The Haunting of Secrets Read Online Free PDF Page A

a friend. Had she done all that on purpose? Could she
really want to help me? Who would have thought a popular girl like
Dejana would want to know me? But I’m thankful every day that she
did.
    As the days progressed at school, I
calculated my responses and behavior so that students avoided me. I
ignored the ugly looks and went about my school day soaking up as
much knowledge as I could; anything to shut down the parts of my
brain that continually buzzed with unwanted ferocity. Every morning
I sat in the same corner far away from the big crowds. And every
morning Dejana would come by and try to entice me into a
conversation. Every time I chose not to respond, hoping she would
just pass me by. But still she persisted, talking as if I had
answered her questions and by pretending that I was completely
riveted by the conversation. My lack of responses never seemed to
bother her.
    Most of the conversations revolved around
boys; one in particular named Jonathan who was very popular but
just not that into her. Dejana is the type of person who would not
be swayed. She persisted and persisted until one windy day in
October, I decided to finally answer her. As usual, she came to my
corner at seven a.m. on the dot and immediately began a tirade
about Jonathan without so even as much as a ‘hello.’ Why bother
with niceties anyway when I never so much had spoken a word to her
in all that time? However, she had finally broken down my wall to
the outside world that I had constructed so many years ago.
    “I see him looking at me in world geography
class,” Dejana sputtered. “He could have sat anywhere but he chose
the seat next to me. That has to mean something! And I mentioned to
him the other day that my favorite color was blue. And guess what?!
The next day he wore a blue shirt! I know he’s into me; he just
doesn’t want to act like it in front of his football friends.”
    Smiling I looked up at Dejana, crossed my
arms over my chest and simply said, “Or he was just wearing his
football jersey that they all have to wear on game day which just
happens to be blue. Maybe it was just a huge coincidence.”
    After a momentary shock that lasted all of
five seconds, Dejana gathered herself, smiled brightly back at me
and said, “I don’t believe in coincidences. He loves me; he just
doesn’t know it yet,” before turning and walking to her first
period class with a spring in her step. Just like that, I had a
friend.
    The car swerving violently to the right and a
loud horn honking brought me back to the present. Apparently, the
car in front of us was going too slow for Dejana’s purposes and she
has no qualms about telling the person behind the wheel how she
felt about it.
    “Please for the love of all that is good and
holy, slow down!” I yell, my hands grasping firmly to the handle
above the door.
    “Would you please man up, girl? The police
could be chasing us as we speak and you want me to drive like all
the other idiots on the road. Well, no thank you. I’m going to get
you home ASAP. So sit tight, we’re almost to your house.”
    After what seemed like an eternity, my house
came into view. I have never been so happy to see it in my life.
Out of respect for Mary, Dejana slowly pulls into my driveway and
shuts off the engine before running around the car to help me out
the other side. Very gently and careful not to let my bare hands
touch her, Dejana slides her arms under me and helps me out of the
car. The effects of the coma have rendered me weak, but I am still
able to walk slowly to the house.
    Once inside, we see Mary asleep on the couch.
Too many nights sleeping at the hospital have exhausted her. I tell
Dejana to put a blanket over her to ward off the chill in the air
while I wait for her at the bottom of the stairs, holding onto the
banister for support. Once Dejana returns, we move slowly up the
stairs to my room, careful not to make too much noise and wake
Mary. After a bit of arguing, Dejana concedes that she