Chapter Two

A month and a half had passed since Marcus' death when I decided to go to school again. By this time I had searched the whole city for someone who might be able to give me any clue to how to bring someone back from the dead. I had talked to people from every class and job in sketchy places and in not-sketchy places. Most of them looked at me like I was crazy, and some told me so. I thought they were stupid and didn't bother to say anything more to them once they told me they didn't know why I'd ask that kind of question. I knew that they were closed-minded, ignorant.

Along with searching through the city, I also searched the library and the internet for information, but could find none. School would be my last place to look in this city, and if I couldn't find any answers there, I would travel to other cities or countries until I found what I wanted.

I put my math book into my backpack�"two things I hadn't touched in more than a month�"on a sunny March mid-morning and stepped into the living room. The house was quiet. My parents were at work and they didn't know I was going to school today. I didn't want to put in the time at school, but I was about two hours late anyway, so it wouldn't be so bad. And I had to look there for my answers. I could leave no place unsearched.

By the time I had walked to school, it was 10:45 in the morning. I couldn't remember what class I was supposed to be in, but I had to check in at the office anyway. The lady at the counter seemed surprised to see me but didn't say anything. When I asked her what class I had at this time, she told me to go to history.

Oh, I thought.

The whole class stared at me as I opened the door to the history room. The teacher stared for a couple of seconds, too, and then quickly looked back at his notes and continued speaking, a little bit nervously. I took my usual seat near the back of the class and looked around, which caused the other students to look away. Except one.

Maria looked at me with eyes that were neither judgmental nor curious, because she was going through the same thing that I was. She had been friends with Marcus and with me, too. We had been sort of an inseparable trio, the three of us, although Marcus and I had been a tiny bit closer because Maria had moved to our city in seventh grade, and Marcus and I had lived here all our lives. But she was still a really close friend, and suddenly I felt a bit guilty for not having talked to her since Marcus' funeral.

She was smiling. Just a little. But I didn't know why. It wasn't a happy smile, just sort of friendly. I looked back at her, but I didn't smile, I just looked. I noticed that her brown eyes were slightly bloodshot, but nothing else about her appearance showed that anything was different about her. Her brown hair, her clothes, her smile, all looked normal. But she had an open book on her desk inside her textbook, a novel, and I knew what was really going on. That was so typical of Maria. She would try to appear normal, and she would read all the time, keeping her mind out of reality, although inside, something was still very wrong. I felt another twinge of guilt. I should have talked to Maria. But then again, she could have talked to me. Her head was just too far buried in her books, just like I was too far buried in my own pain.

I looked away from Maria and stared at my desk for the rest of the class.

 

 

“Cade.” The bell had just rung. I was just rising from my seat. How did Maria know I was going to leave without talking to her? Was I going to leave without talking to her?

I turned to face her. She stood in front of me, still stuffing her book into her backpack. I didn't know what to say. I wanted to turn and go anyway, but I made myself stay.

“Maria,” I said. That was the best I could come up with.

“How are you?” she asked. She also seemed kind of awkward, but she was anxious, too.

“I'm fine,” I said. That was, of course, far from the truth, but I didn't want to say anything more. “You?”

“I'm good,” she said. Another lie, I knew.

Now I was stuck. I looked out the classroom's open door into the hallway, trying to think of something else to say, or a way to get us into the hallway.

That was when I saw what I had been looking for.

Brianna Ludwigs was medium-height and so skinny she literally seemed like skin and bones; her bright red hair was usually tied back in a low ponytail; she wore baggy black cargo pants with chains looped down the sides and tight-fitting, long-sleeved black shirts that showcased her collarbone and the faint outline of two or three ribs just beneath. Besides her hair, the only pops of color she wore came from a few bracelets and necklaces. I wasn't stupid enough to judge by her appearance that she'd know anything related to an answer to my question. But I had heard a lot of rumors about her dabbling in magic and other things, and her air, not just her clothes, seemed to match the stories.

She passed by the doorway and that was when I knew I needed to ask her my question.

“So...” Maria was beginning again, awkwardly.

I looked back at her. I needed to follow Brianna now; I took a sideways step with one foot without thinking about it and stopped myself from breaking into a run.

“Maria�"” I started, and then let out a short breath, looking out into the hallway again. “I'll talk to you at lunch.” I glanced at her apologetically and then sprinted out of the door.

Brianna wasn't too far away, but I ran to her anyway, feeling like I could still lose this chance to talk to her if I didn't. She was walking with her boyfriend, whose arm was draped loosely around her shoulders. As I ran to them, Brianna turned, unraveling herself from his arm, and he turned after her. I stopped running a few feet in front of them, almost losing my balance but just barely catching myself. Brianna's boyfriend smirked and put his hands in the pockets of his own baggy black cargo pants. Brianna smiled too, a pleased smile, almost a knowing smile.

“Yes?” she said.

I stood speechless for one second. Then I said, “Do you know me?” That would have been a stupid question before, but since Marcus’ death, more people recognized me, as his friend at least.

Brianna's smile didn't change. “Of course I do. You're Cade Holman.”

I nodded. I noticed that the people passing us in the hall were thinning out. We would probably be late for our next class, but none of us really cared. I took a deep breath, but Brianna spoke before I did.

“I assume you have a reason for talking to me, since we've never spoken before.”

I nodded again. “I've heard some...things about you,” I said.

The corners of her mouth twitched a little. “I'm sure you have.”

“Are they...true?”

“Do you want to talk to him?” she said. The question caught me off-guard. I hadn't thought of talking to Marcus. But I knew instantly that that wasn't what I wanted. It wasn't good enough, because how was I supposed to know if I was talking to Marcus or just some illusion Brianna created? It didn't seem like it would feel real even if it was him. I shook my head, and now Brianna looked surprised.

“No,” I said. “I want...” For one second I paused, thinking this was just too much, that Brianna would call me crazy just like all the rest. But I pushed that thought aside and continued, “I want to bring him back from the dead. All the way.”

Brianna's eyes widened, first with pure surprise, and then something else with that surprise...greed? I had been ready to leave, sure she'd turn me down like everyone else I had asked, but that new expression changed my mind. Within two seconds her eyes were back to their normal size and she was smiling�"no, she was grinning.

“I've gotta say, Cade, I always knew you were special, but this is extraordinary.” Brianna looked at me for a couple more seconds, thinking. She seemed to be in a phenomenally pleasant mood all of the sudden. She stuck out her hand, the bracelets on her wrists clinking softly. “I'll do what I can. Meet me after school today.”

I shook her hand. “Where?”

“I'll find you,” she said. She stepped back, next to her boyfriend; I'd almost forgotten he was there. “See you, Cade.” Her mouth twisted with these words, and then Brianna and her boyfriend turned and walked away. Oh, she was in a good mood. But so was I. I might finally be getting somewhere.

Author's Note

Any comments and/or criticism much appreciated. :)