Solar Eclipse

Subject: Solar Eclipse Mon Oct 01, 2007 10:02 pm

Introduction

I never was very confident in myself. I always needed someone there to tell me how good I was, and now that he wasn’t there anymore, I felt like crap. What was the point anymore? Without him, I was nothing more than a hollow husk of a human being, withering away in society. There was no place for me in this world now, no one left to make me feel invincible, and no one there to hold me and comfort me when I was scared. What was the point anymore?

“Carry, come down from there!” they cried and pleaded. My parents were standing behind me, and so were some people I knew from school. The police and many other people I didn’t know were here too, watching. Why were they here? I didn’t matter to them; they didn’t even know me. What was the reason? To save someone like me?

I’m standing on the edge of the bridge joining the two halves of Harlstone, my hometown, together. The breeze at my back is calming, urging me to take that one simple step into the dark. The sun at my front blinded me, keeping me from seeing my own end. My finality is clear. What was the point of going on without him? He who made me feel so strong, so special, so loved. He always said he was going to die young, but why did he have to be right?

“Carry! Please! Come down from there!” my mom was in tears now, dad holding her close as he held back his own. He didn’t even care! He couldn’t shed even a single tear for his own daughter!

The guard rail on the bridge wasn’t very wide. The bridge however was many stories from the rushing water below. I could easily end it any time I wanted. The urging breeze winning out over the pathetic pleas of those who “cared” about me.

I was never like this before. Back then, I would never have thought of doing something like this…when he was around. He made me feel as though I could do anything, and I believed him. Back then, we had so much fun, spent so much time together, but now, with him gone, there is no more fun, no more time well spent, just an emptiness in my very core that I could never fill, and that I can’t live without.

It started a while back, almost half a year now, before he had to die, before I felt so alone. We didn’t even know each other very well back then. He was just another pretty face in the back of my Social Studies class. So quiet, always keeping to himself, until I finally got up enough courage one Monday morning to go to him. That’s when it all started for us.

Subject: Re: Solar Eclipse Mon Oct 01, 2007 10:03 pm

Chapter 1

My name is Carrona Kai, and I’m 17 years old. I met Remmie Hart earlier this year, when he transferred to our school from overseas. Every day during our first period, he always sat in the back of the class, always keeping quiet and too himself. He wouldn’t even answer the questions when he was called on by the teacher. At first I suspected that he didn’t know any English, but that was soon shot out of the water when I heard him talking with the teacher after class.

Mr. Mills was one of the most loved teachers in the school because of how understanding he was of the students’ personal problems. So, when he agreed to not call on Remmie during class for the rest of the year, I began to think that there was something strange about this Remmie kid.

He wasn’t half bad looking. In fact, he was quite handsome. He had short dark hair, just long enough to cover the tops of his ears, with an oval-ish face, perfectly symmetrical. He wasn’t very tall, but he was still about an inch or so taller than I was, and was quite thin, like he hadn’t eaten in quite a while. Probably the most attractive thing about him however, was his voice. It was soft and deep, like that of a god that you often see in movies. It caught me by surprise how fluent his English was. He didn’t have an accent like I had thought he would.

I wasn’t paying attention to the clock that morning, and when the bell rang, I had to hurry and gather my belongings, and that is when I overheard him talking to Mr. Mills. I stopped what I was doing and listened to him talk, his otherworldly voice was hypnotizing. He finished talking, and turned to walk out of the class, and bumped right into me. I was so seduced from before that I hadn’t noticed that he had stopped talking, and was quite embarrassed when he walked into me. My books and bag fell off the desk and onto the floor, scattered about.

I mumbled a quick apology and, face bright red, knelt down to pick up my things, hoping that he hadn’t seen my face. I kept looking down, hoping that he would just walk away and let me pick up my things, but instead, he too knelt down next to me and said those fateful words that would change my life. “Would you like some help?”

My heart stopped. I looked up to see his brown eyes looking back at me with a half smile upon his face. He let out a chuckle when he saw my face, and then turned to my belongings sprawled about the floor, picking them up one by one, careful not to bend the pages. We stood up together, each of us holding two books. He set them on the desk, turned to me and said, “Try to be more careful next time. And don’t worry about me, it was no trouble at all.” And then he walked out of the room, leaving me awe struck and paralyzed, until Mr. Mills reminded me that I had three minutes until my next period started.

I rushed from the room, pulling my bag over my shoulder as I opened the door, only to once again run into Remmie. We didn’t physically bump into each other, but rather he was waiting for me by the door. “W-what are you doing here?” I asked, confused and grateful at the same time.

I guess he never was really a man of many words, but he got the point across, most beautifully. “Free period,” was all he said.

I stared at him for a moment, or at least, it felt like a moment. I realized a little to late that I stared a little to long, because when the bell rang, I snapped back into reality. “Oh my God! I’m so sorry,” I exclaimed. He still had that same smile as before, and as I turned to rush to my next class, I stopped suddenly when he spoke again.

“May I ask your name? I’m afraid I forgot to ask earlier. My name is Remmie Hart.” He offered his hand to shake, but I was to nervous to take it. I just couldn’t touch his hand, for fear that I would be unable to let go.

“Carrona Kai,” I murmured, staring at my shoes. I couldn’t even look at him anymore. The pressure of the situation was too much for me, and so I ran. No “good bye,” no “nice meeting you,” no “have a good day.” I just turned around, and I ran. Down the hall, out the door, leaving him standing there while cursing myself for doing so the entire way to my next class.

I was late, and I got detention, and it was the only time I’ve ever been happy to get detention. This school year was going to be different, that was for sure.

Subject: Re: Solar Eclipse Mon Oct 01, 2007 10:03 pm

Chapter 2

3:30 PM, school library. Detention was a pain, but I didn’t mind having to do busy work in total silence for an hour. It gave me time to think, and to get away from my life at home, even though I would have to explain it all to my parents when I got there. I wasn’t looking forward to that.

Leaving the library, I turned down the hall and walked out the front doors. Guess who was waiting there for me. Remmie was sitting on the bench outside the large red double doors of the school’s main entrance, staring off into the sky. I froze when I saw him. Had he been waiting for me, or was he here for another reason. He looked down at me when he realized I was standing in front of him, paralyzed.

“My girlfriend dumped me,” he said flatly, “She said she couldn’t keep a long distance relationship, so she dumped me.”

My heart skipped a beat. I attempted to say something comforting, but all I could muster was a short gasp; my feelings of joy, pity, and fear had taken hold of my body in their war for supremacy. Without thinking (my mind had completely shut off by this time) I found myself walking over to the bench where he sat, and taking my seat right beside him.

Now I had to say something in order to avoid another awkward moment. “I-I’m s-sorry to hear t-that,” I stammered. I could feel the sweat on my face and the strain in my mind. What the hell was I thinking? I fumbled with one of the straps from my backpack while staring at the ground. I could tell that I was blushing again, and it only made me more nervous, which made me blush even more.

“I think…” began Remmie, after about two minutes of silence, “I think you should calm down a bit. Too much stress at a young age can cause early aging of the skin and hair.”

I turned to look right at him with such haste I nearly gave myself whiplash (is that possible?). I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. This was not something I was expecting to hear from someone who had just got dumped. “So…why are you here?” I asked, not knowing what else to say.

The cool breeze of this late September day made me shiver slightly. I could hear the calls of birds in the trees near the park, and in the rafters of the overhang above the main entrance doors. The sky was clear; blue with only a few clouds, the sun high above, trying its hardest to warm the earth, but to no avail.

