In Five Short Years CHAPTER 1
Jamie left his house cursing and swearing. His step dad was being a jack ass again. This time he threatened to beat Jamie with a hammer. What was worse is that his mom didn't say anything or stick up for him. He wished for the millionth time that his dad had been there, been there to save him. As he walked to school he hoped there was some way to not have to go home. The last time Jeff, his step dad, threatened him he carried it out and smacked Jamie across the face. But, next time would be different. Jamie was almost seventeen he was getting stronger each day. Unlike other kids Jamie loved school. It was his freedom. At school everyone respected him. No one ever even dared to cross Jamie Stryder. At school Jamie was cool and strong. He was more popular than most of the seniors. No one knew what his home life was like. Jamie wanted to keep it that way, he had reputation to withhold. Sometimes his anger from home would cause him to take it all out on others. He didn't use physical violence but he saw people's insecurities and he would comment or make fun. At school he could laugh and smile, but constant misery awaited him after the dismissal bell rang. Jamie shoved all of the events of the morning out of his thoughts and focused on his next task at hand, looking confident and deadly. He squared his shoulders and slowed his walk. As he went down the halls he got a collection of greetings, some from people he couldn't remember the names of. People were always trying to make friends with Jamie. If you became his friend you became instantly popular. Instead of turning towards his locker he walked slowly but surely to the side of Jessica Hawks. She was cute a blonde haired and blue eyed girl who was Jamie's main focus of attention at the moment.
"What's up?" Jessica said walking towards her locker.
"You tell me." He said flashing his best mischievous smile. Jessica laughed quietly, batting her eyelashes.
"I think I've heard that one before." She said tilting her head gently to the side.
"How cute! Maybe you should get some new material." Jessica's friend, Melanie, said from the locker next door. Jamie's cheeks warmed into a deep blush. As if this morning wasn't enough now this girl was embarrassing him in front of his future girlfriend. It was safe to say that he was pissed of, before thinking Jamie burst.
"If you say one more word I am going to slap that smile right off of your face." Jamie didn't realize the power of his words until he had said them. He wished he could somehow shove them back into his mouth. Jessica stared at him in hateful awe. Melanie didn't look at him, rather the floor. A painful silence filled the air.
"Do it." Melanie had broken the silence.
"Be a coward. Hit me. Right now…… If you do hit me you are a coward. Cowards hurt people who can't defend themselves. Walk away and act like the man you are trying to be." She paused walking closer to Jamie.
"I don't care if you hurt me, kill me even. But I refuse to be afraid of a coward."
Melanie walked away slamming her locker as she went. Jessica followed giving Jamie a look of disgust before she left. Damn it, Jamie thought as he slowly walked to class. This stunt could cost him his social status. But what really startled him was being called a coward. Was he really a coward? No, he wasn't. Melanie didn't know what she was talking about. He would show her. He would prove that he was not a coward. No one had the right to call him a coward. If Melanie knew what was best for her she would not walk the halls alone. Jamie's anger built as more and more as people heard about the morning's events. Very few people talked to him at lunchtime, only Caleb his most trustworthy friend sat with him.
"Don't you wanna talk about what happened?" Caleb suggested.
"No." Jamie said defiantly. Caleb knew this meant he wouldn't talk, but he knew he needed to.
"Are you sure?" Caleb pushed. Jamie didn't even answer before throwing his uneaten lunch in the trash and skulking away. Caleb made no move to follow him, it would do no good. Caleb and Jamie had been friends since grade school; it was hard to get Jamie out of one of his moods. Why couldn't people just shut there mouths Jamie thought as he stomped toward the school exit. Jamie was about to go out the school doors when he heard the pitter patter of footsteps echoing throughout the hall. He peeked around the corner to see Melanie Carter make her way to her locker. Now was his chance to show Melanie not to insult him. No one calls Jamie Stryder a coward without penalty. Anger raged inside Jamie's chest catapulting him in Melanie's direction. Before he could control himself he pushed her. He pushed her with all of the force in him. Melanie's head knocked into the lockers with a piercing sound. The book she was carrying fell out of her hands before she flew to the floor face first with a thud. She didn't cry out or scream she just starred. Her sharp breath was the only noise. A small whimper escaped her lips as blood started to flow around her dampening her body and soaking her hair till it was no longer a light chestnut. Her bright hazel eyes rolled into the back of her head. Jamie didn't know what to do. Jamie would be sent to the juvenile court if anyone knew it was him. Jamie look throughout the hall to make sure nobody had witnessed the assault. Then He quickly put her book by her foot to make it look like her injuries were caused by clumsiness. When he was sure it looked real he yelled at the top of his lungs.
