“And after the war, he went back to Europe. Any questions?” The question on everyone’s mind was why the hell are the last 3 minutes of class always the longest? All eyes were on the clock. Sighing, Mrs. Michaels closed her history book with a snap. “Don’t forget to do your homework tonight.” People were packing up. “And turn in those reports next Tuesday!” She squeezed in, jut as the bell rang.

Wendy leapt into the air. It was her second to last period and this was the longest Friday of her life. All she wanted was to go home. But first, she’d go over to Sidney and give him a smooch. Maybe more than one if she was feeling happy. She walked over to the door where he was waiting.

“Man that lesson sucked,” he said, leaning in for a kiss and grabbing her hand. The class was still “awww”ing at them every time the did that. Wendy assumed it was because they just started going out on Monday. It seemed like they’d been going out forever, though. She smiled and walked with him to the back stairwell at the end of the hallway, onto her next, and last, class.

“I can’t wait until spring break, ” she said, thinking about their plans to go to New York with some friends for spring break.

“About that...” He looked away from her. She stopped walking, and when he didn’t he pulled him towards her with their hands that had been intertwined since the end of 7th period.

“What?” She sounded like a mother waiting for her child’s excuse as to why he has playboy magazines under his bed.

“Look, I just can’t make it. It’s no big deal.” He still didn’t look at her, and hi was messing with his ID chain and all the buttons all over it nervously. Wendy made the connection.

“You’re going stoning with Mike and George, aren’t you?”

“I said it’s no big deal. Just drop it Wendy.” He started getting an edge in his voice.

“It IS a big deal, Sidney!” She dropped his hand, “It’s damn New York, and I’m taking you there to meet my friends!”

“You mean to meet friends you left behind three fucking years ago! Do you REALLY think that they’re your friends?” He was looking at her now, almost in disgust. It really pissed Wendy off.

“Maybe all YOUR friends think about is stoning every 10 minutes, but I have REAL friends-”

“Real friends you never even see! Gosh, Wendy, it almost feels like you’re making them up!”

“Well maybe you’d know that I wasn’t if you just came to New York!” She tried to push past him.

“I said I couldn’t come!” He grabbed her arm and turned her around to look at him. “Just drop it!”

“I will NOT just drop it! Jeez, Sidney, it was okay for you to smoke pot when we were friends, and I didn’t really mind not seeing you that much, but we’re going out now, so make some effort!”

“I DO make a fucking effort! You’re the one always plannnng shit for me with your friends. When are we ever going to do anything together, Wendy?“

“Well I dunno, maybe when you stop spending all of our together time smoking pot!”

He leaned in close to her face and yelled “It’s no big deal!” As he was saying “deal”, the bell rang.

Squirming a bit, Wendy yelled back, “Let go of me, I need to get to class.”

“I’ll let go when you admit that it isn’t a big deal.”

“I’m not going to LIE. Now let. Go. Of. Me.” She growled in his face.

“Admit that it isn’t a big deal!” he growled back.

“No.”

Sidney’s face twisted in anger. “FINE! If you won’t admit it yourself, then I’ll MAKE you!”

Wendy lost a bit of her confidence as he yelled, looking at the anger in his eyes. He started to drag her to the stairs, intending to go down them. “Sidney, what are you doing?” No answer. She lost more confidence. “Sidney. Sidney, let go. Sidney I’m not going to admit it! Just let go of me!” SHe didn’t answer, so she tried to get free. They were on the first step.

“Sidney, let go of me, you’re making me uncomfortable!”

“Stop squirming and maybe I’ll tell you!”

“I said let go! Sidney, please let go of me!”

“Admit that it’s no big deal!”

“Let go of me!”

“ADMIT IT!” he yelled, trying to get a better grip on her arm. But at that moment, she had jerked her arm trying to get free. Without him holding onto her, she lost her balance and

“Wendy! WENDY!” Sidney yelled, soon running down the steps after her falling body. She landed with a thud against the wall. She wasn’t moving.

Kneeling near her body, he tried to find a pulse on her wrist, red where he had been holding onto her. “Wendy, wake up. Wake up, Wendy! Wendy it’s a big deal, wake up! I was wrong Wendy, I’ll come to New York with you! Please, wake up!”

But she would never wake up again.