Writing Prompt

“You saved her!”

“Excuse me?” I question, extremely confused. “I didn’t save her, the other girl did…” I realize the other girl had fled the scene right after she performed CPR on the drowning girl.

Shoot. Now the police are arriving and they’ll obviously think I saved her. When I’m the one to push her in the lake. Not to kill her, of course. I thought she could swim. Shoot. I’ll have to agree when they ask me if I saved her.

Technically I pulled her out of the lake, but I didn’t do anything afterwards. She would’ve died if not for that other girl.

All I have to do is agree with the police, talk to my best friend (who I thought could swim), and then I won’t get charged with attempted murder and I can go to college.

“Is she ok?” I ask, almost nervous about the answer as she’s been lying in the same position for a while.

“She’ll be fine, thanks to you.”

A wave of guilt passes over me but I can’t exactly say, ‘I’m the one who pushed her in!’ Because then I could get arrested, and there goes my plans to get into Harvard.

It’ll be ok. I take a deep breath, and smile. “I’m so glad she’s gonna be ok!” I say, trying my best to sound relieved. Of course I’m relieved, just confused.

A few days later though, Ella, my bestie, has completely recovered.

That’s when I decide to ask her.

“SINCE WHEN COULD YOU NOT SWIM?!?!?!?”

“…”

“YOU SWAM AT MY POOL PARTY LAST YEAR!!!”

“…”

“DID YOU JUST FALL ASLEEP OR SOMETHING?!?!?!?”

“Well… about that… maybe?”

“HOW DO YOU FALL ASLEEP IN WATER?!?!?!”

“I got no sleep yesterday and I was really tired.”

“WHAT THE HELL?!”

“I know…”

I am not a hero in this story I am merely a bystander

One who saw it all, Understood it all But did nothing

I know the cost of silence How much pain it may cause

But I now find myself Rewarded for my cowardness?

I don’t deserve praise I deserve a moment to tell the truth

A moment of real justice So the dark can come to the light

Stand before the jury And receive its verdict.

It had been two weeks since Eliza had failed all five of her midterm exams. She had been the straight A girl all her life, the one who never got anything under 90%. What happened to her? It had been the pressure. It had crushed her and broken her instead of turning her into a diamond like her parents always told her. So who could blame Eliza when she took the credit owed to Billy Jean? He wouldn't care, he didn't care about anything. Eliza hadn't planned on lying about it, and she hadn't really. All she had done was not reveal the truth. It wasn't as if anyone had point blank asked her, "Was it really you who put out the school fire?" No, they assumed it was her when she was found coughing in the ashes. Billy had been there too but after his foul three year record, no one would think of him as the true hero. No, of course it was Eliza. Perfect little Eliza who could do no wrong and was about to receive yet another award but this time for something she didn't do. Eliza had meant to tell the truth, she really had. At first. That was before her parents found out and had become so proud after months of disappointment since her sudden burn out. Eliza had thought it was her last chance to win something, to watch pride in her parents eyes. Besides, Billy Jean's parents had died. He had no family to be proud of him and Eliza did. She had even worn her best dress, a long and modest green dress her mom had picked for her as an award for receiving an award in every class last year. She wouldn't win any this year, Eliza would be lucky if she even passed. Eliza wasn't sure she could withstand someone else getting her awards. What would everyone think when the "gifted" student wasn't given any awards? If Eliza wasn't a winner, what was she? Nothing. It took herself forever to come to terms with what she was doing. It was stealing the award from Billy Jean, but he would say something, right? "... We now welcome our school hero, Eliza Preleen." Everyone clapped as Eliza took the award, shaking the Mayors hand for pictures. She made eye contact with Billy Jean's dark green eyes as she looked into the crowd. She looked away, memories of the last time she had seen those eyes rushing back to her. After all, she owed him more than just the award. She owed him her secret. If someone else would get her award, what was the point of school? She had thought that before lighting the match for the wood work classroom where she hadn't noticed Billy hiding in, writing his stupid poetry. What did it matter it was Billy Jean's award after all? She was the gifted one after all, not him.

