• Nathon Powers Journal Entry #10
    March 20, 2010


    tab "Maybe we should stay home..."
    tab "Yeah, and risk suspicion?" she snapped, immediately making me look like I said something incredibly stupid. "Idiot. That's the last thing we want to do."
    tab "So, we just go to school tomorrow and pretend nothing happened? Pretend like our father never died?"
    tab "Well, the alternative is worse. Letting Tyler get away."
    tab "Give it a rest, Jenna. Your proof that he did anything is slim to none."
    tab "You are so ignorant. It's because of people like you that people like him get away."
    tab "I hate it when you act so arrogant like that." Arrogant? Did I say that? It's odd thinking about it...Before then, an "arrogant Jenna" was the last way I would describe her. So I wondered, what had really made that sudden change in her? Was it really the death of my father?
    tab "Arrogant or not, I'm right," she said, arms crossed. Which obviously proved my point. "Whether you choose to believe me or not, doesn't matter. What does matter, however, is that you follow along."
    tab "And why should I do that?"
    tab "Nathon. Would it kill to be a little cooperative? All I'm asking is for you to go to school. Like you do every single other day."
    tab "But this isn't any other day!" I argued. "My dad just died. What about that just screams normal to you?"
    tab "I'm not saying it's normal," she countered.
    tab "Then what are you saying?"
    tab "I'm saying that you have to put on a bit of a 'performance' and go to school."
    tab "Why?" Of course, I was being utterly irritating. And she was beginning to show what she felt about that.
    tab "Ugh, stop asking that! What the hell did I do to make you so insubordinate?" Finally, I gave up. It was no use arguing about something so trivial.
    tab "All right, all right, fine." I paused for a second, and then said,
    tab "Please, just don't do anything crazy."
    tab "That's up to Tyler." And that was all she said. Not that she would. Not that she wouldn't. But, considering Jenna's attitude, that was the best answer I was going to get. So I agreed.
    tab But that didn't mean I had my doubts. I had an aching feeling; a hunch, that things wouldn't turn out well. And I was right.
    tab It didn't start out like that, though. Jenna was keeping her act pretty well. "Innocent girl being picked on"...that act. But I saw right through the disguise. I saw her eyeing Tyler, studying him, like a hawk watching its prey.
    tab She was ready to strike. But I knew she wouldn't. I knew she would take her sweet time, because she wanted to saver every moment of it. And when she did, what would I do? Would I let her? Or would I do something? Whose side was I on? That was something I wondered then, staring at Jenna there at school, kids jeering at her, calling her slews of vulgar terms, asking her how much money she got, how many people she'd "served". And she didn't say anything. She just stared down at her shoes, a timid, almost guilty look planted on her face.
    tab Was that look of sadness a rouse? Or was it real? I couldn't tell anymore.
    tab But, whatever the truth was behind that face, I knew there was one person I would never be able to forgive. A friendship I had for years. Evan Smith. No apology would compensate for what he had done to Jenna. It was absolutely unforgivable, the kind of bad attention he got going with her. And what made it worse was...he had the nerve to keep talking to me. So on March 20th, I was just about fed up with him. And I made my point clear at lunch, then moment he sat down and asked,
    tab "Hey, what's up?" I didn't even acknowledge him with any sort of nod. I just stared at the table, and growled,
    tab "Go away." Of course, he didn't. He sat himself right down, and went on as if I had just replied with a polite "hi".
    tab "So, how's sis doin'?"
    tab "Oh, just swell," I snapped in the most over-toned sarcastic voice I could, "thanks to you." He fidgeted a bit, and said,
    tab "Look, man. I already told you I'm sorry." I rolled my eyes and made a little "puh" sound.
    tab "Doesn't matter. You sure as hell don't act like it. Especially before, when you talked down to me as if I were stupid when I stood up for her." He grimanced a bit, and then said a bit uneasily,
    tab "Well, what do you want me to do?"
    tab "I don't want an apology," I said firmly. "I want you to get rid of what you started. The whole school's against my...my..." The words came out slowly, because it felt so weird saying it, "my sister, all because of you!"
    tab "Some things can't be undone."
    tab "You won't know until you try." He didn't even answer, and just walked away. He knew he couldn't do it. And he knew he couldn't tell me that.
    tab It was quite strange, defending your sister in school, then having a fight with her at home. I guess I just pitied her. And nothing she said or did to me would take that pity away.
    tab I looked at Evan, walking away to another table, away to the popular kids, away to the crowd, the easy way out. Instead of fixing the mistake he made, he built onto it. And that, itself, was a mistake.
    tab I had called my "best, true friend" before. And then, I saw how utterly wrong that thought was.