Remmie didn’t answer; he just stared off into the horizon, as if something amazing was out there. I did the same, hoping to find what he was looking at, but with little luck. I suddenly felt as though someone was watching me, and turned to see him staring right at me. His eyes where bloodshot red, as if he had been crying for a long time, and I realized how much pain he must have gone through. Moving here from over seas, losing someone that he must have cared about deeply, and not being able to see all his old friends.

The warring emotions within me all suddenly gave way to sorrow, and I found that I was no longer nervous being with him. In fact, I felt calm, and I actually felt good about myself, which hasn’t happened in a long time. I turned to match his gaze, making eye contact I said, “I know how hard it must be to have to start over in a new place. If you would let me, let me be your friend, so that at least you’re not alone.”

Remmie turned back to the horizon, not saying a word. He checked his watch, and then stood up. “If I don’t hurry, I’m going to be late for supper.” He grabbed his bag from beneath the bench, slinging it over his shoulder, and began his walk home. He stopped after a few steps, and without turning around he said, “I was waiting for you.” And then he left. My heart skipped another beat.

Subject: Re: Solar Eclipse Mon Oct 01, 2007 10:04 pm

Chapter 3

I didn’t get home until past eight o’clock that night. When my parents asked where I had been and why I missed dinner, I told them, “I was at school talking with a friend.” My parents have always had a problem with boys and me, especially my dad, so when something involves a boy, I just refer to him as a “friend” of mine, and leave it at that.

My parents didn’t buy my excuse this time. I knew they wouldn’t. My mom had that “Woman’s Intuition” that she always preached about. She new in an instant that I was lying, well, half lying, but she still knew that I wasn’t telling the whole truth. “You stayed at the school from half past three until eight o’clock talking to a friend?” asked my mom, skeptical as usual. “That must have been one hell of a conversation.”

“After my meeting with the teacher,” I began. I hadn’t told them that I got detention, “I met a friend of mine outside of the school. They had been waiting for someone.” Not entirely false, but not entirely true either. “We sat and talked for a while, and when we realized how late it was, we quickly said our good byes and headed home.” I felt confident that they would buy this, they just had too.

They didn’t. “Yeah, right,” my dad chimed in. He had the typical overprotective attitude, like most dads do for their daughters. He didn’t like any boy that I brought home, even if that boy was an honest to God angel and gave him a million dollars, my dad would still find something wrong with him and say that he didn’t want me seeing him anymore. “You were out with another boy, weren’t you?”

I hated how he would always emphasize the word “boy.” He made it sound like boys were the incarnation of evil, spawn of the Devil. “Dad, it’s not like that,” I said defensively. “He’s just someone nice that I met. Besides, he already has a girlfriend.” I lied, knowing that he would calm down after hearing that.

“Well, alright then.” He had nothing left to say, nothing left to argue. He went back into the den, where I could hear the television blaring. “That's our show everyone. Be sure to tune in next time, when we have another vict. . .err. . .contestant.” It was some new game show that my parents were addicted too, but it seems that they missed tonight’s episode while talking to me.

My mom gave me her “you’re not telling me everything” look and then turned and followed dad into the other room. As soon as her back was turned, I bolted up the stares and down the second floor hall to my bedroom. I threw my jacket onto the back of my desk chair, flung my backpack onto the floor, and sat in front of my mirror.

I could see myself reflected, my long red hair was untidy from the cool autumn wind on my long walk home. My white walls made the room seem bright by reflecting the light. My bed sat in the corner of the room, opposite the door, with my lone window right next to it. My desk-vanity combo was at the wall to the left of the door, with my dresser and bookshelf to the right. My walk in closet was directly left of my door, on the same wall. My room always looked smaller when I saw it through my mirror.

I picked up my brush, and began to straighten my hair. I did this whenever I had something on my mind. If I didn’t have a brush, I would run my fingers through in instead. I just couldn’t get Remmie out of my head. What he said before he left earlier left me wondering what he thought of me. Did he actually like me? Was he going to ask me out? Was he really just a weirdo that liked to say cryptic things like Yoda? Nah, not likely. Well, then again…

I hadn’t been really paying much attention to my reflection, but now I looked at myself directly, and noticed that I was blushing again. I had dated a few guys before, three to be exact, but I had never felt this way about any of them.

Gary was the first. He was sweet, but very possessive. I couldn’t stand how jealous he got, even from me just sitting next to some guy I didn’t even know in class. The second was Joshua, but I liked to call him Joshy. He never knew what the hell was going on, even it was right in front of him. Clueless as always, that was Joshy for ya. The third, Jason, knew what to say, when to say it, and always seemed to know everything. He was my first (my dad doesn’t know yet, and I don’t plan on telling him), but it turns out that he just was too good for one girl. Dumped his sorry ass, and still regret letting him get that far.

Remmie was different though. He had that sort of mysterious guy vibe, like James Bond, but not a secret agent, and no guns. He just seemed too good to be true, and yet, there he was. I put my brush back down on the desk. I had homework, but I was too damn tired to do it. It could wait until tomorrow morning. I got my pajamas from the dresser and set them on my bed, and then went out and down the hall towards the bathroom.

I got undressed and stepped into the shower. The warm water and the steam made me completely forget about everything, if only for a moment, as their seductive powers took hold. I was suddenly pulled back to reality with a knock on the door.

“Carry, there is a phone call for you. Hurry up.” My mom yelled over the shower. I quickly finished and stepped out, put a towel on, and cracked open the door. My mom was right there, and seeing her face that close to the door made me jump a little. I took the phone from her hand.

“Hello?” I said, adjusting my towel as my mom walked back down the stairs.

“Carry, I’m glad I got a hold of you!” It was my best friend from elementary school, Anna. She sounded as though something amazing had happened, and couldn’t wait to rub it in my face. I was about to find out how right I really was.

“You know that knew guy that just transferred in? Remmie?” she asked, hardly able to contain herself.

“Y-yes…” I stuttered. You know that feeling you get right when you’re about to throw up? I suddenly felt just like that. I knew what was coming before she even said it.

“He just asked me out!” she exclaimed. “Isn’t that--” I hung up. I didn’t want to listen to her brag about it, I didn’t even want to think about it. I turned off the bathroom light, walked down the hall back to my room, and collapsed onto my bed. I didn’t even bother changing, I just laid there, crying, until sleep’s cruel grasp took hold and made me dream that terrible nightmare over and over and over again.

Subject: Re: Solar Eclipse Tue Oct 02, 2007 7:35 pm

Whats this?

Subject: Re: Solar Eclipse Tue Oct 02, 2007 8:41 pm

This is the story I had been working on for a while now. Leona said to post it here because it's not actually a fan-fic, but I still wanted to show everyone. Btw, what did you think of it?

Subject: Re: Solar Eclipse Tue Oct 02, 2007 8:41 pm

Chapter 4

I awoke the next morning to a feeling of uneasiness. I found myself wrapped up beneath the bed sheets. I checked under the covers, still naked. My bedroom light was turned off too (I hadn’t turned it off the night before). My alarm clock read four fifteen; it wasn’t set to go off until five. I sat up, holding the covers to my chest to keep warm, and peeked through the window blinds at the world outside.

