Davis was a normal high school student at Bateman High. He kept decent grades with minimal effort. He even had a girlfriend, Rachel, who was a cheerleader. Davis’s school was in a small, southern town, barely big enough to justify the one red light it already had. Davis, though, lived in a bigger city thirty miles away. Although he liked it there, due to problems with some students, he chose to change schools to the one where his mother taught English.

It was Davis’s senior year, and prom was two weeks away. A student named Lucy had been struggling in his mother’s class, and Davis offered to help tutor her in English and math.

Davis was happy to help a fellow classmate, and the first day of tutoring went well. Lucy thanked Davis for his help, put on her long trench coat, and went out into the crisp autumn air.

However, all the tutoring didn’t stay easy. When Lucy found out he was dating someone the day Rachel walked in and told him the plan for Friday, she began to scheme.

From then on out, tutoring Lucy became an exercise in keeping Davis away from Rachel. Lucy would also follow Davis around at school, stalking him. Rachel could hardly be alone with him for five minutes before she would show up.

So, finally fed up with Lucy’s antics and with prom in two days, Davis told Lucy he could no longer help her.

“You’re stalking me. It’s getting out of hand,” Davis said to Lucy as he walked out of his mother’s room. “I can’t spend time with the woman I love because a certain someone is always there.”

Lucy frowned. “I think I know what you mean,” she said softly as she began to walk home.

The next day at school, everyone whispered as Davis walked by. In his first class, he noticed Rachel wasn’t there, which was unusual for her. Finally, after lunch, his best friend, Shane, pulled him aside.

“Dude, you’re looking awful upbeat. I hate to bust your happy cloud there, but you didn’t hear about Rachel?” he asked, wearing a grim expression.

Davis began to shake. “What are you talking about? She’s going to prom with me still, isn’t she?”

“No, Dave. She’s dead.”

Davis fell to his knees, his hands letting out a cry of agony as they dragged along the painted concrete wall.

“W…what happened?” he barely managed to vocalize.

“Well, word travels fast in this place, but still not everyone is sure. One guy says he saw some guy step out in front of her car, wearing a long coat and a wide-brimmed hat. I’m sure she was coming home from her dance class, but the point is she swerved. Swerved to miss the guy and ran into a tree. I’m sorry, bro,” said Shane solemnly.

Just then, Lucy walked by. “I’m sorry to hear about your friend. Still want someone to go to prom with?” she asked, smiling faintly.

Davis looked up at her and remembered, back to when he first tutored her. She wore a long, black trench coat whenever it was cold. Now, however, she was wearing a different coat. Davis knew what had happened. But now, without that coat, no one would believe him.

“Don’t be sad,” whispered Lucy as she grabbed Davis’s hand. Davis was too shocked to object. “Now that certain someone can’t stop you from being with the one you love.”

Written by ClericofMadness

