I.
Ian Mckinley hated his new school. It had taken him all of middle school to adjust to the school he had been in, and by the end of year graduation into high-school, he had made one friend...well, acquaintance. Now, he was in Mckinley High-school, and he could already tell it was flooded with jocks and preps...gossipers and bullies...How would he cope in this morally dead school and town? He was never treated like a human being, and he was tired of it. Ian Mckinley was completely tired with his town...His family...His life.
Silence was his only companion. Silence was where he felt safe...For if silence continued it would all be OK. There was no yelling, no gossiping, no harsh words...No lies and hurt. Silence golden; it was a prize Ian carried everywhere with him. If he didn't speak there would be no problems. His logic was faulty...But ignorance felt blissful in those moment of true silence, so he held tight to them.
He listened to his I-pod loud, drowning out the sound of the hallways. Today, he had carelessly put the headphones in his ear, and they hung down his shirt, connecting to the completely visible I-pod in his hand, rather than fishing them through his shirt and jacket. He had woken up feeling exceptionally daring, and he intended to live up to the name, 'rebel,' today. Something about it felt right to Ian...He stood in front of his locker and didn't move, taking his sweet time with the combination.
"HEY!" The red-head punched the back of his legs.
"Ouch! What'swrongwithyou!" He screamed back angrily, and the girl retreated.
"You're standing on my paper," she replied, her eyes filling with tears. "Please move."
Ian looked down at the drawing his converse was covering half of. His cheeks turned crimson, and he scratched the back of his neck as he lifted his foot.
"Sorry about that, um..."
"Erin," she offered, wiping off the paper. "Erin Ulmer. And for your information, the drawing that now has your footprint across, took one month to reach perfection."
She scoffed. Ian stared at the drawing. It was, indeed, perfection, but it was also his least favorite horror figure.
"Kruger?" he laughed. "ammmmmaaateuuurrrrr." he added, turning back to his locker and rolling his eyes.
"Everyone knows Freddy."
"Everyone knows Chucky." she shot back, staring at the picture of Tiffany that hung in his locker. "A child's plaything? You're the amateur."
"Try me." Now, he faced her.
"Ginger Snaps."
"Werewolves. Lame. Twilight?" He smirked.
"Shutup." she punched his shoulder hard. Ian grinned...There was no joking with this girl.
"Exorcist?"
"Not real. Not scary. Scarecrows?"
"I don't live on a farm. Jason Vorhees?"
They grinned and Erin nodded approvingly.
"Classic."
The bell rang, but neither moved. After a few moments, Ian spoke.
"Going to class, Miss Ulmer?"
"Yes. And you, Mr. Mckinley?"
"Ofcourse, I-wait...How do you know my name's Mckinley?"
"We've had all the same classes since school started," she grabbed her book-bag out of her locker and slung it over her shoulder. "This has been my locker too, by the way. Right next to yours." She slammed it shut. "I suppose I'm more un-noticable than I first anticipated."
He ignored her.
"Let me make it up to you by walking you to class."
She stared at him a moment. "I have two feet," she replied shyly. He grinned and offered his hands to take her books from her. She handed them over hesitantly. "Well," he smiled. "Now you have four."
II.
"That's so nasty! Our school lunches are the dump! They're totally gross!" Erin grabbed Jell-O and followed Ian who had Mac-N-Cheese.
"You're such a child! Macaroni?"
"I'm a child?" They sat alone at a table in the corner. "You're the one complaining about the food like we're in prison! We're in public school and we get it for free. It's called being thankful."
"Don't make me take back the choice of being your friend."
"We're friends?" He chuckled and Erin blushed.
"I hope so," she mumbled to herself, opening her Jell-O cup slowly.
"Man, I need a spoon."
"I already got one." Ian handed it to her from his tray.
"You knew the eating utensil I needed for my food? Stop paying such close attention to me, Mckinley, you might actually fall for the outcast."
He laughed but then looked into her eyes seriously. He took his hands in his own.
"You already have."
"How do you know?"
"Every time I'm paying attention to you...You're focusing like 100X harder on me. You just turn away thinking I don't realize you're watching my every move. That's practically stalking."
"You see the moment you just ruined, right?"
"Ha! I do it all the time!"
She laughed.
"OK...Just making sure you're aware."
