Just one of two pics I took on a very sad day just two weeks before school ended.

One of my Senior classmates, someone everyone knew, was tragically killed.

That Monday when I went to school, I had no idea that this had occurred little more than twenty-hours earlier. So, when I entered first period, the only clues I got was the fact that my teacher looked like she had been crying, and I was informed by our VP that our NHS Induction Ceremony had been cancelled due to circumstances. Of course, I'm thinking "Circumstances? Wha...?". Not a few minutes into class, my teacher starts off by saying. "I'm sure everyone has heard the news concerning Sophia..."

I got a sick feeling in my stomach. I looked to my friend one desk over and mouthed 'What happened to her?' I knew the answer even before he mouthed back.

'She died.'

I was numb in shock. Me and Sophia had been Officers in NHS together. Just that Friday we had both helped with the Talent Show. I didn't pay attention to the councilor tha came in, explaining about the circumstances and the grief councilors that were available. No, I was thinking about Sam and Bri, Sophie's best friends. I was thinking about the fact that she was #4 in our class and would have been on her way to UT at Austin that Fall. The Top 15 Dinner was supposed to have been that night. (postponed) She was supposed to have spoken at the Senior Banquet (cancelled) and been a key student at the Lock-In. (the only think not altered in any way besides graduation) I was thinking about the fact that graduation was only two more weeks away...

Needless to say, that week was hell...

This pic was taken during 2nd Period (the most depressing of classes that day. Her chair had been turned into a small memorial...and she sat only a desk in front of me...the only thing that could have made that worse was if we had shared the same period) My teacher, a man of wit and control, was as grief stricken as anyone could be. His exact words were "The last place I want to be right now is in a classroom." So he took us outside to sit under one of the trees, said a few words...and the whole class broke down crying, and not for the first time or the last...

I looked up through the leaves and wondered...Was she looking down on us?