Died Trying

Chapter 1

Mercedes had a destiny doomed to be influenced by strange events. This had been the case her whole life, and would always be the case, for however long she managed to stay alive. These influences had led Mercedes to develop certain... character traits.

Mercedes had been described as harsh. Others who knew her better described her as blunt. Her father described her as straight forward. As she looked at her Biology teacher, she responded to him in a fashion that could be described by one of these accusations. She began to speak with an expression of bemused agitation.

"I know you are serious, but I will give you a chance to take it all back and say this was a joke. Then, you may apologize," she said with a tight smile.

"No, Mercedes, I have rarely taken anything back, much less something I said to one of my students. I am serious. Without your help, Johnny will fail this class," said Mr. Irwin, adjusting the tie around his skinny neck with skinnier fingers. He blinked and ran his fingers through his thinning hair. These were two ticks of his that lead some people to label him as "insecure."

"Does Johnny passing the class concern you because that would mean our school might start losing games without him on the team?"

"Mercedes, I want nothing more than for Johnny to pass this class. The principal wants nothing more than for me to let him pass. He's the one who wants Johnny to stay on the team. But I will not pass him unless he earns it, regardless of what the principal says. I need your help. You're my best student, and I know you are the only one who Johnny will listen to. Please, Mercedes, agree to tutor Johnny."

"Mr. Irwin. You realize why this is an awkward situation for me, right? I probably could get you in trouble just by telling somebody that you are trying to make me tutor my ex."

"I am not actually sure if you are correct or not, Mercedes. However, I know you wouldn't say anything. And, I am not forcing you. I understand your situation, and will not pressure you further if you say no. I also will not reward you for saying yes. But you and I both know that Johnny is a good kid, if not rough around the edges. If he passes this class, he stays in football. I could care less if our team wins, but football is the only thing Johnny has in his life. It would crush him not to play. Also, I passionately hate to see any student not glean something from my class. It would be a blow to my pride."

Mercedes closed her eyes, as if out of exasperation. But really, she was cutting off her physical sight. Past closed lids, and with a bit of focus, she saw for dozens of yards around her. She couldn't see anything physical, of course. The desks were gone, and so was the stack of papers on Mr. Irwin's desk. The white board behind Mr. Irwin and its notes, as well as the wall it was nailed to, ceased to be. Now, all Mercedes could see were people, or something along those lines. Mercedes called them ghosts.

In the classroom next door to Mr. Irwin, Mr. Meyers taught a dozen and a half students. Mr. Meyers "ghost" strode about pompously. His ghost was greasy and always had its nose turned up towards the ceiling. It wore a frown proudly, and hardly ever looked anyone in the eye. In contrast, the physical Mr. Meyers appeared quite charming, had a teddy bear build, and smiled with seeming sincerity.

In front of Mr. Meyers sat a classroom of youths. Nearly all of Mr. Meyer's student's ghosts were yawning and had closed eyes, even though their bodies were pretending to be alert. All ghosts were illuminated with a faint glow. But the student's ghosts were very dim, probably due to their inattention.

Mercedes focused again on the man in front of her. In place of the gaunt fidgeting wreck that most people saw was something different. It still looked like Mr. Irwin. It had the same color of eyes and facial structure. It even dressed the same. However, his ghost was steady, not running its hand's through its hair. Its mouth was a convicted line. Its posture was straight. It stared Mercedes directly in the eye with hopeful trust.