~*this story is dedicated to Mindy 'cause I feel I owe it to her*~

Here I was, on a mission. You could call me an angel but I was, in fact, just a soul with a last request. This was the story of how I ended up here: I was about 13 and I was in my room. My father had just finished taking out his rage on me. I was listening to my favorite band, Korn of course, and staring at a picture of the man I admired so. I had this dream that I could go back in time and help Jonathan through high school but not in a way that it would affect the music he made in the future. I mainly wanted to go back and be his friend, be there for him through high school. I often daydreamed about this and I had my own little story in my head. But as I sat there in my room, I felt I had to end all my pain. I was teased in school, tortured at home, and at night I was haunted by nightmares that never seemed to end. I didn't think I had any reason to live. I knew I would never get to meet Jon or the band themselves because of my father. Their music had kept me alive the whole time. If it wasn't for them I would have been dead long ago. My dreams were constantly being crushed by my own wishes of death. So....I grabbed my father's gun and I ended it all. When I died I was overwhelmed by a bright light. A voice spoke to me. Was it God? I was never quite sure but whoever it was, he was filled with compassion and caring. He told me that most of my life I had longed so much to fulfill my dream to help Jonathan in his past. The man told me that he didn't blame me for ending it all. He told me that before I went to wherever it was I was going to end up, he said he would let me live out my dream. I was so excited. He sent me back in time. He gave me the same body, only I was now 16. He put me in a home where I lived with only a mother who was very kind. Things were looking up but my real mission was coming.

