New Friend

Micheal & Mia meet up every week after school. When for several weeks Micheal doesnt show up, Mia becomes worried She asks around to see if anyone has seen him recently, but there is no Micheal

Mia walked out of Joyce Middle School to find herself embraced by a warm fall day. Most of the kids were gone, having gone home on the bus. Mia was taking the late bus home, hoping to catch up on homework. She had 5 younger brothers, and her house was never quite anymore.

Mia sat down on one of the picnic tables outside the school. The sun warmed her back, but the wind kept her cool. It had rained earlier that day, and there were puddles all around her.

As the winds around her grew stronger, her papers started flying everywhere. Mia's math paper was whisked from her hands. She looked up to see a tall lean boy grab her paper. "Oh GOd thanks." Mia sighed, relieved. The boy handed her her math paper and smiled. "No problem." 

He was cute, Mia decided. He had long brown hair, caramel colored eyes, and average features. "Going home on the late bus?" She asked. He shook his head. "I walk. My house is just over there, at the very end of the cold-i-sack." He pointed toward a close neighborhood. "I'm Mia." "Micheal." He replied. "Your in 7th grade, right?" Mia asked, and Micheal nodded. "Working on math?" Micheal pointed toward her paper. Mia nodded. "Mrs. Braddly's a creep. Gave us a sheet with 50 problems on it." Micheal shook his head. "Dont have her." "Lucky." Mia replied. He sat with her and helped her through her homework. He was smart, Mia realized, and nice too. 

Later Mia left for her late bus, and Micheal walked home.

 

The following day in school, Mia looked out for Micheal but didnt see him. "What are you looking for?" Her best friend Lisa asked during lunch. Mia opened her mouth and shook her head. For some reasome she didn't want to tell Lisa about Micheal.

 

Mia didnt see Micheal till the next Tuesday, when she stayed after school again. He helped Mia with her math, which was her weak spot. She preferred History. History was a bunch of stories, and it could be about anything  from Slavery to Kings and Queens to wars. When Mia offered to help Micheal with his work, he shook his head claiming to have it all already done. 

"What History teacher do you have?" She asked him the next week. "Pattenson." Mia shook her head. "Never heard of him. I have Sampson" Micheal frowned. "Dont know him." They went through their teachers, and the only one they both knew was Mr. Brunner, Micheal's math teacher. 

They continued to see each other for the next few weeks, and Mia grew to like him more and more.

One dreary Tuesday, Micheal didn't come.

Same with the next week.

The next.

At this time Mia felt especially nervous.

The next few days were filled with non stop rain. So on Friday, it really wasn't a big surprise that most of the buses were delayed since the streets were so flooded. Kids were pilled into the Auditorium, where they had Finding Nemo playing on a screen. Slowly, adults handed out juice boxes and cheeze-it packets. It had been 50 minutes, and everyone was beyond bored. 

Mia sat with her friends Lisa, George, Arnold, and Sara. George was trying to entertain them with a story about how he used to have a twin sister till she died from trying Bloody Mary. "My family was so devestaed we changed our last name so no one would know. We moved here." He paused for dramatic effect. "Were actually related to the Prince of Persia." Sara snorted. "Your so full of bullcrap George." George stuck out his tongue. "Fine. Lets see if Mia can tell a better story." Mia pursed her lips. "I dont have a story." "Mia, unless you want to be tortured by another story from George, please tell us something." Lisa said. Mia sighed.

She ended up telling them about Micheal. "That was a terrible story." Arnold said. "It wasn't a story. Just something that happened to me." Mia said. George snorted. "And you say I'm full of bullcrap. Mia frowned. "It's true." She insisted. George shook his head, smiling. "Ive never heard of anyone who looks like that with the name MIcheal." "What was his last name?" Sara asked. Mia thought about it, then remembered what he told her. "Jannson." George shook his head. "Made up. No such kid." Mia frowned at him. "Well, there is. I met him." Arnold turned around to a group of guys. "Do you guys know a Micheal Jannson?" They shook their heads, "Made up." George & Arnold repeated. "Are you really that desperate for a boyfriend that youd make one up?" George teased. Mia gapped. "I never said he was my boyfriend." She turned to Lisa. "Do you believe me?" Lisa hesitated. "I dont know. It sounds a little...odd." Mia sighed and stood up. "I'll be back." 