————————-

Her (Magnolia Elks)

“Avada Kedavra!” Green light exploded above her, the noise of the males voice blocking out her screams.

(Hour Earlier)

“Come on Mag. We don’t need to go looking for trouble outside of hogsmead” Archer buried her face in her hands with a groan.

Archer was only an inch or two taller then Magnolia, or Mag as her friends called her. Yet instead of Mag’s long black hair, Archers was an unnatural blood red color. That she had created a spell for not that long ago.

Of course the library was busy with many students at the ready to study or just hanging out. Books were wizzing past in all directions.

“It will be fun. I hear other students have seen all kinds of cool stuff” Mag smiled at her friend, trying to use it as leverage to get her to come.

“Only because it’s so close to the Forbidden Forest” Brooke added in sitting down at the table in the library.

“Shush! The whole of Hogwarts doesn’t need to know” Mag hissed at her best friends lover. “My plan is full proof, and we will definitely have fun”.

“I’ll give you third years a heads up. Stay away from the forbidden forest. It’s not the creatures that are the most dangerous” A girl with jet black twisted ponytails said skipping past them.

“Belle is a strange one” Brooke added in, watching the ravenclaw girl disappear out the doorway. “She hangs with a group of Slytherin boys.”

“Maybe the sorting hat was wrong” Mag added in with a yawn. “So hogsmead in an hour?”

“I think we should reconsider” Archer tried one last time to get her friend to reconsider.

Outside the nights had just started to chill. The breeze left a sense of cold only winter could be blamed for. So of course the girls had to bundle up. Only a single lap light between the three of them.

Of course there wasn’t much time before the road would be closed for the night. And any student still seen would be carted back to the school.

“A bit late for a stroll?” Came one of the guards keepers, as they passed.

“Just some last minute stuff” Mag called back and exchanged warning looks with Archer and Brooke.

Of course the other two girls just nodded their acknowledgement. He quickly just waved them forward, and they were off.

Only a few students were still running from shop to shop. Many sitting around waiting for friends or reading books. Then there was the ravenclaw girl from earlier with her group of Slytherin boys. One of them a tall caramel colored boy who met Mag’s gaze instantly. His eyes the same emerald green as his house. Hair tussled a bit in a messy yet stylish fashion.

“Keep staring. Might run into a house” Arther joked and Mag gave her a grin.

“What! He’s cute” She shuffled a bit and looked back but they were gone. “Well was cute”

“Better be ready to explore” Brooke groaned to nobody in particular.

On the northern outskirts of hogsmead stood open land mostly flat, but at the edge of the forbidden forest a few rocky hills. Onward they pushed into the tall trees, pushing away branches and stepping over bushes.

After a few minutes a loud “crack” echoed through the forest. Stopping all the girls dead in their tracks.

“What was that?” Mag was the first to speak, leaning against the nearest tree for cover.

“Sounds like a tree fell in the woods?” Archer shot back with an ear to ear childlike grin.

“Wouldn’t it be followed by something else?” Brooke questioned and they all readied their wands.

“Lumos!” Mag was the first to shout, her white oak wand spitting out a ball of light, that settled at the tip.

The other two girls followed as a huge wood oak club came into view. Dragging against two large tree’s. Not tree’s, legs. Giant legs attached to a huge monstrosity that they couldn’t even see past legs.

“Run!” Archer screamed out as the bat swung her way.

Lifting her clear into the air as Brooke’s scream filled the chilly night air. Archer landed in a heap a few feet away. Brooke was quickly running to her aid.

“We need to fight this thing!” Mag shouted at her but it fell on deft ears.

The bat once again leveling a tree just short of Brooke, thankfully the branches covered the couple. Mag was ready, wand in hand. Feet spread a shoulder length apart. Pointing her wand at this beast.

“Bombardo!” Mag shouted with a flick of her wrist.

A blast of bright yellow and red exploded onto the knee of the giant. Causing it to wail loudly. Mag dropped her wand trying to cover her ears.

The bat swung clear at her, a roll in the nick of time. Left the tree to her right, teetering on its roots. Barely hanging on, out of breathe and searching the ground for her wand she heard the whistle of the bats movement.

