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The Unforgettable Days

by Rasheal Timm, Oregon, USA, Age 15


I sat in the empty desk looking at the clock religiously. The girls sat a few rows down giggling at the immature boys and their stupid Arnold Schwarzenegger impressions. I just sat there hoping the day would go by faster.

I felt tapping on my shoulder. I swung around to find the girls giving me weird looks. Then I noticed there was a guy standing in front of me. "Can I help you?" I said giving him a look like I had something better to do.

" Hey, you want to go out some time?" he asked. I busted out with laughter.

" Right now I'm having something called alone time. And right now your jeopardizing the only alone time I may have in a month. So, if you think sarcasm is amusing find someone else to be your entertainment. Because unless you want what I'm dealing with shut up and get back to your seat," I said then turning back around thinking of ways I could make every day situations into an interesting story. If you didn't know, I'm a writer. Not a very good one in my opinion, but the school says otherwise. Like they know, we're one of the most dumbest countries. Free, but dumb.

The bell finally rang. I walked out of the classroom like an average american would walk to the store or to the school. They obviously like being dumb because they practically run out of their classes. I wouldn't blame them, sometimes I think teachers are more stupid then I am. I guess every kid thinks that, but this time I think I'm right.

There stood with her arms crossed the school counselor. "You missed our weekly meeting," she said disappointed.

" Well, I have a good explanation, you see I was almost hit by a bus and it was so traumatizing that I forgot about our very important meeting. That by the way means so much to me," I said sarcastically. I got to my locker, while I opened it she lectured me.

" Your sarcastic lies aren't getting you know where. We're just trying to help," she said switching from disappointed to concerned facial expression.

" No one can help me but me, and I don't feel like helping myself, so lay off." I said slamming my locker shut. I walked through the door to my next period. The bad thing about this period is that I sit next to that annoying guy that won't leave me alone. I sat down in my desk.

" Are you having alone time now?" he asked whispering. I took out a piece of paper and wrote: I'm always having alone time.

He wrote on the same piece of paper: I was being serious about the date thing.
I choked on my spit attracting attention. "I have a cold," I said switching from my teacher to the guy.

Yeah right, and I just won a million dollars. I was, he wrote insisting.
Sorry I have a contagious terminal illness, I wrote sarcastically.
Well my offer still stands, he replied to my sarcasm.

I continue to listen to the teacher babble on with his normal useless rants. I looked over at the preps, and they glared more than usual. This was odd to me; for three years now its been the same and now of all time they decide to hate me worse. It was confusing.

I made it through the period with a minor stare down with the preps, but it could've been worse. They could've spread rumors about me, like they did in the forth grade. That was my worst year.

Next period was heath, the teacher hates me, I swear. It all started when a kid told me I was being too nice, so I flipped him off unaware that the teacher was watching. No biggie; he just made me write "I will not flip off others" on the chalk board. So, I did, then he said I was writing too big and that I had to come in saturday and write it all day Saturday. I got angry and wrote "I will not flip off anyone but Mr. Jacobs." He got angry and sent me to detention. Ever since its been like oil and water with him and I. I came into class late.

" For people just now showing up for class, we're talking about bullying," he said meaning me. I automatically raised my hand.

" Don't you think its much easier to just say our names?" I asked being the usual oil in the situation. He ignored my question and went on.

" If you're being bullied go to a responsible adult," he said aloud.

"Isn't that the biggest load of crap you've ever heard?" I rudely interrupted.

"Do you want to share your opinion?" Mr. Jacobs asked.

" Well, if you tell any responsible adult you'll be labeled a "nark"............ and you'll never be able to live that down," I said making the class laugh.

" Detention, now," he yelled. I walked out of the classroom but I didn't go to detention. I decided to go for a walk through the park. While I was walking I bumped into Trent ( You know, that annoying guy).

"Hey, Allie!" he said.
"Does my facial expression just scream out talk to me or what?" I said walking down the trail to the river.
" You know, you make it real hard for someone to like you," Trent said following.
" Why do you, then?" I asked.