Beyond my reflection I could see the other houses on my street. Anna lived just a few houses down the street. The lights above glowed a dull orange as the occasional pair of head lights passed below. Most of the houses were dark, save a few windows randomly strewn about. I looked long and hard at nothing in particular, just the stars, the moon, the other houses, when suddenly I heard a knock on my bedroom door.

‘Who could that be?’ I thought to myself. I was usually the first one awake in the mornings because both of my parents didn’t start work until around nine. I picked up the sheets off my bed, wrapped them around me, and walked in almost complete darkness to the door. Opening it slowly, I found my mom on the other side, still in her gown.

“Oh, so you are awake,” she stated. Close up, I could barely make out her face. She looked tired, like she hadn’t had much sleep, which at this time was a very distinct possibility.

“Why are you up now, mom?” I asked, “Don’t you normally get up at six?”

“Not this morning, I couldn’t sleep. I thought I heard movement from your room, so I came to see if you were awake yet,” the lack of sleep was apparent in her voice. I turned on the light, squinting for a few minutes as my eyes adjusted, and shifted the sheets a little bit to make them stay up better.

“What was that phone call about last night?” my mom asked suddenly, “After you hung up, you just went straight to bed and didn’t even put your pajamas on.”

I wasn’t expecting that question. I looked away for a moment, thinking about what I really wanted to say, but nothing I could think of was remotely believable. I turned back to her and asked, “When you were my age, did you ever find some things hard to talk about?”

Without missing a beat, my mom pushed open the door gently and guided me to the bed, where we sat side by side. I knew from years past that she was about to give me one of her Womanhood lectures. She always sat with me on my bed when she wanted to talk to me about something important. Last time we talked, it was about how boys tend to have one track minds, and what to watch for. The time before that, about five or six years ago, she explained why my boobs were getting bigger. The time before that was right after my very first period. What could she possibly need to talk to me about this time?

“I know your dad can be a bit harsh at times, but that’s only because he loves you, and doesn’t want you to get hurt. If you ever have anything that you want to talk about, but are afraid of what your dad might think, you can always tell me. I won’t tell your father; it will just be our little secret.” My mom finished with a forced smile. It must have been hard at this time of the morning.

I wasn’t expecting her to say something like that. I was so surprised and happy that I began to cry. I don’t really know why, but all the stress and emotions I had been keeping inside might have something to do with it. I didn’t even try to lie this time; the dams gave way as I spilled everything to her. How I met Remmie, how we talked after my detention, and how he had waited for me. I told her about how he wasn’t like the other boys I had dated, and how I had never felt so much for any other boy I had met. I told her about the phone call last night, how Anna was now dating Remmie, and had actually called just to rub it in my face. When I was finished, we sat in silence for a minute. Two minutes. Three minutes. The time passed before my mom attempted to speak again.

“You know, this might be hard to believe, but I have gone through pretty much the same things you have now. When I was your age, I had a huge crush on your father, who I had known for most of my life. He was the typical guy though, clueless as ever,” we both laughed at that, “When I finally got up enough courage to ask him out, I was shocked to hear that he already had a girlfriend. I didn’t give up hope however, and not to long after, I found out that she had broken up with him. Not to long after that, he asked me out, and we had been together ever since.”

She paused, letting it sink in, and then continued. “I know what it’s like to be your age. Don’t give up on him just because he’s dating someone else. I know your father would disagree with me entirely, but if you really do like him, I think you should let him know. I wouldn’t mine meeting—Remmie was his name, right?”

I nodded.

“I wouldn’t mind meeting him some day. He seems really nice from what you told me. I just wish you would be this honest with me all the time.” She let out a heavy sigh, and then said, “You should probably get dressed now. I hear that bed sheets went out of style with the fall of the Roman Empire.” We laughed again. It felt good to talk to my mom like this. No more secrets, no more stress. It was strange talking to my mom like she was a friend, and not just my mother, but I liked it still.

She stood up and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her. I neatly replaced the bed sheet and went to my dresser, pulling out a bra and pair of underwear. After dawning my undergarments, I went to my closet, which was full of different outfits, many of which were actually a bit to girly for my taste, or were to revealing to wear to school, but I managed to find a plain shirt and a pair of jeans that would suffice.

I quickly dressed and then looked at the clock. Five-seventeen. I didn’t need to leave for another forty-five minutes or so. Picking up the brush from the desk, I ran it through my hair a few times; just enough to straighten it. I didn’t like spending a lot of time getting all gussied up except for special occasions, which are also the only times I wear make-up.

I got my bag ready, grabbed my coat, and went downstairs to make a quick breakfast. It was five-thirty now; I had to leave in half an hour. I was surprised to find that my mom had, while I was still upstairs, made a batch of French toast. “Oh, Carry, I just finished. I figured I might as well make breakfast since I was up, and your dad will be happy too.” She smiled and returned to what she was doing.

I grabbed a piece, adding syrup and butter, and sat down to eat. The entire kitchen smelled of cinnamon, a rich smell that tingled my nose and made me hungry. My mom was always a good cook, but her breakfasts were by far the best. I ate slowly, savoring the complex flavors. The sugar, the cinnamon, and some other spices she added for flavor. Five-fifty, I finished eating. Thanking my mom, I deposited my plate into the sink, downed the glass of milk that she had brought me, gave her a small kiss on the cheek, and headed out the door, passing my dad, who had been, I assume, awakened by the smell of my mom’s magnificent cooking. Today was going to be a good day, I could just feel it.

Subject: Re: Solar Eclipse Wed Oct 03, 2007 6:57 pm

So, what does everyone think of it?

Subject: Re: Solar Eclipse Thu Oct 04, 2007 9:15 pm

Chapter 5

I didn’t talk to Remmie in first period. I sat in the middle right side of the room, while he sat in the back. I was tossing glances at him the entire time, trying to see what he was doing, but he never once looked at me. How could he say what he said last night, and then ask out my best friend? I admit I was mad, but more disappointed than anything else.

The bell rang, and Mr. Mills excused the class, ranting about a report we were studying for as we filed out the door. I turned right to go to Studio Arts, and Remmie turned left to go to the school commons. I couldn’t help but look over my shoulder as he walked off. He was disgusting and beautiful and repulsive and entrancing, all at the same time. I was paying so much attention to him that I walked right into the door. Those who saw my blunder laughed, pointed, and called names, but I wasn’t listening to them. I just got up and hastily walked to my next class.

…*…*…*…*…

At lunch, I ‘observed’ Anna and Remmie sitting together. I wasn’t spying, I was just curious. They had a whole table to themselves. Something seemed a bit out of place though. They were talking a lot, but Anna didn’t seem too happy. In fact, she looked to be almost in tears. Now I was mad at Remmie. Not just because he had asked her out, but because he had made Anna cry. What had he done? I was about to go over there and see what was the matter, but suddenly Anna stood up and started to run towards me! I just froze.

She was crying, and as she caught sight of me, she stopped, looked at me with her tear stained face, and said, “Remmie’s a jerk! He didn’t even like me! All he cares about is his own selfish self!” And then she ran off, leaving me standing there in a mix of joy, shock, sorrow, rage, and confusion. It was then that I noticed that Remmie was looking at me now. He motioned with his hand for me to come over, and my legs did as they were told, much to my dismay.

He was about to speak when I arrived, but I interrupted him, committed to chew him out for making my friend cry like that. “How could you do something like that to her?! What did she do to deserve it?!”

