So today my English teacher called on me and asked me to answer her question, I just sat there quietly waiting for her to realize I wasn’t going to talk. It took her ten minutes, before she told me to go to ISS (In School Suspension) for ignoring her question and wasting her class time. She also gave me a special assignment, writing a five page essay ‘Why words and speaking is important’ Whoa this is going to be hard since I get candy for not speaking even if those kids are going to try and make me speak. I walked down to ISS and sat next to a girl who was wearing all black and was drawing some kind of big eyed cartoon character (Anime) she was amazing at it, I handed her a note that said ‘Hi I’m Genevieve, What’s your name?’ she replied with ‘Ivy do you draw?’ and for the rest of ISS we pasted notes, the last note I sent her said ‘What’s your number? My is (534)-956-7056’(the phone number doesn’t really exist) she gave me her number then the class hour was over. When I was released from ISS Ivy’s sketchbook fell out of her binder and landed in front of me. I tried to find her but she was nowhere to be seen. At the end of the day I sent her a text saying ‘Hey I found ur notebook.’ she replied a few moments later with ‘Oh thx. Can u bring it 2 school & thx ur the first friend I’ve made all yr.’

My mom said I could redecorate, so Ivy and I spent all weekend painting drawing hanging and setting up my “new” room. We finished late sunday afternoon, the up coming week was the week before Homecoming Game and Dance. Being tenth graders we could go to the dance so after my room was completed we went to the mall to try and find dresses. Ivy found the prefect black dress but I couldn’t find anything. Ugh! I looked for hours so when my mom showed up she had to drag me out of the store. The next few days the Cheerleader, Football team and teachers will be to cheery for me so looks like I’ll be texting all day for the next week and finding a dress. After school friday I’m waiting out front of the school for Ivy when she walks up with a boy, who has now put his arm around Ivy. She tells me that the boy who put his arm around her Vincent asked her to Homecoming. Great I thought I’ll be the third wheel. She says she has to go help find Vincent a tux for the dance. I wave her to go do here thing, when a boy that I used to call my friend in Elementary and middle school walks up to me and suggests that I go to the Homecoming Game with him. His name is Jonathan but I called him John when we were younger. For the first time in months I said something and that something was. . . “John want to hang out today?” he turned as he walked away heading back to his tenth grade friends smile and said “Yes, I’d enjoy getting to know this new Genie.” His friends looked like I just brew up the Empire State Building. He walked back toward me with his bag on his shoulder. As we walked to my house I called my dad and asked if it would be fine if we hung out at the house, he agreed with all of those fatherly rules as we talked on the phone. When we arrived at my house I immediately told him the rules that my dad said I “needed” to tell John. He smiled and shook his head as I told him them. After I finished he had the biggest smile on his face and I asked “Why are you smiling like you’re going to laugh?” he replied with “Because,” “Because why?” I smiled as I said it. “because it’s been years since we last spoke and since I think you last spoke.” I smiled again but this time it disappeared as I saw that his phone had gone off, it said he had missed a call from . . . Jennifer Alyssis she was this girl that could fit in anywhere and date anyone. I asked John who had called him, he said “Oh, it’s no one.” “It’s obviously someone?” I said trying to pry the truth out of him. “No!” he said “It’s No one or she used to be someone.” “What do you mean she used to be someone, John?” I asked now concerned “Okay. It’s Jennifer Alyssis she broke up with me this morning and now that she saw me ask you to the game and got you to speak. She wants me back.” I feel to the ground hard with a thud. “Oh. So you were using me just to get Jennifer back!” “No, I would never do that Genie you’ve known me for to long.” he said with sadness and shock in his voice. “Oh really, I invite you into my home and you use me to get another girl!” I screamed “GET OUT!” As I ran to my room and slammed the door shut. I listened for the front door to close which it did. I spent the next three hours crying into my pillow and texting Ivy who wouldn’t reply.

The today was thursday I didn’t sit with Ivy or talk to anyone and avoided John the most which was had since I had Gym with him after lunch and I was his partner for the day. After we were released to change, before I walked into the girls locker room John grabbed my arm and pulled me into an abandoned janitors closet then said “Why are you avoiding me?” I just looked at him with my arms crossed. Then he did something that shocked the hell out of me he . . . kissed me! After he pulled away I slapped him and ran for the girls locker room.
After John kissed me I abandoned any feelings for anyone and shut everyone out, again. My grades stayed up only spoke when called on or had to in discussions. I did my homework quietly in my room ate meals then went to bed. I spent months like this the next time I spoke, was when snow started to fall then I asked my dad to sign me up for a ski group. Ivy doesn’t talk to me she’s to busy with her boyfriend. John got back together with Jennifer. I also no longer get candy from those kids who wanted me to talk. On the weekends I train and after training is over I continue to train by myself. My mom thinks I need to go to the movies with friends, so she gives me money and sends me out to the theaters on occasion I just spend a few hours out in town and keep the money, I’m saving up to buy something real cool.