" Because you're smart and your independent and you don't care what people think. Because you're not like other girls. Because you're spontaneous and fun. A little rude and sarcastic but well worth it," he said making me realize that maybe he really does like me. I stopped and turned around.

" Well, lets see what I can say about you. You hang around people who make fun of the under privileged for entertainment. Even though watching from a distance that you're different from them. But your parents know theirs, and you grew with them so naturally you guys would have to be friends. I don't want to jeopardize your friendships so I be mean to you, but really I think under the mask you're a very interesting person," I said finally telling the truth.

" I knew it, you do like me," he said excitedly.
" I said you were interesting. I didn't say I liked you," I said correcting him.
" You didn't have to. I figure, if you didn't like me you wouldn't watch me," he said making a point.
"Whatever," I said climbing over logs that blocked the path to the water. He followed asking questions.

" So, how long have you watched me?" he asked with a grin.
" Only when bring attention to yourself. Most likely being obnoxious just to fit in," I said to him.
" Stalker," he muttered as he chuckled. I turned around and pushed him into the water. I turned around and started walking then all of sudden I was lifted from the ground and thrown in the river. Next thing you know we're wrestling in the water. After we were done wrestling, decided to go home.

" Hey, hop in I'll give you a ride," he said opening the door for me.
" Thanks," I said climbing in the passenger side.
"No, thank you," he said closing the door.
"For what?" I asked confused.
" Telling me what you thought earlier," he said starting the car.
He got half way there until I said, "Wait! I don't want to go home yet. Can I show you something?" I asked him.
" Yeah, sure," he said. He looked somewhat relieved. I think he was happy to spend more time with me.
"Do you know where Hemington Ridge is?" I asked as he shook his head up and down.
When we got there we got out, and I took a paper bag out of the back seat. I put it over his head. I led him through the woods to the secret spot. I waited until the sun hit the water just right; then I removed the bag.
"Wow!" he gasped.
"Have you ever heard the story of the gold miner?" I asked getting ready to tell him the story.
" No," he said attentive.
" Back in the forties there was a gold miner named Willy. He mined day in and day out. He never found gold. They say he was cursed with bad luck. Well, one day he struck gold. He thought his bad luck was over. Well, he rounded up all the gold he could. And with it he was rich and own the most beautiful house by the river. He hid the gold in his house.

"One day he went for a walk through the woods, there was an earthquake and it wiped out his whole house. They say his house and the gold fell into this river. Sometimes when the sun hits it just right it glitters from all the gold," I said staring at the water and the way it shined.

" Can I ask you something?" Trent asked me.
" Sure," I said thinking that it's weird how he asked to ask me something.
" Would you like me if I wasn't popular?" he asked looking at the water.
I looked at him and said "F.Y.I, I already do," I said. He leaned over and kissed me.
"Can I ask you something else?" he asked looking directly in my eyes. "Will you go out with me?"
" Yes," I said just before we kissed again.
We decided to go home after awhile. He went around and opened the door for me.
"Thanks," I said smiling at him.
" No problem," he said smiling back. He got in and drove away.
"Take a left here..." I said telling him how to get to my house.
" ....What are you going to do if your friends don't like the fact that we're together?" I asked. I waited for him to think awhile.

" I'll tell them that it's too bad because I'm not going to break up with you because they disapprove," he said keeping his eyes on the road.

A grin formed on my face. "Good answer," I said as he looked over with a smile.

When we got to my house, we walked up to the door hand in hand the I gave him a hug. "I'll pick you up tomorrow morning, 7:30 good?" he asked.
" Yeah," I said kissing him and walking inside. The lights were out I automatically knew what my mother was trying to pull.
" Hi, mother," I said waiting for her to turn on the lights. The lights came on.
" Hi.... Do I have to ask you where you were?" she said with her arms crossed against.
"No," I said taking off my coat and putting it in the closet.
" So, are you going to tell me?" she asked with her disappointed mother look on her face.
"Y-no," I said imitating moose of the movie "Brother Bear."
" Your teacher called; she said you skipped school for the past month.........is this true?" she asked sitting up.
" No-" I said being cut off by the sound of the alarm on my mother's cell phone going off.
" Oh, shit. I have a date but don't think you've got out of talking about this, young lady," she practically running upstairs. I went upstairs and went to bed.
The next morning as usual my mom woke me up at six. I got ready and waited for Trent. I watched from the kitchen as he drove up. I opened the door seconds before he was about to know. "Bye, mom," I yelled putting my coat on.