Into the air she went, landing just shy of another tree. Body hardly able to even breathe, pain shooting across her body in rapid spurts. Then the edge of the bat went higher lifting above her. Screaming was all she’d have left, yet it was horse and made her cough.

“Avada Kedavra!” Green light exploded above her, the noise of the males voice blocking out her screams.

“Get the other two!” A female voice called out as the blackness took her.

Him (Raven Black)

Of course they knew them, what Slytherin didn’t. But the look the other three gave him after he uttered the words and the giant fell. Was a completely different story.

It wouldn’t hurt her…. He couldn’t allow it to hurt her any further.

“Get the other two!” Belle shouted at their friends Buster, Clyde, and Flint.

Who of course hadn’t stopped starring. His body and wand pulsed as a apperation spell exploded behind them. A black cloaked figure stepping towards them, wand at the ready.

“What did you do!” Pansy’s green eyes met Raven’s in an instant.

Her wand was only a rats but hair away from his cheek. Terror and sadness filling her expressions.

“Please, please , please….. Don’t tell me it was you…” She started to tear up.

“It was going to kill her!” Raven pointed to the heap of girl that was adorned in a Hufflepuff cloak.

“You’re going to throw your entire life away for her?” Pansy countered with a growl.

“He had no choice Professor…” Belle was quick to point out the other two girls, one unresponsive and the other bawling over her body.

“Get back to the school! I’ll clean this up” Pansy lowered her wand but Raven moved towards the girl. “Didn’t you hear? I’ll ….”

Without a word Raven lifted the girl up, tossing her limp body over his shoulders. Not even looking in his sister’s direction. Knowing full well, she’d been glaring at him.

“A hundred house points for each of the girls who helped take down the giant. For extraordinary luck and valor” Head Master Lavender Spindle shouted out to the large crowd that gathered in the great hall.

Mag was sitting a table away with all the other Hufflepuff’s. Yet Raven couldn’t keep his eyes off her. As if she could feel his eyes on her again, she turned. Tossing her long black hair into the air, he nearly growled out loud.

“You might want to stop staring. Might weird her out” Belle shot out stepping past, utterly annoyed by his fawning.

“You saved them, not her” Clyde grumbled, tossing his fork onto the table.

“It doesn’t matter” Raven broke his gaze from her and felt Pansy at his back.

“Stay away from her. I’m warning you brother” She whispered just short of his ear.

“No one is angry with you Nicholas. You’re the hero. Your phone call tip stopped the Simpson boy from shooting up the Thanksgiving Day parade. We just need to know how you knew,” Det. Lou Pallas said.

What if this kid was in on the shooting plot? He’s another loner. Another bullied weirdo. How do we know this kid didn’t turn in his partner? Pallas thought.

Nicholas grimaced sensing the cop’s mistrust behind his friendly smile and plucking the words, “weirdo” and “loner” from the cop’s thoughts. He never asked for this. He didn’t want to be empathic. Feeling others’ feelings was exhausting. It had always been exhausting. Once in high school Nicholas strained from the weight of others’ thoughts and feelings like a choke collar on his throat. Most days he was stoned to get through classes.

Being sober in a room of three people concentrating on him made his head ache. He wanted a dreamless half a bottle of NyQuil sleep. Nicholas needed to be alone. He pushed up his sleeves, folded his arms, and rested his forehead on his forearms. Det. Pallas shared a concerned glance with his partner Det. Mel Sweets and Nicholas’ mother, Rosa.

“You know you can leave at any time. You are not in any trouble. We just want to understand how you knew about Callum Simpson’s plan to shoot into the crowd on Main St. Help us?” Sweets said.

I don’t trust this boy any farther than I can throw him. He’s hiding somthing. We need to go over Simpson’s social media with a fine tooth comb and look for connections with Rios, Sweets thought. Nicholas rubbed his temples.

His mother was doing the rosary in her head. She did that a lot when Nicholas got into trouble. The steady rhythm of her thoughts mixed with the jabs of anxiety made Nicholas feel loved and guilty.