So there I stood...the large walls of Highland High loomed over me, making me feel as if I were in a prison. I forced myself forward and I entered the halls. I was dressed in a grunge/goth outfit..my usual style. The 80's had this kinda style around so I wasn't too out of place. I walked the halls wondering when my chance would come to help Jonathan. The people around me were just as the music had described. They were stereotypical, all of them. I went to the office and I enrolled myself as a new student. I walked back out and I heard it. The word was being shouted, whispered and laughed out all around me. "Fag!" they all said. I was frozen. I had come to despise that word in my previous life. I looked around and saw him. It was a sad and horrific sight. A young man of only 16, my age, staggered down the hall as he was shoved into the wall and lockers and was laughed and teased at. Rage overcame me but I held it inside. I looked at his face. He was trying to hide his emotions but I could still see he was forcing back tears. I didn't want to just run up to him. I had imagined that I had a reason to approach him and here came my chance. Someone shoved him hard forcing him to drop his books and papers. They scattered amongst the hall and I heard a rumble of laughter escape my now fellow classmates. The rage bubbled inside me like a pot about to explode with heat. I watched as he slumped to the floor to pick up his things. I watched his face turn red with embarrassment and I almost cried. Never had I imagined how horrible it was for him. I quickly ran over to where his other books and papers had been kicked, well away from him in attempt to make him endure more pain. I picked them up, stacking the papers neatly and walked calmly over to him and I watch as he seemed to slide away with fear and confusion.
"You dropped these," I said in my most gentle voice. I could see the tears he was holding back. "T-thank you" he stammered, taking the items but never breaking his gaze from me.
"Are you all right?" I asked him. He saw the look of concern on my face which seemed to convince him that I wasn't playing a mean joke.
"Umm yeah, I guess" he said, keeping his voice small and quiet being sure not to draw too much attention. Everyone in the hall had seemed to fall silent and still, watching in amazement at the fact someone had helped the "fag" which they loved to torment.
"My name is Amy, I just moved here." I mentally smacked myself for sounding so stupid but I saw a small smile come across his face. I noticed the smile fade slightly. I had been given a small gift when I was sent on my mission. I was given a sixth sense if you will. I could read minds. It was a glorious thing that came in handy. I read his thoughts and I heard him thinking that I would soon turn on him when I found out that he was teased and called gay.
"Uh hi. I'm Jonathan," he said back.
We talked for a few short minutes before class would start. I told him where I moved from, the reasons, things that were all lies. But what was I supposed to say? I'm from the future and I loved you so much that I felt I had to be your friend?? No.. he would think I was insane.
The bell suddenly rang, piercing the cozy and peaceful aura that had formed around us both.
"Who do you have for first period?" he asked me. I told him and it turned out that he had the same class. It turned out we had all the same classes. I wasn't suprised at all. The one that had sent me had probably done that.
We went to our classes and all day we were together. I felt like his protector, like a bodyguard. People still teased him and he would always look at the floor as if expecting me to tease him as well but when this happened I just ignored the person and I whispered to Jon to not let them get to him and they were all just jealous. He had asked what they would be jealous of and I told him I would explain later.
The bell rang once more and finally school was over. I had to separate from him for a quick moment to go to my locker and the minute I did I heard a roll of commotion come over the hallway. I ran back to where Jon was and I was shocked to see one of the football players shoving him against the locker and holding a fist to the helpless man's face. I pushed my way through the crowd of people that had gathered around them. I grabbed the jock's shoulder. Thankfully when I was sent here, I was made very strong. I slammed him against the lockers. Jonathan slid down to his feet groaning in pain. I later found out that the jock had punched him in the stomach several times.
"You leave him alone or you'll have to answer to me," I growled at him through clenched teeth. I realized it was a lame thing to say and not very intimidating at that but my strong hold on him convinced him enough that I could seriously hurt him.
"Alright please just let me go," he said in a wimpy voice. I hadn't realized how hard I had him pushed into the lockers. I released him and he walked off, feeling humiliated. I smiled in satisfaction but quickly turned my head to Jonathan and tears formed in my eyes. Seeing him in so much pain killed me inside. I knelt down next to him.
"Jonathan, I'm so sorry..." I said, my voice trailing off.
"What for?" he asked. "He would have seriously hurt me if it wasn't for you."
I smiled slightly.
"I'm sorry for leaving you, I didn't think anything would happene."
"I never thought anyone would worry so much about me." he said. I just smiled and helped him up. He reassured me that he was alright, seeing the concern in my eyes.
We walked home together, making small chit chat before we came to his house. I realized that my house was just across the street.
'Once again, not suprising,' I thought to myself. I told Jonathan how my house was right there and he hid a smile. I read his thoughts and I realized he had a crush on me. Not all that suprising. His thoughts were also thinking of his stepmom and all sorts of things about her. "You wanna come over to my house for a little while?" I asked him, figuring that he needed a break from his stepmom. he smiled once more and said sure. In his thoughts I noticed that he was thinking of how weird a feeling it was to smile.
We walked across the street to my nice little home. I had never lived in s]uch a pleasant place. I had never known true happiness 'til then when I walked into that house. As we walked in, a sweet and gentle voice echoed through the cozy dwelling.
"Hi honey, how was your first day of school?" I couldn't help but smile. What a nice person, I thought. My own mother had died years ago and I had never really known the feeling of having someone like that around.
"It was alright. I met a new friend!" I called, looking at Jonathan. I read his thoughts once more and realized that he had never heard the term friend used in the context of referring to him.
"Oh, is that who you have with you?" she called back. 'wow, my Mom has good instincts!' I thought.
"Yeah," I called back.
"Well bring him in, i want to meet him!" I told Jonathan that he could just throw his stuff on the floor and follow me. I went into the kitchen and my mom was sitting there, carving something into a plaque of wood. It said 'Home sweet hom', she apparently wasn't finished with it yet. She looked up and smiled at him. Jonathan introduced himself and I told my mom how ironic it was that we had gotten all the same classes. It felt weird to be lying so much but I knew it was for the best.
