School was a blur. I saw Zeke and Charlie but avoided them. Same with Nico. Being with them reminded me of Chase so I told them I couldn’t hang out. They knew what happened but kept up the smiles.

My next class was art. Art was the only time I could let my feelings be known. I rolled up my sleeves and began to release stress by paining. Each stroke was definite. While we were cleaning up, Michelle, the girl I sit next to happened to see my arm.

“Noah,” she gasped “What happened,” she had a worried look on her face. She was sweet but I couldn’t tell her.

“Oh,” I shrugged “that’s nothing,” I said as I rolled my sleeve down and faked a smile.

When school was over, I walked home.’ No need to drive when you can’t feel your feet.’ I let myself into my lonely house. It felt cold and harsh. It was a reminder that he was gone. I went to my room and lay in bed. There was a picture of me and Chase at the park, back when we took bunches of pictures. I don’t know why we stopped. ‘Why did we have to stop?’ I was feeling pretty cruddy I was in denial.

Days followed. Then a week. I rarely ate, but I had no appetite. ‘Where in the world is my mom?’ She finally came home a week after that.

“ Noah, why is this house a mess?” her voice a bit tipsy, I bet she had a little too much to drink.

“ I don’t know, Mom.”

“Well, start cleaning,” she commanded as Brian was coming in. My insides groaned. Frankie ran to them and started barking. He always did that, I think he agreed that Brian didn’t belong.

“Okay,” I couldn’t refuse, she would ask why I was in such a bad mood. She didn’t need to know. She wouldn’t even care.