“Nico, where did you get these bruises on your arm? They remind me of my abuela’s pinches when I was naughty in church. She died when I was little but I remember her telling me to do the right thing even when it is hard,” Rosa said.

Nicholas wanted to tell his mom that he always felt Simpson was dangerous. Nicholas wanted to say when he brushed against Simpson during gym class and saw Simpson’s red thoughts he was afraid. He wanted to say his great grandmother Assumpta came to his dreams night after night.

With broken glass on her shoes and blood splattered on her apron, Assumpta came to him shaking him awake with the cries of the soon to be dead. Embarrassed Nicholas pulled down his sleeves. Then he stared over her head.

My baby, dear God, please don’t let them take my baby. What did I do wrong? Rosa thought reaching out to stroke Nicolas’ shoulders.

Tell them you lied about knowing there were guns in my treehouse. Tell them you were pissed when me because I wouldn’t get you any weed. Say you remembered the treehouse from back when we were Boy Scouts together and hoped the people who bust my stash.

Blicking rapidly, Nicholas stiffly repeated the crisp thought thrusted into his head. They believed Nicholas. He could feel their cool relief as they swallowed his lies.

“How did you know?” Nicholas asked once he was alone.

Adults always believe teens are lying. So make it a good one that cops to a little and covers a lot. The thought was crystal clear. A warm friendliness tapped his shoulder.

“Why help me?” Nicholas asked the late Callum Simpson.

Simpson shrugged. I wanted the thoughts to stop. I thought I was crazy. I thought there was no on else like me. By the way, my weed stash is at St. Conception graveyard in a Sanka can tucked behind the saint with the nice boobs.

It was the middle of the day. The principal put on announcements and said , “There was a person who stayed after lunch and picked up the trash on the ground. That person seems to be….Victor Gray! Please come down to the office to get your reward.” I was shocked and I know I didn’t clean up trash after lunch. People turned their gaze towards me and Josh raised his eyebrows. Josh is my best friend and he said, “I know you did not pick up that trash. Do you know who actually did?” “Nope and I’m not going to find out. I’m just not going to go to the office,” I said.

His POV

And he continued on his day and didn’t go to the office. I’m surprised he didn’t, he doesn’t seem to be that nice. But anyway I’m grateful that he didn’t.

I can feel you When the clock says 11:11 And I make a wish I can feel you When I’m speeding over railroad tracks And my car flies off the ground I can feel you When I’m listening to a powerful song And the goosebumps race all down my arms I can feel you When my cat is purring on my stomach And she decides to knead biscuits on my chest I can feel you When I take a deep breath And let a guided meditation calm my brain I can feel you When I’m reading a good book And my mind is at home in the pages I can feel you In all these little ways In all my favorite moments Even though you’re not here You are everywhere You are in everything

It all started when I arrived to school late. It was a late morning and I missed the bus I usually take. When I made it into the school building I ran into my home room covered in sweat and panting. “Where were you?” My teacher asked. “Sorry, I had to do something” I answered vaguely as not to raise any suspicion. “THUD” the door slammed open when I finally made it to the desk. “Everybody come outside the police are here and want to ask some questions.” The man that entered our room said. As we all walked out there was a huge scene of cops, the news, and ambulances. That’s when the man that was wrapped in a blanket pointed at me. As the man pointed at me a police officer started making his way over to me. I starting panicking thinking of I had done anything wrong. That’s when the officer told me that I was seen entering the school building near the site of the accident and he said I was to report to the mayors office for a medal in my bravery in helping the man.

