Died Trying

Chapter 2

Mercedes ate a quick bowl of bland cereal. She thought about eating a second, but settled with a glass of milk. She considered knocking on her father's bedroom door. Usually he was awake by now, and she knew that already he was going to be late for work. But she also knew what day it was. He wouldn't be fired for being late one day.

She downed her milk, cleaned her dish, and slung her backpack around her shoulders.

Time for school.

Rain bled slowly from the sky, washing grit down the streets. It was a ten minute walk, but Mercedes hated the bus. She sighed under her raincoat, extended her umbrella, and walked a bit faster.

A particularly deep puddle splashed into Mercedes's shoe. She looked down in agitation and saw several worms slowly drowning in the rain water. She frowned. She was tempted to try and save them as she would have as a child. She even leaned down, but then thought better. She didn't have time. She kept walking towards school.

Eventually, still reasonably dry, Mercedes pushed past the heavy doors of her high school. The halls were white and bland. Brightly dressed students, duded out in fashions that probably wouldn't last the day, added a bit of superficial color to the schools otherwise sterile halls. Mercedes sighed, pulling off her jacket, exposing her black hoodie and non-designer jeans.

She walked past a group of three girls. They talked in voices intentionally loud enough to be noticed, and dressed in a similar fashion. They all seemed to simultaneously notice Mercedes out of the corner of their eyes.

"Bitch," she thought she heard one whisper. Apparently word had already gotten around that she had rejected Johnny. The animosity didn't bug her too much; she didn't care what these girls thought, or what most people thought for that matter. Most kids hardly knew what they thought of themselves. Why would she care what they thought they thought of her?

Arms squeezed around her neck from behind. Briefly, Mercedes mind panicked. She thought of a move that could send the assailant over her shoulder, possibly with a broken limb. But she ignored these impulses. The arms were loose around her neck. They weren't aggressive or dangerous. It was simply an awkward hug.

She turned quickly to look at Mandy, the only person who would possibly greet her like that.

"Mandy, hey!" she said with a half-smile.

Mandy was a member of Mercedes very small set of friends. She wasn't very popular with the guys, possibly because she didn't know how to dress well or flirt. Still, she was pretty with her curly hair, and though she was a bit stout, her general happiness gave her a glow of energy. She was also genuine and loyal. Most interestingly to Mercedes, her ghost had a very similar appearance to her physical self.

It only took Mandy moments to drag Mercedes off into a corner. The excitement in the girls face took only moments to erupt from her mouth.

"He kissed me!" she exclaimed.

"What?" said Mercedes, frowning.

"He kissed me! I think we might be an item!"

"But you guys went on one date. And you've known him for like, two weeks."

Mandy rolled her eyes. "Mercedes, this is the twenty first century. People kiss at parties without even knowing each other's name. More than that, actually..."

"You and I both know that's not the type of... thing... you are looking for. And honestly, you don't know much about him other than his name, do you? Do you know his last name yet? It's Isiah... what again?"

Again, Mandy rolled her eyes. "I know enough! He's into me, and he's cute, and whatever! You are always too protective of me, Mercedes! Just let me have fun for once."