Apparitions ( Graser10 & Stacyplays )

06

Z a c h a  r  y 

   

    Seventh grade sucked. And the summer was my way of escaping the bullies and homework. Will would come over every day, and we could swim as much as we wanted.

    When I got home, I threw my backpack on the ground by the shoe rack where it wouldn't be touched for months. Kicking off my sneakers and sliding to the fridge to get pizza rolls. Hearing my mom come through the back door. Acompanied by plenty more footsteps.

    "Zach? Are you home sweetie?" She called out.

    Almost wanting to say no, I put the pizza rolls back in the freezer and peered down the hall, "Yeah."

    She emerged with an older woman and another person behind the two, "Perfect! This is Mrs. Hinojosa! Her family is moving into the house across from us!"

    "How old are you Zachary?" The woman asked like I was a child.

    I shrugged, "Uh, thirteen."

    Pushing the person out from behind her by her shoulders, a girl with unmistakably long hair was revealed, her mom speaking for her, "Oh goody! Stacy, my daughter, turns thirteen at the end of the summer. I know you'll be great friends."

    She waved, obviously unsure, "Hey."

    I could already tell every altercation with her would be awkward, my heart raced, "Hi."

Memory 01

 

  
     Walking out of the bathroom, she touched the ends of her hair, now cut to her shoulder. Wet hair not in knots and leaves strewn all over the wet tile. My shirt was huge on her.

    "So um. You're not freaking out or anything?" She leaned against  the doorway.

    Shrugging I counted the ammount of lines in one hardwood board, "My emotions have been iffy since the accident."

    "It wasn't your fault you know." She mumbled, curling her toes.

    I shook my head and laughed, "Oh shut up Stace. I'm the one who made you run away. I'm sorry that I hurt you. I'm sorry I was the cause of you dying."

     She closed her eyes, "A semi?"

    Nodding I walked back into my room, "As soon as we caught up to you on the road, it hit you. Bee, Parker, Will, Lizzie, we all saw it."

    It played over and over and over. Weak eyes and runny nose we reached the road ss she turned around. Moonlight making her look grimy. Hair whipping around her.

    Nobody saw it. As loud as the thing was. It was speeding and Stacy was hyperventilating. Blood covered everything, and everyone. The two girls where hysterical. Will sat in the road with his legs spread, murmuring into oblivion.

    Somehow, Stacy's warm blood dripping off him, Parker was with the driver. Coping by calling  the police. My legs didn't feel numb. But I was. Staring at the dotted lines on the road, for an hour. I stood motionless.

    The white truck was red, and her lifeless body didn't even look like her. Shadows began to tap on my head and the whole room turned maroon. Breaking at her voice.

    "Lizzie? Oh my. How is she?" Suddenly her interest was higher, knowing that the two where very close, I tried to let her down as easy as my sick mind could.

    Looking at the ground, I caught her prying eyes, "She. Heh, well, she's... Back in England? She didn't tell us."

    "Okay... I mean, I can see why. What about Will? Do you think he saw me? His lights where on." She took the towel off her hair.

     Thinking back, I shook my head, "No. There's a big party tonight. Everyone's going." I paused to remember Bee on the ground, "Will was tramatized. He's doing better now. But, he gets these flashbacks."

     "I don't follow." She stated, poking at my posters on my walls.

    Picturing him in his PTSD moment, I wondered if he still had the visions, "He stops and starts shaking. He told me that the clip of you getting hit plays over and over. Happened in history once."

    "Parker?" She asked, sparking a picture of his bloody nose and my bruised knuckles.

    When I ran my fingers over the fading purple, I tried to hide my greif, "He hasn't said anything to me. I'm sure he thinks it's my fault. But I know he goes to your grave, he left a copy of Toy Story there."

     Face turning red, she tried to hide her flustered-ness, making me envy what her and him had, "He's so sweet."

    "Yeah. Sure."