"A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life."

― Charles Darwin

 I didn't know why the fuck this guy was telling me "You need to help her!" He had approached me when I was with Peyton, Simon Moore, and a couple other guys. 

   We were hangin' out in the student center, chatting about different things, and about the game that still had yet to take place. Man, this time loop was starting to really piss me off. 

   Why did this time loop keep happening?

   I had texted Justice this morning telling her I wasn't going to be able to pick her up because....? I'd kind of forgotten the excuse I'd used. But what the Hell, like it mattered. I wasn't even sure if Justice and I were still together. But at this point, Peyton and I could be single together. But I wasn't entirely convinced that he didn't have the hots for my girlfriend.

   "What the hell?" I retaliated, "Get the fuck away from us!" That guy had been looking at me all morning, mouthing to me something that seemed quite urgent or important, but like I cared. I was angry and annoyed at the fact that I was being harassed by this strange guy.

   Simon Moore gave the guy a look. "Yeah, dumb fuck, leave us alone."

   The guy didn't seem fazed by our words; instead he kept telling me the same thing, "You need to save her!" I furrowed my eyebrows. Save who?

   I gave all the guys a look.

   Simon Moore insisted, "If you keep coming at us like this, man. You'll be the one that needs to be saved."

   I shook my head. At the moment, I realized Simon Moore needed to shut up. Maybe this guy was telling me something. How could I tell Simon Moore to shut up without suffering from the consequences like a possible fight, or exile? But it wasn't as if he'd remember me telling him that. I'd be reliving this same day, regardless if I wanted to or not.

   "Who do I need to save?" I asked.

   The guy was about to respond, though the guys were hounding him. "Get the fuck away from us man," said Simon Moore. I sighed, flustered and annoyed.

   "Simon man," I said, glaring at him. "Shut the hell up."

   I didn't care that everything had grown quiet. Right now, something was telling me that this strange guy could be a messenger or something. He needed to work at his approach, though.

   I walked away from the guys and the strange dude followed me.

   This guy was a new piece added to the game.

   People said he may have been a new student, but all the assumptions anyone made about him was that he was one weird guy. His hair was blonde, with black streaks. He wore all white. He didn't particularly scream weird to me, maybe monk-like but heck, everyone was pretty bizarre.

   Once we were outside the student center, I looked at the guy and raised my eyebrow. "So, what do you mean when you say 'You have to save her!' it's pretty random to me." I crossed my arms. "And Simon Moore probably has it out for me...so yeah, great."

   The white clad dude laughed. "That's my point exactly."

   "What point?"

   "You'll find-out in time...but what I mean by 'You have to save her' is that you need to befriend Zoey Graves."

   I was about to ask him who again, did I need to save? But then I knew. The girl with long brown hair, the girl who didn't mind me copying her geometry, the girl who no one bothered. I wanted to laugh at this dude. Why would Zoey need to be saved? Her life seemed fine. Sometimes she'd look miserable, I knew, that but who didn't have their moments?

   "Isaac, you do know who Miss Graves is, right?"

   "Yeah," I said.

   But, she'd been humiliated yesterday. Not yesterday, I meant yesterday which is today. Like I said, this time loop was frustrating the hell out of me. Her boyfriend Lawson had humiliated the crap out of her, and the memory of how it all went down, made me clench my fists. Sure, the Lawson guy and I never crossed each other's paths, since I've never spoken to the guy, but humiliating someone like he did, gave me an excuse to beat the guy's ass.

   "Isaac," said the guy, "I can see that Miss Grave's life doesn't seem as simple as you may think. Clearly, you remember the previous events, such as when Lawson broke up with her and made her out to be a foo—"

   I shook my head. "Do I have permission to beat the dude's ass?" Not like I needed this guy's permission to do that.

   He chuckled. "As formidable as that may sound Mr. Stints, we need to focus on making sure Miss Graves doesn't try to end things for good."

   I gave him a look. "I think the Lawson guy has already done that."

   "Listen here Isaac; you need to make sure Ms. Graves doesn't end her life for good."

   It took a second for the things he said to register in my mind. Zoey was going to try and commit suicide? I never knew anyone who tried to end their life before, or anyone who had.

   "...So I have to be a suicide watcher, or something?"

   He shook his head. "No, because neither of us can prevent Ms Graves from making that decision, because let's face it Mr Stints, when someone's mind has already been made up there's no changing it from there."

   I didn't say anything. The guy had a point, when someone's mind was already made up, you couldn't do anything to change their mind. For instance, when I'd been 12 my dad had left my mom for another woman. His mind had been made up then, and now he was vacationing with that woman.

   "I see," I said. "So what do I do then?"

   "You need to make Zoey see that there's darkness right before dawn, that this too shall pass, and that there's always a light at the end of the tunnel."

   How could I make Zoey see all that? I never really talked to Zoey (like, have a real conversation with her) and it wasn't as if I really was interested in her any way. However, I realized that didn't matter. From what this guy had told, this girl was going to take her life sooner or later. But how did he know that?

