Sound Effect

Chapter One

"Young man, you HAVE to raise your grades! All D's! I can't believe this!" Valencia Wood la Van, my mother, sat down primly in her chair, expressing an exasperated sigh. But her posture remained stiff. Always stiff.

I ran a hand through my hair and attempted a carefree smile. It wasn't the first time she'd yelled at me like this. At least Father wasn't home. Otherwise it'd be worse. He wouldn't speak. He'd just sit there staring at me with disappointed eyes and frown lines covering his face. Silence was so much worse than being yelled at.

"You have to get your act together." She closed her eyes then opened them a few seconds later. "Your Father and I do not approve of this new 'reputation' of yours. You can't go through life like this! You have to bring your grades up. Or else." She slowly got up from the chair and walked down the hall with her head held high, the sound of her high heels clicking in perfect rhythm on the cold, marble floors. Until there was silence.

I blew a stream of air through my nose and smiled again. I hated it when she played the "or else" card...it seemed too open, like anything could happen. Picking up my skateboard, I went up the stairs and into my room, planning to talk with Ellie. I closed my door behind me and stopped. I'd forgotten. Again. Ellie and I weren't on the best terms since I'd left her two years ago when we were freshman. Two years. You'd think I'd be over losing her friendship after that long. Nope.

My skateboard fell to the ground, and I walked over towards my window where my desk lived. Her window was right across from mine. In fact, our houses were actually almost completely joined at this point. There's a little overhanging roof strip underneath each of our windows that juts out towards the other side. That's how we became friends.

My stomach began aching as I stared at her window, just wishing, hoping even, that her face would appear with a consoling smile. She always knew when something was wrong. I don't know how, but she always did. And I missed that. But it was all my fault. Before more memories could assault me, I saw a flicker of movement on her side. The curtains were opening...and then the window.

A finger flew to my mouth as I waited to see what would happen. I leaned forward...and there she was. Her eyes squinted as she peered through into my window; and I almost wished she couldn't see me. But I knew she knew I was standing right there. So I waited. Ellie placed a hand on her windowsill and vaulted over onto the ledge, blonde braid waving. My mouth dropped open—I hadn't seen her complete a stunt like that in at least a year. And she was wearing a skirt...and heels, no less.

She lifted a thin eyebrow and sat down. I knew she was waiting for me. She was giving me a chance to come out or leave. My mouth went dry as I opened my own window and took a deep breath. I braced myself against my desk, climbed onto my window seat, and out onto the ledge to sit across from her. I began coughing, a normal occurrence whenever I exerted myself, was nervous or basically even when I simply inhaled. She happened to have a water bottle ready-just like her...always thinking of others. She presented it to me, so I took it and took a long swig, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. My coughing was soothed. For a few moments we didn't talk, but we just looked at each other. She'd changed since I'd last really saw her. After I left her, I hadn't seen her around much. Not around school, town, not even right here.

But she didn't harbor any hatred towards me. I could tell by the way her large blue eyes studied me intently...they were the kindest eyes I'd ever seen.

"I heard," she admitted.

"The argument? Yeah." How did she always know?

"It was really loud."