Young Writers Society

Jake’s dark brown eyes slipped down to watch his black Vans step in front of each other. He bit his lip, looking up as the girls passed by him, giggling and whispering. Jake turned back to where he was going, accidentally bumping into one of the senior girls. He looked back at her, his mouth gaping open as he was about to apologize, when she grinned, plucking his Calculus AB notes off the floor.

“Excuse you, and you’re welcome,” she replied, placing the stapled papers on top of his binder.

“Uh, yeah, thanks,” he replied, looking down at what now was a mess of words.

He turned back around, weaving his way through the crowd and to his locker. Jake’s eyes scanned for his World History binder, and then left to Ms. Torong’s class.

“Oh, you’re writing again, are you?” Tara’s face rested on his shoulder, surveying the Word Document.

“Mhm,” Kevin mumbled, placing his hand on the mouse to close it.

Tara’s bright pink lips curved into a smirk as she lifted her head and turned back to collapse into one of the library’s armchairs. Kevin turned his head, watching as she plucked yet another Harry Potter book from the table. He rolled his eyes, turning back to the computer screen and scrolling through his emails. Spam, Spam, School News, Spam, Tara, Spam, Clubs, Spam. He sighed, deleting the junk mail and aimlessly looking through Tara’s emails. At last, his phone vibrated, making a louder sound than his normal ringtone. Kevin glanced back at Tara before picking it up and reading the text:

hows ur d8 w tara kev

Kevin rolled his eyes, glancing back at the girl before replying to Leo:

its not a date. shes just my friend and we are hanging at the library

“Texting is a bore, and sadly Harry Potter can be tedious,” Tara replied, embarrassing Kevin as she nodded at Leo’s text.

“Wh-what, um, yeah, I guess,” Kevin shoved the phone into his pocket and turned to face her.

“My Mom’s going to be here in like ten minutes, and I need you to wait outside with me, because it’s boring and I could get kidnapped by some creepy dude,” Tara pulled the right strap of her TARDIS backpack over her shoulder.

“Yeah, okay,” Kevin logged off of the computer, snatching his own red backpack as she bounced away.

He didn’t like her or anything, but to be honest, she was kind of wonderful. Even though they had seen each other at school, Tara and Kevin had had an honest conversation at Comic Con San Diego. She had been surrounded by her group of friends, laughing and shouting. And Kevin had been trailing behind his friends, confused by their fierce love for fiction.

As fate had it, she had spotted him amongst the wild costumes and crowds. And she had gone up to Kevin, and they became friends.

To the outside world, it was a strange sort of relationship. Their entire existence was embarrassing and certainly not normal. She was a freshman, and he was a senior. Things like that don’t normally happen, but then again, Tara wasn’t normal, and that was that.

“We’ll sit here,” Tara plopped herself down on the fake grass, looking up at him.

“Yeah, okay,” he replied.

“I have a plan,” Tara smiled, her eyes shining into his.

“Okay,” Kevin took off his backpack and set it on his lap.

“I’m going to get you a girlfriend,” she replied, her fingers tugging at the stubborn slices of grass.

“Why would I need a girlfriend?” Kevin’s eyes wandered to the street, making sure that none of his friends were stalking him again.

“When did you stop mumbling and start saying words?” Tara teased.

“Anyways, I think Katelyn would do for you,” she smiled, stretching out her legs as he looked away.

“Katelyn?” he mumbled.

“Katelyn Tsao, perfectly pretty and kind and nice and girly and especially without a boyfriend,” Tara grinned, her eyes following Kevin’s.

“Mhm,” he replied, looking back down at the grass.

“Think about it,” Tara pulled herself and the backpack up, “Or don’t think about it. Life is about the choices you make and the people you help… or don’t help. Or life can be about anything. It’s really how you view it. It could be about getting a girlfriend or getting a boyfriend. It could be about falling in love of falling out of love. It could be about killing yourself or realizing you have reason to live. Or it can be about running away or running when your mother calls you.”

And right then, Kevin heard the familiar sound of Tara’s mother honking the car.

“Mhm,” he repeated, nodding towards her as she ran off.

