After a longish writing hiatus, I've decided to start again. Please be harsh in your critiques; there's nothing I like better than hearing what I can improve at or what I've done wrong. Enjoy smile


Joanna’s Summer


Sean meambled down the hall, his book bag hanging off one shoulder. He nodded at his friends when he passed them, but didn’t stop to talk. Then, he saw her. She was at her opened locked with her back to him. Sean paused and ran his hand over his hair. He hadn’t seen Joanna since last year. She’d been away at a camp in Colorado for the summer and had only been home for a couple days.

Joanna put her bag in her locker; she wouldn’t need it at lunch. Glancing around herself in the hallway, she spotted her friend, Sean, standing alone near the water fountain. “Sean! Hey, Sean!” she called, waving and hurrying to greet him.

Sean jumped in surprise and then smiled. “Hey, Jo,” he said when she came up next to him. “How was Colorado?”

“Oh, it was great,” she said passively, turning to the cafeteria. “Do you want to have lunch?”

“Yeah, sure,” Sean said. He wondered why she’d waved off Colorado so quickly; that wasn’t something she would do.

They walked to the cafeteria playfully arm in arm. Joanna wanted to hear all about Sean’s summer, but kept the conversation far away from her own. Sean watched her carefully. Something was off; she didn’t seem right. “So, Jo, what class do you have next?” he asked.

Joanna pulled her schedule out of her pocket and scanned over it. “Ummm . . . it looks like . . . English with Mr. Lexington.”

“Me too,” Sean said. “Let’s go.”

Joanna folded up her schedule and put it back in her pocket with a sigh as Sean took both of their trays and threw them away. She smiled again when he walked back over. “I had Mr. Lexington last year for seminar. He’s a pretty cool guy,” Joanna commented when they stopped by her locker on the way to room 609.

“Yeah?” asked Sean.

“Yeah.”

They walked into the room. Sean felt as if Mr. Lexington watched them all the way to their seats. Sean turned his back on him and slouched down uncomfortably.

The bell rang and Mr. Lexington, a man who looked to be in his early sixties, walked to the front of the class with his roster.

“Hello, everyone, and welcome to tenth grade honors English. I don’t know your names yet, but I’d love to learn them and to help me do so quickly, you’ll be in alphabetical seating for a couple of weeks.”

There was a collective groan from the class but Sean wasn’t too worried about it; his last name was Graham and Joanna’s was Hepburn so there wasn’t much chance of someone sitting between them. He flashed Joanna a thumbs up and she laughed. Sean was taken aback; it was the first time he’d seen her actually look happy today. Joanna must have noticed because she gave him a funny look. He caught himself and smiled.

Mr. Lexington was putting people in order as he called roll. Sean’s name was called relatively quickly and he headed to a chair in the second row. He was surprised when Christy Halloway was called after him; she must be new.

“Crap,” he mumbled, glancing back at Joanna.

Joanna was called next and moved briskly into the seat next to Christy. Mr. Lexington paused at her name and watched her sit. “Joanna,” he said” I’m glad to have you back in class, and . . . I’m so sorry to hear about your mother.”

Sean felt his heart skip a beat as he whipped his head towards his friend. Her eyes had grown large in her head and the color drained from her face.

Mr. Lexington continued to call roll.

Joanna wasn’t seeing anything. She felt like everyone was staring at her and she wanted to get out of the classroom as quickly as possible. She sensed Sean’s eyes on her but pretended not to notice.

“Jo! Jo,” Sean whispered across Christy, who looked confused.

Joanna ignored him.

Class went by slower than ever before and Joanna didn’t speak the entire time. Sean was tired of filling out papers about his favorite bands and foods; teachers didn’t care anyway and he was worried about Joanna.

When the bell rang, he was out the door almost immediately. Joanna came out behind him. Sean grabbed her arm and stopped her. “What’s going on?” he asked firmly.

Joanna shook her head and pulled away, dropping her backpack on the floor. She looked down in surprise. Sean made another grab at her so she turned and walked hurriedly down the hall, leaving her bag on the floor where it had fallen.

Sean was incredulous. He picked up her bag and followed behind. She pushed through people in the crowded hall and Sean lost sight of her in the sea of heads.

The halls grew less crowded and then emptied when the bell rang. Sean was sure that Joanna hadn’t gone to class and was determined to find her. At the end of the hall was a door leading outside. Sean glanced out and spotted Joanna sitting under a tree. He left the building and approached her from behind.

“Jo,” he said softly.

Joanna looked up, surprised. Her face was still pale, but her eyes were red. She hoisted herself off the ground and made to leave, but she tripped on a root and fell.

Sean knelt next to her on the ground and gave her her backpack without saying a word. They sat in silence for several minutes.

“I was only in Colorado for a couple of weeks this summer,” Joanna said in a hushed, hollow voice. “I had to go home . . . Mom was really sick. They didn’t know what was wrong with her. We spent a lot of time at the hospital.” Joanna was crying now. Sean reached for her shoulder, but she moved out of his reach. “She died, Sean! She died!”

Sean didn’t know what to say or do. “Why didn’t you call me, Jo?” he finally asked.

Joanna shook her head and made to run away again but stumbled. Sean stood and leaned over her. “Jo . . . life—life’s slippery. Here,” he held out his hand, “take my hand.”

Joanna looked tearfully into his face before reaching up and taking his hand. He helped her to her feet and before she knew it she was in his arms, sobbing on his shoulder. He held her tightly as if he’d never let go. Joanna felt safe. “Sean,” she said.

“Yeah?”

“I can’t do this . . . I can’t handle it.”

“That’s why you’ve got me; I’m here for you,” Sean said, holding her even closer.

Joanna pushed away from him and his grip slacked. She looked somewhat fearfully into his eyes before grabbing his face with both hands and pulling him in to kiss her. Sean was shocked, but he gave way and held her shoulder. She broke away, her face flushed and tearstained. “Sean,” she said.

“Yeah?”

“Thanks.” She sniffled before picking up her bag and walking back into the school building.

Sean stood where he was, somewhat in shock. He’s always liked Joanna, but he wished it didn’t have to be like this.