I walk down the hallway heading towards my AP Biology class when someone to my right says “Congrats dude, you’re being mentioned everywhere for saving the policeman that was about to be shot. I’m surprised you weren’t!” “That wasn’t me!” “Come on, you’re just messing around!” “No, I’m being serious it wasn’t me!” The intercom speakers crackle with the start of an announcer: “Can Mark Bonez come down to the office?” I am not a big fan of my last name. However, I pull up my hood and pull my drawstrings so it’s harder for other students to see that it’s me. Marching down the hallway, a few, no, not a few, basically all of the students stare at me. Some even pint and whisper to each other “ I wonder what he’s done know” Yeah, I’m not exactly the best student. I’ve gotten in school suspension and detention so many times I can’t keep up. I’m surprised this school hasn’t thrown me out like the last five have. I’ve vandalized some bathrooms. I’ve even made some of the teachers so sick we got a sub for a whole month, I think that teacher quit though. I was expelled before I could see if they were coming back or not. Miss Young is the administrator at the front desk. Once she noticed I had walked in she told me to go straight to Principal Bentley’s office. “You might be wondering why you were called down considering your track record, but I assure you it’s not because you’ve done anything wrong.” Principal Bentley says once I’m in the office. “Then why am I here?” “Officer Bradley here wanted to thank you in person for saving him last night.” “Yes, thank you for that, it really wasn’t necessary and you could have gotten seriously injured.” He says with a really accent that isn’t quite identifiable. “I swear that wasn’t me. I could have been my twin brother though. Jaren isn’t home all the time.” “Do you know where he is at the moment?” “No.” Jaren looks exactly like me. He was born two hours before I was. I made the whole pregnancy and birthing process a joy, not. I don’t disappoint our parents but I’m not exactly their favorite of us two. In fact I think our older brother, Simon, really is. “Why is it we haven’t heard of your twin brother at all during your time here at Tullamore High School?” Principal Bentley questions. “You know how I’ve been expelled from five other schools? I don’t go to the same school as he does and while he does some of the same bad kid stuff I do or have, he doesn’t do it to the level it would get him expelled. We are close, I just don’t like talking about him because it reminds me of our friends that even got both of us into this mess.” “Ah, I see. And I’ve noticed you don’t do that stuff quite as often as you did at the other schools. Is that because you’re catching error in your ways and wanting to be better?” “Yeah, mostly. Wait, is that why you haven’t expelled me by now?” “Your principal is leading a very well brought up school. Even I went here and was a bad student in ways you’re talking about, and look at me now. I’ve been able to go through grueling training to join the police force because I want to help students like you realize there is a chance and a way out it.” Officer Bradley chimes in. “I’m glad to hear your perspective. It really encourages me to continue to try to be better.” “Now you’re sure it wasn’t you that jumped in front of me and stopped the shooter from shooting?” “Yeah, it definitely wasn’t me and if you want I can talk to my brother about to see if he really was there. And let him know you thank him.” “Actually, why don’t I pull you out of school for the rest of the day and we go find your brother? Is that alright with you, Principal Bentley?” “I don’t see why not. It is almost the end of the quarter and Christmas break starts next week. You have really great marks for this past semester, you deserve to take a break, Mark.” “Alright, you can come with me then.” “Thank you, Principal Bentley!” I exclaim. … Officer Bradley suggests we go back to my house to talk to my parents and start there. Both of my parents are home today and I saw Jaren’s truck in the driveway. I didn’t exactly have my license just yet and Jaren got his shortly after our 17th birthday. Our 18th is in about a month, so yeah, I really need to be working on getting it. I can drive pretty well, I just need to take the tests. “Hi Mom! Hi Dad! This is officer Bradley and he is hoping he can talk to Jaren for a couple of minutes.” “What has Jaren done that would catch the attention of the cops? I would think Mark would go that far, not Jaren.” Mom is surprised and confused. “Jaren hasn’t done anything wrong, ma’am. He merely saved my life last night.” “And Officer Bradley mistook Jaren as me.” I tell them. Jaren then decides to walk in the room and doesn’t notice Officer Bradley right away. “Officer Bradley?” He now notices him after he got a glass for some milk to dip is Oreos in. “What are you doing here?” “I’m here to thank you for last night. It truly gave us the advantage in taking the guy in.” “It’s an honor, but you didn’t have to come all the way out here just to thank me!” “What going on in here? I’m trying to sleep and it’s too loud!” Simon comes in, looking to be hungover from partying last late into early this morning. And then sleeping it off all day.

“SCHOOL SHOOTER!” They all had yelled. But only I knew that it wasn’t that.