Missing You

I remember it like it was yesterday. Probably because it is the same nightmare that has been waking me up every night for the past four years. Me and my twin sister are in the car on our way home from school. We are chatting nonstop about the upcoming Valentine 's Day dance for the 7th and 8th graders. We were planning to go with a group of friends from school. My mom is driving, listening us talk about what we want to wear. She takes the usual street up the hill and turns a corner into the street near the shopping centers. Suddenly a truck appears out of nowhere and T-bones our car, right where my sister is sitting. My head hits the window and I black out. The next thing I know I'm in a hospital room. I open my eyes slowly to let them adjust to the bright lights around me. I hear the beeping of machines. I have a massive headache and I feel like someone punched me in the chest. My arm is really hurting me and it's completely wrapped up in a white bandage. And I wake up.

It wasn't broken, they said. Some pieces of shrapnel flew off the car and sliced my arm. I had a mild concussion, a few bruises and a broken rib. Kelly wasn't so lucky. She was directly hit by the car and suffered major brain damage, broken bones and a lot of bleeding. Life support didn't last long, they said her brain died in the accident and the doctors took her off life support a few days later. In that time I refused to leave her side. The doctors tried repeatedly to pull me away, but I fought until they let me stay. I held her hand and stared at all the bandages and machines attached to her. I never stopped crying. I didn't want to let her go, I didn't want to lose my best friend. But, in the end, we had to agree to take her off life support. She wouldn't have been able to make it, they said. She never would have lived a normal life because of the the brain damage.

I never did attend that Valentine 's Day dance, and I never did anything outside of school since. It didn't feel right. I felt lonely and depressed always wishing Kelly was with me. I felt that part of me was missing. I dedicated my time to getting good grades. I buried myself in my school work. I studied and always kept to myself. I became the shy kid and never wanted to talk to anyone. My psychologist said that it was normal. It was my way of coping. I would one day grow out of it. That day felt like it would never come. I didn't want it to come. Four years passed and not one day went by where I wasn't thinking about her.

***

"Ηey! Where are you going?" I hear someone stop in front of me as I am walking through the hallways at school. I wrap my arms tighter around the books in my arms and look up at him. This is not the first time he's made fun of me. I don't respond. I figure that he might stop once he realizes that I just don't care. "What's the matter? Cat's got your tongue?" I try to walk past him, but he and his buddies block my path.

"Please, just let me get to class." I say looking back down at my books.

"Look at that guys, nerd's gonna be late for class. Well too bad." He pushes the books out of my hands and my papers fall out of my folder and scattering the floor of the locker bay with my other books following behind. I sigh.

"Hey! Stop that!" A voice comes from behind me.

"Why do you care?" The bully retorts.

"She's part of our group, so you better leave before I get you suspended again!" The voice behinds me threatens.

"Whatever dude. Let's go guys. She's not worth it." The boy and his group walk away. I bend down to pick up my things and the boy behind the voice bends down to help me.

"Hey. I'm Cole. I haven't seen you around before. What's your name?" He asks. I collect the rest of my things from the floor and take the papers he hands to me.

"There's a reason you haven't seen me." I say quietly and walk past him to my locker. He chases after me, his friends following behind him.

"Are you new?" He continues. I shake my head. "Then why don't I know you?" He likes questions doesn't he? I put my books away and ignore him. "Please at least tell me your name?" He pleads. I sigh.