She walked down the halls toward Mr. Brunner's class. Mia saw through the window that he was in there, grading papers. She knocked and went in once he motioned her too. "Can I help you?" he asked, distracted. 'Yes. Has Micheal Jannson been in class recently?" Mr. Brunner's hand stopped marking a paper. Slowly, he looked up at Mia. Mr. Brunner had white balding hair, faint blue eyes, and glasses. "I dont know a Micheal Jannson." It took her 5 seconds to reply. "He told me you were his teacher." She insisted. Mr. Brunner began grading his papers again. "Sorry cant help you." Frustrated, Mia turned and walked out of the room.

 

The following Tuesday Micheal didn't appear. Frustrated and worried, Mia left the school property, going towards the house Micheal said was his. She rang thedoorbell and a fat lady with dark circles opened the door a crack. "May I help you?" She sounded tired. "Is Micheal Jannson here?" Mia asked. The lady blinked. Mia repeated her question. "Honey, you must have the wrong house. THere's no such person." The lady shut the door in Mia's face. Wanting to cry, Mia wandered along the street. She saw a bunch of little kids playing. "Excuse me, do you know a MIcheal Jannson?" They shook their little heads and looked up at her with wide eyes. SHe was about to leave when a sharp voice said "Hey."

She spun around to see an older kid on the curb. He was around 19 "What do you know about Micheal Jannson?" Mia was so surprised her words came out stuttered, "DO you know him?" The kid nodded. "He was my best friend." "I met him a while ago. BUt I havn't heard from him ina while and..." THe kid glarred at her and interrupted. "Not possible." Mia opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted again. "I said he was my best friend. Then he died." The kid paused. "7 years ago. No one found his body, but we found his blood." THe guy pointed towards the woods. "Someone must have been playing with you." Mia was too stunned to speak.

She ran, first toward the school, than down into the forest. She stumbled and tripped a few times. The woods were dark, winterwas approching and the days ended fast. The woods were still damp from the flood. Mia stumbled into a clearing with a small creek. Further out, she spotted a cliff. Staring down at the creek as if he might jump into it was MIcheal. "Micheal." Mia gasped. He turned slowly. He was frowning, his face and body wet, with fresh cuts on his face. He looked crazy. "You." He growled. He ran toward her, and Mia cried out in surprise and fell to the ground, her legs giving out. But it wasn't her Micheal was looking at. He ran past her to....Mr. Brunner. Micheal punched him in the gut, again and again. Mia screamed. "You killed me." Micheal growled. Mr. Brunner pushed him down, and MIcheal grabbed his legs as the old teacher tried to run. They rolled around, but in the end Micheal pinned Mr. Brunner down and punched him repeatedly. "You murdered me." he said. "Stop!" Mia cried. "Stop!!!" Abruptly, Micheal stopped, and slowly turned.

"Mia?" His voice was soft as the rain that had started to fall around them. "I'm sorry. So sorry." He looked kind, gently, worn out. The rain fell threw him, and he slowly disappeared. The trees wavered, the wind whispered his last words.

Mr. Brunner stood up, ragged and bloody. Shaking, he turned and ran.

Mia just sat there. The trees shook violently, telling each other the story of what had happened. Mia checked her watch and noticed it was time to go. She stood up slowly, testing her legs. She walked, then ran. She ran faster than she'd ever run, away from those woods, away from that neighborhood. 

She made it to her late bus just in time, and the driver looked at her disaprovingly. Mia sat down shivering. She watched out the window as the bus left Joyce Middle School. 

And in the distance, she thought she spotted a figure watching. It was a tall boy, around her age maybe. She shivered and pulled out her History textbook to get some homework done. 

Author's Note

When I finished writing this, I realized that in another story I had an evil character named...Dr. Brunner. FAIL. Haha...im so creative with names! XD