Why did my mother curse me with such a name? I mean I would have been fine with Katie or Allison, but no. She had to name me after a day of the week. The clique (made up of Opal Jacobs, Amber Owens, and Talia Kin) always makes fun of my name. My best friend has the same problem. Her name was Wednesday Blake. I guessed our moms got together and decided to give us names that would destroy our futures or something. But Wednesday got extra punishment because she didn't have a real leg. The clique would see us at the Payless in the mall and smirk at us.
"How about this shoe?" Talia would say holding up a pair of sandals (Wednesday can't wear opened toed shoes because her mom won't let her).
It was like Talia saying, "Hey you don't have a leg!"
Wednesday was my only friend and I would do anything for her. But then one day, everything changed…
"Hey Tuesday." Wednesday slammed up against my locker.
It was a lovely Monday morning and I was stuck with Chemistry 1st period. I hated it even more because Opal was my lab partner.
"Why are you so perky?" I asked closing my locker door loudly and turning toward my best friend. "Aren't you partnered up with Amber?"
"She's sick today!" Wednesday said throwing her fist in the air. "Probably her cold heart." She coughed loudly.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
I was always scared for Wednesday when she coughed. She was a very fragile girl who could easily get ill. Especially since we lived in New York City. We had to walk by the construction site to get to my house. The gas smelled so bad over there.
"Probably Amber's fake fever." Wednesday joked.
I laughed awkwardly as we walked to room 96. I grabbed a white lab coat from the coat rack and trotted off to the long desk in the back of the room. Opal was standing there. Her dirty blonde hair was in a bun with red chopsticks decorated with white lilies. Wednesday's favorite flower was lily. Not just any lily either. The ones in her mother's flower shop were the best. They were pure white. They reminded us of heaven. That's where her dad was. I smiled to myself until Opal snapped at me to pay attention and to let her do all the work.
"You'll just mess it up."
After school Wednesday and I were riding home on the city bus because her mom called and told her she had too.
"Wonder why she sounded so paranoid?" Wednesday asked me as we stood up to get off the bus.
"Maybe because you were coughing all day." I suggested. Wednesday stayed silent all the way up to my bedroom.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"Nothing."
Wednesday got out her binder and sat nimbly on my bed. I glanced at her worriedly. My mom warned me of the day Wednesday was going to get really sick and maybe even die. I gripped my pencil and gave my friend a forced smile. Wednesday gave me a look.
"Tuesday, what's your problem?" she asked raising her eyebrows.
"Um nothing. Opal was just saying something stupid to me again." I said looking down at my feet.
"You shouldn't let her get to you." Wednesday said putting her hand on my shoulder.
"Thanks." I said pushing Wednesday's hand away. She coughed as she shrugged her shoulders and continued working on her homework. I left the room to go get a glass of water. I heard the door open and close.
"Hi Lyn." My mom's voice echoed throughout the hallow hallway.
"Hi Karen. I got some bad news. But you can't tell Tuesday about it okay?"
Lyn Blake's voice quivered as she talked. I followed her silently into the kitchen. "What's wrong?"
"I've just been to Doctor Carter's office and he had terrible news about my little girl." I held my breath.
"What is it Lyn? Why are you crying?"
"Wednesday only has a couple of days."
Lyn Blake's voice echoed in my head all through the next day. I didn't want to believe it but I had to face it. I guess Lyn must have told her because Wednesday didn't come to school the next day, or the day after the next. Soon she was absent everyday. I was nobody without her; I had to find out where she is.
Two weeks later, I came home from school and my mom handed me a letter.
"It's from Lyn." She choked back tears. I opened the envelope and took out a letter on black paper. It read:
Dear Karen and Tuesday,
We are mourning the loss of out daughter Wednesday Blake. She died of the pollution of the city and being a frail child at birth. The funeral will take place on Wednesday May 19th at 6:30. We we'll be happy if you can attend.
Lyn Blake.
I ran up to my room and cried.
Walking among the tombstones of lost souls, I felt at peace with the world. They were resting silently in soft beds of dirt and gravel. Wednesday was among them now. Smiling down on everybody from heaven. I have realized during the ceremony that Wednesday had her wish fulfilled and was with her father again. They would be happy together. I took a white lily that was tangled in my brown curls. I walked over to my friend's grave. I let the lily fall onto the grave.
"I'll miss you."
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