There was no point to continue arguing, it was most my fault anyway. I should be even be here, I knew that this was a bad idea especially when my best friends are now mad at me, poor Cella, Holly and even Christine. I missed them, as much as I missed the old days. I walked down the street, shoved my hands in my pockets. I breath through my mouth as I need to calm down, I'm sure that everything will pass away. Why did it have to be today that I was wrong?

"Jenny." I turned, I thought I had heard someone crying my name but there was no one. I shook my head and move on. I was alone and as I walked across the alley, a car beeped at me. The guy behind the wheel squeaked as he stops two inches from hitting me.

"Hey, kid, watch where you're going? Stupid teenagers . . ." the car drove past me. I gave the guy the finger, not giving a care if the driver stops. I kept walking, when I heard the voice again.

"Jenny."

I turned again but no one was there. I was somewhat scared now but then I got my courage, reminded myself that none of my friends would be scared. Expect for me, I hated to walk alone; it always scared me to be alone in the streets, but it helped me think. I kept walking trying to ignore everything that surrounds me, to get my aunt's house fast as possible and feel safe.

"Jenny."

"Be strong, Jenny." I mumbled to myself. I was in front of a yellow building that other side of me was a small front lawn with a row of three trees. A cold breeze made my skin crawled, for something evil was in the mist. I felt this cold presence pressuring my body down.

"Jenny."

"Okay, you, show yourself, I want you to stop playing with me!" I spoke aloud, hearing my voice shrill in the alley. I felt a cold presence behind me, it was scaring a part of me, I didn't want to turn and look but something tells me that I should, for it was my responsibility; I turned slowly. I screamed.

"No! No! No! You can't be dead! NO!"