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Description
Milo looked down at his black shined shoes, smelling the air that carried along the monotonous voice of the priest who was dutifully carrying out the church’s pre-set memorial. He had only one thing on his mind, and he was sure that his best friend, Valo, had only one as well. They stood together among the puddle of dark dressed characters, all sobbing or holding their hands to their hearts as they listened to the clergyman talk about God’s grief to have let such an “insightful young man” take his own life. He was not suicidal, Milo thought to himself feverishly. There was nothing but loss among the crowd, but Milo and Valo had one thing that the others didn’t; evidence. He turned to look to his best friend as a tear rolled down her cheek. He offered a weak smile and looked back to his shoes, crossing his arms. Lost in his thoughts for the remaining time, he had one last parting tear for his best friend as he tossed a flower onto the coffin. “I will avenge you, Felix. I will.”
Milo closed his locker as a bobbing black head hurried up. “Hey Valo…” he started as she shook her head. “Quick,” was all she said to him as she tugged his arm to the senior parking lot. They pushed past the ocean of teens ready for a Friday night and finally reached her Ford after some pushing and shoving. He systematically stepped up into the passenger’s seat and looked to her. It took her only a moment to throw her things in the back seat and pull out her cell phone. “What’s going on?” inquired Milo, watching her black painted finger nails click their way to her voice mail. As she made the final click, the car was filled with the crackled voice of the automated voice mail woman. “One old message; today at ten twenty-two a.m.” As the beep of the old message started, Milo recognized it as Felix’s mother. “Valorie? Hey, it’s me, sweetie. I tried Milo on his cell this morning, so I just wanted to call and tell you something important. I was looking through photos from Christmas…” There was a pause as a slight sob was heard on the other line. “Sorry… like I said, I was looking through the photos and I saw something odd. I was sure that I saw Felix finish the family portrait, but there are about ten pieces missing. I was wondering if you two would like to come over and see if you could help me find the pieces. Well, talk to you soon, hun. Have a great day.” As the obvious click of a dead phone line sounded, Valo flipped her phone down and looked thoughtfully to her best friend, who was looking incredulous.
He only had to nod once as she started her car and drove out the school’s exits. They drove the few minutes to Felix’s house in solace. The Cure soothingly played throughout the car, and Milo felt a bit of detachment as the white truck rounded into the semicircle driveway where Felix’s car was parked. It sat alone, without an owner and without use since December 26th, 2005. He looked to her as he spotted Mrs. McCanzen looking out the window, waiting for the two teenagers. As they stepped lightly out of the vehicle, Milo watched her leave the window and presumably make her way to the front door. Before they were able to knock, she was there. She was smiling as she held the mahogany door open for the two. As they entered the enormous entry hall, Mrs. McCanzen closed the door and pointed them to the kitchen, signaling them to there. The familiar peanut butter and banana cookies were there, along with two cokes. They were silent as they both took a drink and after setting his glass down, Milo looked to his best friend’s mother. “How was your day?” he asked. Smiling a feeble acknowledgement, she looked down. “Pretty easy. I’ve just been getting a few things done around here. Why don’t I take you two upstairs? I take it that you both got the message. I’ve set the pieces I could find on his desk.”
As they made their way upstairs, something pulled at the both of them. The pictures on the wall were just merely ghosts of the boy that had once climbed these stairs as a welcome to his new friends. It seemed that they were both lost in this, because their eyes followed the same first path he had taken up those stairs. They knew exactly where his room was. As they followed Mrs. McCanzen into the room, Valo let out a small sigh. Milo stopped and looked around. His eyes fell on the band posters and bikini model calendars that Felix had been religiously collecting since he was only thirteen. Valo went and sat down the in the chair that made its home in front of the computer desk. The only sound in the room was the light hum of Felix’s old computer. The monitor’s screen was dark in sleep mode and as Mrs. McCanzen turned the light switch on, Milo had to cover his eyes from the light change. As Valo leaned in to look at the pictures, she laughed lightly and looked back to her best friend’s mother. “But, there’s nothing missing!” she said quickly.
Mrs. McCanzen shook her head and looked to the desk. “Look again, Valorie…” she started. With that, Valo turned around and looked closer at the pieces. The dark wood of the desk had made the missing pieces almost invisible. Before she had time to look more clearly, Mrs. McCanzen let out a small cry and left the room with a feeble “Call me if you need me.” The two watched her leave, and the two looked at each other sincerely. After looking back to the doorway, Milo walked over to Valo as she leaned down again. It took only a few seconds for her to look up with horror etched on her face. “M-Milo! The faces are missing!”