“Carry, just let me--”

I wasn’t about to let him smooth talk his way out of this one. “She was so excited, and then you just had to go and make her upset. You’re a monster! I can’t believe I ever liked you!” I was yelling now, and attracting quite a bit of attention. I finished with quick flick of my hair, and stormed off after Anna to try and calm her down, leaving Remmie there with the throng of onlookers, looking like an idiot.

…*…*…*…*…

I found Anna in the girl’s bathroom just outside the cafeteria. She had stopped crying, but refused to come out of the stall.

“Anna, it’s okay. He was a jerk, and he got what he deserved. Now the whole school knows how big of an ass he really is.”

She stayed quiet for a minute or two, sniffing every once in a while to keep her nose from running. She finally unlocked the stall door and came out, her make-up smeared from her wiping her tears.

“He didn’t ask me out,” she said, “He asked if we could get together sometime. He just wanted to talk to me, not date me.” She was staring at the floor. I realized just then that I made a huge mistake. Remmie didn’t deserve what I did to him, and the worst part was; now he probably would never want to talk to me again.

“What…what did he want to talk to you about?” I dared to ask.

“Well,” began Anna, trying to think of how exactly to say what she wanted to tell me, “he knew that you and me were friends…” she paused and looked up at me, giving me a great view of her multicolored face. Her mascara had run down to her chin, and her long blonde hair had been messed up considerably. Her light blue eyes were bloodshot from the crying. “He wanted to ask me about you…” she just trailed off as her words took affect.

I felt like an idiot. No, worse than an idiot. I felt like the lowest of the low, like I had dug a hole in a swamp, letting all the filth rush in. How could I have been so stupid? I rushed from the bathroom, leaving Anna standing there alone, and went looking for Remmie. However, it seemed that Fate was against me, for the bell rang, making it nearly impossible to find him in the crowd of students filing their way out of the lunch room.

I didn’t see him for the rest of the day. I looked as hard as I could, but he was nowhere to be found. I drove home with a heavy heart, feeling that I may have ruined my only chance with him. For the first time in my life, I actually hated myself.

I arrived home to an empty house. Dad always worked till late, and mom was at a meeting, so I was forced to fend for myself for dinner that night. In other words, canned soup. I had no talent when it came to cooking, unlike my mom, who could be considered the Goddess of Culinary Arts.

I really didn’t have much of an appetite, and ended up only eating half the soup. I was about to head upstairs to take a shower when I heard a knock at the door.

It was seven-thirty now. Whoever was at the door must not have known what time it was. I opened the door slowly, peeking through the crack, and was met with Remmie’s handsomely weird smile.

“Oh my God! What are you doing here?!” I flung the door open and ushered him inside. Why was he here, and how did he find my house?

He took a seat at the dining table, which was just across from the front door. “I wanted to come and apologize for earlier today. It was just a big misunderstanding is all; I never meant to hurt Anna.”

“I know,” I said guiltily, “She told me everything. I’m so sorry for what I said. I should have just listened to you. I tried to find you to tell you the rest of the day, but I couldn’t seem to find you.”

We stayed there in silence for a few minutes, looking everywhere but at each other. It wasn’t just normal silence; it was awkward silence, silence that seems so quiet that it hurts your ears. Remmie was the first to speak.

“I was too afraid to talk to talk to you,” he admitted. This caught me by surprise. “so I asked Anna if I could talk to her at lunch, and she must have thought that I was asking her out.” He let out a half hearted laugh, which sounded too forced to be real. The awkward silence returned.

I decided to take a seat opposite him because my legs were getting tired from standing the whole time. I changed the subject, asking questions about where he was from, his likes, dislikes, hobbies. I answered his questions as well, and before long, we had lost track of time and learned so much. It would have gone on all night had my mom not pulled into the driveway. It was ten o’clock now.

“Oh shoot! My mom! My parents have never liked any boy that they meet, ever. Hurry out the back--” Too late. Mom had already opened the door and froze when she saw Remmie.

“Hello Mrs. Kai,” he said with that amazing smile of his. He stood up and offered his hand to shake. She took it slowly, giving me that “we need to talk later” look. “I’m Remmie Hart, a friend of Carry. This is a nice home you have here.”

My mom looked past Remmie and directly at me. “So, this is Remmie?” She shifted her attention back to him. “It’s nice to meet you Remmie. My daughter has told me so much about you.”

He looked back at me. “Did she now? What about exactly?” I started to blush and looked down at the floor. They exchanged small talk a bit longer before bidding each other farewell. Remmie said goodbye to me and then walked out the front door, which my mom had left open accidentally, closing it behind him.

Mom turned to me, and I was expecting her to give me her “you are in so much trouble” speech. “He seems really nice. Much better than Jason.” She then took off her coat, placing it on one of the hooks on the wall by the door, and proceeded to the other room and turned on the TV.

I couldn’t believe it, my mom actually liked him. That must have been a sign that we were meant to be. I slept well that night; the dreams of fantasy replacing the nightmares the night before.

Subject: Re: Solar Eclipse Mon Oct 08, 2007 8:21 pm

Chapter 6

The next couple of days flew by like The Flash after drinking a lot of coffee. It was Friday before I knew it; the first Friday of the school year, which meant that the first weekend of the school year was tomorrow. I couldn’t wait.

Me and Remmie weren’t officially dating yet, but we were hanging out quite a bit. I swear, if you didn’t know better, you would have thought we were connected at the hands. And from all that time we spent, I learned a lot about him.

I learned that he was born in Canada, but moved to Switzerland when his dad got a promotion, but had to move back after the company went bankrupt. He liked to read, and even wrote a little bit too. He even played soccer for seven years. It seemed that he could do anything, and being with him made me feel the same way; invincible.

This weekend however was special. Me and Remmie had exchanged numbers and addresses, and we had planned on me going to his house after school on Friday—this Friday—for dinner. For half the day, I was so lost in thought that I had no idea what I was supposed to be doing in my classes. That is, until Mrs. Reba, my fourth period English Studies teacher, called on me in class. I felt like an idiot when I realized that I hadn’t a clue what the hell was going on.

After sixth period, I left to meet Remmie by the flag pole, like we had planned. He could drive, and had his own car too, unlike me. I had my license, but no car of my own. (My parents say that if I want a car, I need to buy my own.). His car was really nice. I’m not an expert on the subject, but it was really low to the ground, bright glossy red, and looked like one of those cars you see in magazines that you know you could never afford.

On my way out to the flag pole, I ran into Anna walking the other direction towards the busses. “Where are you going?” she asked, “The busses are this way.”

“I know.” I replied, all smiles, “I’m going to meet Remmie.”

She just stared at me for a moment, then she asked with a grin, “So, are you two dating yet? You spend so much time together that if I didn’t know better, I would have thought you were connected at the hands.”

“Not yet,” was all I said, and then I started towards the flag pole once again.

Remmie was waiting there, with some other groups of kids just hanging around, the delinquent kids mostly. They paid no mind to Remmie until I showed up. They snickered a bit, but we just ignored them and began walking towards his car.

“So, do you think your parents will like me?” I asked. I was a bit nervous of meeting them. What if they didn’t like me? Would they not let us go out? I was so worried that I almost didn’t hear his reply.

“My mom would. My dad probably won’t be home until later tonight. He always works late on Fridays.”

He pulled out his keychain and hit a button. A beeping sound to my right alerted us to the whereabouts of his car. We cut through some of the other parked vehicles to get to his. I opened the passenger side door, tossing my bag behind the seat, and climbed in. The smooth black leather was so smooth, and it felt so good. I didn’t want to leave.

