That Last Little Spark

[Bam]

"Here they are!" Dunn came out from a corner with a giant box. We dusted the cobwebs off of it and opened it up. Inside were three different photo albums and scrapbooks. On the top was Jess' design project from junior year: a time capsule about the people who influenced her the most in her life. She had decided to make a scrapbook and nearly failed the project because she didn't follow the directions. I carefully opened it to the first page where an invitation-like paper was inside a slip cover.

Oh hey. If you've found this book, you're probably wondering who I am, right? Well I'm not supposed to tell you yet. Of course, I haven't followed the directions already. This letter isn't even the one I handed in to the teacher. I'm not going to write a cliched piece of crap just to make it 'school appropriate'. If this is a 'time capsule' that someone is supposed to look at one day, I don't want to be fake. That's not who I am at all.

This book is filled with the people who influence me the most in my life. And that would have to be my friends. They've helped me out of more messes than I can remember. With them, nothing else matters anymore. It's just us.

So if you don't want to read about a bunch of random people who you dont know, please put this back in its box, shelf, or dirt hole. Unless you stole this from my coffin or something, in which case I'll haunt you.

Enjoy

"Even in writing she was sarcastic." Dunn snorted and turned the page. In the middle of a blue swirly piece of paper was my picture. Surrounding the picture were packaged bandaids. Under the picture was a paragraph in tiny handwriting.

This is Bam. He can be funny and serious in the same minute, and that takes skill. He can also go from pissed to hyper to sleepy in three seconds flat. I would know, I've seen him do it. He loves skateboarding, but if he falls anymore, he probably won't be having any kids within the next 40 years. Bam's an amazing person, and I think that if he really wants to be a professional skateboarder, he can.

The next page was a bright, glittery green page.

Kelsey. This girl is seriously my best friend. We've been through more stuff than I can remember. We've been friends since we were really little. I think we were twins in some past life. It's so freaky. She's an amazing artist. Don't let her tell you any different. If you love classic disney movies, blowing bubbles, being loud, slip 'n' slides, bright sunglasses, and sugar, find this girl, give her a hug, and be her friend. I'll be there with her, so hug me too. Don't listen to all that talk about staying away from strangers. We're cool strangers.

Over the next 20 or so pages, we discovered more about Jess than any of us had ever known. We found out what she really wanted to be, her real likes and dislikes, her favorite music at the time, where she wanted to go when she was older...everything. She had done pages for all of us, each with a picture and a paragraph. Five pages were dedicated to her family.

I turned the last page and read another letter.

There you have it. You've officially read [most of] my life from the beginning until now. Obviously I'll have changed by the time this ever gets opened again, but this is my past and my present until I'm gone. Hopefully I didnt bring you down with all of that stuff from my past, but it was relevant in the fact that all of my friends helped me to get over it and return to join the living and be happy. With them, I've laughed more in the past year than I ever thought I would've.

And even if we've all separated in the next 20 years, I have hope that fate will bring us together again, someday. I can feel it. These people have made me who I am today. I love each and every one of them like my family.

You know what's funny? Normally I wouldn't put so much effort into a school project like this. Maybe it'll be relavent someday, even if this book is found in Bam's basement, since that's where I leave everything that has some importance to me. But of course I wont tell him it's down here. Maybe it'll give him some rainy day reading.

And in case Bam is reading this right now: I know you're doing amazing things, Bam Bam.

To everyone and anyone else, I'll either see you in the future or on the other side.

A total stranger,
Jessica Lynn Walker, 17

[Jess]
-6 days later-

"You think he's still in Pennsylvania?" Kelsey asked as she sat on my couch, her sketchbook closed on the cushion beside her. We had been talking about the guys for almost a week, reliving old memories and watching as much Viva La Bam and Jackass as we could.

"It says so in the article." I replied as I flipped through the channels, finally landing on MTV2.

"There he is!" she shrieked. Bam was on the screen, holding a black book that looked like a photo album.

"Hey you little jerks!" he laughed and smacked Raab in the face.

"Damn it, Bam, can you get to the point?" he whined.

"Fine. Normally this is the part where we play an outtake from the show or we injure ourselves in some scheme to get a laugh out of you, but I need help tonight. I was going through my basement and I found an old scrapbook of a friend's. And I need that crazy girl Jess to come home and claim it!" he laughed. I dropped my pen onto the glass coffee table.

"No fucking way." Kelsey breathed.

"We're still in the old house with the same old number, so you really need to give me a call, Jess. And find Kelsey, too!" he yelled as the camera panned out and the screen went blank as the credits began to roll.

"Call him, now." Kelsey threw my cell phone at me.

"No way. They abandoned us, and then they expect me to call him? I don't think so. They can wait." I said, surprising myself with sudden bitterness.