Three: Kaden

Ok, maybe I wasn't in the best shape when I walked into English hall this morning. But how could I? I mean, I just found out that an old friend of mine was found dead in the back woods of our school. This just seemed like the perfect grieving moment; only no one truly was grieving.

I remember like it was yesterday. It was first grade. I was the new kid in town, and of course, I stay by myself in the corner of the room. I tried my best to make friends with the other kids but it just never seemed to happen. Back then, I was sort of an awkward kid with scrawny arms and huge glasses that practically took over my entire face.

I was just sitting there, reading my Frog and Toad are Friends book, only because my mum wanted me to act like I didn't know any better because she didn't want me to be a complete show off, like someone in our family usually is. When I finally got to the last two pages, a figure stood over the small red table.

The figure was sort of short and plump. But then again, most of us were extremely short at that age. And back then I was definitely a short kid. Probably short enough to fit in one of the cubbies that were mounted to the wall. Just kidding. Or am I? No I am.

I looked up from my book. I could feel my glasses sliding off my nose. I adjusted them just where I was hoping it would be. There was a plump girl staring down at me. Her hair was blacker than a raven's feathers and tied back in a ponytail. The average sized bifocals she wore were red as well, and she wore a navy blue hoodie, even though it wasn't close to winter yet. And her skin looked almost like a creamy pale color.

The girl took the empty chair at my table and sat down. She stared back at me with curiosity.

I smiled weakly. "Hi," I said in an undeveloped squeaky voice.

The girl said nothing at all. I looked back at her. My eyes weren't exactly sure what they were looking at. She seemed pretty at the time, but I kept wanting something different. When not one of us spoke another word, I drew my eyes back to the book in my hands.

Before I could turn to the very last page of the book, the girl reached over and snatched the book from me. My six year old self looked at the girl in surprise. She took the book from my little boy hands hands. That was an fatty "no no" in my mom's book. I reached over the table and snatched it back from her. She had a grip. She held on tightly to the book's binding.

"Give it back." I whined.

The girl just looked at me. I wasn't sure at the time if I was more frustrated and upset that she didn't hand over the book or the fact that she didn't say one word since she sat down. It didn't matter. I wasn't done reading and she was not going to take it away from me.

My hands pulled with all their might to pry the book from the girl's hands.  

 

"Quit it right now or I'm going to tell Teacher on you." I said my voice getting louder.

The girl didn't take her eyes off our hands. For some reason, I felt like there was no point in telling the teacher anything. It felt like forever of playing tug-of-war with the book. Eventually the girl let go of the book and stood up. She smiled at me and turned her back to look away. I asked her for her name.

"It's Audrey," she said smiling. "Audrey Valdez"

She extended her hand to me. I was hesitant to take it, but I didn't want to be rude. I shook her hand. It felt colder than the inside of my aunt's industrial freezer and let's just say I know this for a fact. For the rest of the day we spent our time reading in the little library in the back of the room, hanging out by the monkey bars during recess and sometimes we would say things about the other kids who we didn't like. It seemed like a good year. Then second grade came along. I became friends with Carmella and Audrey stopped talking to me completely.

I shook the memory away. It was hard to believe that she would cut me off like that. I mean, who does that to a person? So I made more friends. I didn't see any reason for her not to want to be friends with me anymore. But that was the then and now; she's dead. I fought back tears. It was becoming a little too much.

As soon as the bell rang, Carmella and I entered the classroom. We headed for our usual seats in the very back. As soon as I sat down, Mr. Ross stood at the front of the class. He looked kind of young, probably mid to late twenties. His hair was as black as...Never mind. He was dressed in a long sleeved beige sweater and tan loafers. Not bad, could use work, but not bad at all.

Mr.Ross was technically our temporary English teacher. Our original teacher, Mrs. Cox, mysteriously disappeared right before school started. No one really knows why she hasn't come back yet. A lot of the seniors say that she used to be gone off and on last year. But from what I geared, we got the better end of the deal. Mrs. Cox wasn't exactly full of rainbows and sunshine.

"I'm sure you've all heard about what happened this morning," he said, his turquoise eyes scanning all of our grim faces.