All three of us talked for a few minutes, I described my first day at school. I was also lying about the things I said. I actually hated it, mainly because all the kids made fun of Jonathan. They would all come to make fun of me as well. I realized this but I didn't care. I had come to just not care about what the others said about me. I decided to leave my mom with her work and I headed up the stairs to my room. When I opened the door I was surprised to see Duran Duran posters on my wall as well as some others. The room was a nice neat place with the occasional box since we had apparently not yet finished unpacking.
"You like Duran Duran??" he asked slightly excited.
"Yeah I love them!" I lied. I hadn't ever really heard them in my previous life 'cause all I listened to was Korn. We talked about Duran Duran for a while. I didn't understand how it was I knew so much about them but it later dawned upon me that the one who sent me probably gave me that knowledge. We eventually fell silent trying to find something else to talk about when finally Jonathan spoke up.
"Amy..." he said, his voice trailing off as if he were trying to find the right words. I looked up at him.
"Yeah?" I asked.
"How come you are being my friend? I mean, everyone else makes fun of me so how come you didn't join them? Not that I'm not grateful or anything, I think you are a wonderful person and I'm glad we met but I was just wondering." I stared into his eyes for a long time trying to find a good answer so I decided this time I would not lie.
"Because in my previous school, I was made fun of just as you are. I was called freak and I didn't have any friends. I helped you in the hallway because what they did was cruel." I said. I was completely truthful.
"So you were my friend out of sympathy?" he asked, looking at the floor. "What??" I said. "No! I..." I couldn't find the words for it. he suddenly looked up.
"Oh I'm sorry if I seem rude or anything, I was just wondering. I didn't mean to offend you." he said. I looked at him and smiled.
"Jonathan, don't worry about it. It's too hard for me to explain. I will explain one day when the time comes but not now." Jonathan looked at me with puzzlement in his eyes but he seemed to shrug it off and he smiled. We talked for a little bit longer until he looked at his watch.
"Oh man, I gotta get home and get ready for work!" he said. I knew what his job was but I asked anyways.
"What do you do?" I asked. He hesitated before replying. I read his thoughts and he was debating on wether or not he should tell me. He was worried that I would think he was weird or something. 'Woah, Jonathan is really paranoid about this kinda stuff,' I thought but I didn't blame him. I was now his only friend and I could understand him not wanting to risk losing me. "Come on, you can tell me!" I said.
"I'm...an assistant coroner." he said. I tried to have a look of suprise and yet a thinking sort of look on my face. "I help the coroner on autopsies and stuff," he said. I had always thought that that kind of thing was sort of cool but I realized that it wasn't for him since it screwed up his head so much. My father was a coroner and when I was little he had to take me with him. I remember the smell and everything. I hated it because it was so cold. But I missed it for some reason.
"Can I go with you?" I asked. He looked at me with amazement and then he lifted and eyebrow.
"You actually want to come?" he asked, slightly puzzled by my request.
"Yeah. When my dad was around he had been a coroner and he often took me with him. For some odd reason I miss it," I said. It was slightly true. I didn't like lying to him.
"Well I guess it's ok. I work most of the night and it can get pretty boring if new bodies don't come in. But if bodies do come in, I don't think i want you watching." he said.
"Why not?" I asked.
"Because...." his voice faded. I read his thoughts instead, too impatient for an answer. 'he's afraid once more that he'll lose me as a friend because he thinks I would be disgusted?' I thought. 'When is he going to learn that I won't ever stop being his friend?'.
"Because it can be stomach turning," he partly lied.
"I have a strong stomach," I said, and I did. He told me that he would drop his stuff off at his house then come back and we would go.
"But we are going to have to walk," he warned.
"How come?" I asked.
"My stepmom doesn't want me getting a license," he said. Something odd happened just then. I was suddenly hit with the knowledge of driving. From that instant, I knew how to drive. 'Weird,' I thought. I realized that my mom had a car and I could drive it. I explained this to him and he said that would be great.
Jonathan left and about 20 minutes later he showed up looking extremely mad. "Is everything okay?" I asked him. His face was red with anger but as he saw me ask those words with concern, the anger faded slightly.
"My stepmom," he said. He then explained how horrible she was and how much he hated her. I told him that I know the feeling of hating someone so much that it is impossible to put into words.
We got into my mom's car and I sat behind the wheel for a moment, hesitating to turn the key. My hands were shaking. I was so nervous because my mom had died in a car accident and ever since then I had been terrified of cars. I was even more nervous now because I had a precious passenger with me. 'If I crash this car, and he doesn't make it, then thousands would die in the future,' I thought. Well, maybe not thousands but a lot of people would have killed themselves. Jonathan noticed the fear I had. "What's wrong?" he asked. "Oh..um I just have this weird fear of driving, that's all." I said shakily. "That's weird...I do too," he replied. I remembered how in the future he was terribly afraid of driving.
"I guess I get it from seeing all those car accident victims at the morgue." he said. I looked at him and saw he had lowered his head. "Sorry," he said.
"What for?" I asked.
"For saying that," he replied.
"Oh, that's alright," I said.
I built up my courage and turned the key. The car engine started up with a roar and we left. I was surprised at what a good driver I was but my hands stilled trembled with every move the car took. Jonathan gave me the directions as we went and we were there in no time. It was all ready starting to get dark which made the place seem very creepy. We walked inside and the minute the door was opened, I was hit with the familiar smell of blood and embalming fluid. Jonathan instructed me to stay in the main office for a minute while he went to see if there were any new bodies. I sat down in one of the chairs and waited patiently. About 10 minutes later jonathan came back into the main office with tears streaming down his face. I jumped up and ran to his side, asking him what was wrong. He didn't reply for a while and he just sat down in one of the chairs and cried into my shoulder. Once he had calmed down, he managed to get out"....such a pretty face..." and then he continued to cry. I knew exactly what he had just seen. It was the little girl that the song 'Pretty' was about. The song ran through my head and I too began to cry.