"Somebody help! A girl is unconscious. She's bleeding!" Gasps could be heard as students and teachers filled the halls. Sharp cries came from Melanie's many friends as the unconscious body was recognized. Jamie was quickly yanked out of the way and the other students ordered to go to the gym. The assistant principal pulled Jamie away into her office. She wanted to know what the hell had happened to the poor Melanie Carter.
"Jamie, tell me what happened. Why is there an unconscious and bleeding girl in my hallway?" Mrs. Burns asked still shaken by the image of the dying girl. Never in her years of teaching or of being and assistant principal had she ever seen such an accident. Jamie looked at his hands before he spoke. Sweat spouted on his forehead and upper lip. What had he done?
"I was walking towards the school exit to get a book out of my friend's car and I saw Melanie drop her book, and trip. Before I knew it her head had hit the lockers than she face planted onto the floor." Jamie was now shaking. Jamie hoped that his lie was believable. He felt like a horrible person, first he assaulted a female than he lied to a respected adult. He could no longer hold any hatred toward this girl he had hurt, possibly killed. She had figured him out. He was a coward. All of the pain he felt at home he inflicted on others, instead of facing it. Jamie realized that hurting Melanie didn't make him any less of a coward. That was what his step dad was. A coward. He deserved being called a coward. Jamie was just as bad as Jeff. The realization made a slash in Jamie's pride. Jamie was not a man he was a boy. As much as he had tried he had not yet earned the title of being a man. Jamie new that if Melanie lived through the injuries he caused, he would make it up to her, some how. Mrs. Burns rubbed her temples and closed her eyes.
"Jamie, you are dismissed as soon as the paramedics leave." She said without opening her eyes. Jamie hadn't even realized that paramedics were there. He watched through the window as they carried Melanie to the ambulance in a stretcher. The pool of blood where her body had been was still there, mocking Jamie.
As he walked out of the office a policeman walked toward him.
"You must be Jamie Stryder, you are coming with us. We have a few questions for you." The policeman said dragging Jamie out the door by his elbow. There was only one thing the policeman wanted to know. But instead of asking one question, they made it complicated and turned it into several. Jamie was asked his age, his grade, his reason for being in the hallway with Melanie, what he saw happen and many other seemingly unnecessary questions. The whole time Jamie wished somehow by fate Melanie would either not remember him pushing her, or that she simply would withhold that information. He didn't deserve it but that wouldn't stop him from hoping. Jamie just wished he could go back in time and fix everything. But he couldn't do that. Along with everyone else he prayed that Melanie would be okay. He wished that sorry was enough to make up for his horrifying mistake. The picture of Melanie bathing in a pool of scarlet blood was fresh and vivid in his mind. He knew however he tried to run away from that picture it would always remain in his head, a hideous memory. What Melanie had said that morning echoed again and again in Jamie's head. A sore feeling resided in Jamie's stomach. The guilt he felt at that moment was more than he could bear. It was all he could do to keep his tears from flowing over. He owed the world to Melanie especially if she kept this secret.
The policemen Okayed him to go as soon as a parent came. His mom arrived disheveled and worrisome. Jamie had assured his mother that he was not in trouble but was very vague when explaining the reason for him being at the police station.
"Jamie what happened? Is everything alright?" Jamie's mom asked. The policeman explained the situation to Mrs. Fetz (once Mrs. Stryder) in little detail but still getting to the main idea.
On the way home Jamie's mom didn't say a word; she could tell by her son's body language that he was not in the best condition for talking. Jamie practically ran to his room avoiding all conversations. Jamie was mentally exhausted. Even though it was only seven p.m. Jamie slept.
In his dreams the scene of him and Melanie kept popping up no matter how hard he tried to suppress it. The dream was crystal clear as if he were reliving it. He could hear her footsteps, her head hitting the locker and her sharp and short breaths. She was a ghost haunting him. She asked him why he had hurt her, what she did to deserve such horrible fate. In none of his dreams was she mad at him, she just wanted to know why. Melanie didn't want vengeance in his dreams, she just wanted answers. His mind went back to early in the day, before the accident. Melanie had worn her hair down that day giving everyone the full magnificence of her light chestnut curls. She had very little make-up on but her face glowed. It was safe to say she was one of the many gorgeous girls at Harrison High School. Melanie was also among the smartest. She was beautiful, every guy at Jamie's school thought so including Jamie. But she was out of his league; he had never even attempted to get a date with her. Everyone knew Melanie deserved much better than any of the guys at Harrison. His mind turned again, back to the hallway. He woke up gasping. His forehead was dripping with beads of sweat. The alarm clock on his bed side read nine o'clock, he had only been asleep two hours. He lay back in bed waiting for sleep to come. But he didn't want it to come, the dreams he had were too clear and painful. Jamie had to see her, he had to see Melanie. He had to apologize for the pain he had caused.