" Bye," I heard her yell just before I closed the door. We drove away.
"Where's your dad?" he asked keeping his eyes on the road.
" He left when I was two," I said like it was no big deal.
" I'm Sorry," he said feeling bad.
" Don't be; you didn't leave me when I was two. Beside pitying me makes me feel bad about myself," I said as we reached the school.
He walked around and opened the door. Hand in hand we walked through the double doors in front of the school. Every one stopped what they were doing and stared. I saw my friends and there shocked looks.

"I'm going to go over there, ok?" I said kissing him and walking over to them.
" What's with that?" My friend tawny said pointing.
" We're going out now," I said like it was no big deal.
" When did this happen?" my other friend Terri said.
" I believe around 6:30 PM yesterday," I said being a smart aleck.
" We don't even know who you are anymore. You change every day," Tawny said closing her locker.

" Not every day, more like every other day," I said joking around.
" Your going to turn into the barbie dolls you once hated," Terri said walking away with Tawny. Whatever, I don't need you guys I thought to myself.
Meanwhile Trent was talking to his friends.
" What with that?" they said pointing.

" Nothing, we're just going out," he said hoping that they won't hate him.
" If you're going out with that we can't be seen with you. You know that right?" he said patting him on the shoulder and walking away.

After school he drove me home. He seemed to be acting weird.
" I can't do this," he said pulling over.

" Can't do what? Drive? I thought you were driving fine," I said.
" No, this...us," he said feeling extra agitated. "I have no friends, and I'm nothing at school," he said continuing.

" What happened to "....I'm not going to break up with you because they disapprove," I said angrily lifting my hands to make quotation marks with my fingers.

" I thought I could handle it," he said with his head bowed.

" I can't believe this........I was wrong about you, you're just like everyone else," I said getting out of the car.

" Allie, wait," he said.

I just kept walking and ignored him. I watched angered as his car just drove away. I don't get it I thought; he didn't care about whether his friends disapproved I thought to myself.

I got home around 4:30 PM. My mom noticed that I was upset.

" Honey-" my mom said concerned.

" I don't want to talk about it. Just like everything else in my life," I said agitated.

I went upstairs and took a bath. When I got out and got dressed I wrapped the towel around my head and walked out of the bathroom. Then the phone rang.

" Can you get that, honey?" she yelled from downstairs.

" Yeah, sure," I said picking up the cordless phone. I pushed the talk button.

" Hello?" I said propping the phone against my shoulder.

"Allie?" said a familiar voice.

" Yes," I said leaning against the wall.

" This is the sheriff....I'm sorry to inform that Trent Collins got in a car accident," he said.

" Oh my god, is he all right?" I said worried.

" We lost him. I'm sorry," he said.

Tears flowed out of my eyes slowly and a lump formed in my throat.

"Hello?" the sheriff said making sure I was there.

"How?" I asked as tears dripped off my cheeks.

" A car swerved to miss a dear and hit his car. Next thing they know Trent's car went off the cliff," he said.

" Thank you for telling me," I said hardly being able to talk through the crying. "Bye," I said hanging up.

That day was the worse day of my life. That day my heart was ripped from my chest and sewed in backwards. Who knew how much pain a phone call could bring? He left me to live life by myself. I was angry with him yet I missed him being there. His death affected me in more than one way. For instance, it brought me pain and it brought my mother and I together.

That day my mom noticed that I was sad and she was there to comfort me. Ever since, my mom and I have been like best friends.

At the service, I stood and watched from a distance. When every one left, I said good bye. I stared at the freshly dug dirt. Just knowing that his body's lying six feet under and I never got to say good bye made me sad. With tears streaming down my face I placed single rose on his grave. "Now I have all the time in the world," I said making an inside statement before walking away. I still visit him every now and then and I will never forget the short time we spent together.