Existence

Stationhill.com

Fiction

'Existence'
Fiction by Stephanie L Johnson

"You've got to keep it for at least a day, right? A chocolate bar goes to the
person who keeps it the longest!"
A group consisting of half of the youngest year were standing in a corner of
the courtyard at Nicholas High, listening to a girl from the higher form
speaking and waving her hands about her. Though they were conspicuous, no one
went near them to listen in; they already knew what she spoke about.
Katie looked over at them. "That's the last lot she's going to tell isn't it?"
The group had finished listening, and were now wandering away, chatting
excitedly and laughing.
Catherine counted on her fingers. "Yes it is," she replied, turning to Katie,
"she's already told everyone else in the school. When were they planning on
starting?"
Katie frowned. "Today I think."
The girl from the higher form was walking over to them.
"So you all set guys?" she asked, animatedly moving her hands as she always
did when she was excited.
"I'm still not keen on the idea, Sarah." Catherine anxiously looked at her
friend for support.
"Don't worry! It's only a little bet," laughed Sarah, flicking her hair out
of her face with a sweep of her hands, "it won't hurt her! We'll start as
soon as she comes in ok?"
"That soon?"
"Why not?" Sarah answered, "It's as good a time as any!" and she started
walking away. "Don't chicken out on me you two!" she called over her shoulder.
Katie put her arm over her friend's shoulders. "Don't worry. We'll make sure
it doesn't go too far."
Catherine watched as a dark haired girl came through the gates into school.
Katie followed her gaze. "She'll be fine. Just make sure you don't laugh or
you'll end up giving it away, and I won't be able to save you from Sarah."
Catherine sighed and looked away as the girl tried to make eye contact.
"Right."

Charlotte wasn't 'popular', but she had quite a few friends. Some of her
friends were worse off than her and got teased by a lot of kids at school,
like her friends Catherine and Katie for example. Others were actually in the
'popular' group. One of these was Sarah, and even though Sarah was supposed
to be her friend, Charlotte wasn't looking forward to seeing her today, or in
fact, seeing anyone today. The trouble was that the day before yesterday,
Sarah and Charlotte fell out. This is not a good thing if you are a friend of
a popular person. Sarah has a very bad way of twisting people's words around
to suit herself, and by now, she probably has the whole school on her side.
Not so good for Charlotte. Yesterday, Charlotte managed to get her mum to
believe she was ill enough to stay at home, but that didn't work so well
today. So now she was walking into school.
In her mind, it would have been better to walk into hell itself. At least it
would have been warmer.
Coming through the gates, she saw Catherine and Katie, standing in the
pre-school playground, known as the courtyard. Unusually, when she tried to
catch their eye, they totally ignored her.
"Hey! Why the long faces?" she called cheerfully across, but they didn't seem
to hear her and walked away towards the tutor block.
Charlotte frowned. "Surely Sarah can't have gotten to them?" she mused as she
wandered after them, "Where is she I wonder?"

Sarah tucked her hair behind her ears. Flattering always works, she thought
to herself. She caught the eye of the boy she was looking at. He was a
prefect, and a rather good-looking one at that. He was the best person Sarah
could use for getting at Charlotte, and luckily, he was also known for using
the school tannoy system. She sidled over to him, checking her reflection in
a window as she walked past.
"Hiya."
The boy looked up again from his notes. "What do you want Sarah?"
I just need to gain his trust first, she thought. She batted her eyes. "You
know Charlotte don't you?" she asked.
He glared suspiciously at her. "Why?"
"Could you tell her from me that she's a stuck up bitch?"
"No," he replied frowning at her, "you know I go out with her. I would never
say anything like that to her." He looked back to his notes. "You could say
that to her yourself, so why do you want me to say it?"
Sarah tried to look serious. "Because I think what she said about you was
cruel, Jack."
Jack knew he shouldn't fall for it, knew that Charlotte would never say
anything about him to Sarah, but her expression was so serious he couldn't
help himself.
"What did she say about me?"
Got him, Sarah thought, and tried not to smile. "Well the other day, you
know, when me and her fell out," she looked at him closely to see if he
acknowledged, "we were arguing about you."
Jack just glared and waited for her to continue.
"I was saying to her that I fancied you, and that I thought me and you would
make a better couple, and she was getting all stressed because she was
protecting you at first…" This bit at least was true.
Jack went to interrupt.
"…But then she kinda cracked and said…what was it… "Of course you suit each
other, you look like a dog and he sounds and kisses like one." Well I was
shocked!" she looked at him sideways, and moved closer, "So I thought I'd
tell you, because I like you, and I think that it's not fair to say things
about you behind your back."
Sarah knew this definitely wasn't true because it was her that actually said
it to Charlotte, but it was a way for revenge. She could hurt Charlotte and
it would be advantageous to Sarah at the same time.
Jack was completely speechless. He knew he shouldn't believe it, but she
sounded so convincing. And besides, she was starting to look rather
attractive in the pale midmorning light.
Suddenly, she leaned forwards, almost onto his lap, and kissed him. He tried
to move away, but she held him there and so he gave in.
When she pulled away eventually, he realised it was actually rather nice.
"I don't think you kiss like a dog," she smiled, licking her lips, "and I've
got an idea to get her back."
Jack weighed up his choices. Sarah or Charlotte. Sarah was very attractive
but was also known to be quite a bitch, as most popular people were.
Charlotte was not beautiful but was pretty, and was usually kind, but from
what Sarah said she had been a bitch too. And that kiss was pretty good.
"Ok then," he surrendered, "tell me your plan."
Sarah grinned.