He smiled, and took a bite of his macaroni, nodding.
"I'm completely aware."
There was a brief silence before Erin spoke again.
"So how is your Mac-N-Cheese, little-boy?"
"The best I've had in years."
"Oh really?"
"Oh yes."
"Why is that? Are you a Mac-N-Cheese connoisseur? What makes it the best you've ever had?"
"Actually, what makes it the best I've ever had is because of who I'm sitting with..."
"You're such a cornball, Ian."
As soon as Erin finished her sentence, the bell rang and it was time to go to class.
"Where are you going?"
"I have Ms. Fishster next, what's it to you, stalker-boy?"
"Girl, I didn't even know your name until today; you're the one who already knew my name."
"Touche'...Need a walking mate?"
"Sure!"
"Let's go, Kruger-Boy."
"The two walked to class in total silence.
The bell rang halfway there and the two were officially both late.
As Ian and Erin walked into Ms. Fishster's classroom, the entire room stared at them.
"Why are you two late?" yelled Ms. Fishster.
Ian did not reply because he knew that if he did, what would come out of his mouth would not help the situation.
"Um...Ian here forgot how to get here so I helped him out and walked with him."
"Sit down and don't let it happen again you two!" Shouted Ms. Fishster.
Ian and Erin sat down in the back row desks side-by-side.
"She's a mean lady." Erin said.
Ian said nothing with the hope that the teacher wouldn't notice Erin speaking to him and start a scene in front of the class.
"Mr. Mckinley!" Shouted Ms. Fishster. "Do you have something to share with the entire class?"
"No, I do not." Replied Ian.
"Perhaps you have a drawing you would like to share with your classmates?"
"Um, I don't think-"
"He was giving me his notes," Erin glanced at him. "I wasn't here yesterday, remember?"
Ms. Fishster nodded and turned to the board.
"Gee, even teachers forget me." Erin mumbled to Ian. He grinned.
"Nawh way!"
They were silent for a little while, during which Erin stared up at the board, listening intently to what was being said, while Ian just stared at her. Finally, he spoke.
How had this girl so quickly taken away his love for silence?
"Hey, Ulmer."
"Erin," she corrected. He smiled.
"Erin...Got anymore drawings?"
She blushed.
"Um, 2 or 3 with me. A few folders at home."
"Are they all horror?"
"Horror and a few bands."
"What do you have with you?"
"2 of some zombies, I think."
"General zombies, or from a certain movie?"
"Just general." She smiled as she pulled out her binder and handed it to him. "Zombies are my favorite."
Ian smiled.
"I still like the puppets."
"You're so weird. Child's Play isn't even scary."
"Child's Play is 1, 2, and 3, so technically, Bride and Seed still have potential to be scary."
"It's not scary!" She opened the binder to what pages he was interested in since he didn't know where to turn.
"It's down-right creepy. Who would write about demented dolls?"
"Any cool person!"
"Wow, you're lame."
"Nawh, you're lame. I could try better zombies than that!"
"Yeah? I'd like to see!" she dared. Now, it was Ian's turn to pull-out his binder. He handed it to her.
"Open to any page."
She did and he grinned at his masterpieces.
"Now, that's a zombie!"
"Oh really! Because there's more blood and guts? It's all about detail, man!" she grabbed her binder back.
"Detail, Ian! Not if he's shoving brains in his mouth!"
"Yours is not even detail! It's all shading!"
"Get out of here! Did you see the slashed arm? Detail and plenty of blood! Justttttttt for you."
"Ulmer,"
"ERIN."
"Okay, Erin."
"Why don't you like saying my first name?"
"It scares me."
"Why?" she furrowed her eyebrows.
"I'm afraid it might make me fall for you even more."
"Even more?"
"Yuuuppp...Kinda like YOU just fell for THAT."
Erin visibly retreated back into her shell.
"Erin?"
She allowed herself to feel a small shred of hope.
"Yes, Mckinley?"
"Ian, please, and-"
"ULMER! MCKINLEY! QUIET!"
Ian shut-up and Erin stared unblinkingly at the board, until she felt a small shred of paper being shoved under her elbow. She grabbed it and laid it on her lap. There were 4 simple words, but they were a start.
You're a good a friend
Thanks, you too, she wrote back quickly, shoving it over to him and then staring back up at the board.