I couldn’t stop myself from asking it, “How could you afford something like this? This must have cost a fortune.”

He laughed, just a short “ha-ha.” The puzzled look on my face became even more puzzled. “This car used to belong to my grandfather. It was given to me when he passed away.” At the mention of his grandfather, his face became hard and serious, but only for a moment.

His face…I couldn’t stop looking at it. He started the car, shifted into drive, and was about to pull out when he noticed I was looking at him.

“Is there something on my face?”

“No.”

…*…*…*…*…

As we pulled into his driveway, I got to see his house for the first time. It was a medium sized two story house. It had a two car garage, but Remmie didn’t park in it. I figured that his parents used the garage. The house was an off-white color with a large front yard and a fenced off backyard. The lawn was green and well kept, and the small garden adorning the walkway to the front door was stunning.

A sign was stuck in the grass, right next to the driveway. It was the For Sale sign that no one had bothered to take down. It read, “Fiona Real Estate.”

As we walked up the walkway, Remmie turned and said, “Listen, my mom can be a bit weird sometimes. She gets sorta, you know, crazy. So, please don’t freak out.” I couldn’t help it, I just let out a laugh. He smiled weakly, with a “you have been warned” look in his eyes.

He opened the door and walked in, removing his shoes before going any further. The first room was just a door room, with a place for shoes, concrete floor, and coat hangers on the wall. There was another door to the right. I followed, removing my shoes as well, and placing my jacket on one of the hooks. We walked into the next room, me right behind him. The den, or what I assumed was the den, was rather large. It was all hard wood floors, with a large rug in the center, a fireplace on one wall, a large, widescreen TV on an adjacent wall, and a large couch and recliner opposite that. Everything about his house seemed big, except his mom.

She came out of another room, which I assume was the kitchen because I could smell something amazing in there. She was a sturdy woman, all four feet of her, and she appeared to be in her mid forties.

“Hello Mrs. Hart,” I said politely.

“Mom,” began Remmie, “this is my good friend Carrona. She’s the one I told you about earlier.”

At first, his mom didn’t say anything, but then she turned to him and said, “I’m so glad that you’ve made friends already Remmie!” Then she strode over to me and hugged me. Not one of those polite hugs either, but a real, full body hug. I was so shocked that I almost didn’t return it, and I don’t even want to know what she would think of me if I ruined this first impression.

After she let go and stepped back a bit, I said, “Just call me Carry, ma’am,” and then I added, this is a very nice home you have here. She smiled at me with that same warm smile that Remmie would always give me. I guess that’s where he got it.

“Dinner will be done in an hour. Why don’t you make yourself at home?” then she turned to Remmie and said, “Your father won’t be home until late, so you need to help out after dinner.” I had no idea what she was talking about, but I decided not to ask. Instead, I waited for her to go back into the kitchen, and then Remmie led me upstairs to show me the rest of the house.

…*…*…*…*…

The dinner was amazing. It wasn’t a small, made-from-a-box dinner like my parents make sometimes, but a full, homemade dinner. Everything was freshly prepared, from the glaze on the chicken to the sauces in the pasta. Even the vegetables were grown in the garden out back, which Remmie had shown me earlier. I ate my fill, and there was still more left. I began to wonder how his mom had enough time to make something like this. (I later found out that she didn’t work.)

6:30. We said our goodbyes on my front porch. Remmie had driven me home after dinner, the cool night air and the cool leather seats and the warm food made me feel sleepy. It wasn’t an awkward goodbye, but more like a silent one. Neither of us wanted to say anything because neither of us wanted to leave the other. So instead, we just stood there until the wind picked up, and we decided to call it a night.

I turned to the door, but Remmie caught me by the shoulder. I turned to him, and before I realized what was happening, he kissed me. Not on the cheek, or the forehead, or nose. No, on the lips. A real kiss. If we weren’t an official couple before, we were now. I was amazed, surprised, and happy, all at the same time. I didn’t want it to end, but it did. It felt so right that neither of us regretted it or felt weird about it. We just smiled, and then he went back to his car as I went into my house.

My mom was there, but my dad wasn’t due home for another half hour, and apparently, she saw the whole thing. I didn’t care. I was, for the first time in a long time, truly happy, and I didn’t want that feeling to go away.

Guest

i think its good im horrible at writing storys

Subject: Re: Solar Eclipse Wed Oct 10, 2007 7:28 pm

Chapter 7

Remmie wasn’t at school on Monday. I looked everywhere, but no luck. It was my second week of Grade 11 at Harlstone Public High School, and already Remmie was missing school. I figured that he must be home sick, but something just didn’t sit right with me.

We hadn’t seen each other since we had dinner at his house on Friday, and he seemed perfectly fine (more than perfect actually, but that’s not what I’m talking about right now). We talked on the phone briefly on Sunday, but didn’t have much time considering I was soaking wet after just getting out of the shower (which, I assume, he must have enjoyed hearing), and still needed to get changed into my bed clothes and do my homework for that night.

Tuesday was no better. Remmie was still gone from school, and I began to wonder what might of happened to him. I thought about giving him a call, but then realized that I might sound too desperate if I did. Gah! I hadn’t the slightest clue what to do!

Wednesday, he called me. It was seven o’clock in the evening, and my dad was home. You can imagine who picked up the phone. “Hello, Damen Kai speaking.” I heard my dad say. Shortly after, I saw him grimace, and then he shot me his signature “I don’t approve” look, and tossed me the phone.

“Hello?” I said, knowing exactly who it was.

“Hey Carry. Sorry for not being at school the past couple days, but…” he cut himself off. I could tell that his enthusiasm was forced. Something was wrong.

“But?” I asked, waiting for him to continue.

He swallowed hard, and I could tell he was having trouble finding words to tell me. He took a deep breath and said, “Sunday night, after I got off the phone with you, we got a call from the local police department. My dad…he was killed in a car accident.”

I was shocked. I never knew his dad, but I was on the verge of tears already, and I could tell from the sound of his voice that he was crying, or had been recently. There was nothing I could say, nothing at all, that would make him feel any better, so instead I said, “Hold on Remmie, I’ll be right over.”

I hung up, grabbed my coat and my mom’s keys to her car, tossing her a look and a nod as I rushed out the door. She nodded back, knowing where I was going, and I knew that she would take care of my dad’s questions until I got back.

…*…*…*…*…

I pulled into his driveway not ten minutes later, the Fiona Real Estate sign still sitting there. I knocked on the door, calmly (or as calmly as I could), and his mom answered the door. She didn’t seem as peppy as she was the last time we met. In fact, she was a mess. Her husband was her only source of income, and now without him, there was no way she could afford this house. She would have to get a job, and they would have to move out. Why does God hate me?

“Oh, Carry, come in. Remmie told me you were coming over.” She stepped out of the way to let me in. Her eyes were bloodshot, and he hair was untidy. She looked pale and weak, like she had a very bad cold.

I found Remmie in the den area on the large sofa. His mom walked past behind me and into the kitchen, I could hear here starting to cry again. Remmie didn’t look any better. I would imagine why he wouldn’t be at school. He turned his head and looked at me; his bloodshot brown eyes were swollen. He didn’t say anything, he just kept on staring. I went over to him and sat down. The TV was on, but I knew that he wasn’t paying attention to it. It was just a white noise to help him drown out the world.

We sat and watched some stupid game show with this really creepy host. He was tall, mid twenties, blonde with a black suit, and probably the most sadistic person I’ve ever seen. I reached for the remote and changed the channel, “I don’t think this something you should be watching.”

