CHAPTER SEVEN
I didn't quite understand why my teachers all looked at me with pity the next Friday. I hadn't told anyone about Spike and nobody knew that his funeral was this weekend.
"Anya," my creative writing teacher, Miss Richards, said as I started to leave after class, "Are you okay?"
I faked the happiest expression in the world and answered, "Of course," before leaving her room as quickly as possible. Social Studies and Photography were boring and I heaved a giant sigh of relief when the lunch bell rang.
Haruki was waiting for me at my locker, "So what are you doing this weekend?" he asked.
I was silent.
"I know this is going to sound stalkerish but I think I know where you're going."
"Where?" I asked. How would he know?
"You are going to see Spike in your hometown this weekend. The only thing that doesn't fit is why you're so unhappy about it."
I winced as if he had hit me, "You're wrong," I said and I ran towards the cafeteria.
"Hey wait up!" Haruki yelled after me.
I stood in the lunch line and grabbed an apple.
"That's all you're getting?" the lunch lady asked like she did every day.
"Yes ma' am," I said letting the country girl accent slip out a little bit.
"That'll be fifty cents," she said as I handed her two quarters.
"Hi there," a girl with long bleach blonde hair said from the table in front of me, "you're Anya right?"
"Yeah why?"
"You hang out with Haruki right?"
"Yeah."
The girl was lost in thought and I decided that was the time to make my escape. I went and sat down alone.
"What did I say?" Haruki asked me as he sat down across from me.
"Nothing," I said as I took a bite out of my apple, " you were halfway right."
"So you are going to see Spike this weekend?" Haruki asked hurt.
"Yes."
"Why? I thought you knew I…"
"I'm going to Spike's funeral," I snapped not wanting to hear him say he liked me.
Haruki was silent.
"Yeah. You don't have much to say now do you?" I demanded as I got up, threw my apple core in the trashcan and headed for my next class.
"Anya," my mom said as I entered our new loft and she tossed me a package, "your dad sent you something."
I opened it to reveal my cellphone.
I called my voicemail and entered my security code.
"Hey Anya It's Spike, just calling to say hi and I'm looking forward to seeing you tomorrow, even if we have to put up with Laura. Bye."
Hearing his voice pieced my heart. I entered my room and chucked my cellphone with all my strength into the wall above my bed. It made a little hollow spot where it hit and stayed there. I collapsed onto my bed and cried.
"Anya you have a phone call!" my mom called from the other room a few hours later.
I left my room and picked up the cordless, "Okay mom you can hang up," I said and the other line clicked off, "Hello?" I asked.
"Hi Anya it's Haruki," he said.
"Hi what's up?" I asked.
"I'm sorry… I didn't know about Spike," Haruki apologized.
"It's okay I didn't tell you."
"If you want someone to go with you to the funeral I'll come."
"I'm going with my dad, but thanks. Bye."
"Bye," he said and I hung up.
"Who was that?" my mom asked.
"A friend from school."
"A boy?"
"Yeah but just a friend."
"Too bad. Love makes people happy," she said and returned to her magazine.
I didn't want to tell her that I didn't think I could love anyone but Spike so I went back to my room and welcomed sleep.