"I found another note." Jessie sat down beside Makayla as she ate her lunch, this time not waiting for her friend who luckily for her didn't have anything on him. He tilted his hand to her so she could take it but with it covered in grease he decided to read it to her.

"You've recently lost your father; I know that must be hard. I want to help." Jessie scoffed despite already having read this note several times, it still amazed him how invasive this unknown person was however he continued.

"Do you want help? Yes or no? Circle your answer."

Makayla finished the last of her food just in time to stop Jessie from throwing the note in the bin.

"You won't answer?"

Jessie raised a brow.

"No, why would I?"

She shrugged.

"You have nothing to lose, everything to gain."

Jessie made a face one that expressed uncertainty and curiosity. He took out a pen from his pocket and circled 'yes' even doing that simple task ached him, making him come to terms with his grief.

"So what do we do now?" Makayla swallowed the last of her lunch as she spoke her words coming out muffled, but Jessie was able to decipher it.

"It says that I should leave it in the bin by the locker, and a new note will follow."

"It does sound very mysterious, doesn't it?" Makayla took the note from his hand and surveyed the letter as though some hints would be revealed to her. "Welp... let's go deliver your answer."

Jessie stood up and extended his arm to Makayla for her to take.

"Come on then, Watson. Let's go solve a murder."

Makayla slapped his hand away as she stood up.

"Me? Watson? You underestimate my brainpower."

Jessie smiled at his friend and followed after her note in hand.

Jessie didn't receive another letter till the following day, same time just before lunch. Like before he took the note and read it several times before showing Makayla.

"Are you in pain? Yes or No." Again Jessie circled 'yes' adding to the ache that was already there and like the first, placed the note in the same designated space.

"How about we wait on them?" Makayla suggested, Jessie looked to her, smiling. Why hadn't he thought of that?

"I mean there are only a few opportunities for this person to get the note right, during lunch and after school."

"Well, they could always leave class pretending to go to the loo."

"True, however, at that point the bin will be filled with rubbish they couldn't possible rifle through it in that amount of time and if they did imagine the mess."

Jessie rubbed his chin as he thought about it.

"If we drop it in the bin as the lunch bell rings that would leave only after school. What lesson do you have today, Mak?"

"I have maths."

"And I have calc I'm not close enough."

Makayla gasped a smile forming on her lips.

"But I am, after the broken pipe in our old classroom it meant we moved to the room just across from the lockers, and if I sit in the right chair, I could keep an eye on it."

Jessie clapped his hands hugging Makayla tightly.

"You're a fucking genius, Mak. Yes."

Makayla smiled. It was small, but she was beginning to notice a slight change in Jessie, becoming preoccupied with this unknown correspondence meant that he was slowly falling into his old new self.

He was excited to come to school even more excited to see her for lunch, and though they didn't speak much on anything but the notes she was happy her friend was happy. Makayla hoped that it wouldn't change.

"Thank you, Mak." The change of tone came in like a cold breeze making Makayla shiver.

"For what?"

"Just being my baseline, after dad..." Jessie's eyes cast themselves onto the sky and sighed the words challenging to form, let alone leave his lips. "You know... I kind of just felt... grey I mean I still kind of do but you being that constant really... really made the grey not hurt so much." Jessie sighed again, not being one who was good with words, and even more so when they were dripping with emotions made him ball his hands into fists.

Makayla noticing his struggle came to his aid. She laid a caring hand on his and smiled as he looked at her, his hazel ones staring into her brown ones.

"That's what friends are for Jes."

The pair stood up and headed to the lockers as the bell was due to ring in about ten minutes. Makayla and Jessie stood side by side up until the bell stopped ringing and the children began to file themselves away.

"I'll go get my seat Jessie ok." Makayla squeezed his arm as she hurried away, making sure to grab a seat where she could eye Jessie from the small window in the door.

He gave her a thumbs up, releasing the note into the bin and walked off every once in a while glancing back.