of
the victim was withheld until they notified the family. It’s just so sad.
Someone our age…just gone like that.”
“Yeah, that is sad.” I looked at my phone. It was
ten minutes until I needed to be on the other side of campus. “I have to get to
class. I have a big Soc test today. Let me know if
you hear any more.”
“I will,” Maddie said.
I jogged more than walked to my class. Dr. Freitas,
my sociology professor didn’t tolerate tardiness. I wouldn’t be surprised if he
didn’t let me take the test if I got there five minutes late. I made it with
two minutes to spare and found my usual spot. Dropping my bag down next to me,
I dug out my pencil and my scan tron . I was really
glad I made it on time when I saw Dr. Freitas go over and lock the door at
eight o’clock on the dot. He went over the rules for the midterm and the he
passed it out. My phone was in my lap, but the ringer was off and he couldn’t
see it under the little desk in front of me. If he saw it…he would make me
leave. He was old school like that.
The test was two pages long and as I went from one
question to the next, I realized that I’d over-stressed about it. I probably
could have gone out with Emma last night and still passed it. She was going out
to hang out with a friend of ours at her house who was having some people over.
It sounded like fun…but on top of needing to study, I hadn’t felt well so I’d
flaked on her. I was on the last page of the test when I felt my phone vibrate
in my lap. I glanced down in Dr. Freitas’ direction. He was walking back and
forth, watching. I left it alone and finished the test before I picked up it
and my bag. He told us we were excused when we finished and I didn’t want to
have to go back up and disturb everyone while I got my bag. I took the test up
front and handed it and the scan tron to him.
“Did you put your name on it?” he asked, without
looking up.
“Yes, sir.”
“Okay. The door will open from the inside. Make sure
and close it on your way out.”
“Okay, thanks.” He was finished with me. He still
hadn’t looked up. I let myself out and pulled the door closed behind me before
finally looking at my phone. It was a text from Sabrina, another friend of
mine. The text simply said, “Did you hear
about Emma?”
I text back as I walked down the hall towards the
outer door. “Did I hear what about Emma?”
I had just hit the outer door and walked out into
the fresh air when she text back, “Call
me.”
My mind suddenly went back to what Maddie said about
the car wreck…then the cryptic text…Did you hear about Emma? My stomach all at
once felt like someone had tied my insides into knots and I got a chill that
ran down my spine and across both of my arms. I didn’t want to call her back. I
didn’t want to know what had happened to my best friend. I stood there, staring
at the phone for several minutes before finally getting enough air into my
lungs to convince myself that I was just being silly. I pressed the call button
and Sabrina picked up right away.
“Alexa, I wish that I wasn’t the one who had to tell
you this…”
“Then don’t,” I said. “Don’t tell me!”
“You do know.”
“I heard there was an accident last night. I heard
the girl was dead. I know Emma was out last night and I was supposed to be with
her but I flaked at the last second. Please tell me I’m wrong, Sabrina. Please
tell me that girl wasn’t Emma.”
“I’m sorry, Alexa,” the other girl said. I could
hear the strangled tone of her voice and I knew she’d been crying.
“She’s….Oh shit! She’s…dead?”
“Yes, I’m so sorry.” I hung up. It wasn’t Sabrina’s
fault and I wasn’t usually one to shoot the messenger but I couldn’t listen to
it for one more second. There was no way that Emma was dead. She was young and
beautiful and funny and smart…I pulled up her number and pressed call. It went
straight to voicemail. That didn’t mean anything, I told
the victim was withheld until they notified the family. It’s just so sad.
Someone our age…just gone like that.”
“Yeah, that is sad.” I looked at my phone. It was
ten minutes until I needed to be on the other side of campus. “I have to get to
class. I have a big Soc test today. Let me know if
you hear any more.”
“I will,” Maddie said.
I jogged more than walked to my class. Dr. Freitas,
my sociology professor didn’t tolerate tardiness. I wouldn’t be surprised if he
didn’t let me take the test if I got there five minutes late. I made it with
two minutes to spare and found my usual spot. Dropping my bag down next to me,
I dug out my pencil and my scan tron . I was really
glad I made it on time when I saw Dr. Freitas go over and lock the door at
eight o’clock on the dot. He went over the rules for the midterm and the he
passed it out. My phone was in my lap, but the ringer was off and he couldn’t
see it under the little desk in front of me. If he saw it…he would make me
leave. He was old school like that.
The test was two pages long and as I went from one
question to the next, I realized that I’d over-stressed about it. I probably
could have gone out with Emma last night and still passed it. She was going out
to hang out with a friend of ours at her house who was having some people over.
It sounded like fun…but on top of needing to study, I hadn’t felt well so I’d
flaked on her. I was on the last page of the test when I felt my phone vibrate
in my lap. I glanced down in Dr. Freitas’ direction. He was walking back and
forth, watching. I left it alone and finished the test before I picked up it
and my bag. He told us we were excused when we finished and I didn’t want to
have to go back up and disturb everyone while I got my bag. I took the test up
front and handed it and the scan tron to him.
“Did you put your name on it?” he asked, without
looking up.
“Yes, sir.”
“Okay. The door will open from the inside. Make sure
and close it on your way out.”
“Okay, thanks.” He was finished with me. He still
hadn’t looked up. I let myself out and pulled the door closed behind me before
finally looking at my phone. It was a text from Sabrina, another friend of
mine. The text simply said, “Did you hear
about Emma?”
I text back as I walked down the hall towards the
outer door. “Did I hear what about Emma?”
I had just hit the outer door and walked out into
the fresh air when she text back, “Call
me.”
My mind suddenly went back to what Maddie said about
the car wreck…then the cryptic text…Did you hear about Emma? My stomach all at
once felt like someone had tied my insides into knots and I got a chill that
ran down my spine and across both of my arms. I didn’t want to call her back. I
didn’t want to know what had happened to my best friend. I stood there, staring
at the phone for several minutes before finally getting enough air into my
lungs to convince myself that I was just being silly. I pressed the call button
and Sabrina picked up right away.
“Alexa, I wish that I wasn’t the one who had to tell
you this…”
“Then don’t,” I said. “Don’t tell me!”
“You do know.”
“I heard there was an accident last night. I heard
the girl was dead. I know Emma was out last night and I was supposed to be with
her but I flaked at the last second. Please tell me I’m wrong, Sabrina. Please
tell me that girl wasn’t Emma.”
“I’m sorry, Alexa,” the other girl said. I could
hear the strangled tone of her voice and I knew she’d been crying.
“She’s….Oh shit! She’s…dead?”
“Yes, I’m so sorry.” I hung up. It wasn’t Sabrina’s
fault and I wasn’t usually one to shoot the messenger but I couldn’t listen to
it for one more second. There was no way that Emma was dead. She was young and
beautiful and funny and smart…I pulled up her number and pressed call. It went
straight to voicemail. That didn’t mean anything, I told
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