Chapter 7: “Don’t smile, Kid.”

Mr.Barbick: "The presentation should be anywhere from 15-20 paragraphs. Must include 3 pictures. One of you in the past, one of the present, and a drawing of what you believe you will look like or what life your will lead in the future. I'll post the requirements and instructions. Now you guys have the rest of the period to work and this will be do in 2 weeks."

Angel: "Hey Mr.Barbick, can we help each other out and move around?"

Mr.Barbick: "Yes, that's fine as long as all you behave guys."

-I don't think I'll do this project.- he thought to himself as he put his head down. He was still debating wether he wanted to actually get his grades up. He had a D in this class. Only class he was passing was P.E. Barely at that since he many times doesn't dress up. But then he felt a sudden tap on his head. Once he looked up-

-HUH?! Ashlyn ?!-

But the she faded away. And revealed the other angel behind her, Jessica.

It was Jessica and her bestfriend beside her. Her bestfriend didn't have any expression on her face, she looked even annoyed. But Jessica was different. -Jessica? What's she doing here? Smiling?-

She had him dumbfounded as she stood over him smiling. Leaning with her hands on his desk and hair hanging over him. Smiling mischievously as he looked up to her as a child looks up to a stranger.

Miles: "———"

Jessica: "Heyyyy. Helloooooo." She said waving at him his face until he came back.

Miles: "Oh, hey. Uh what's up?" He said still dumbfounded.

Jessica: "Can you help me and my friend Kate on the project?" She said in a somewhat seducing tone.

Miles: "Y-You want help from me? Are you sure?"

Jessica: "Yea, I mean, You understand it right?"

Miles: "Well...yea?" He didn't really think he would be good enough help. Helping her meant he might end up doing it too and he didn't like that either. Regardless, it was a chance to be near her.

Jessica: "Alright then let me move my desk over here." She went to get her desk. Kate stayed looking at Miles for a second, no expression on her face. He noticed. They made eye contact. And then she went to pull a desk too. He started to remember who she was finally. He remembered her from elementary. This put him more on edge.

Jessica came back and pulled up her desk. Right in front of his. Then she put her hands on her cheeks and elbows on the desk as she sat down, intently looking at him with a smile, with those enchanting blue eyes. That white smile. The long hair.

Then Kate came back, placing the desk on the side of both of them, perfectly in the middle. Smiling, looking more. But in her eyes, Miles could see a small amount of disdain every time her face was facing his.

-Maybe I'm overthinking this. I'll just be ignorant.- he thought. Maybe not acknowledging people dislike him would mean people like him.

-Well, we might as well work.- he reached to his backpack to get a piece a paper to start the writing part of it when Jessica interrupted.

Jessica: "What are you doing?" She said smiling.

Miles: "Well, shouldn't we pull out a sheet of paper to write?"

Jessica: "Yea but let's do that after school, let's just chill for the meantime in class."

-After school???- Dumbfounded. This meant he would spend more time with her. But then that means more time around people, a balanced out situation. Well, either way he would be with her in the end. Anything for the girl who's everything he's ever dreamed.

Miles: "So you want to stay after school? To work more? Like, us three?"

Jessica: "Sure, I mean, have you never stayed after school?"

After hearing this he realized he never actually had. Specially not with a girl her level. This made it sound good, time spent with a pretty girl, new experiences. But other people stay there too, people he doesn't know, people he doesn't want to know. But he agreed to it after looking at her again.

He simply couldn't refuse it.

Jessica: "Great, I don't want to work at schoooooooool." She said as she put her head down. Her hair hit his hand. And even by something like this, Miles got happy about it. The period went by quickly with mostly talking between Kate and Jessica. Those 2 talked like sisters to each other. So comfortably. And he was left left out.

After a while the bell rang.

Jessica: "Well later Miles :)" she said waving at him, he didn't even utter a word.

Kate walked away. With the same small disdain in her eyes.

Then Miles went on with his day. He was happy. Looking forward to time he would spend with her.

Classes ended at 2. Then after school came. But he forgot she didn't tell him where she would be. Would she be at the cafeteria, at the gym, at a classroom or library? He walked around school like a lost puppy.

-?!-

-who??-

Somebody pulled on his backpack yanking him. He turned around startled only to see Jessica smiling.

Miles: "Oh, i-it's you." He said calming down.

Jessica: "Calm down Professor Miles. Where were you?"

Miles: "Well, I-I I was goi-"

Jessica: "Ahhhh doesn't matter come over we got a nice table over there."

Kate was there.

But either way he went and sat down with them. Closer to Jessica.

-Ok. Now what?-

He was clueless and visibly started getting smaller. Nervous too. What the hell was he supposed to do at a moment like this? He couldn't figure out whether he had to talk or just work, or try to help them.

But thankfully she broke the ice for him.

Jessica: "Ok professor Miles, what should we do?"

-So this is my nickname? She has a nickname for me...-

Jessica: "Hellooooo. Serious problem you have with spacing out there."

He came back to earth.

Miles: "Oh yea, well just pull out a sheet of paper and write how you were in the past..."

Rethinking it, he didn't really want to so this work anymore. Their faces said they didn't want to do this project either.