Today is the last day of school before Christmas break I do nothing but read, go to the movies and draw all break. On christmas day I have to act all surprised that “Santa” came with presents for my little sister Alexis she’s ten. I get a quilt from my mom’s mom, some slippers from my dad, and from my mom/santa I got two new sketchbooks and drawing pencils. I have a week left before I have to go back to school so everyday I have my dad drop me off at the ski resort and practice tricks in the terrane parks. I start one run with a switch 180 off a jump then on the second a 360 after that I hit a box and butter it (360 spin while sliding a crossed a box). After hitting the box I skied to a rail slid down it then hopped off the end. I finished the run I skied back to the lift so I could go take a few runs on Half Pipe. When I got to the top of the run I saw something that made me smile, I saw my coaches Peaches and MC practicing tricks in the pipe. As I dropped in my coaches saw I started out with a 360 then went to a 540, after I tried a Misty flip, which I landed then just went up the walls as high as I could get up the wall. When I slid to a stop Peaches and MC were both standing there happily surprised to see me trying new tricks. I waved to them then skied off to go do a few more runs on Half Pipe.
After I tired myself out from a long hard day of skiing and practicing new tricks I decided to call my dad to pick me up. When my dad arrived, I was sitting by the drop off pick up area waiting for him. As I approached the car I saw that mom had come along this time to pick me up I wondered why? After putting my skis on top of the car and hopping in the back seat which was challenging with ski boots on, closing the door and buckling up (Safety First) Mom asked if there was any boys at school I liked? Which was a strange question for the mom who said ‘Don’t come crying to me about boy problems.’ when I was six, I mean six year olds don’t know what boy problems are at least until there eleven. “Um . . . well there’s this one boy who I was fond of.” I said scared to say his name “What was his name Genie?” she asked with concern in her voice which frightened me. “It was Jonathan.” I said in a small and fragile voice. “That’s what I was afraid of. . . Honey there’s been an accident. . . involving Jonathan and a young girl by the name of Ivy Synthea .” I gasp and tears started to follow down my cheeks tracing them with every tear. “W—Wh—What happened?” I said my voice shakier than every before. “Jonathan was at a party last night,” my mom paused “and after the party he was waiting for his brother to come pick him up when someone drove by and hit two people,” pausing again “Jonathan and Ivy were the two kids that got hit. Ivy  didn’t . . .” my mothers voice faded out until all I could hear was crying from her as we drove home. “Mom what happened to Jonathan?!” “He was injured quit and has a concussion.” she said before falling silent, for the rest of the car ride home no one spoke.

When we arrived home I said “I’m going to take a shower and then may I go to the Hospital to see Jonathan?” My mom and dad shook there head yes in agreement. “Thanks.” After I took a shower and changed. I had mom drive me to the hospital and helped me sign in as Jonathan’s quest. After mom left a nurse took me up to his room, she told me to wait out side while she checked on him and stuff so I sent mom a text saying ‘I’m going to see Jonathan, God I hope he remembers me?!’ The nurse came back out and said “You can go in and talk but his Girlfriend is in there and he doesn’t remember her she is very upset about it.!.!” I walked in and said hi to Jennifer she didn’t look at me she just kept repeating her name and saying ‘I’m your girlfriend.’ I walked to the other side of the hospital bed and sat in a chair, then said “Hey Jonathan, it’s Genie—I mean Genevieve.” his head rolled toward me then he smiled and said “Genie is my . . .” he stopped with a puzzled look on his face then started again “Genie is my girlfriend.” I looked startled when he said it. Jennifer look over at me then go up and marched out of the room screaming at everyone as she made her way to the elevator. I said “John—I mean Jonathan I’m not your girlfriend, I wish though.” Jonathan looked at me then said “I only remember a few things and that’s school related things, you, and our kiss in that janitor closet.” “Jonathan so you don’t remember what happened to you before you woke up in here?” I asked concerned that I’d lost him forever. Then I said “Look John-athan you just let your real girlfriend run out the door.” gesturing toward the hospital door. “I know but she wasn’t right for me, you are.” he said “No I’m not, I left you and Ivy! You want to know where Ivy is know?! DEAD! She’s dead because I gave up on friends and love and, and speech! I gave up on every thing except school and a future where I’ll only get a job, home, and three meals a day because of work!” I screamed with tears streaming down my cheeks. I got up and ran I didn’t wait for the elevator, but when I saw Jennifer waiting for it, tears staining here cheeks I stopped and said “Jennifer I won’t get in your way of your love. The Jonathan I loved is gone . . . He’s your boyfriend now!”
From the last moment I saw Jonathan, I knew that school, work and having a future was the last moment I thought about never speaking again. And I never did see Jonathan again. I finished school with a Masters Degree. Got a great job and eventually I did fall in love to have two wonderful children by the names of Riley and Alexa Wilson. Even now I look back on my high school year and think I’m glad to have met some good friends for the time I was in high school, but the two people I will always remember will be Ivy Van Doubline and Jonathan Darling.