Try Finding "Happily Ever After" With Eight Brothers

Thursday morning; I showered, I got dressed and I turned on the radio. I shook my ass to Marianas Trench’s; Shake Tramp, I sang along to Warren Zevon’s; Werewolves of London. And when the news came on I just about turned off the radio, but one line made my hand stop dead, ‘today the murder victim’s name was released.’

Suspense shot thought me, and my stomach twisted, it didn’t really matter who it was, the fact was they died horribly and painfully. ‘Carla Duchesse, a local high school student’ I turned off the radio I didn’t want to hear anymore. Parents had just lost a child, someone had lost a friend, I had just lost a class mate. Tears destroyed my eyeliner and mascara, I went into the bathroom and washed it all off. I don’t know why it being official effected me this way. Perhaps I didn’t allow myself to admit it was true.

Getting on the bus I realized Mercedes wasn’t there, I wonder if she heard the news. I guess she technically had heard it first. I sat down and stared out the window, the cloud covered sky threatened with rain, I didn’t care though, a little rain wouldn’t do anything, besides, I thought it was very fitting. I felt a shift in the seat and turned to see a guy sit down next to me. He was taller than I am, he had dark kohl lined eyes, and dark hair that strayed in direction, he was wearing tight fitting jeans with a hole in the right knee and paint dabs on the left thigh. His shirt was black at hugged his body, he had a green Ipod in his hand and I could hear some of it he had it cranked so loud, he turned to catch me staring and I quickly looked away, but not before I noticed he wasn’t a emo kid, no way, he was way to muscular to fit the typical emo profile. I noticed movement in my peripheral vision, he had taken a bud from his ear. “Hey,” was all he said and his velvet voice made me melt. I mean it, he had me at ‘hey.’

I tucked some stray hairs behind my ear and responded, “hi.”

He smiled, he was defiantly cuter when he smiled. “So what is your name sweetheart.”

Well wasn’t he a flirt, part of me wondered how many other girls he was this smooth with, and the other part told the first to shut up. “Sophia, and what is yours?” We had arrived at the school and we had exited the bus before he responded.

“Pierce Alexander, I’m sorry I didn’t catch your last name.”

“I didn’t give it.”

He looked at me questioningly, “well are you going to.”

I smiled at him as we entered the school, “next time.”

He grinned big, “next time then.” I started walking away when he called out, “Sophia!” I turned around, “can I at least get your number.”

“Big step considering you don’t know my last name,” I teased.

“I’m just ensuring there is a next time so that I can learn it.”

I grinned and walked back taking a pen out of my purse, a purple gel pen I popped the cap and wrote my number on his hand. “There you go, now I’m going to be late.”

“I won’t hold you up anymore.”

I rushed into French class with a red face, half from the talk with Pierce and half from rushing. Gemini looked up from her book, she was nearly done the French version of Twilight, and Mercedes was sitting there, and the moment I sat down she spoke, “spill your innards.” I happily obliged.

French, and English passed by quickly, it was lunch time and Mercedes was looking a little nervous, today was the auditions for the school musical, they were doing Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street; Mercedes was trying out for the lead woman Mrs. Lovett, “you will do fine,” Gemini said, she had put away all books for this, which was kind of a big deal knowing Gemini, we were going to watch and be support for her.

“Better than fine!”

“Like absolutely knock them dead.”

“Seriously with a barber’s razor blade,” I said with a grin.

Mercedes grinned and took a deep breath, “thank you guys… I’m going in.”

Gemini and I watched audition after audition, Marina was also going for Mrs. Lovett. “They can’t give it to their own child, it would be completely unjust and bias!” Gemini stated angrily.

Salem was also auditioning, I figured for the lead but instead for Joanna, which shockingly she was absolutely amazing and was a sure-shot for the spot.

Mercedes was up, she read her lines, sang brilliantly. When the audition was over Mercedes was looking pretty happy with herself. “I know I won’t get it, Marina will, she’s the friggin judges daughter, but that felt amazing, I haven’t been on a stage in a long time. There were butterflies and jittery nerves, but there was an atmosphere, and staring eyes. Exhilarating.”

I smiled, “I’m glad you re-considered.”

“Thanks for calling me a chicken.”

“Anytime.”

My cellphone vibrated in it’s case clip to my pants I pulled it out. Call from: UNKNOWN. “Guys go on ahead I got to get this.”

“Alright, meet you in the change rooms,” Mercedes said walking away with Gemini.

I took a deep breath and let it out and opened the phone, “hi.”

“Um Sophie,” the voice was fuzzy, like the person was dropping out of reception, “its Riley, where are you?”

I sighed, it hadn’t been Pierce. “I’m headed to gym class.”

“I need your help.”

“Uhk, what.”

“I’m in a locker.”

“WHAT?”

“Look I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Well you kind of half to, what locker?”

“Umm, not sure.”

“Where were you last?”

“I’m in the English wing, blue full length locker.”

“There are nearly two hundred blue full length lockers in the English wing.”

“Well could you please hurry cause my inhaler is in… my backpack.”

“Okay, try and stay calm, I’m going to get the janitors they have lock cutters… I’ll call you right back okay, I’m going to send the janitors, get you inhaler and call Merc and Gem alright.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll stay right here… ew, there is an old sandwich.”

I hung up and started running toward my brothers locker while pressing 3 on speed dial, “answer your phone!” I yelled at it angrily.

“I did,” Mercedes voice was soft, she was obviously in class, even in gym talking on phones was strictly prohibited.

“Someone’s put Riley in a locker.” Mercedes started to laugh, “he doesn’t have his inhaler.”

The laugh came to a quick stop “Gem, come on, now,” I heard Mercedes call, “I don’t care if you are talking to your sweety, Sophie’s little brother is having an attack and he is in a locker… what locker Sophie.”

“He doesn’t know! Blue one in the English hall.” The thing about the ‘English hall’ was there was one on each floor and it was two halls.

“Oh fucking hell!” Mercedes yelled, into the phone, “we will meet you in the hall, you getting the
janitors?”

“Yeah, Thanks.” I hung up and went into my history and pressed for my brother. While grabbing his inhaler from his back pack, I heard a pick up on the other end, “Ri!”

“Yeah, I’m here, where would I go,” He laughed lightly which brought on a coughing fit.

I quickly filled in the janitors of the situation and they grabbed cutters. We all ran to the hall, where Mercedes was.

“He’s not on this floor, lets see if Gem found him.” We all rushed up the stairs.

“Ri.” No answer. “RILEY!?” No answer, tears started welling, we had nearly a hundred lockers on this floor, and Riley was unconscious. “Merc, call 911.”

I grabbed a set of bolt cutters and started chopping locks, the janitor’s followed in suit.

Please Riley, stay strong, I silently pleaded.