“It can be about anything! Think about it or don’t think about it,” Tara called as she ran backwards.

Kevin watched as Tara turned around and sprinted across the fake grass towards the minivan. For a while, he sat there, thinking upon nothing and watching the cars fly past. With another sigh for the day, he pulled himself up, slinging the Jansport backpack over his right shoulder. Nothing was wrong with him. It was just that life seemed so boring at times. There was never any big adventure or special someone that could hurt him or make him into a famous celebrity. He couldn’t save the world or hunt monsters or have his heart broken. Or maybe he will have his heart broken by this Katelyn.

He shrugged to himself, turning to his right and beginning to walk along the sidewalk. Tara was nice to him, but they never really talked about special things… Not that he wanted to talk about special things. It was just especially cool to have a close friend. But she was an awkward friend in his awkward life.

Kevin was too normal, too average, and of course, he didn’t like that. But what else was he supposed to do? Run away and ruin his mother’s life? Especially in his senior year. Now, high school was sort of important. But afterwards? College or a job or something. Have a good career, get married, have kids, and then put your kids into the same torture that you used to go through, saying how it was “worse back in the day”.

It was too tiring to think about life now. Just do something special, like worry about the present.

Kevin sighed again, digging his hands into his jean pockets.

And of course, when you think you’re too normal and nothing’s going to happen, something does usually happen. And then you get instant fame or you feel special again or you feel happy and have that whole atonement with life.

But not really. Save it for the movies.

At last, Kevin reached his house. He pulled out the keys from his backpack and fitted them into the hole. He pushed the door open and stumbled inside. Another sigh escaped his mouth as he heard the lock click behind him. Kevin bit his lip again, glancing sadly at the tiled, wooden house. He pulled off his Vans, walking with only his socks towards the counter. Another note.

Everything you need is in the fridge. Out again.

Out again. Kevin’s right index finger trailed the notebook paper’s corner before striding away to his room. He never really was important. His mother was important, going out… again.

And her going out was comfortable, but notably lonely. To be honest, he kind of missed her. It wasn’t that he was some mommy-boy or something. He just needed someone to be there for him once in a while.

And it never felt right… having no friends, no siblings, no father that he could go fishing or go to football games with. Not that he liked fishing or football. Loneliness just kills – no, no, Kevin wasn’t lonely. No one can ever be lonely. What was that word again? Oh yes, empty. Kevin Tran’s life was just simply empty.

Kevin trailed the white corridor to find his white, empty room. It was filled with ordinary things – a desk, computer, bed, trash can, maybe a few small posters of singers. Kevin dropped his backpack by the doorway, heading towards the Windows 7. What would he do today? Try Minecraft again? He didn’t want to procrastinate, but what else was there to fill up his time?

His phone buzzed. Kevin pulled it out of his jean pocket, typing in the passcode.

After navigating his way to the messages, Tara’s name popped up again.

hey, forgive for that… life thing.. it was weird

Kevin leaned back on his chair, propping his feet up on the desk as he thought of some inspirational comeback… or some normal comeback. Ah, whatever.

yeah its ok.

Tara’s text appeared immediately afterwards.

Tara: i wonder what suicide’s like

Kevin sat up, staring into the bright screen of his Samsung. Tara? Suicide? But then… well, it happens to everyone eventually, doesn’t it?

Kevin: are you ok?

Tara: i honestly don’t know. everythings just been so jumbled up and i cant deal with things

Kevin: not okay.

Tara: why do i talk to you?

Kevin: I keep asking myself

Tara: are you driving right now

Kevin: no

Tara: is your mom home

Kevin: no

Tara: where is she

Kevin: out

Tara: again

Kevin: yes

Tara: oh im so sorry

And with that, Tara left the situation to him.

Sorry? Why do people say they’re sorry for something that’s not in their control or doesn’t even affect them? His loss of a father didn’t affect her, and neither was it in her control. His workaholic mother wasn’t her fault. And the fact that he had so many broken relationships with so many people wasn’t her fault. It wasn’t anybody’s fault, not even him.

It just happened, somehow, and Kevin didn’t know what really happened but something happened. And it was terrible, and lonely, and empty.