Maybe You're Gonna Be the One That Saves Me

Like yesterday, Clayde dragged me to the cafeteria with him at lunch. I didn’t really have any choice, so I sat with him and his friends.

“Eleana was like, ‘Oh my god! My hair! It’s ruined!’ when I flew a paper plane and it hit the back of her head,” Paigey said, mocking Eleana Bendersen, the school drama queen. “I mean, please! It’s just a paper plane! Capiche.”

“Paigey, capiche means understand,” Sam corrected.

“Oh…”

“No wonder you failed your French,” Clayde said before munching his mashed potatoes.

“So, Jamie,” Chris said. It sent me shivers down my spine when he said my name. “Anything interesting happened?”

“Actually a guy named Chris—“ Chris stepped on my foot beneath the table and I winced slightly. “—told me that he’s gay.”

All eyes fell on him.

“Lies,” he growled.

I smirked and drank my orange juice.

“Geez, Chris,” Paigey said, “Why don’t you say so? Guess what: I’ve seen you staring at guy’s asses before. Especially Brendon Urie’s. When we went to their concert, you were staring at his ass AND his package all the time! Dude I know he’s hot but…”

Clayde had his eyes widened, Sam choked on his pasta and I had my mouth hung open in shock. I was justjoking lying, and I never thought that it would be true!

“Dude…” Clayde choked out.

Sam grabbed the nearest drink, which was Paigey’s, and chugged it down, receiving a ‘hey!’ from the rightful owner.

Chris stepped on my foot again, harder this time. I slightly winced again.

“Well,” I said, standing up. “I’m going to the library now. I gotta do something important.” I grabbed my bag and left.

I was lying about the library; I was actually going to the school’s rooftop. I loved it there when the weather was good. The sky was blue, clouds were white, winds were blowing… I wish my life was as pretty as the sky. I wish I wasn’t dying, because I’d still have a lot of friends to hang out with.

And I wouldn’t be meeting Clayde.

Whoa wait, I did not like that idea. I mean, didn’t meet Clayde Winters? I would be alone and stuff—well, definitely I should be alone. Not a lot of people will cry when I die then.

My eyes were closed while my back was leaning against the floor’s cold tile. I inhaled deeply and breathed slowly, trying to relax. Heck I didn’t know why I wasn’t relaxed. I just wasn’t.

A shadow was hovering over my so I opened my eyes to see what it is. Was it obvious if it was Clayde? Because he was here right now, hovering over me with a wide smile spread across his face.

“Hey,” he said and sat next to me, watching me. I didn’t reply and kept staring at the sky with my arms as a pillow for my head. I couldn’t stand the stares he was giving so I turned my head to see him. He smiled warmly.

“Tell me why you’re so beautiful,” he said, honest.

“I don’t know. I think it runs in the family.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Like the Cullens?”

“You read Twilight?”

He shrugged. “My twin Zeah keeps talking about it.” He chuckled. “Maybe because the movie just comes out.”

“You have a twin? Why I never see her before?”

“She goes to a private school. We’re complete reverse – she’s really smart and I’m not so smart, and I kind of hate it ‘cos our parents are all like, ‘Clayde why can’t you get an A like your sister does?’ and blah blah blah. It seems like they’re happy to compare us. I don’t hate Zeah though – she’s an amazing sister.”

By the time he was done, I was sitting up straight, Indian styled. My eyes studied his face as he told me about how his parents compared him and his twin.

“How about you? Got any sibling?” he asked.

“Actually, I have a brother. He’s a year older than me but died a month after he was born.”

“Oh, sorry… I didn’t mean to—“

“It’s okay.” I’m going to die too, after all, I added mentally.

I didn’t realize I was holding back a cry when he pulled me into a hug and soothing me, his hands running up and down my back.

“Shh, it’s okay, it’s okay,” he tried to calm me, “Don’t cry.”

“I’m not going to cry,” I assured him against his chest, but failed because my voice was cracking. I didn’t notice that I missed my brother… although I never met him.

We didn’t say anything after that. We stayed like that in silence. Hate to say this, but it was so comfortable to be in his arms.