The tall boy stood on the tracks. Alone. As the train hurtled towards him, he laughed. He was fearless yet frightened, courageous yet a coward, euphoric yet dejected. He knew nothing, thought of nothing except the train crashing into him. He was vaguely aware of his friend, a kid he'd known for less than a week, screaming, urging him to move out of the train's path. The boy paid little mind as his friend's cries grew hysterical, desperate. He'd forget about him soon. They all would. He was nothing, meant nothing to anyone. Except maybe his little sister. But they'd never see each other again either way… Joey'd probably just tell her that he moved somewhere.
The boy's friend stood by the tracks. His limbs were paralyzed. All he could manage was to scream. He screamed, begged, urged, pleaded. But the boy didn't budge. He just stood there, laughing. Yet, he knew the boy would move. He had to. But he didn't…
When the train was about a foot away from the boy, he realized; he didn't want this. But it was too late. The massive train ran into his body, and swept it underneath. His body crushed ten thousand times. The train charged on, not stopping for the insignificant boy.
The boy's father, a respectable surgeon. No one thought it, didn't entertain the idea, not even for a second. Ostensibly, he was the ideal father, capable of nothing but love. The idea of him beating his child was absolutely unthinkable. His colleagues offered sympathy, but Albert Manning was apathetic. Try as he may, he was incapable of love.
News of the boy's fate spread to Degrassi. People said "Poor kid," cried "Oh my God." But most people had never heard of him, and those that did did not know him. Their lives went on as before, uninterrupted. As the weeks passed, he faded. And faded. Until he was gone. Whatever miniscule mark he had made vanished. Joey told the boy's sister that he moved to British Columbia. She was a little sad, half wished she could have left with him. But, as time passed and seasons changed, he faded. And faded. Until he was nothing but a faded childhood memory.
But the boy's friend tried to forget, but could not. The boy was in his nightmares, occupying the unreachable corners of his mind. He still is. If only he could have saved him. If only he could have looked away.
And a girl, she could not forget. A once, but no longer, popular girl, who wanted her friends back, but wanted something more. She never spoke to the boy, never really got the chance, but she could tell…He was special. And although she basks in the glory of acceptance once more and although she's with her perfect boyfriend once again, she still sometimes wonders about him, about what could have been…