I looked around the room and spotted a few people I grew up with. Some were kids who just moved here and others have been in this town all their lives. But in the end, we all knew Audrey; one way or another.

"I wanted to let you know that the grief counselor has asked that some of you come to her office at some point this week." He continued with his little speech. "I'm sure some of you have known the student very well."

A cold chill ran through my body.

"Principal Rodgers would like me to also tell you that school will go on as planned for today."

There were a few groans.

"But there will be a chance that there will be no school. Until we hear more, we'll play it by ear."

Mr. Ross turned his back to us and started scribbling on the board. In the corner of my eye I could see Carmella lean over to me.

"What happened to Audrey?" She whispered.

Part of me hopped she didn't ask that question. But it was pointless now. I sighed and told her everything I knew, which wasn't much. All about where they found her body and what Madison told me. As I gave her more details, Carmella's eyes widen. When I was done she slumped back into her seat.

For a minute she was silent. This was a first. In all of the years I've known Carmella she has never gone silent. For anything. We could be in the middle of a fire and she would talk to me on and on the whole way out the building. Usually something about how she wanted to stay so she could mess with the fire, but I'd just drag her out. Last thing I needed was for my pyromaniac best friend causing more damage to the school than needed.

I heard her sigh. My eyes peeled away from Mr. Ross' angelic voice to focus on her. Her eyes were glued to the board, but I could tell she was thinking really hard. I leaned over and whispered.

"What is it," I asked.

It took her a minute to snap out of her trance. "I'm not exactly one hundred percent surprised." She said slowly.

I was taken back. What did she mean by that? She looked over at me and noticed my astonished expression.

"Don't pretend that you didn't notice how she was acting last year." The decibels in her voice dropped as people around us started nosing in on our conversation. "The way she isolated herself from everybody? How 

she never said a word to anyone? Not even her weird outcast friends?"

Ok, Carmella didn't really like Audrey. For some reason I know that the feeling was mutual on Audrey's end. Now, Carmella wasn't a total B. She was actually a really cool person. That was until she talked about the people she hated with a passion. I would never admit this, and neither would she, but both Carmella and Audrey were more alike than anyone I've ever known (Insert her gagging here).

I looked long and hard at Carmella. This was not something I would expect from her right now. Especially when she knew me and Audrey used to be friends. But what she said made me think. Audrey was acting weird last spring. She ate outside instead of inside with her friends. And what Carmella said was true about Audrey cutting off everybody. I would see her in the halls and try to strike up a conversation, but she would ignore me completely and brush past me.

But that was in the past now. Audrey was no longer the girl who kept quiet the whole rest of sophomore year. She was the girl who was found dead in the backwoods of the school. I could feel myself on the verge of tears. It felt like it was sort of my fault.

"Don't you dare feel sorry for yourself," Carmella voiced. Sometimes, it freaked me out how she could read my mind like that.

I looked up at her. She had that rare look in her eyes. The one that meant she was dead serious.

"But it is my fault," I muttered.

Carmella shook her head. "No, it's not. Look, you feel bad because you can't kiss and make up with her now, but you are not the reason she's dead."

Great pep talk, Caramel, I thought. But there had been some truth in what she said. I was upset for what I couldn't or didn't do.

"Thanks, Caramel." I managed with my struggling vocal cords as best I could.

She gave me that million dollar smile that made other guys fall to their knees and say they weren't worthy. I swear, are all guys completely deranged? Oh wait, don't answer that.

Just then the intercom went on. It let out a loud squeaky beep that made most of the class cover their ears. Been here three years and I'm still not used to that annoying bell.

"Excuse me teachers and students," said a sing-song voice. "Could both Kaden Clyde and Carmella Velazquez report to Principal Rodgers office, thank you."

By now everyone was looking at us. If they didn't figure it out by now, we practically lived in the principal's office. Well at least Carmel does. I just visit against my own will.

I looked over at Carmella.

"What did you do?" My typical question for when we get called down to the office.

However, this time it was different. Instead of a devious grin, there was a confused expression on her face, which wasn't very comforting.  

The corner of her lips were turned down. "I have no idea."

And for the first time, I knew she meant it.