The next morning, Hal and Jase had their usual walk to school. An uneasy silence had rolled over them, broken only by their shoes scuffing the concrete and the occasional breeze ruffling the leaves.
"What's wrong?" Hal inquired, "You're never this quiet."
"It's Dick," said Jase bluntly, "I killed him."
"Oh…"
"I didn't mean to. It's ju--"
"Are you kidding? Dude, he's deserved it for years now."
"He's still human. I just lost control."
"Yeah, but in a cool way. You know, in one of my c-"
"THIS ISN'T A COMIC! I don't want to think about it right now, okay?"
Hal's cheeks burned red with embarrassment as they stepped into the school.
The staff broke the news over the announcements. They gave a small eulogy of their own and announced that for the last hour of the day they'd hold a small impromptu ceremony in his memory.
Throughout the day Jase saw teachers and students alike mourn over the death of Dick. He watched as people wondered what he did to deserve his untimely death. He flinched away from conversations about Dick's death; he couldn't hear it. Jase knew he deserved this punishment for killing another soul. In his head images of Dick's mangled face flashed by.
The two spent the day together, Hal did his best to keep Jase's mind off the murder, despite the world revolving around it. The pair walked through the halls while Hal continued talking about comic books.
"You wouldn't believe what happened in the new issue of "Amazin Comics" it was crazy!"
"Hm?" Jase unenthusiastically responded, his mind flashing back to this morning..
"Well, the hero who always works alone recruited a sidekick!" said Hal excitedly
"Cool." said Jase as the two strolled past their dead classmate's locker, which was now adorned with pictures of happy memories.
To Jase, every photo was a stab in the chest. Dick was having fun, pictures in an abandoned building, jumping from high cliffs into water below, his football headshot, and a photo of him and his mom on the day his grandfather died. The last photo was so human to Jase, there were tears on Dick and his mom's face but the two forced a faint smile while they were surrounded by family.
The dead man became more alive in Jase's mind than ever. He struggled to grapple with his mistake as he saw all the lives he had inadvertently affected by causing the untimely death of a local menace.
The ceremony that interrupted the daily schedule was again painful for Jase; he took a seat with Hal, and the two were then quickly surrounded by students joining to recognize the passing of a fellow classmate. The crowd filled up, and the principal stepped up to the microphone that sat in the center of the gymnasium, just in front of a huge projector screen.
"Hello students. Today, I'd like us to take a moment to recognize the passing of a fellow student. For those who are unaware, last night, Richard Presscott was found dead on the highway after a violent accident. He was a treasured friend to many. Richard, during his time here, showed unrivaled school spirit."
The principal clicked a slideshow onward, revealing a picture of Dick raised upon the shoulders of the football team. "He united us and gave us our first regional victory in years."
The principal clicked the slide again, and the new picture consisted of Dick with a few of the other members of the football team eating together. Dick's smile cut through Jase.
"This young man was a beacon of happiness for many, and we hope to find more students with his enthusiasm."
The principal clicked the slide again, and a tear rolled down the side of his face.
"I - I'm sorry, I'm going off script here…. It's kind of funny actually," said the principal as he broke his formal tone and began to sob, "Richard was actually the first person I ever wrote up as the principal of this school…. an- ….. and I only wrote him up that one time." The principal choked on his words as he struggled through his improvised story, "He told me I'd earned his respect and that he'd….. he'd do his best to make the school proud…. He was a family friend, and when he didn't graduate on time, we were devastated, however, that event doesn't dictate him as a person."
The principal stepped away from the mic, wiping his nose clean from his tears. He quickly came back to say, "Thank you for your time."
Hal was sarcastically mimicking the principal's sobs. He whispered to Jase, "What a waste of an hour, am I right?"
Jase, lost in his head, disregarded Hal's comment. The gymnasium's grief was his doing, all because he thought he could stand up for himself.
Failing to hold back his tears, Jase put his head into his hands so as not to be seen. After a few moments, Jase felt an unfamiliar hand touch his back. Jase heard a soft voice behind him.
"Hey, it's okay. I didn't know him that well, but I'm sure he was a great guy." Jase turned around to see a girl with large brown eyes and a warm smile. She had long blonde hair that went down to her shoulders. "Thanks….." responded Jase.
"Yeah. Nice to meet you! My name is Lileeanne, but you can call me Lilly!"
"Jase." he responded as he shrugged off the girl. He appreciated the sentiment, but it didn't matter to him right now. 'Maybe someday I'll talk to her and give her a proper introduction.'
After the ceremony concluded, the bombardment came to a finale. He stepped out into the hall, and out next to Dick's locker were Dick's mom and dad. The two were shaking hands with mourners who were lighting candles by the locker and putting up more pictures. They laid flowers by the bottom of the locker, and some students had speeches and poems about Dick to share. It was truly a testament to the community of the school, however, Jase couldn't take it anymore. He ran out the door as the final bell rang, taking the long way home. He didn't stop running till he reached the alleyway.