The Other Half

Chapter 13

"When did it happen?"

"The summer between grade 7 and 8. We were at our summer house on the island and it was the last day there. My little brother loved it there, especially the cliff."

**

"Tess hurry up!"

"I'm coming!"

"Tessa! Look at this!"

"Not now Jakie." I sighed using the nickname he hated.

He ran up to me and tugged on my hand. "My name's Jake not Jakie." He pouted. "And you're not listening!"

"Jake show me later 'kay?" I said absentmindedly. Cody sent me another text, my phone buzzing.

"But I want to show you now!"

"Later." I insisted.

"Tessa you never explore with me now that you have your phone!" He whined.

"Jake this is important!"

"Please Tessa?"

"Fine." I groaned. "What is it?"

His eyes lit up and he scrambled off towards the cliff. "Come look!"

"Careful." I warned. Every time I came here the view never fails to take my breath away. The sea crashed against the jagged rocks but farther down the coast the ice blue water lapped the clean sand gently like a puppy giving a small child a fond lick. The sky was free of clouds and the sun's reflection flashed brilliantly against the rippling water.

"Look!" He bent down to pick up something and stumbled.

He fell to the ground with a soft thump. "Jake!" I ran towards him and helped him up. He smiled at me and hugged me tightly. "Thanks Tessa."

"I'd never let you fall little guy." I promised him as I ruffled his shaggy brown hair fondly. I stood up and held his small hand. He sneezed loudly and stumbled backwards as he always did. He struggled to steady himself but stepped on the edge of the cliff. Time slowed down as he slipped. "Jake!" I screamed, holding onto his hand as tight as I could. "Help!" I screamed to anyone who might hear. "Jake!"

"Tessa." He whimpered. "My arm hurts."

"It's okay Jake. It's okay."

"It hurts!" He cried.

"Help's coming." I assured him. "Here, let me try pulling you up." I said as I desperately tried to pull him up. I stopped as he screamed in pain. "I can't hold on." He sobbed, his grasp slipping.

"You have to hold on! You have to!"

"I can't!" He screamed as his hand slipped out of mine.

"Jake!" I screeched. "Jake!"

Hours later there was a loud knock on the cabin door. My dad rushed to answer it and his face fell when he saw the officer outside. We followed him outside to the beach where a paramedic explained what happened. "Dislocated shoulder... Jagged rocks... Drowned... Head smashed in..." I stopped listening, unable to take anymore. Jake was dead because of me. Dead. Never coming back. Suddenly those waves crashing against the rocks didn't look beautiful or picturesque. The rocks looked like crude knives and the waves were being chopped up like vegetables, being sliced with ease.

"Tessa honey." My mom shook my shoulders gently and I shook her hands off with a sob. "Tessa it's not your fault. Honey please stop crying." She begged. I didn't respond but looked at her with blank eyes and my answer was clear. I didn't believe her.

**

Warm arms surrounded me and I realized I was crying. Jordan squeezed me tightly and I sobbed louder. "He died because I wasn't careful enough."

"That's not true."

"Yes it is!" I wailed. "My little brother died because I was too obsessed with my friends!"

"That's why you stay away."

"I'll never forgive myself."

"It wasn't your fault."

"Yes it was!" I insisted. "I should've pulled him up! I should've made sure he never went that close to the cliff in the first place!"

"Tessa." He murmured softly.

"I didn't say another word for a year after."

"That's why they call you a freak." He said, slowly understanding.

I nodded. "I was never popular but I had people who were friendly to me before that. When I went silent it all crumbled except for Cody. He was the one brick of my wall that stayed in place."

"Does he know all this?"

"Yes." I whispered. "I'm broken Jordan. I don't expect anyone to fix me. I just want someone who's willing to try." The memory was still fresh in my mind, Jake's death was something I'd never forget.

"I'm willing Tess. You know I'd do anything for you. Trust me." He said, taking my hands. "But you have to let me in. What happened that made you speak again?"

"Cody was amazing throughout all of this. He kept going like nothing happened, he stayed steady like those rocks while I moved around like the waves. He took me camping in the summer and helped me forget for some brief moments all of my problems. We had so much fun and made so many great memories. I just started talking again during that trip." I explained. "Box always said box is like a box of boxes." I added with a smile.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing." I smiled in remembrance. "Just one of my favourite memories from the trip."

"Ah."

"And that poor hammock." I burst out laughing. "We broke the string tying it to the tree."

"You did?"

"Yeah we always sat in the hammock and one day we sat down and it snapped. We hit the ground and just laughed."

"It sounds like fun."

"It was. That's how I could forget about Jake."

"We should use some of those camping memories in our project." Jordan suggested.

"Okay." I grabbed a small, coil bound out of my bag and handed it to Jordan who had started to work. "Here, my notebook."

"Why-"

"Poems and my journal entry type things. After Jake I wrote poems and put them around the house. A year later I went back and put them all in there. I wrote where I found them too."

"Thanks, I'll read them later."

"Thanks by the way, I feel better." I said truthfully.

"Anytime Tess."

"I'm okay." And for once in a very long time I felt free.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

All is revealed! I've got to say, one of my favourite things about writing is adding in all these inside jokes that only my friends could understand :D the box always said box is like a box of boxes is from a camping trip with my friends and so is the hammock.

Questions of the Chapter

1. What do you think of Tessa's big reveal?

2. What's one of your favourite memories with your friends?

Hugs

Erika