I flipped the channel to some cartoon where a rabbit was outwitting a hunter with a speech problem. Remmie seemed to be lost in thought. He just sort of stared at the TV, not reacting to any of the laugh cues or the funny antics of the characters.

I moved closer and placed my head on his shoulder. It was warm, and I could hear his breathing. It made me feel calm, secure, and for the first time after I hung up on him, he actually said something. “Carry, thank you for coming. I…I’m sorry for making you worry about me. It’s just hard to…accept it, ya know? We just moved in, got comfortable, and now we need to move out again.”

He paused to blow his nose and wipe his tears before continuing (sort of gross, but I didn’t mind). “We’ve found an apartment in Harlstone that we can stay at until we have enough money to afford a new house.”

I moved even closer, pressing my body to his, hoping, praying, that some how he would be alright. He put his arm around my shoulder, and it was then that I had an idea.

We have a large garage that doubled as a shop next to our house. My dad, being a man of many tools, loved to work on his truck. Even if there was nothing wrong with it, I swear, he would make something wrong with it just so he could fix it. The shop had a second story though, a small apartment that looked like a hotel room. The kitchen and living room and bedroom were all combined, and there was a small side closet and a bathroom with a full bath and shower combo. It was perfect for mom and her son to live in.

“Hey Remmie?” I started.

“Hmm?”

“I’ve got an idea.”

Subject: Re: Solar Eclipse Thu Oct 18, 2007 10:07 pm

Chapter 8

“Absolutely not!”

“Why not, daddy?” I always called him “daddy” when trying to sweet talk him, like I used to do when I was little.

“The last thing I need is some boy living in our home! Who knows what he will try to pull!” He wasn’t going to be persuaded easily.

Remmie had come over with me, along with his mom, to help explain the situation. She was overjoyed to hear that we may be able to offer her and Remmie a place to stay until they were able to get by on their own. My dad was stubborn as a mule however, and would never let them stay with Remmie living so close. He didn’t necessarily dislike Remmie, from what I could tell, but the idea of a boy living within one hundred feet of us made him uneasy. Not to mention that the upstairs window of the garage apartment opened up right next to mine. (I was hoping he would forget that detail, but I guess I was hoping for too much.)

“Daddy! Please! Have a heart!” I was hoping to make him feel guilty. No luck.

“No! That is my final answer!” He turned, red faced, to return to the living room, where I could hear that sadistic game show. What was so great about a show like that anyway?

Mrs. Hart and Remmie had been in the other room with my mom. I assumed that they could have heard the yelling. Then again, I wouldn’t be surprised if someone in China heard the yelling.

Mom had already agreed to let them stay, but it was actually up to my father. What he said was law, even if mom told him what to say half the time. I retreated to the back room where Remmie and the parents were, tears already welling. Not because I had lost, but because now the Harts had to find some other way to support themselves and find a place to live.

“Hold on dear, let me have a word with your father,” said my mom firmly. She made up in what my father lacked: morality. Stepping past me, she headed to the living room. I could hear the TV click off, and I strained to hear what they were saying. Nothing. Silence was all there was.

I had my ear pressed to the door, Remmie and his mom sitting behind me. I could sense the tension in the room. Mrs. Hart had tried to not sound intruding or desperate, but it was in her voice, and the way she pleaded made me feel even sorrier for her. Offering our hospitality in their time of need was the least I could do for them. Suddenly, footsteps on the other side of the door, and I managed to pull my ear away just in time as my mom opened the door. Dad followed behind her.

“They can stay…” he said reluctantly, “but you are not allowed into the apartment unless Mrs. Hart is there, and Remmie is not allowed in here unless we are home. Understood?” I nodded. Whatever my mom did, I don’t think I could have loved her any more than I did now.

I ran up to my dad and flung my arms around his neck, “Thank you daddy!” I let go and shifted my shirt, and then offered to show them to the apartment. They would be staying there that night, and I would be helping them move in then next day.

…*…*…*…*…

I didn’t go to school the next day. Not that I wasn’t supposed too, but I figured helping the Harts move in was more important. I had called in sick before, impersonating my mom, so it wasn’t so hard to excuse myself from my lessons, seeing as both my parents leave before I do in the mornings, and don’t make it back home until later.

We constantly went back and forth between their house and mine, moving furniture, possessions, clothing, anything that needed to be moved. Before long, the small apartment was beginning to feel like a small home. Many items were moved to a public storage for the time being.

After a few hours of going back and forth (and refilling my gas tank…twice…), Remmie and I finally got a moment to talk on a more personal level.

“I always thought I was going to die before my parents did,” he said suddenly while we were eating lunch at his house. His mom was in the other room packing up some things.

I nearly spit my sandwich out at him. “Why would you think that?!”

“I…I don’t know. I’ve just always thought I was going to die young. Ever since my twelve year old cousin died, I’ve always believed that I was going to meet the same fate.” I had never seen this side of him before. I didn’t know what to say either. Little did I know at that time, that wasn’t the only time I was going to hear him say that.

His mom walked in from the other room. She seemed stressed. “Are you almost finished?” She had a large suitcase at her side, and I could see two more bags through the door.

We hastily devoured our sandwiches and stood, heading to the other room to retrieve the bags. They were quite large, but even still, they felt heavier than they appeared.

…*…*…*…*…

My mom got home around five-thirty. She found me in the apartment with Remmie and his mom, helping them put stuff away.

“Carry,” she started, “could you come help me prepare dinner. Remmie, Terry, you’re welcome to join us tonight if you want.”

“We would be delighted Sarah. Thank you very much!” Our moms apparently had some time to get to know each other if they were already on a first name basis.

We made spaghetti, which was good because it was by far my mom’s best dish. Traditional Italian style with homemade sauce and meatballs. I was getting hungry just from the smells in the kitchen.

Dad got home just as we finished making dinner, like he usually did. Dinner was quiet that night. The tension in the room (dad’s fault) forced us to eat in silence.

Everyone had nearly finished eating before I broke the silence. “Mrs. Hart, how do you like the apartment?”

“It’s cozy.”

“Is there enough room?”

“Plenty.”

“You know, if there isn’t enough room, Remmie could always move into—”

My dad cut me off. I was only joking, and getting him off like that was good fun. “He is NOT moving in here!” Everyone, including Mrs. Hart and my mom, laughed, except for my dad who was red in the face.

We said our goodbyes and the Harts headed to the garage apartment. I headed upstairs to shower and get ready for bed. I told my parents goodnight, closed my door, turned out the light, and opened my window.

Subject: Re: Solar Eclipse Tue Oct 23, 2007 9:24 pm

Chapter 9

Rumors spread like the plague in most schools; ours was no exception. By next Monday, nearly the entire school had heard about Remmie moving into our garage (although many of the rumors blow it way out of proportion; everything from him moving into the same house as me to us getting married. Needless to say, only a few people new the real story). Comments were abound, both compliments and rude remarks, but we didn’t care.

I used to dread getting up in the mornings. I was always in a rush, and so tired that I would always forget something, whether it be a sock or breakfast. Now, however, I looked forward to getting up in the mornings; even going to bed early so I can get up early. I got a ride to school with Remmie in the mornings now, and a ride home as well. (Can’t say dad was happy about it. He really needs to lighten up…). The leather felt so amazing in the mornings, when it was still cold from the night before.