   "How do you know this, anyway?" I asked.

   "I can't tell you that, Mr. Stints, but I can tell you my name," he said. I rolled my eyes, why would I wanna know his name. I wouldn't be seeing him again, would I? "My name is Lawrie Odin," he stated. I didn't say anything; clearly I saw that this dude already knew my name. Mr. Stints.

   "Also, how you know that you've been too late is when you'll black out. And you'll wake up having memories from the previous loop, but you'll be in the same time loop; living the same day again and again."

   "And this time loop won't stop until I get through to Zoey?" I felt myself growing nervous. What if I couldn't make her change her mind? What if I'd never get out of this? It wasn't fair, it wasn't fair at all. I didn't make Zoey wanna do this? She was her own person, I didn't have any influence. But somehow my influence could convince her to stay, right?

   "I know Isaac that this might seem difficult, but you'll make it."

:: :: ::

   I would've liked to tell you that this day carried on the same, but it didn't. There were two problems added into today. Justice wasn't texting me back and I was now on Simon Moore's hit list.

   I didn't know if Justice was angry at me for not picking her up this morning or what, but it irritated me that she wasn't responding at all. I mean, I hadn't seen her all day, not even at lunch. I just wondered if perhaps she and Peyton were together somewhere, considering I hadn't seen him much today, either.

   Then there was Simon Moore.

   This dude, he'd acted like such a big baby in English.

   Here was how English had gone. It'd been fifth hour right after lunch and Mrs Stevens was explaining to everyone the five senses in writing. When I'd first asked her a question, Simon added a comment.

   "Um, excuse me Mrs. Stevens, but when using taste, what words would you use when describing taste?" I asked.

   She started to explain when Simon Moore interjected with, "Your mom!"

    Then everyone in class laughed, and all I could do was smile (despite how stupid and annoyed I felt) and hear how much of a disrupt-er Mrs. Stevens thought Simon Moore was.

    And that was how it kept on, Simon Moore and some guys from the group kept adding side comments whenever I raised my hand or added to what Mrs Stevens was explaining. It got annoying, and I didn't know if everyone in the class sensed the tension.

   I couldn't believe I behaved that way when Simon Moore and I were on good terms; I was like the rest of the guys with him; laughing along with him, and following.

   Man, I must have been a total butt wipe. Let's not forget to mention that one time Simon Moore and I caused Mrs.Stevens to punish the whole class with extra homework that one time.

   It's sort of like I was seeing a reflection of myself when I saw Simon Moore acting so brash. I was glad when the bell rung, signaling that English class was over.

:: :: ::

   Another horrible thing I tried doing, that was against what I normally did was, well, I decided to skip football practice. I was going to meet Zoey Graves at her car, she didn't know that. But I hoped she wouldn't blow me off and treat me horribly or anything.

   Yet, what horrible thing could've happened to her today? I didn't hear of any break ups or fights. Maybe, by a chance, her day could have gone good. No one was bothering her, and her boyfriend Lawson may have actually wanted her. So, maybe I wouldn't have to do anything.

   But sadly, I knew, I still had to try to talk to her.

   When I approached her car, she was unlocking the door, and she didn't see me yet. "Uh, hi," I said awkwardly, scratching my nose. "How does it go?"

   She didn't react nor respond. Okay, she was trying to act like a witch or something. That wasn't fair! If she was so saddened by the fact no one wanted to befriend her, then why in the heck did she ignore people? Especially when they tried to talk to her.

   I didn't get it.

   "Zoey, uh, I just wanted to say thanks for..." When I attempted some more words she finally turned around and looked at me with a frown on her face. I still finished my sentence. "For letting me copy your homework. You didn't have to do that."

   I tried to sound as sincere as possible, and I didn't want myself to appear so nervous. I tried making eye contact with her. For some reason I was too intimidated to even attempt that; I couldn't meet her eyes.

   She stared at me for a long time it seemed, but eventually she could get some words out. "Uh, you're welcome. It was nothing, really." She smiled shyly and shifted her feet. "I, gotta go now." She had opened the door, and was about to slide in when I stopped her.

   I needed to say something else. "Zoey, you're not alone."

   She gave me a look of bemusement. "What'd you say?"

   With my hand on the car door, I was about to elaborate when out of all moments in the day, Justice just had to appear by  my side in a flash, and kiss me right on the cheek. She gave Zoey a glare I didn't miss, and she looked at me with disdain. "Isaac, aren't you going to take me home today, instead of talking to someone's who's not all that important? Who should be leaving, like, right now?"

   She looked at Zoey when saying that, and all I could do was look dumbfounded. It had seemed like all school day Justice didn't want anything to do with me, and now that she was right here beside me, behaving in such an ugly way, it felt like there was nothing I could do.

   Before Zoey drove away, I saw a tear escape her eye. Then she gave me a hurt look, like she'd been crushed. But I couldn't have possibly been the reason for that tear and that look. Justice was the one who was treating her so harshly.

   The only thing I knew was that I would never forget that look she gave me.

   It stayed with me for awhile.