Jessica: "Ughhhhhh, I don't know how to start." Her forehead in the table again.

Miles: "Well, have you changed since you were a kid?" He asked hoping to help her.

She rolled her head to look at him. She looked like she was thinking then-

Jessica: " I don't know." She said in a flat tone looking at him.

Jessica: "Have you?"

Kate looked to the other side when she heard this question.

"He's the same scared puppy..." she mumbled.

Jessica: "What's that?" She asked sitting up again.

Kate: "Oh nothing, never mind."

He heard her, this put him down quite a lot.

Jessica: "Ahhh whatever just eat your food."

Kate: "I tried earlier but I couldn't, couldn't swallow it properly."

Jessica: "Again??? This happens too much to you."

They carried on talking. While he pulled out a sheet and pen. But he couldn't even start. He was still the same like Kate said. Still the same just a little changed. -I'll write some bullshit, Barbick will buy it.- so he started writing. Jessica saw him and did the same, Kate too, but neither of those 2 started writing. They just kept talking. The day went on and it was 4:45. He was writing pure lies, those 2 weren't doing anything. Then he timidly interrupted them.

Miles: "Hey well, I think I should go home now."

This was to him a good time to leave. He got progress, and most sports were gone or leaving too. He started to get up-

Jessica: "Awww, do you have to leave?" She said swinging back for him as he was about to leave. She was able to grab his shirt collar. Her body showing more. Now that out him on edge. Miles felt EXTREMELY happy over this, so much, that he got an erection. He never had one like this before. It was like a super boner. So he decided to stay. But he sat down again.

Jessica: "Hehe."

-did she notice???-

Jessica: "Why are you red?"

-Safe.-

Miles: "——"

Miles: "I'm not red though."

Jessica: "Yes you areeee."

Being in this situation made his blood go back to his head and he got red.

Jessica: "Ahh it's ok go home, we'll go back too in a bit more."

Miles: "Oh ok, then I'll go, later."

She clearly wanted him to stay but he didn't notice like a dumbass so he left.

He went home and all went well.

He went home happier. Happy actually.

The chain was heavier. Hurt more. But he ignored it.

He went home and all went well there too.

The next day the same thing repeated. But he noticed they actually had the same progress as him. The same thing kept happening up until the day before it was turned in. It seemed they two had done the presentation too. Miles had actually been writing truths now. He wrote how he was more pessimistic back then. And he wrote what he learned about Ashlyn and Avighna. But without mentioning them. He just needed to write out the future. Once he did that, he was finished.

They started comparing the presentations they had on their phones. Miles' was the simplest one. Kate's and Jessica's seemed normal, any other student would write the same thing.

These days all 3 had been laughing and smiling together. Feeling happy. Comparing pictures of how they were as kids. Miles answering barely any questions but still helping a little.

Kate: "I'm going to the restroom." She said and left.

Jessica: "Let me read yours properly." She said to him taking his phone. As she reached for it, he saw some scratches on her arm.

Miles: "Do you have a cat?"

Jessica: "Huh? Oh yea you can say that... Don't worry about it though." she said as she hid the marks.

-does she...do that?-

He ignored it.

Kate came back. Time was up. He went home again, the chain now actually bothering him to walk but not enough to where he can't hide it.

He got home. Had dinner. Everything is fine.

When he was washing his face before bed, the light glitched for a split second. As he raised his head and stood straight he saw 'him' again.

-no...no no no no. Again...?-

He looked straight at the mirror.

No turning around, looking only at his own eyes.

???: "Don't ignore me."

Ta-dut Ta-dut Ta-dut

???: "You see me. Don't ignore me."

Ta-dut Ta-dut Ta-dut Ta-dut

???: "HEY."

Miles: "what..."

He said in a broken voice.

Scared.

Knowing how he would feel after.

What he would hear.

His face dripping.

Sweat, not water.

???: "Why?"

Miles: "why what...?"

???: "Why were you smiling."

Miles: "Because-"

He said as the kid stretched out his hand through the mirror.

The kid started to come out of the mirror.

The mirror warping as he came out.

Lights glitching.

Like an earthquake.

Pandora's Box opening.

He has black eyes.

Bloodshot eyes.

Naked but blurred body.

Distorted-looking.

Dark skin, as if carbon was rubbed on him all over.

Crying.

Crying tears.

Thick black tears.

But in a calm voice-

???: "Don't act like it's all okay."

???: "Don't smile."

Miles: "why..."

Knot tied on his throat.

Trembling.

???: "You know it's not good. You know that smile will betray you. Nothing good will come to you. Fucking idiot. You think the world is that simple. So simple you can just walk around smiling pretending everything is fine?"

Miles: "Everything is fine, Kid."

He said with a tear falling.

And ragged breathing.

The kid climbed up on the restroom counter.

Wiped Miles' tear away from his cheek.

"Don't smile, Kid."

He said.

Light glitched and he went away in a blink. Miles sat on the floor like the ocean sets down after a storm. He sat down, did nothing.

Sofia: "Miles? Everything okay in there? Who were you talking to?"

He built up the strength to say

"Nothing mom, no one, I'm okay."

She left. He got up and went to bed. And quietly slept with memories of a past.

With a weightless chain on his foot.