Charlotte noticed something was different when she entered the tutor room,
and she tried to work out what it was as she sat in her seat. While she
looked around at everyone, she realised that no one had actually said hello
to her this morning, and that also, some of the girls looked as if they had
been crying, or at least rubbing their eyes to make it look like it.
Charlotte doubted the second assessment; there was no logical reason.
"What's the matter with everyone?" she asked the girl sat next to her, who
looked less sad than the rest, but the girl said nothing.
"Fine, be that way then." Charlotte said to herself, offended. No one usually
kept secrets from her.
All through her lessons that morning, everyone ignored or looked right
through her. Charlotte felt very upset. She knew coming to school was going
to be bad but she thought at least she would have some friends. They weren't
even teasing her! At least you knew you existed when you were teased. Still,
there was one more hope: Jack. Her and Jack had been going out for months
now, and he would surely be on her side.
She found out differently at recess.

The bell rang at quarter to ten, and all students left their classes.
Sarah strode directly to the principal's office, where she met up with Jack.
"You ready?" she smirked, as she shut the door carefully behind them, "Carl's
keeping an eye on the teacher's meeting."
"This is really not a good idea what we're doing," grimaced Jack, uneasily,
"We really shouldn't be doing this."
Sarah scowled. "You do want revenge don't you?" Jack shrugged. "And besides,"
she studied her nails, "you don't want to be known as a chicken, do you?"
Jack sighed, put his finger to his lips to hush her, and flicked the switch
of the tannoy.
"Good morning Nicholas High. There is an announcement to make." He licked his
lips nervously. "It is very unfortunate that yesterday, as some already know,
we were informed of a death of a student. This person was known by many to be
in high spirits most of the time, but after an argument with her friend, we
regret, she committed suicide. Today at midday, we will all morn the death of
Charlotte Heatherton. Thank you for listening." He switched the tannoy off.
"Perfect!" Sarah clapped her hands and giggled nastily.

Charlotte felt sick. So that was why everyone was ignoring her. She wasn't
actually alive! She walked towards the library, shaking, eyes wide, mouth
half open, and sat down. Why did everything feel so solid and real if she
didn't exist? Was everything she touched just a figment of her imagination?
She didn't see Catherine and Katie watching her, worried expressions on their
faces.
"We need to stop this now!" whispered Catherine to Katie, "she looks really
ill!"
Katie turned to Catherine looking pale herself. "You know we can't talk to
her! Just think what Sarah would do to us! It'd be worse than this, believe
me!"
Catherine swallowed painfully and looked back at Charlotte. "Fine, we'll go
tell Sarah what it's doing to her; maybe even get her to see for herself."
Katie chewed her lip. "Fine then, let's get it over and done with." And with
that, they walked off, leaving Charlotte to her thoughts and fears.
How come I can't remember? Why do I think I exist when I don't?
She put her head in her hands and started to cry.

"Sarah…" Catherine started. She stopped suddenly. Sarah was in Jack's lap,
kissing him passionately, oblivious until now of the intruders. Jack was
facing the door, and when he saw Catherine and Katie standing in the frame,
glaring at him, his eyes grew wide and he abruptly stopped his ordeal with
Sarah. He stood up, almost throwing Sarah off him, and opened his mouth to
speak.
"Don't you even dare say, "It's not what you think"!" Catherine growled with
pure venom in her voice.
Jack closed his mouth and looked ashamed.
"Jack, what are you doing?" sighed Katie, holding Catherine back.
"Yes Jack, what are you doing?" Sarah grinned and held his arm, "Why aren't
you telling them? Go on, tell them about us."
Jack pulled his arm out of hers. "There is no us, Sarah." He looked at
Catherine. "It was just some stupid 'spur of the moment' thing."
Catherine spat in his face. "Some stupid spur of the moment thing! What has
poor Charlotte ever done to deserve a "stupid 'spur of the moment' thing",
hey?!"
Sarah looked at Jack, who was wiping the remains of Catherine's rage out of
his face. "Remember what I said she said?" she sniggered.
"Yes, I remember," he said, and glared at her, "and Catherine's right. What
has she ever done to deserve this? You deserve everything she said about you
for provoking me, and I deserve everything she said about me for being so
weak and falling for your tricks!"
He stepped towards a now slightly less angry Catherine. "The joke's off
Sarah. Now I'm going to find the person that really needs me."
And he walked out with Catherine and Katie, leaving Sarah behind shouting
abuse at their backs.

Charlotte looked up, tears streaking her face, her eyes red-rimmed. "If no
one believes I exist, then what is the point in being here?" she cried.
Suddenly she felt like a million tiny spiders were crawling up her body, and
she shuddered in disgust. Then the sensation was gone as quickly as it came.
Black enveloped her senses and a cloud of calm replaced the sadness.

Coming towards the library were Jack, Catherine and Katie. At first they saw
her, her sad teary eyes looking at them in anguish and hopelessness, and
Catherine's heart felt a jolt, as if Charlotte's life had exploded and died.
But when they blinked she was gone. They shook their heads, and looked at the
place where she had been only two seconds ago, with confused expressions on
their faces.
"Where did she go?" Katie questioned.
"I'm sure I saw her, just there," frowned Catherine, "and then she just, sort
of… disappeared."
Jack looked at them both, a look of despair on his face. "Didn't you hear
what she said?"
Katie shook her head, but Catherine replied, " 'if no one believes I exist,
then what is the point in being here?' But why does that matter?"
Jack put his head in his hands and started to sob.
Startled, Catherine put her arm around him. "Jack, what's the matter?"

Unexpectedly, Sarah stepped out from the shadows, and laughed maliciously.
She grinned at the mixture of anger and incomprehension on their faces.
"Because the only thing that keeps you alive, is your belief of your own
existence."

Stephanie L Johnson, age 16, contact: vettysteph@aol.com

Copyright 2003 Stephanie L Johnson
Reviews and comments requested
Posted 04/10/2003