Chapter One

(10)Jackson worked his key through the keyhole. He swung the door opened and walked inside. "Mom! I'm home!" He dropped his backpack at the edge of the couch and looked around. The house seemed all,quiet. "Mom!" he yelled again. He walked in the kitchen. Nothing. Her room. Noda. He felt a lump in his neck. He walked into the guest room. "Mom!" he screamed. He gradually began to cry as he saw the murdered,lifeless body of his mother.

Cody Jackson,please report to the guidance counsler's office." Mrs.Hannah shot a look at Jackson after listening to the intercom. Jackson sighed and left his desk.

"Cody," the guidance counsler, Mrs.Largen began, "I heard about your mother.It must be really hard to-." Jackson cut her off. "It's Jackson.Not Cody." She nodded. "Okay, Jackson. Now about your mother. No one really knows who murdered her. People say it was just a random man on the street. It remains a mystery but, to assure you, the police are doing alot of work to find out." She kept on talking but Jackson was too drowned in his thoughts. I don't care how she died! he wanted to say, All that matters is that she's dead and I'll never see her again! Aren't I too young to have to go through this? What fifth grader loses their mom?

(16)Jackson looked up from his book. He saw a short, asian girl staring at him. "Hi," she said, sticking out her hand, "I'm Melissa,Melissa Wu." Jackson shook her hand. "Jackson."

"So," Melissa began,wanting to start a conversation, "I hear you're the new kid?" She sat down beside him,waiting for an answer. Jackson shoved his book in his backpack and leaned back on the tree. "Yeah.So what?"

"Well,if you ever need my help or anything,ya know, showing you the class rooms, which cafeteria food is worthwhile for eating,stuff like that."

"I don't need your help," Jackson snapped, getting up and throwing his backpack on his shoulders, "And if I did, it wouldn't be from you."

Melissa watched him walk away,as she wondered what she said wrong.

(10)"Now,"Mrs.Largen continued,"If you ever want to talk about,anything really,I'm always going ot be here. You understand Jackson?"

Anger grew inside of him.Why can't people just leave me alone? No one really cares about me. It's just they're job.

"Do you understand Jackson?"

The anger exploded.

"SHUT UP!" he screamed at her, "SHUT UP,SHUT UP,SHUT UP!I don't need your help! This was a total waste of time! Just leave me alone." He threw himself out of his seat and flew out the door.

"Stupid guidance counsler,"he muttered to himself.He kicked a rock on the ground and made his way back to his classroom.

(16)"Hi."Jackson looked up from his lunch.The weird asian girl Melissa was back.She took a seat next to him and stared happily in his eyes.Jackson just stared gloomily back.

"Yeah,"he said,"What do you want?"

Melissa pushed her spaghetti around her tray."Nothing.Just wanted to talk."

Jackson stared at her more."Then you came to the wrong person."

He turned back to his lunch and started eating.Melissa frowned."I guess you're not the social type?"she asked teasingfully. Jackson fixed her eyes on her."No.I'm not."He went back to his lunch.