'Til the End

It all started in sixth grade. Or that’s how I remember it.
It was a stormy day in the middle of October in our small town of Woodland. Heavy showers had been going on and off all morning with light thunder we often heard in the distance.
Eliza Copper-Angel (or Liz), my best friend since diapers, and I were snuggled up next to each other in our “marshmallow” rain jackets and matching pink rain boots. We were watching from the blacktop at the fight that was brewing at the playground. The argument was between Thomas Scott and Dan McCole.
Thomas Scott was one of the most popular kids in school. Captain of the middle-school football team, honor roll since like, forever, and all of the girls (younger and older) adored him. Including me. He had blue eyes and brown hair (I was even a sucker for brunettes back then), that was long at the time, and a smile that belonged on a poster.
My mother was also really good friends with his mom so I saw him a lot outside of school too. It was when he would come over with his mother that I really got to know him. Mrs. Scott was a short and skinny woman with too much of a personality. She would walk into my house like,” Oh hell-o darling! Why don’t you look fabulous in that outfit?”. She would most often say this when I was in my stained, play clothes that were too small for me.
Tommy never bullied me, though. And he had very many opportunities that he could have too. If someone ever pushed me off the monkey-bars (which happened often because I was so slow) Tommy would yell at them and not talk to them for weeks. That’s what made me fall in love with him.
“I hope Tommy doesn’t get hurt”, I whispered to Liz, who was the only one who knew of my secret crush. I could see Dan yelling at Thomas from a distance, but I was unable to hear what he was saying.
Dan McCole was sort of the opposite of Thomas. He had few friends, was scrawny, and always wore dark clothes in contrast to his light skin. No one barley even knew Dan existed before the fight. He always seemed very quiet, which is why it surprised me and Liz both with his temper that day.
The boys yelled and yelled at each other. Which progressed into shoving. Then into hitting. Other kids gathered around them so quickly that soon Liz and I lost sight of the action. But it soon ended with a teacher separating them and sending them both to the office.
Rumors spread for weeks about Dan McCole. People said he was arrested, or said he went to Juvi. But that day was the last day I saw Dan McCole. Until now.

“Class…..Class!!!”, Mrs. Shotsu yells at our Chemistry class. “This is Dan McCole, and he is a new student here at Woodland High.