Until You Say Goodbye...

*RIIING*

Arg… I don’t want to get up. I look at my alarm. Damn, its 6:45. I really don’t want to go to school today…so I press the snooze button.

*RIIING*

Snooze

*RIIING*

Snooze

*RIIING*

“Jay-cee! Get your butt down here, you have to get to school!”

Fine. I get up. If it were up to me I would stay in bed all day. But nooo…I hafta go to stupid school and do my stupid science presentation. It’s not the presentation I'm afraid of though. It’s that James will be watching me. It’s the only class I have with him and I end up making a fool of myself in it every day.

I sigh. James. He is the love of my life. I know that sounds kind of intense, but I really think that he is. I have liked him for almost three years now. Not quite as long as we’ve been friends. James and me were in the same class in grade one and we’ve been best friends since.

I’ve never really thought of us together though, because that will never happen. He hasn’t liked a girl, ever. He says he just hasn’t met one that he likes. That’s proof enough that he doesn’t like me.

I sit back down on my bed and pull out a picture of James from underneath my pillow. He is running after his friend Jake, who had just stolen his hat. I had captured him half in the air, his long black hair blurred around his face. It is a wonderful picture. I am a photographer. And my favourite subject to photograph is James. He loves to have his picture taken. I turned the picture around and looked at the other one I had glued on the back. This one was black and white. James was sitting outside the school in a corner, alone. His knees were tucked up to his chin and he looked sad. I remember that day.

*flashback*

“Hey Morgan, Get the fuck off this picnic table! We don’t wanna sit beside emo fags like you.”

I was around the corner of the school and I couldn’t see James, but I could hear what was happening.

The picnic tables are where the preps sit. I guessed it was a group of sporty guys and they’re girlfriends today. They usually sit ‘round the back of the school, but no doubt today they wanted to sit right where James was sitting. They do that sometimes, just to bug people.

I heard more yelling and someone punching somebody else, probably James.

“Ya, that’s right, go and sit in your little corner, emo fag. Whatcha gonna do? Go cut yourself in the corner? Wallow in your sadness. Serves you right Morgan.”

I watched James as he walked away to the other side of the school. His nose was bleeding. I don’t think he saw me, and if he did, he ignored me.

I waited for a while, and then I walked around to where James had sat down. His nose had stopped bleeding. And I don’t think he noticed me. I was lucky I had my camera with me. So I just… took a picture, then left. I knew he wouldn’t mind

*end of flashback*

I sigh. James didn’t like to talk about any of his problems. So I’ve learned to just leave him alone.

It makes me sad to see James like that, all beaten up. He looks so helpless and young… and cute. I smile.

I look at the picture one more time. Then I return it to its place under my pillow and quickly get ready for school.