The Comeback

NINE:part two

"What is this?" I ask choking back tears.

He still doesn't respond but takes the contents out of box.

Bracelets, letters, a stuffed animal, a receipt and the last items makes my throat tighten.

Pictures of me and Ryan when we were younger.

All these items have a meaning to me, and I guess Ryan aswell if he's showing them to me.

"Whos this girl?" I ask shakily picking up a photo of me and Ryan.

We're waiting for the bus in the first day of school.

"That was my best friend. Funny you guys have the same name. But her real name was Mary Grace." He says looking at the photo.

I'm sorry but Ryan is clueless.

"Are you guys still friends?" I ask looking at him.

"I wish i could say we were. She moved before junior high. I never heard from her again, but I guess that it was my fault." He says.

"Why didn't you try to keep in touch?"

He then picks up the letters.

"I wanted to. I would write her letters."

I never recieved letters.

"I would tell her how sorry I was. That I missed her. When important things happened to me or when bad things happened I would write her letters. But I never sent them. I was scared she wouldn't write me back." He says opening a few and handing some to me.

"Why wouldn't she write back?" I ask looking down at one of letters.

Dated two months ago.

He still writes letters?

"Well would you write back to someone that treated you like shit?" He says looking me in the eye.

I don't respond. Because I don't know. I don't know if i would reply.

He then picks up the receipt.

"I wanted to do something nice for her, so I went around the neighborhood asking people for work to earn money. I made fifty dollars mowing lawns and walking dogs. I wanted to take Mary Grace out to dinner."

My heart.

"I took her out to the diner, and I felt like a big shot taking her out. Its probably stupid I saved the receipt." He says shaking his head and putting it down.

"No it's not. It's sweet" I say.

He then picks up a rugged teddybear.

"She gave me this for my birthday in first grade. It was the best gift i ever recieved." He says.

I think I might cry.

He then picks up the string braclet.

"One summer I went away for a camp. I was so bored there and I missed Mary Grace. So when we would make crafts I would make them for her. I made matching brackets for me and her. I wonder if she still has it."

She does.

It's in a box of things from when I was younger.

He then picks up the photos.

"She was my best friend. And i lost her for good." He says then chuckles.

"I used to tell Santana that I was going to marry Mary Grace."

I feel like there's a rock in my throat, I cough relieving it a little bit.

"Why are you showing me this?" I ask.