Maria had always had a perfect smile I loved her smile it made everything simple and right. I loved her she always had been kind to me in this world full of hate; it felt like it was only me and her against the world. I moved my blond hair out of my face and I looked at her across the room, the bell rings I made a beeline directly to her. Her beauty is radiant; her coiled black hair threw a lasso around my heart. Her eyes were a pool of hazelnut brown.
“Hey Jax, ready to go to class?” Maria asked me her voice sounded like the heavens have unleashed. “Hey girl.”
I replied with an ear to ear smile. I offered to hold her bag to go to the next class and she accepted. I planned my whole schedule around Maria so we have all the same classes. Maria and I got to our next class and sat in our seats that happen to be right next to each other. Ms. Texas assigned us math homework and told us we weren’t allowed to talk so Maria and I passed notes the whole class instead of working. I love the way Maria wrote her letters are big and pretty. We passed notes for the rest of the class until the room bursts with the ringing of the bell I put the notes in my backpack. Maria and I went our separate ways she got into her red convertible I got into my old, yellow, public school bus I waved goodbye to her through the window she doesn’t notice.
The bus ride was loud and bumpy filled with the students bumping into each other I put in my headphones till the bus stopped. I exited my bus and slowly walked to my driveway I opened my mailbox grabbed the mail which happened to be overdue bills and walked to my door. I opened up my front door only to hear my parents screaming at each other once again not even noticing my existence I dropped the mail on a little table by the door. I went directly to my room and opened up my laptop to start writing about Maria. I wrote a paper around a page long then saved it and dragged it into a folder on my desktop filled with other similar documents. I took the notes Maria and I wrote earlier and went to my closet where I have a couple of pictures of her, chewed bubblegum, and more notes I lit some candles and chewed the old bubble gum as I prayed that Maria would someday be mine. I blew out the candles and go back to my room.
I laid down in my bed and fell to sleep with my laptop located directly next to me. I woke up to a message from Maria I pulled up my conversation with her she wrote, “Heyyy.”
I replied with a simple “Hi” my heart rushed but I remained calm. Maria asked for the answers for our history study guide I sent her a few pictures of the study guide.
Maria replied, “Thank you sooo much you’re my hero.”
I answered with a simple “you’re welcome” and then I asked her, “Hey since it’s Saturday, and I don’t have anything to do today do you want to see a movie at the theaters that are close to our house?” My nerves tensed up with the fear of being rejected
Maria replied, “I would but I don’t have my car or any cash.”
I replied with, “Don’t worry I could pay for your ticket and we can walk there together.” I swallowed hard while I waited for her response
Maria replied, “Yeah I’ve been wanting to see that new scary movie.” I walked over to her house and knocked on her door, she walked outside and joined me. Maria and I cut through the forest and we made it to the theaters.
Maria and I walked to the man selling tickets and I purchased two tickets for thirty dollars then both of us headed into the theater with the help of an usher that seemed sad with his life. We walked into the theater and sat in the seats that are assigned to us. The scary movie was about to start and Maria clenched my arm tightly as the intro started. It was two hours of pure bliss Maria hid her face in my shirt my face turns red I was purely happy.
The movie ended, Maria and I headed back to her house so we cut through the autumn woods and we walked. Maria started ranting to me about this guy named Jake telling me how attractive he was much like the many files on my computer speaking about her. She tells me in detail about every single feature she liked about Jake. I tried my absolute hardest to not get angry about this guy that could’ve potentially took away my Maria so I just remained quiet and kept my composure. Maria then told me how Jake wrapped his strong arms around her waist, and he pulled her close and kissed her lips.
I made a mistake I do admit but it’s the only thing I thought was the right thing to do at that time I was angry everyone makes mistakes when they’re angry, right? The anger took over, my blood boiled in rage I pushed Maria she tripped over a dead tree root and then fell off a large mound and landed head first on a large rock. Her head split open, and a gush of blood sprouted out over the dead leaves Maria was dead. I quickly searched around to see if anyone saw to only see I was completely surrounded by the trees then I broke some branches off of a tree and put dead leaves over her body. I cried next to blood stained leaves feeling as dead and empty as her.
The thought of prison began to blanket my mind I thought about the beatings I would receive daily. In that moment, I decided I didn’t want to ruin the rest of my life for one mistake I made as a teenager. I went to the local store and I bought industrial strength drain cleaner the type that will melt the skin off your bones and any other trace of me. I also bought some gasoline and then brought it back to where my love Maria lies.
I uncover her body now drained of any color but still beautiful as ever I cut off a little bit of her hair as a memento of her and I smelt it and stuffed it in my pocket I say goodbye to my only sense of light in this tunnel of darkness. Then I poured the drain cleaner on her body the acid eats her skin away and the air feels with the smell of burnt hair all of my DNA melts away with her flesh just to be sure I covered her remains with gasoline and throw a match the fire spreads among the dead leaves. The flames attacked wildly among the leaves and the dry forest floor the sound of crackling burning leaves filled the forest I run trying to escape the fire and what I did to Maria. I rush home remembering the messages I sent I realized I had a full 24 hours to erase every last bit of evidence that could possibly get me arrested. I then rushed to my house and headed straight to my room and pulled out my laptop I hacked into the website and deleted any remnants of my messages about going to the movie.
I changed my clothes and headed back to the movies passing a giant fire on my way there. I purchased another overpriced ticket and some overpriced food as well I headed into a theater and threw out my popcorn and waited 10 minutes when I knew another movie was ending. I headed to the bathroom through halls surrounded by people until I entered a crowded bathroom and went into a stall and sat. I waited till I heard everyone leave then opened up the vents till one screw remained and crawled in and closed the vent till it looked normal and waited a couple hours till I saw an employee turn off the bathroom lights to close up shop. I waited an additional 20 minutes just to make sure he had time to lock the doors and get out.
