'Cause a part of me is dead and in the ground

A.N. Another JojoxJosie ABSOLUTELY!AU





Making friends at a new school was always hard, especially for a student that came in mid-way through the school year.  They didn't have the chance to mix with the fresh faces, all finding solace with one another in the unfamiliar.  Instead, she had to brave the strange new world alone.

But there was one person in the entire school that could make her smile - and she didn't even know their name.

Or what they even looked like.

This 'person' was nothing more than a note in a book.  She'd gone to the library because it was the only place where she felt completely at ease.  There were no accusing glares, no unfriendly faces.  Most often it was just her and the books.  Anyone else that sought solace within the shelves left her in peace as they too wished to be left alone.  The book wasn't one that many people seemed interested in.  It had barely even been booked out of the library and it certainly looked like it had been living on the shelf for a while.  Feeling sympathy for the poor forgotten tome she had taken it down to flip through it's pages.

By around page five the note had fallen out, fluttering to the ground.  Picking it up, she read the cheerful words written almost illegiably on the paper.

"I dare you to find more forms of innuendo than I did.  My total is one hundred and seventy three.  Ready?  Set?  Go.  Jojo xxx"

Stifling a giggle, she signed the book out of the library and took it back to her room, intent on beating this "Jojo's" score.  No one else seemed interested in the book so no one would make fun of her.  Plus, she wasn't as innocent as everyone thought her to be.

Unfortunately she couldn't beat "Jojo's" score.  She wasn't even able to find one hundred, let alone one hundred and seventy three!


When she went to return the book the young librarian gave her an inquisitive glance as he signed the book back in.  "Did you enjoy it?" he asked.


"It was...interesting."


"You should read the next volume.  I've heard that it's worth the read."


Taking the man's advice, she went to find the next book.  As she flicked through the pages she found another note.


"I bet you didn't beat my score did you?  Well, that's okay, I never expected you too.  I made it all up anyway.  I haven't even read this book.  You know, I rarely actually even read books unless I have too.  I took French once.  That one was a right laugh!  You should check it out sometime.  Jojo xxx"


Tucking the note into her pocket, she slipped the book back onto the shelf and headed for the langauge section of the library, casting a glance to the librarian.  Was he 'Jojo'?  She was pretty sure he was called Jamie, but maybe Jojo was nothing more than an alias?  She couldn't bring herself to ask though.


It took her a while and a return visit to the library, but she searched through the entire curriculum reading list and found another of the notes.  She didn't know why she was intent on looking for this invisible person.  Maybe it was the way their laid back attitude slipped into their writing.


Weeks went by and she followed the little messages and crypting clues through books, classrooms (one was even taped to the underside of the sinks in the girl's bathroom).  She found herself looking around to see if she could spot who "Jojo" was.  She didn't even know their gender!

She assumed it had been a girl (based on the fact one of the notes was in the girl's bathroom) but one day she found a note that disproved her.

In the drama professor's prop cupboard there was a 'Phantom of the Opera' mask with the note taped inside it.


"My friend T-chan says I have 'crotch rot', which is stupid because my balls aren't itching.  Is it sunny today?  If it is, I want you to go outside and have a personal picnic on the front lawns.  I always said I'd have a picnic there but I've never really gotten around to it.  I'm a busy boy!  Everyone wants a piece of the Jojonator!  I've got a doc's appointment later today.  I've left you a note in the kitchen cupboard.  Hope you're having fun with this silly little 'treasure hunt.  If not, well, I'm just leaving notes for ghosts to read.  Jojo xxx"


She smiled.  No, someone was reading his notes.


It was raining, but once the sun did come out a few days later and the ground was dry she went out and ate her lunch on the lawns, all the while looking around, wondering if Jojo would spot her sitting there and stride up and reveal herself to him.


It was three months since discovering the first note and she still had no idea who Jojo was, nor the friend's he spoke of, but she was pretty certain that she had fallen for him.  Plucking up the courage she went to see the one person who seemed to know about the secret letters.


The librarian.


When she asked him about "Jojo" though, his face fell.  "You want to meet him?" he asked.


"I'd just like to know who's leaving the notes."


He ran his hand over his hair, ruffling the dyed red strands into an even messier style than what it had previously been styled in.  His eyes fell to the desk before him and he swallowed hard.  "Ask Tetsu Nomura.  They were best friends.  He'll be able to arrange a meeting between you two."


"What can you tell me about him?  I only know what he's like from his letters."


That made him smile.  "He's exactly like he sounds!  Cheeky, downright rude and a little perverted, but there will never be anyone who could rival him.  He kidnapped the vending machine once.  How he managed to get it outside I'll never know, but he sat on top of it dressed like a pirate and announced that the entire student body were now his 'wenches'.  Always full of life."


"He sounds like fun."


He nodded.  "Yeah...Anyway, like I said, go talk to Tetsu Nomura.  Show him the notes, too."


Doing as she was told, she quickly sought out the fifth year.  The Asian male frowned at her in disapproval when she asked about Jojo, and even told her to "Shove off, he's none of your business," until she showed him a few of the letters Jojo had written.


An expression much like the one Jamie the librarian had worn sweapt over his feature's.  Grabbing her hand he swiftly wrote an address on the back of her hand before storming away down the corridor.


Frowning at the adress, she decided to visit after school.  The rest of the day was spent in anticipation.  What did Jojo look like?  Was he really as fun as he sounded in his letter?  If he was such a popular character, why was he not stirring up trouble now?  Maybe he'd graduated - or left the school?  So many thoughts fluttered through her.


What she didn't expect was to find that the address Tetsu Nomura had given her lead to a cemetary.  Thinking it was some kind of set-up she checked the address again.  Scrawled underneath in hasty letters as if Tetsu hadn't even wanted to write it was a name.


Joseph Naoise.


Flickers of conversation hit her within seconds.  A student diagnosed with leukemia had died before she'd come to the school.  She hadn't even learned his name.


Walking amongst the gravestones she eventually came across the one with his name carved into the dark black stone.


Joseph Aidan Naoise.
"Jojo"
A true and loyal friend to the very end.
























A.N.
Jojo would like to note that whoever is ressponsible for his headstone is an idiot and he would like "A true and loyal friend" to be changed to "I'm not really buried here."