After Jonathan had performed the autopsy on the little girl, he was silent for most of the night. When he was about to explain why he had cried, I told him it was alright and that he didn't have to tell me.

The next few weeks went by smoothly. Jonathan was made fun of as always and the other students now made fun of me as well. They screamed at me "fag lover" and all sorts of other cruel and yet stupid names. I didn't care though. When I was called this, Jonathan would look down at the ground and I could tell he was forcing back tears. I would just nudge him with my elbow and tell him that he should look up when he walks.
There were the occasional times when he was being beaten up and I would often 'rescue' him. This was what it was like for us through out the entire time we were in high school, but I loved every second of it. Then graduation day came and the thought ran through my head all day, 'What would happen to me after this day? Would I go on to wherever it was I was to continue my afterlife? Would I remain here and live my life? What would happen?' So many questions....

But I decided that if this was my last day with Jonathan, then I might as well enjoy it. I sat there next to him in the metal folding chairs which had been placed in neat rows outside on the football field. the mid afternoon sun shown down on us giving everything an odd, happy feeling. When they called out Jonathan's name, he proudly walked up to where the podium was, and as he did this the usual insults were shouted at him. Things were thrown, but he just ignored them.
I was proud of Jonathan, for him being able to survive it all. I was also proud of myself, as well, for being able to get through my entire time there without telling Jonathan the truth behind me.
At the end of the day, Jonathan and I sat on the steps of Highland High, remembering the times we had there. Jonathan then broke the news to me. He had been kicked out of his home and was going to enroll himself into a mortuary science univeristy. But he said that involved moving away. I was sad and so was he. But there was the ever-growing thought inside me that I would not see tomorrow. He said he was leaving tonight.

So I went to his house with my car and I helped him load his things into it. I then drove him to the bus station where we now stood. The bus wasn't to arrive for another ten minutes so there was time to say our good-byes.

"Amy..." he said, his voice choking with nervousness. I looked at him with sad eyes but with a warm smile. I was happy for him, that he had managed to survive all those years. I knew what was in store for him in the future.
"Thank you," he said.
"You're welcome" I said back with my most gentle voice. And then, we kissed. It was a wonderful thing which I knew I would never forget for the rest of my life or, actually, afterlife. The bus came and we said our goodbyes. I cried as well as he did. I helped him put his things on the bus and then the bus drove off. I waved goodbye to him as he watched me from the bus window. He waved back, and the bus drove off into the sunset.

I was suddenly surrounded by a bright, intense light, the same thing that came over me so long ago when I ended my tortured life. The voice spoke once more. The voice was now very familiar. I had noticed that the first time i heard it, but now it was even more familiar. The light faded and I found my self to be standing in an all-white room with no windows or doors. Its walls seemed to glow. Suddenly a figure appeared before me. I couldn't make out who it was until the walls brightened and I gasped. Standing before me was the present day Jonathan.
"Jonathan...." I said with tears in my eyes.
"Amy, thank you. Thank you for not being selfish and for making your last request something that would help another. But, you are being given another chance since you are such a nice and sweet person. Like i said before, I don't blame oyu for ending your life. But you are being given a second chance." he said. His voice echoed and then faded. The room melted away and I was surrounded by darkness.
"Thank you Jonathan! Thank you so much!" I screamed as tears streamed down my face. My voice echoed as his did and I was suddenly, once again, blinded by a bright light.

My eyes fluttered open and I found myself laying on the floor of my room. I was back in my 13-year-old body and I was again living my tortured life, but I felt I had strength, strength to over come all my pain, instead of ending it. I realized that I had never shot myself. The events of that night had never happened. I wondered if my life with Jonathan was all just a dream. But when I got up to put self-titled into the CD player I noticed that there was another song on the cd case. It was titled "Amy".