“Hey, Remmie?” I asked one Wednesday morning on our way to school, “what do you think of my dad?” The question had been bugging me. I really didn’t want to lose him just because of what my dad did. It really pissed me off to think that my dad could be so disapproving of every other guy in the world.

“I think that he cares for you, and is just watching out for you. Although…he seems to be doing his job a bit to well.” He smiled at that, but never took his eyes off the road (he’s a good driver; I can’t say the same about myself).

“I just wish he would lighten up a bit. He seems to think that every guy is the spawn of the Devil or something.” My voice was rising. I could feel myself getting angry, which scared me. I didn’t want to be angry at my dad, so I just sat there in the nice leather seat and shut up.

Remmie didn’t catch the hint.

“Well, that’s an odd way to put it. I think he just doesn’t like the thought of his one and only daughter losing her innocence while she still lives in the same house.” It was odd to hear him talk about me as if I was someone else.

“Well, you see, uh, about that…” We had just crested the Bridge. The sun was trying as hard as it could to burst through the low clouds, but instead it only succeeded in creating an amazing array of pinks and oranges and blues and purples and reds all across the sky. The bus always crossed the Bridge later, so we never got to see a sight like this.

Remmie chuckled with that sexy voice of his. “Not so innocent, huh? Me neither.” Didn’t surprise me; although I was slightly intrigued about what he was thinking (if you know what I mean).

The school had come into sight now. Only a few lights were on inside, just like every morning. We usually got there early, but I didn’t mind. It gave us some time to ourselves. Five minutes passed of just listening to the radio. Nothing good on, but that didn’t matter. We parked along the street, in the same spot we did every morning, and the car got quiet. I always hated getting to school because I would have to get out of the car, and I never wanted to.

“Hey Carrie, why are you always in a bad mood when we get to school?” He knew the answer, but I answered him anyway.

“I like the car; I like the leather. It just feels so good.” I put extra emphasis on the word.

“How would you like to just stay here for a little while? We’ve got time.”

“I would love too!”

He reached into his back pocket awkwardly and withdrew his wallet. I knew what was coming, and I couldn’t wait.

Subject: Re: Solar Eclipse Fri Oct 26, 2007 3:23 pm

Chapter 10

I flew through school like a jet through the air. The sonic boom was so loud I couldn’t hear anything the teachers were saying. The sweet elation of the morning carried me through the day in a whirlwind of joy, noise, and time. I felt invincible. I felt strong. I felt…guilty.

Never had I let someone get this close to me this fast. Never. I did like Remmie; a lot in fact. I would even go as far as to say that I loved him, but something just didn’t sit right with me. I had mixed feelings, of both pleasure and guilt, and I couldn’t seem to shake it.

I always thought that boys were sex crazy, shallow, unfeeling nimrods, and it turns out I was right…for the most part. Remmie wasn’t like that though. Unlike all the other guys I’ve dated, he actually noticed that I wasn’t feeling good about this.

“Carry, is something bothering you?” he asked me during lunch. We had managed to get a table to ourselves, without jealous Anna hovering over us the entire time (like she did most of the time during lunch. I assume that she wasn’t at school that day).

“Well…uh…I’m uh…” Spit it out! I screamed in my head. “About this morning…” I paused, looking for the right words to say. I could tell that Remmie could see my uneasiness.

“You’re feeling weird about it, aren’t you?” he asked, cutting me off. “I’ve been thinking the same thing.” He was? Seemed so unlike a guy to feel guilty about something like that. “Why do you think we feel like this?” Heck if I knew.

“I…” didn’t know what to say. “Maybe…we weren’t ready for that kind of commitment. I mean, the last time this happened, the guy ended up cheating on me. I regretted it then, and I still do now.” My face was flushed now. “I don’t want to lose you Remmie…”

Lunch time at school is not a good place to have an emotional breakdown. As a matter of fact, really the only place to have a breakdown of any kind is when you’re alone. This, however, was nothing of the sort. I was about to snap, to collapse in a crying fit—the stress of it all was so powerful—when Remmie grabbed my arm and wheeled me out of the room.

He led me down a hall, and through a door. I hadn’t seen where we were going, and had no idea where we were now. I looked up to find we were in a restroom. A boy’s restroom. The shock however didn’t stop me from my fit. Eyes watering, Remmie led me into the large stall at the back, meant for handicapped students.

“Carrona,” he began (he didn’t use my full first name very often), “we have both dealt with losses of our own. You’re right, we weren’t ready, but let’s not have that one mis—” he cut himself off, biting his bottom lip, then continued, “that one event ruin what we have now. I’m not going to hurt you, you know that. I think we that we should…take this as a lesson.”

“A-a lesson?” I hadn’t thought of it that way.

“Take it as a lesson that from now on, we will wait until we both think that we’re ready.” He smiled, and I couldn’t help but stare. He had, in those few minutes, become more to me than I ever thought possible. I felt really lucky that I found him.

Without thinking, I flung my arms around him, burying my head in his chest, and I let all the pent up emotion—all of the pain, worry, sorrow, joy, excitement, and pleasure of the day, and all the days before—release in an explosion of tears. We stood there for what seemed like hours, and I wished we could have for the rest of our lives, when suddenly we heard the restroom door open. I had completely forgotten we were in a restroom. I pulled myself together (I’m proud that I was able too) and kept quiet.

A zip, the sound of liquid on porcelain, a relieved sigh, another zip, a flush, the creek of the door opening, and then closing, and then me, releasing the breath I had held the entire time. I cracked open the stall door and peered out. Empty. Good.

Remmie led the way out, making sure the coast was clear before I left the safety of the stall (which needed to be cleaned). Apparently, the bell had rung while we were in there, because the halls, and the cafeteria, were empty. We kissed briefly and then went our separate ways to class. Detention wasn’t going to be so bad this time. Remmie was going to be there with me.

Subject: Re: Solar Eclipse Mon Nov 19, 2007 9:27 pm

Chapter 11

We sat next to each other in the school library after our classes had ended. There were four other students there as well. (In fact, they had been there when I got detention at the beginning of the school year as well.) Abigail, a tall, butch-like girl, with jet black hair (I assumed she dyed it), sat with three other boys, who’s names I did not know.

Me and Remmie did busy work silently (at least when we were being watched by the teachers) on the other side of the room, attempting to avoid contact with Abby and her posse. They had been given work to do and had been told to keep quiet, but neglected both and instead started to snicker about themselves, tossing glances over to us, and then snickering again. I felt really weird about it.

The snickering continued for quite some time. We had chosen to avoid looking at them, and to just keep to ourselves, and our work. Bad idea. I noticed that the snickering had stopped suddenly, and as I looked up to see why, I was met with a butch face.

“What’re you lookin’ at?” she snarled, as if I was the one watching her.

I didn’t say anything. I just stared back at her. I wasn’t scared of her, because I knew she wasn’t as tough as she wanted me to think she was (what did I just say now?).

It felt like ages before Remmie spoke up. “Abby, just leave us alone. We didn’t do anything to you, so stop trying to pick a fight.” My knight to the rescue. Apparently, Abby didn’t take it the way we had hoped.

“Well now, ain’t you the brave one. Why don’t you ditch this string-bean nobody and come hang with me?” she queried with a smile. Both me and Remmie couldn’t believe it. What a bitch!

