October 1, 2007
Monday looked up as Kaeden set his tray down and slid into the seat opposite of her. "So what's the plan for today?" he asked, poking at his lunch like it would come alive at any moment.
Monday shrugged. "The usual, I guess."
Kaeden nodded, not surprised in the least. "The usual" was how they celebrated her birthday every year, and there was no reason for this year to be any different. "Right after scho—?"
"Of course!" Monday punched him playfully on the arm. "Like every year. You should know by now."
Kaeden rolled his eyes. "It wouldn't hurt to do something different for once, you know."
Monday shook her head, like the idea of doing something different was absurd. She opened her mouth to say something more, but the bell cut her off.
"Meet you by your locker after school, then." Kaeden rose from his spot at the table and walked toward the cafeteria doors. He stopped just before he left, gave a left-handed salute to Monday, who returned the gesture, before continuing on his way to class.
Now alone in the cafeteria, Monday turned back to her book. There was nothing special about today. She was another year older. So what?
There's no reason to do things any different just because it's my birthday. she thought curtly. Because it's no special occasion.
"I don't know why you insist on blindfolding me, Kaeden." Monday complained, letting out a sigh of exasperation as she stumbled over something laying on the floor.
"Because it's not a surprise if you can see it right away," Kaeden responded, bringing her over to the couch.
Monday felt something heavy being laid on her lap, and her fingers itched to pull the blindfold off. Finally, when Kaeden gave her the OK, she untied the cloth and let it flutter to the floor. When she realized what it was, she gasped and looked up at her friend like he was crazy.
"Surprise!" Kaeden had a huge grin on his face, but Monday looked down at the guitar on her lap and gave him another incredulous look.
"I can't take this!" Monday insisted, holding the guitar back out to him. Kaeden just pushed it back.
"It's yours now," he said. When Monday still looked determined, Kaeden shook his head. "Don't worry, Monday. I'm gonna get another one for my birthday. Besides," he added. "You're 16 now. That's definitely something special."
"But... Jack... you've had him since forever!"
Kaeden shook his head, making it clear that his decision was final.
Monday was speechless for a moment, but when she knew that arguing would get her nowhere, she handed him a sharpie. "Can I get your autograph, at the very least? For when you're a famous rock star."
Kaeden grinned, glad that he'd managed to change her mind. "Of course." he took on a more professional tone. "Who do I make this out to?"
"I really should be off," Kaeden yawned, checking the clock on the wall. It was getting close to midnight.
Monday mumbled something in agreement. It was getting pretty late, and they had school the next day. "Okay." she let out a hefty yawn before pulling herself to her feet to accompany him to the door. "See you tomorrow, Kae."
"Yup. Happy birthday, Monday."
Too tired to drag herself upstairs to her room, she flopped back down on the couch. There, she stared at Jack, Kaeden's guitar—no, it was hers now—, wondering what in the world had compelled him to give it to her, until she slipped into the world unconsciousness.
"Hey, Kae—" Monday broke off when she realized that he wasn't there. She scanned the classroom, looking for some sign of her friend. Upon not seeing him, she shrugged, figuring that he'd probably just slept in. I'll just catch him at lunch.
When Kaeden failed to show up in the cafeteria, and again later at her locker, Monday knew something was up. It wasn't like him to miss a whole day of school without telling her why.
He's probably sick, she decided, pulling her cellphone out of her pocket. She punched in his home number, and waited. "Hey, is Kaeden there?" she asked when someone picked up.
The person on the other line, who Monday recognized as Kaeden's mother, was silent for a moment. "No, he's not..." More silence. "Modesty, sweetie... there's something... we need to talk about. You should come over for a bit." Her voice was shaky, like she'd just been crying. Monday's heart sank—she knew something terrible had happened. "O-Okay," Monday stammered, but before she could get another word in the line went dead.
Walking up Kaeden's front steps, even the front of his house seemed to be lacking something. The normal aura of cheeriness was gone, replaced by cold emptiness.
To her horror, she found that Kaeden's mother had been crying. They made themselves as comfortable as they could at the kitchen table, before Kaeden's mother drew in a shaky breath. "Kaeden... passed away." she dabbed at her eyes with her sleeve. "Last night. We started to get worried when he didn't come home last night, but we figured that he was staying the night with you, so didn't worry too much about it... and then the police... the police... they came, and told us that they'd found... Kaeden—Kaeden's body." By now she'd broken into full-blown sobs.
Monday's whirling thoughts slowed until she felt that the world was being viewed in slow motion. Kaeden couldn't be dead. She was certain of it. But in the back of her mind, she knew that he was. When the denial subsided, grief overcame her, and she, too, broke into massive sobs, wishing that the ground could swallow her up then and there.
Monday lifted her head to look around her room. It seemed as though no time had passed at all, when in reality she'd spent hours crying to herself. It's so unfair. Even the voice in her mind seemed to have an edge of hollowness to it.
Feeling that the wave of grief had passed, she sat up and brushed the tears from her eyes. Monday's eyes seemed restless, passing from object to object before finally coming to rest on Jack. She smiled miserably at Kaeden's "rock star" signature, reading it over several times. "Kaeden Jack," written in a neat-for-once scrawl, would be a constant reminder of her friend. Everything about this place would be a constant reminder of him. There were too many memories embedded in everything. Another wave of sorrow overcame her, and she assumed a fetal position, burying her face in her sleeve.
How could she stay here, when the mere reminder of him would send her to the pit of despair?
She pulled out her diary, brushing a tear away as it landed on its pages.
I have to leave. But this is home. How can I just leave everything behind without a backward glance? I'll need something to remember. Just one thing... Jack. I wonder. Would Kaeden mind, If I renamed him..? To remember...
Monday looked up from her entry, smiling bittersweetly to herself. Kaeden Jack will be his name. What a beautiful name...
Yes, to remember...