I crawled through the air vents until I reached the security room, I then pushed open the vent and take the security tape out. I crawled back into the vent until I could find an exit of any kind to escape. I get far away from the building and destroyed the tape and burned it. Then I went back home and cleaned the clumps of blood out of Maria’s hair. I went to my room and laid in bed and cried and held what was left of Maria. I cried until my eyes were swollen and I couldn’t see then I fell to sleep.
I woke up feeling like an empty shell that morning everything I had to live for was now ripped away from me by my own foolish mistakes. I eventually decided to get out of bed and headed towards the bathroom I put a little bit of my mom’s makeup under my eyes to make the bags under my eyes disappear.
My father walked in on me while I put on makeup he smoked a cigar and looked at me disgusted he knocked the makeup out of my hand and screamed “I didn’t raise a f****t” he slaps me and put his cigar out on my neck he marched away from the bathroom. The pain is nothing compared to the torment I had inside of me the dull nothingness surrounds my emotions. I then started thinking about Maria and smiled again I needed to force myself to be happy so I didn’t look suspicious. I pulled out the lock of Maria’s hair and I smell it I then set the lock of hair in my dresser and went downstairs to eat breakfast.
I saw the police across the street I knew they were searching for Maria. A cop looked over at me I stop paralyzed in fear. His stare broke and I quickly finished my breakfast. A police officer knocked on the door.
I answered the door and covered up my fear and the burn on my neck “Hello officer how may I help you”
He replied with, “Hello young man I’m officer Brady I was wondering if you knew anything about where your friend Maria might be?”
I answered with a worried look,”Oh my god is she alright I haven’t seen her since Friday I thought she was grounded.”
Officer Brady replied, “Well there is a search party happening later today we’d love your help.”
I answered, “I’ll definitely be there.” Officer Brady replied, “Alright the search party will start at noon I hope to see you there,” he left and I shut my door with sweat dripping down my forehead.
Later that afternoon I showed up to the search party to see officer Brady and Maria’s family I wave at officer Brady and he makes an announcement, “Alright thank you all for coming out today we are searching for a Maria Fernandez she is a Latina teenager with curly black hair she is 5’7” and weighs 120 lbs. she is 17 if found please alert the group immediately,” the search started. The search party and I were out for many hours, I searched everywhere for the girl I killed. We searched everywhere except for the burnt forest that could’ve been potentially dangerous.
I kept trying to push myself until officer Brady said, “Alright go home and sleep we will continue the search tomorrow at 8 AM,” so I went home and went to my room and got Maria’s hair and slept with it in my hand.
Today was the first day of school I’ve had since Maria died the officer Brady made an announcement to the public today stating that they found the burnt remains of Maria Fernandez which was suspected to be a homicide they warned the public to be alert. I brought Maria’s hair with me to school it didn’t feel right without her I didn’t really do anything in class I just sat there and waited for the day to end with my mind focused on the fear of being arrested. In gym class I changed and then just sat along the wall in the gym I thought about every moment I shared with Maria, every smile and laugh then I changed back at the end of the class and went to science. I looked across the room where she used to sit picturing the warmth of her presence in my heart I went to the bathroom and cried in the stall. In math class I just put my head down and thought about how I took her life away and imagined officer Brady putting cuffs on me.
I went home that day and went straight to my room again and reached in my pocket for Maria. Maria was gone I looked everywhere I dumped everything out of my backpack she was nowhere in sight.
My face turned red in anger, “Jake probably took her from me again! Jake will never tear us apart Maria I will get you back,” I said determined. I went to my Dad’s room and grabbed his pistol out of his dresser I loaded it and headed out the door when my father stopped me he yelled and screamed at me for taking his stuff. I thought of every time my father yelled at me every time he hit me and my mother, filled with rage I leveled the gun to his head and pulled the trigger. Dad (or what was left of him) hit the floor and painted my shirt.
I heard sirens outside after I pulled the trigger and I ran out the back door running as fast as I could my heart is pounding so hard I feel as if it will launch out of my chest. Anger fills my body as I ran behind the houses until I got to a place where I felt safe and I quickly searched up one of Jake’s social media accounts looked up a selfie he took at his house. I traced his IP address from the photo and found his actual physical address. I ran to his house with my gun loaded and broke in. I found Jake in the living room and I pointed the gun at him and I screamed at him “Where the hell is Maria!” as he cowered in fear.
I keep yelling at him and he starts crying he sobbed, “I don’t know man I didn’t do anything to her.” I screamed at him, “Stop playing stupid or I’m going to paint the walls crimson.” I pressed the gun against his temple and see a dark spot growing at his crotch and then a pool of liquid gathered at his feet. I’m not very convinced so I hold the gun to his head and I pulled the trigger. Jake and Dad covered my shirt I feel empty inside no sense of joy of defeating my competition at all because what we were competing over was gone.
I started searching Jake’s house rapidly tearing everything apart looking for Maria she’s not in Jake’s house at all I killed an innocent man but I didn’t feel guilty. I wasn’t able to find Maria’s hair but I managed to find police lights flashing outside of Jake’s window and see officer Brady with a gun pointed at Jake’s house. I don’t plan on going to jail like I said before I didn’t want one mistake I made as a teenager to ruin my life. I started feeling like I owed it to Maria for her murder not to remain a mystery. So, I pulled out my journal and wrote this the police are breaking down the door now I hear the door splintering open I know what I have to do I’ll be with my beautiful Maria soon goodbye.