I was about to tell her off when the teacher that was set in charge of us came over to see what was going on. “Sit down! All of you! Keep quiet and do your work, or you will have more detention to deal with.” With that, she turned and strode away, back to her desk. Abby turned back, giving me one last butch-faced glare, and then left with her posse to the other end of the library.

Me and Remmie looked at each other, and then began to giggle quietly. As I figured, Abby wasn’t as tough as she wanted us to believe, but her interest in Remmie unnerved me; she may become a problem later on.

…*…*…*…*…

After detention, we left as quickly as we could, but low and behold, there was Abby and her posse waiting by the main double doors of the school. “Hey lil’ missy!” she sneered after catching sight of me. “C’mere, and bring your lil’ hubby too.” Hubby? Never heard it put that way before. I liked the idea, but it made me blush; not a good thing to do in this situation. I looked at the ground, trying to act distracted as the feeling faded, hoping that no one noticed.

“C’mere, I said!” she sounded impatient. We reluctantly strolled over. We didn’t have much of a choice; it was the only way out at this hour. All the other doors in the school were locked until the next morning.

“Your little boyfriend here is kind of cute. What’s he doing with a lil’ snot like you?”

That did it. “Abby, did anyone ever tell you that the only reason you have these three knuckleheads hanging around with you is because you’re the only one uglier than them?” Now, in an instance like this, that would definitely not be the right thing to say. As I had thought, she lost it completely. She lunged for me, attempting to grab my hair it seemed, but I quickly sidestepped and she plummeted to the floor. On her feet in a flash (surprising for someone of her…err…”build”), she tried for me again, but this time her cheek was met with Remmie’s fist, sending her sprawling to the floor. She stayed down this time.

I had no idea that Remmie, the nicest, most chivalrous guy I knew, could hit a girl (then again, I’m not quite sure that Abby qualified). I had always seen him holding doors for and helping out girls that he didn’t even know, just to be nice. I never thought he would go this far, even if it was to protect me (doesn’t mean I didn’t find it extremely hot).

Abby had tears in her eyes, her nose was starting to bleed too. The three boys (all of whom I later found out were her brothers—go figure) scrambled to help her up. The look in here eyes was of shock, fear, and most of all, hatred. I didn’t even want to think what she was planning to do to get us back. I guess I should have gave it some thought, in the very least. I might have been able to save myself.

Subject: Re: Solar Eclipse Mon Nov 19, 2007 9:43 pm

Wow...profanity, this is really good. At least better writing I could ever conjure up T.T

Subject: Re: Solar Eclipse Thu Nov 22, 2007 9:44 pm

Lookin' good so far Dave. So, when's Chapter 12 going up?

x x x

Subject: Re: Solar Eclipse Fri Nov 23, 2007 10:39 am

Oh my gosh David, this was the best "Book" i've ever read, trust me i've read many books. I cried in the introduction. The words and paragraphs are beautiful, the romance in the story. I'm just on chapter two but i think it's fantastic i think you should be an author, sincerely.

Jason~

Subject: Re: Solar Eclipse Fri Nov 23, 2007 10:57 am

OH!~ DID YOU NAME ONE OF CARRY'S BOYFRIENDS BY ME!!?!?!?!?!??! IF YOU DID AND THIS GETS PUBLISHED, PUT MY NAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!FULL NAMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Razz

Subject: Re: Solar Eclipse Fri Nov 23, 2007 11:03 am

LOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL AT CHAPTER FOURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRxDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

Subject: Re: Solar Eclipse Fri Nov 23, 2007 11:07 am

David, i think you should reread yur "Book" a couple more times; there are mistakes like Dam-Damn Too-To and there's something wrong in chapter four i think mine is supposed to be mind.

Subject: Re: Solar Eclipse Fri Nov 23, 2007 1:30 pm

Jason, I'm well aware of typos, I just don't want to take the time to fix them (I'm lazy, remember?).

And no, I didn't name her x-bf after you, I named him after Sarah's x-bf....>.>

Guest

haha jason = pwnd by kaze-chan

Subject: Re: Solar Eclipse Tue Jan 08, 2008 3:14 pm

Chapter 12

Much to my surprise, we never got in any trouble for what Remmie did to Abby. I found it odd that neither she nor her brothers told anyone about it. To be honest, I would have much preferred to get in trouble for it, because now I was feeling uneasy.

The next few days passed without sight of her. After a week, the incident was shoved so far back in my mind that I could barely recall it at all. We went on as normal, except that we didn’t get anymore detentions. The second semester had started, and our classes were really beginning to pile on the homework, so most of our free time together was spent helping each other complete it all.

It was one of these nightly study sessions that he started to speak to me very seriously. “Carrie, listen…” he began.

“Hmm?” I could tell that he had something important to tell me.

“If…if I die, will you ever forgive me?” His voice was soft, but stable.

“W-what? That was out of nowhere. And what exactly am I forgiving you for?” I must admit, the question did surprise me, but I can’t say that I didn’t see something like this coming. After all, it wasn’t the first time he had mentioned about dying young.

“Uh…never mind…” I could tell that he wanted to tell me, but he seemed to not be able to bring himself to do so. I decided not to push the subject any further. Several minutes passed in silence.

“I’ve been having these…” he paused, as if unsure of what he was saying, “…these dreams, ever since I was little.” He looked at me looked at me for the first time since the conversation started.

I waited for a good minute, but when it became clear that he wasn’t going to continue, I just had to ask. “What kind of dreams?” I inquired. My mind was alight with hundreds of possible ideas of what he could mean.

“Dreams…about dying. Ever since I was little, I’ve been having dreams about myself either being killed, or dying in some strange way. Not all the time, but every once in a while, and it’s always different. They happen enough that I’ve began to believe them an omen…of what may happen to me.” Despite his previous resilience that I’ve come to know, his eyes began to water up, and he suddenly looked very tired, the memories were causing him so much stress and pain.

I attempted to console him, but was at a loss for words. He decided to speak for me.

“This is why…if I am to die, like in my dreams, I don’t want you to cling to the past. I want you to move on; to live a full life…” his voice trailed off, and as I looked at him to find the reason why he stopped talking, I found that he had fallen asleep right there on my dining room table.

…*…*…*…*…

It was an hour later before I decided to wake him up. It was late already, but because he lived right outside, I figured it would be better to just let him sleep. He seemed exhausted, and the way he slept, he looked so peaceful.

He awoke with a start. It was sudden, but not as if he was having a bad dream, just as if something startled him. He looked about dazedly before realizing where he was. The realization of it all made his eyes go wide with what appeared to be disbelief or terror, or a mixture of both.

“Was I asleep? What time is it?” For the first time, he turned and looked directly at me, his eyes fixed on mine, and I couldn’t help but flush much to his annoyance. You’d think he forgot something important.

“Yes you were asleep, and it’s almost eleven o’clock,” I stated blandly. This time, I could definitely see terror in his face.

“Oh God, I was supposed to be back by now. It’s a wonder that mom hasn’t come looking for me.” He began to frantically gather his belongings and headed for the door, where by that time I had already stationed myself.

“Now hold it! What are you talking about? What is so gosh darn important that you can’t even tell me why you’re leaving in such a hurry?” (Like that? I didn’t swear that time.)

He hurried past me and through the door, pecking my cheek as he went. (It did lighten my mood a tiny bit.) He called out as he went, “I’ll explain it all tomorrow,” and then he disappeared around the corner.

I stood there in the doorway just looking out into the night for a good long time, all the while thinking to myself what it was that made me fall for that kid. I guess some mysteries are better left unsolved.