She was just looking at the blue frothy ocean water from afar, never saying a single word. She looked sad and withdrawn. I tried to walk closer to her, but each time she would get further and further away. She was mysterious yet beautiful, a silhouette in the yellow moon’s light. Her hair was the color of gold sparkling with every turn and it hung down past her waist like a sheet of gold. She was thin, almost wavering with the wind like she would just blow away and disappear with a single strong gust. She was wearing a pale blue silky strapless gown that clung to her with the slightest bit of wind. “Please, who are you?” I whispered. “What do you want?” She half turned and the goose bumps stood up on my arms and every hair stood up on the back of my neck in anticipation of finally seeing her face. She was pointing out into the dark nothingness of the cold, endless water and the frothy, rolling waves ahead. Just then an intruding alarm shrieked in the background ripping me out of the scene in front of me and dropping me back into reality with a shriek and a thud. My heart was pounding in my chest, and I was soaked with sweat as I looked around the still dark room I knew so well. I rolled over and slammed my fist down on the alarm clock that sat on my night stand. It was a dream, the same dream I was haunted with every night. Who was this girl that haunted my dreams and all my waking thoughts, and what did she want from me? I was in a daze as I got ready for school. All I wanted to do is go back to sleep so I might meet up with her again. The only thing that kept me moving towards school was the chance that I might see Brea and that ultra-bright smile of hers. She was as beautiful as an angel and she almost floated down the hall way every morning towards her class. I’d had a crush on her ever since I had first laid eyes on her over a month ago. I had asked everyone I knew about her, but no one seemed to know who she was or when she had transferred to Shady Heights. I had only found out her name by accident one day when, while passing in the hall she had slowed down while reading a paper she was carrying and I had sneaked a quick peek at the top and seen her name, “Brea.” Ever since that day I have found myself racing to school just to get a peek at her as she sashayed by. I’d have to hurry if I was going to see her this morning, because I was already running late. I decided to jump in the shower, and skip breakfast.

On my walk to school I had almost talked myself into stopping Brea and trying to start a conversation with her. I didn’t know quite what to say to her since I was shy and had very little experience talking to girls, but anything would do just to see if she even realized we were on the same planet with each other. As I walked up the steps of the school I felt my determination and bravery dissolve like ice cubes on a hot day, and I felt my stomach tie up into twisted knots and I thought I might puke. My palms started to sweat and I was sure everyone could see the fear and humiliation on my face. I had almost decided to run into the safety of the restroom and hide, but then I saw her and I froze. She was walking towards her class alone as she did every other morning and I decided today was the day. I felt something pushing me forward almost drawing me to her like a beacon. I walked a little faster to catch up with her and when I walked up beside her I noticed that she was reading a paper again. So as casually as my trembling 16 year old voice could muster I said, “Uhh hi it’s Brea right? My name is Damien, Damien Sanders.” She didn’t even look up from her paper as she took the corner of the hall headed to the class rooms with me on her heels now trying desperately to keep up. Just as I seen her head right for the World History Class that Mrs. Sanchez taught I heard someone yell, “Hey heads up Sander’s!” Then I saw a flash as a black and orange Nerf football sailed through the air hitting me in the side of the head like a bolt of lightning. I looked over and saw my friend Brian gives a sheepish grin and a shrug of his shoulders as if to say, “I thought you would catch it.” I yelled out, “Very funny Brie!” I looked back in Bea’s direction, but she had disappeared. She had to have entered Mrs. Sanchez’s class. Just as I had decided to walk up and sneak a quick peek inside I heard the warning bell and decided that I better run if I was to make my first class on time. I couldn’t afford another tardy because my mom had already threatened to ground me for the next 10 years of my life, and remove anything and everything I owned in my room including my cell and laptop with internet. That to me was worse than a prison sentence. I decided that I would come back at brunch and snoop around Mrs. Sanchez’s class and see if I could find out anything about Brea. I scooted into my seat in Science class just as the last bell was ringing, and Mr. Anderson’s usual glare with one eyebrow raised said, “Almost late again Sander’s.”

At brunch I made my way back towards World History all the while scanning the faces for Brea to no avail. She was nowhere to be found. I came up to Mrs. Sanchez’s door and noticed it ajar, so I decided to give a little knock so as not to startle her by just walking in. She was sitting at her desk grading an enormous stack of papers, and didn’t even bother to look up as she said, “Enter.” I cleared my throat and in a squeaky voice that I didn’t recognize as my own said, “Um Mrs. Sanchez I was wondering if you could tell me about a student of yours in first period.” She looked up at me impatiently, removing her wire rimmed glasses and rubbing the bridge of her nose. She said, “Well that all depends Mr. Sanders, on who it is and what you want to know.” “Well it’s about a girl named Brea. I saw her enter this class this morning, but I didn’t have time to actually stop and talk to her because I was going to be late.” The look of confusion on her face said that she didn’t know who I was inquiring about. So I decided to give her a physical description withholding the part about the floating like an angel. The look of confusion only got worse, and then it softened into sadness as realization set in. She sighed and then with a pause she said, “Yes I did have a student in my class named Brea that matched that description, but that was two years ago.” Now the confusion showed on my face because I had just seen her walk into this very room earlier that morning. I opened my mouth to reply and Mrs. Sanchez cut me off. She said,” It was a terrible tragedy really. Her parents rented her a boat for her 16th birthday and they planned a big party for her. As I recall it went on most of the afternoon and into the night with everyone partying and having a good time while sailing in the ocean. Someone noticed Brea missing and everyone started looking for her all over the ship, but she was never found. The authorities were called and she was reported missing. I read in the paper a couple of days later that the police believe that she must have fallen overboard and drowned. She was presumed to be dead, but a body was never recovered.” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I said, “How can that possibly be? I saw her this morning walking into this classroom!” My voice was rising with fear and confusion without me even knowing it was happening. Mrs. Sanchez just shook her head sadly and said, “No Damien I’m sorry but the Brea you’re talking about passed away two years ago. I went to her funeral her parents held in her honor.” I couldn’t hear any more of this nonsense. Mrs. Sanchez had to be mistaken. I turned and started for the door but she stopped me. “Damien, if you want to know more you should go into the quad area where the bulletin board is located. They have a little section partitioned off as a sort of memorial for her. It has her picture as well as information about what happened to her and also numbers to contact with any information about her case.” I thanked her and hurried out more confused than ever.

