I didn’t know it would end up this way. How was I supposed to know? The thought kept running through my head like an over played song during the summer. With the loud noise of the engine of my car running I was trying to focus on anything but my thoughts, even my ever so annoying car. The drive to school gets pretty repetitive after almost a whole year doing it, but knowing this was going to be my last drive to school wasn’t all that great. I would rather face a 100 more of these drives than have to face what I’m about to.


My parents were not happy at all when they got the phone call from the police. The surprisingly cool April night, with a steady wind even though the sky was clear and it was bone chilling. It could be because of the hundreds of thoughts that were running through my mind that gave me goose bumps. I was dreading my parents opening the door to find me with a police man to my side. All the while me thinking, I’m not usually like this! It’s a mistake! Ask anybody, I’m not!


I wasn’t even the one who thought of it anyways. I’m like the quiet sidekick that nobody would expect it out of. I didn’t even think I was capable. Until Stacey moved here a couple months ago, all I thought about was grades and student council. I was more concerned about pleasing my parent’s expectations than my own. I worked hard at school, and even harder at my reputation that took me a lifetime to build at this school, all of which was dissolved within a couple months. It was my own fault, but I got help though, from the best at it, Stacey.


Most of the time I’m pretty good about telling what kind of person a person will be by their body language. By the way they talk or walk; I’ve always been blessed with that gift. But I misjudged Stacey. The first words she ever spoke to me was, something I would mostly always take rudely but with her it was different that day.


“Wow you look up tight.” She said without cracking a smile, I was taken aback at first but decided I should give her a chance to back up with reasons, a fair chance I thought for a new girl.


“Excuse me?” I said quietly, wondering if I really do look uptight.


“You know it to, don’t you? How can you not with that pinched face of yours,” The words were strong, she was strong.


I tried to at that point ignore it but, look where I am now. Did it work? I honestly to this day don’t know how we became friends. Was it forced upon me to prove something to her? I truly don’t know but what I do know for a fact was that it was a huge mistake. Just like that single idea and just like that one night where the idea became proof of who Stacey really was.


My parents are old fashioned, but not crazy strict, they trusted me and I trusted myself. When I brought Stacey home after a week of knowing her my parent’s, just like me, didn’t see past her pale yellow sweater and starched jeans. We all had dinner together, my two younger sisters included. They were pleased to be apart of a conversation above their level. I don’t include them on much, especially when it comes to non scholastic things. They liked Stacey I didn’t want them to though, I tried.


The conversation was boring to me but my family enjoyed getting to know a friend of mine, whom they thought to be sincere. After dinner we walked up to my room. My room is plain, white walls shelves of plaques and trophies dating back to fifth grade spelling bee contest. My bed was made, but it usually always is. Stacey took a yearbook off of my bookshelf and then sat on my bed. She opened it and started to ask me questions. I was still in my normal state but dazed with a feeling of surprise, because Stacey was so pretty and cool. She seemed to be friendly to my parents and isn’t annoyed by my over achiever bedroom. I answered simple questions like,


“Who’s her boyfriend?” and


“Are they nice?”


When she went home that night I took a look at the yearbook too. I saw she had made notes about a lot of the people she asked me about. Mostly the answers I had given her, and then her phone number, to call her. I went to bed not thinking anything weird about the night. Just happy, at the time I thought I was genuinely happy to have a friend, as “nice” as Stacey.


We started to hang out at school and then call each other every night. I would sometimes have to stay up really late at night to get my homework done but eventually I stopped all together doing my homework. I was surprised about what I was doing. Everything I worked for, but oh well I thought Stacey’s my “friend”. One day after school she came to my house, she had never invited me to hers saying her parents are weird.


“We’re seniors right?” she had said we were just on the computer and weren’t really talking.


“Ya, why?” I said really confused.


“At my old school senior pranks were always a really big thing, we should do one.” She had gotten up by now and went to my back pack to get a piece of paper. I got up to see what she was going to write. She started to make a list of everybody’s name in the freshman class.


“Why the freshman?” I asked even more confused.


“They’re easier to target. They’re too scared to do anything back or rat us out. At my old school one year the seniors snuck in the school during the middle of the night and took everything out of their lockers and spread their things around the school. It was one of the very few times I had ever really seen Stacey smile so I was somewhat pleased that it was around me so I agreed. Not wanting to upset her and see the smile go away.


It was even more Stacey and I hung around each other the next week or so getting things ready and planning every last detail. Well Stacey did most of the planning. She had the ideas, I agreed. Stacey didn’t want any help from other seniors. She said it would be easier to get caught if there were more of us. I didn’t actually think we were going to do it until the morning of the day we were planning on entering the school after it was dark to go ahead with our plan. I was mistaken though because Stacey was 100% serious.


I never voiced my concerns to her because I felt safe with her plans and if I would say something Stacey might get discouraged. Which might prove to be a disadvantage that night? My parents agreed to let Stacey spend the night even if it was a Thursday. But I was persistent and my parents didn’t feel like arguing. Stacey had fun getting dressed for it but I couldn’t barely talk because I was so nervous. My insides felt twisted, and my vision was blurry, my hands were clammy and I wasn’t sweating but I felt flushed. Nobody noticed. But who knows, Maybe she did. The thoughts of us getting caught was being played in my head over and over like a bad summer movie.


Stacey doesn’t have her license but I do. She thought it would be a good idea if I drive her parent’s car instead of mine because it would be too obvious just in case. So we walked to her house. I didn’t want to drive her parent’s car but I agreed, because it did make sense. It made sense to me at the time. I wonder why it did looking back. It was Stacey’s way of putting things; it made it easier to agree with her.


When we arrived at the school it was around 11:30 p.m. it seemed brighter out that evening, I don’t know if it was because I was so nervous or because the moon was so bright, and the sky was so clear, that the stars were so clearly defined, against the vast sky. I don’t know how Stacey did it, because I was on watch but she got us into the school and we started to walk to the freshman hall. I didn’t asked because looking back I didn’t want to believe it. The halls seemed so much longer without the bustle of students getting to their classes on time. And it was eerie quiet without the murmur of voices from the inside of classrooms and since all of the lockers were shut there was no slamming to be heard, and no people running down the hall because of students not wanting to be late to class, for those who cared. Like I use to. It felt weird to be there, it just wasn’t right. School is meant to be empty at night. And my room was suppose to have me in it at night.


Stacey opening the first of the freshman lockers broke my concentration. She piled everything out and told me to spread things around the school. I didn’t want to. But I did. I went to the other end off the school to put a few books in front of a classroom door. When I got back close enough to see Stacey she started yelling to leave. I thought she was joking. She doesn’t joke very often but when she does this would be something I would expect out of her. When I saw her start running I stopped. I froze and nothing came inside or left my body including brainwaves. My knees were going weak, and my face, I could only imagine, looked awe struck, I didn’t see it because all I saw was the back of Stacey, running away from this terrible dream…


Honestly the next thing I remember is a man’s yell from the other end of the hallway from behind me. I didn’t see Stacey anymore. I still don’t see Stacey she got locked up for breaking her parole I guess for breaking and entering and being out past her curfew set by her parole officers last time she got in trouble. I on the other hand got in trouble for breaking my curfew by my parents. Let me just tell you they were not happy with me.


I’m on my way to talk to the principle to see what kind of punishment I’m in for. As I pull up and my loud engine slowly rumbles to a halt. I get out and see an almost perfect day. My school is glowing. And I’m missing my last day of school because I got suspended. I might get community service or the worst not being able to give my valedictorian speech at my high school graduation. Either way a weight is off my shoulders. Stacey’s gone. I’m out of her wrath.