Dying Innocence

When All Hell Breaks Loose...

The Morning was Thursday the 16th, a typical spring sunny windy morning in April. The birds were chirping as I woke up at dawn. My mom told me to get in the shower at 6:15 AM and I picked up my Rocket Basketball Hoodie, Black Under Armour, Black Shorts, and White Rockets Basketball tee that Brandon Reed would tease me about for kinky spelling. I got out, got dressed, got my breakfast of eggs, toast, and Mountain Dew Voltage. I walked out the door toward the old Blakesburg High School which was now the junior high. I waited for Bus No. 23 and at 7:25 AM Jerome showed up on Bus 23. Daniel Taylor, who was Corey for Stone Sour’s cousin, warned me, “Mercedes Vanderwaal Is a Bad Influence.”, as we walked on the shuttle. I said, “Yeah, Yeah.”, as I trundled to my seat on the bus and put in my IPod. The bus ride was the usual routine with reading, listening to my iPod, and staring out the window.

I got up to Eddyville at 7:50 and there was no sign of Mercedes. "Hmmmm. She must have something popped up that she'll be late to school." I walked to Mr. Sands' class and put my studies on my desk. Mr. Sands asked me, "Are you ready for today?" I said, "Heck Yeah." The bell rang and began the school day anew. Sands gave a lecture about algebraic equations for pre-algebra next year. The next bell rang for the study hall in the cafe. I grabbed a laptop and emailed Mercedes On the school email server, "Where r u @?", and did homework for advanced Microsoft. I continued to do homework for the rest of the study hall before the bell rang for the 3rd period. It was time to go to Animal Science. It was a substitute teacher and research on the laptops. I checked my email, there was one unread message and guess who it was from, Mercedes. It read, "@ the dentist, be there in a bit." The bell rang and I walked to the west hallway. Mercedes Was there. Mercedes Looked beautiful. She was wearing a green and white striped shirt, blue distressed jean skirt, and flip flops. She looked pretty cute. I said, "Hey Mercy" She replied, "Hey Stardust , how are you?" I said," Pretty well and you?" She said, "So and so." She walked me to class and I said, "See you after class." She smiled and said, "You too." I went to Smith's class 4th hour American History. We learned something about the Wild West and postbellum Westward expansion. We watched Far and Away with Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. It was interesting with John Williams' score and the lesson. It was the fifth hour at around half past 11 AM. I walked to find Mercedesand she walked me to the gym for Physical Education. I told her to have fun in Mrs. ’s and she said, “Thanks, Stardust .” I knew something was up like there was a big storm brewing, a potentially intense storm was coming.

I walked and shrugged it off. I went to the locker room and stripped out of my clothes. I asked Justin Milton, he was seventeen, dark hair and buzzed, tall and muscular, to take a topless pic of me. It was in black and white, me flexing my muscles, in basketball shorts, smiling. Unknown to me, it was possibly the last time I would smile for a long time. I got into my gym clothes and walked to Mrs. Genskow’s Classroom which was the south gym. We ran the warm up laps outside and played soccer or International Football for the lesson. I kicked a couple of times plus a goal. I walked to the gym and the locker room got back into my street clothes. I walked into the cafeteria and waited in line like for the nasty sludge and food which was bland and boring. I sat with my lunch table at the comedy club. We told our South Park References and jokes like we were George Carlin, Trey Parker, and Ryan Reynolds. It was the final lunch bell

I walked out of the lunch room into impending doom towards The Spanish Room to have Mercedes Walk me to class. Unbeknownst to me, I was heading towards disaster. I went to the Spanish Room, I asked Mercedes, “Can you take me to class?” She said, “We need to talk.” I asked “Will it wait until after school?” I ran towards the band room like I was taking shelter from the coming storm. I knew it was coming, a perfect storm, it was going to be a particularly dangerous situation, I made it to music appreciation and said words out loud in strange tongues. Mr. Overton, the teacher and my mom’s old band teacher, said, “Almost a detention, Mr. Nichols .” I said, “Forgive me for my pottymouth, Mr. O.” I thought I was in the clear in the dark barren room with the movie on Jazz music. I heard Jake Batterson say, “Uh oh.” I saw Mr. Overton talking to someone, and he turned to me, “Dustin , you are needed.” I said, “What n... Oh Sugar Honey Iced Tea!!!”, as I saw it was Mercedes With unfinished business. I took me to a dark secluded closet and asked me somberly, “Are you going to be upset?” I replied , “Why on earth am I going to be upset.” Mercedes Said, “Dustin , we can’t be boyfriend and girlfriend no more but we can be friends, all right?” Then all hell broke loose, the perfect storm did come, it hit me in the heart. I started bawling my eyes out. I ran out of the band room, Mercedes Tried to grab me but failed. The rain of betrayal, the wind of lies, and the clouds of heartbreak had hit me head on. It was a perfect storm never seen before. I walked into the band room, shaking, teary-eyed, and sobbing like a ten year old girl. My friends said, “We’re gonna give Mercedes A piece of our minds.” I said to them, “I’m gonna show Ms. Neeson this is who I really am!” Ms. Neeson ran into the band room all worried and shocked. She asked, “Are you fine?” I said calmly, “Leave me alone.” She walked away and I went to the band room. We went to the cafeteria and did the test out there. I did the answers like so while grieving. The guidance counselor, Mrs. O’Malley, a short woman, 40, blonde hair, and nordic features, appeared out of nowhere. She asked, “Are you okay?” I just shook my head, “No.” She told me, “Mercedes was hurting you and lying to you why I told her to tell you the truth.” I started crying harder. I finished the test and asked Mr. O if I can go to the guidance office, he said, “Sure thing, Dustin .” I asked Mrs. O’Malley, “Why was Mercedes Doing this too?” She said, “She was going to hurt you severely emotionally.” I was shocked and asked Mrs. VDH sent Mercedesdown there. Mercedes Came and she asked, “Are you ok, Mr. Dustin ?” I said, “No. Go away.” She walked away and the 7th hour bell rang. I was miserable and solemn the rest of the day. At the end of the day, I saw Shelly , my sister, she looked like me with a female and cuter. I lashed out at her. I didn’t mean to do it. I was furious and sad with Mercedes's shitshow she pulled earlier that day. I went to track practice and I went home at 5:15. I got to Blakesburg at 5:40 and the junior high cheering me up failed because Mercedes's shenanigans were too much for me.

I walked around town for twenty minutes thinking about ending my life or going on living. I went home to mom’s and mom said, “Mrs. O’Malley called and there was something bad.” “Yeah. The girl is a lying conniving idiot.” I went to my room and at 7:15, I went for a walk to the ball diamond, my face still streaming with tears, I closed my eyes, bowed my head, and prayed. I prayed that I would make it through the night. I walked home, went to my room and cried myself to sleep.