The two didn't speak the rest of the class, and once the bell rang, Erin gathered her stuff quickly, not wanting to wait for Ian. He ran out of class and down the hallway to their Foreign Language class to catch her before she went it. He grabbed the door-handle just before she did, and she sighed.
"Please let go of the handle."
"Why did you leave so quickly?"
"I didn't. I just walked fast."
"You haven't 'walked fast', all-day."
"All day? We've gone to FOUR classes together and lunch. Don't say all-day like you know!"
"Fine, sorry. Hey, at least let me sit with you in this class?"
She pulled his hand off the door-handle.
"Sit wherever you want. Free will, Mckinley."
"Ian," he whispered, following her quickly into the room. He realized then that he had to get her close and keep her that way. Her feelings were hurt way more easily than anyone Ian had ever known. It could simply have been a problem with trust, and Ian mentally kicked himself for betraying the trust her heart had bestowed upon him in that moment of hope. Yet, she barely knew him...right? Then again, Ian had already quickly realized they were all each-other had. They were too alike to not simply be bonded at least from that. Had she wished for him from afar all this time?
Yes, Ian loved silence. He cursed the words he had led her on with. Perhaps she would allow herself to speak more than him, and slowly a level of trust could be built...but the only two people one and the other already knew they could trust anyway.
Deep down, it was already evident. For both, there was no one else.
III.
Going to sleep that night was hard for Ian, for the fact that he couldn't get Erin off his mind. He dreamt of taking a walk with her; a long walk, when she turned toward Ian and jumped into his arms as he caught her. Yet, just as quickly as she jumped, he stumbled forward and they both crashed to the ground. As the two lay there in the grass, laughing hysterically, and paying no mind to the pain caused by the fall, Ian found himself staring into Erin's beautiful eyes. While the laughing stopped, and what felt like an eternity, ended when Ian realized he was laying on top of Erin. Ian shot-up off her and woke to metal music blasting in his ear, realizing he had fallen asleep while listening to his Ipod. He turned down the music and the first thought that entered his mind, was wanting to fall asleep again. How his dreams were so much better than reality at the moment. Ian sighed and rolled out of bed; putting his Ipod on his bedside table, he stood and started getting ready for another day. He grabbed a plain, black shirt and jeans out of his drawers, then gray socks, and black and white converse. He picked up an old, TRIPP, jacket from his chair, and then, he slung his book-bag over his shoulders. He put his headphones back in his ear, turned the music up loud, and walked out the door, preparing for his 4 block walk to school, like every other day.
Soon, he could see the huge letters on top of the school spelling: MCKINLEY HIGH, and he knew he was almost there. Finally, he came to a walk-way and saw the familiar red-head sitting against a stone-wall, alone in the corner. She wore all black as well, aside from bright red finger-nails, and she too was listening to her Ipod, as she poured over a thick book Ian couldn't see the title of. He nudged her shoulder and she glanced up at him, pulling out one of her headphones.
"Not jumpy, huh?"
"Not at all," she replied, shutting the book.
Ian took a seat next to her.
"How to Write Good Horror? They write books on that stuff? These THICK BOOKS!"
"You don't read much, do you?" Erin asked.
"Not at alllllllllllll..."
Erin chuckled.
"Are you planning on writing a horror story, little-girl?"
"Hence the title of the book: How to Write Good Horror."
"What about?"
"Well..."
"-Zombies?" Ian interrupted.
"That's exactly what I was thinking."
"Foreal...Do you mind if I helped?"
"Be my guest...if you think you can handle it."
"What is there to handle? Anyone can write a book!"
"Oh really?"
"Yes!"
"Start the first line then!"
"Hmm...well...once upon a time..."
"-hahaha! You little-boy!" she interrupted.
The two laughed as the bell sounded, and it was time to head to class.
"Man, it's time to go to class already!"
"Yehp, that's what the bell means."
"Hey, I have an idea..." Ian said. "We don't have to go to school today.."
"What are you talking about?"
"Let's skip."
"WHAT? No way! Are you kidding me? What if we get caught?"
"We won't, trust me. I've done it before."
"I've never skipped school before."
"Well then today will be your first time."
"Ian, you're insane."
"And yet, you trust me..."