Description
Milo looked down at his black shined shoes, smelling the air that carried along the monotonous voice of the priest who was dutifully carrying out the church’s pre-set memorial. He had only one thing on his mind, and he was sure that his best friend, Valo, had only one as well. They stood together among the puddle of dark dressed characters, all sobbing or holding their hands to their hearts as they listened to the clergyman talk about God’s grief to have let such an “insightful young man” take his own life. He was not suicidal, Milo thought to himself feverishly. There was nothing but loss among the crowd, but Milo and Valo had one thing that the others didn’t; evidence. He turned to look to his best friend as a tear rolled down her cheek. He offered a weak smile and looked back to his shoes, crossing his arms. Lost in his thoughts for the remaining time, he had one last parting tear for his best friend as he tossed a flower onto the coffin. “I will avenge you, Felix. I will.”
Milo closed his locker as a bobbing black head hurried up. “Hey Valo…” he started as she shook her head. “Quick,” was all she said to him as she tugged his arm to the senior parking lot. They pushed past the ocean of teens ready for a Friday night and finally reached her Ford after some pushing and shoving. He systematically stepped up into the passenger’s seat and looked to her. It took her only a moment to throw her things in the back seat and pull out her cell phone. “What’s going on?” inquired Milo, watching her black painted finger nails click their way to her voice mail. As she made the final click, the car was filled with the crackled voice of the automated voice mail woman. “One old message; today at ten twenty-two a.m.” As the beep of the old message started, Milo recognized it as Felix’s mother. “Valorie? Hey, it’s me, sweetie. I tried Milo on his cell this morning, so I just wanted to call and tell you something important. I was looking through photos from Christmas…” There was a pause as a slight sob was heard on the other line. “Sorry… like I said, I was looking through the photos and I saw something odd. I was sure that I saw Felix finish the family portrait, but there are about ten pieces missing. I was wondering if you two would like to come over and see if you could help me find the pieces. Well, talk to you soon, hun. Have a great day.” As the obvious click of a dead phone line sounded, Valo flipped her phone down and looked thoughtfully to her best friend, who was looking incredulous.
He only had to nod once as she started her car and drove out the school’s exits. They drove the few minutes to Felix’s house in solace. The Cure soothingly played throughout the car, and Milo felt a bit of detachment as the white truck rounded into the semicircle driveway where Felix’s car was parked. It sat alone, without an owner and without use since December 26th, 2005. He looked to her as he spotted Mrs. McCanzen looking out the window, waiting for the two teenagers. As they stepped lightly out of the vehicle, Milo watched her leave the window and presumably make her way to the front door. Before they were able to knock, she was there. She was smiling as she held the mahogany door open for the two. As they entered the enormous entry hall, Mrs. McCanzen closed the door and pointed them to the kitchen, signaling them to there. The familiar peanut butter and banana cookies were there, along with two cokes. They were silent as they both took a drink and after setting his glass down, Milo looked to his best friend’s mother. “How was your day?” he asked. Smiling a feeble acknowledgement, she looked down. “Pretty easy. I’ve just been getting a few things done around here. Why don’t I take you two upstairs? I take it that you both got the message. I’ve set the pieces I could find on his desk.”
As they made their way upstairs, something pulled at the both of them. The pictures on the wall were just merely ghosts of the boy that had once climbed these stairs as a welcome to his new friends. It seemed that they were both lost in this, because their eyes followed the same first path he had taken up those stairs. They knew exactly where his room was. As they followed Mrs. McCanzen into the room, Valo let out a small sigh. Milo stopped and looked around. His eyes fell on the band posters and bikini model calendars that Felix had been religiously collecting since he was only thirteen. Valo went and sat down the in the chair that made its home in front of the computer desk. The only sound in the room was the light hum of Felix’s old computer. The monitor’s screen was dark in sleep mode and as Mrs. McCanzen turned the light switch on, Milo had to cover his eyes from the light change. As Valo leaned in to look at the pictures, she laughed lightly and looked back to her best friend’s mother. “But, there’s nothing missing!” she said quickly.
Mrs. McCanzen shook her head and looked to the desk. “Look again, Valorie…” she started. With that, Valo turned around and looked closer at the pieces. The dark wood of the desk had made the missing pieces almost invisible. Before she had time to look more clearly, Mrs. McCanzen let out a small cry and left the room with a feeble “Call me if you need me.” The two watched her leave, and the two looked at each other sincerely. After looking back to the doorway, Milo walked over to Valo as she leaned down again. It took only a few seconds for her to look up with horror etched on her face. “M-Milo! The faces are missing!”