The whole day passed by with a blur. I skipped lunch because the last thing I wanted to think about was food. After my last class I made my way to the quad with nothing on my mind but the weird events of the past 24 hours. Thoughts of the girl in the blue gown swam and mixed with thoughts of Brea as I made my way the last few feet. I froze as I looked up to see a beautiful blond angel smiling back at me from the bulletin board. There she was the girl I had been obsessing about for the last month full of life in the picture with the word MISSING in bold letters underneath it. I read the story attached to it twice before I stepped back to let it absorb into my brain. It was exactly as Mrs. Sanchez had said. She was missing and presumed to be dead. I felt a heavy weight in my heart like a huge boulder sitting on my chest. This whole time I had been seeing a dead girl, but why was I the only one that seemed to be able to see her and what did she want? I was bothered by the racing thoughts in my head the rest of the evening, and I wasn’t able to concentrate on any of my homework. When my mother called me to dinner I told her I wasn’t hungry and I saw the look of worry on her face. I begged off by saying that I had a big lunch and was still full from earlier. The look on her face said that she didn’t believe a word that was coming out of my mouth, but she only said, “Well then you should definitely be hungry at breakfast then right?” I said I would be and left it at that as I took the stairs two at a time to get to the sanctuary of my room. Once I had the door shut and locked I googled anything and everything I could about Brea and the tragic event on the night of her birthday. Everything I read was the same as earlier with a slight mention of a jealous on again off again boyfriend Mark that she had at the time. He had been questioned right after the accident and remained a person of interest, but was never charged. I looked at the clock as rubbed my tired eyes and realized that it was 2 a.m. I closed my laptop and rolled over onto my bed deciding that closing my eyes to rest them for a couple of minutes wouldn’t hurt anything. My thoughts played out in my mind like a weird movie. It started out with Brea floating down the hall of school smiling that brilliant white smile of hers, and then the girl in the blue dress appeared as if to change the channel on me. I was there again in the moonlight seeing her from afar. She was pointing out at the ocean and I strained to see what she could possibly be trying to show me. There was only icy blue water, and huge grey waves that looked menacing as they rolled and rumbled towards the shore. I decided to try my luck and walk closer to her so as to maybe get a glimpse of her face. I slowly advanced forward, thinking that she would start to move further away, she stayed in the same spot. I almost froze when I was able to take the last step and stand beside her. I was almost afraid to turn my head and look at her for feat that she would somehow disappear, or that I would wake up. I slowly turned from the ocean to finally look into the face of the mysterious girl that was haunting my dreams and thoughts. I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was Brea and she looked so sad and withdrawn. She didn’t say a word and the silence was unbearable. I decided to push my luck and asked, “What happened to you Brea?” A little sob escaped from her and she whispered in a little childlike voice, “I was murdered.” At first I wasn’t sure I had heard her at all for the roaring of the waves almost drowned out any other sound for miles on end. I asked, “Who murdered you?” She started to sob and said, “He was angry with me because I didn’t love him, and I didn’t want anything to do with him anymore. We started arguing and I told him he needed to forget about me and move on. I tried to walk away from him but he grabbed my arm and pulled me back. He said that if he couldn’t have me then no one would. I struggled and we started wrestling by the edge of the ship and he pushed me overboard. I couldn’t swim that well and I went under a few times before I passed out. Now I’m trapped here and I can’t reach anyone that I love. I talk to them and they act like I’m not even there. My mom cries every day and I don’t understand why.” I asked her, “Did Mark kill you?” For the first time since our conversation she turned to look at me and I couldn’t help but think how purely beautiful she was and my blood started to boil as I thought of the jerk that ended her life. She only shook her head and I couldn’t help but look confused. “Then who Brea?” She paused for what seemed like an eternity and in a quiet little voice said, “Brian.” My head started spinning and I thought I might pass out. My friend Brian who couldn’t even kill a fly, who couldn’t even dissect a frog in biology had killed this girl. It couldn’t be. Her eyes pleading she said, “You have to tell my mom and the police what happened that night.” I nodded and we both looked back out towards the tomb she now was forced to lay in. Her body was out there somewhere probably trapped forever in the murky depths far below any divers reach, trapped and cursed to remain there forever. She wasn’t asking much of me, only for justice. I promised her that I would do my best to see to it that justice was done for her and for once she flashed me that beautiful smile of hers that melted my heart. She said, “Now I can move on.” Before I could ask her what she meant I woke up. I laid there with thoughts swarming in my head trying to decide what to do next. I opened my computer and searched again for her story and wrote the detective’s number down on a piece of paper. At 8 a.m. the next morning I made the call remaining anonymous I gave them Brian’s name and hung up. I ate breakfast and went to school as usual and later that day I heard that he had been taken in for questioning. Later that night it was on the news that he had been arrested for Brea’s murder. He had confessed saying the whole thing was a terrible accident. I felt a calm come over me and I knew she was happy. She could rest now peacefully. I never dreamed of Brea again, or saw her in the halls at school. I still miss her, but for that little bit of time I was glad that I got to know her. I am glad she got justice and from time to time I can still see that brilliant white smile of hers.