||My Invisible Wound||

||A New Friend||

e p i l o g u e |

     "Hey, Elyes!" Jake yelled from across the hall, trying to get the attention of Elyes, who was putting up a flyer on a large bulletin board.

     "Yeah?" he said, looking at him.

     You seem like you're in a hurry, I thought. I was standing next to Elyes, minding my own business. As usual.

     "A while ago, I received an email of Alysha's story . . . about me. What should I do?"

     Oh yeah.

     Elyes froze for a second. His eyes never left Jake's. "Read it to the class. I think . . . I think that would be best."

     "You do?"

     He nodded.

     Jake smiled and turned back to walk to his classroom. I wasn't entirely sure if I should've stayed with Elyes, but I wanted to see what it would turn out to be. I decided to follow Jake.

     When we entered the room, the bell hadn't rung yet, but Mrs. Patterson was sitting at her desk. Jake went up to her and cleared his throat, gaining her attention. "Before Alysha died, she had finished and gave me her story in email. Am I able to read both mine and hers?"

     She smiled. "I don't see why not."

     He nodded with a soft smile and went to sit down. I sat across from him as he pulled out his backpack and dug into it, getting out papers that I assumed were our assignments.

     When the bell rung, the class came inside and sat down, with their original partners, and the room grew quiet. Mrs. Patterson stood and went to the front of the class. "Our last assignment that we'll hear from is Jake."

     He stood up, taking the papers with him, and went to the front of the classroom. Mrs. Patterson went to sit back in her chair.

     "Since Alysha is . . . gone, I decided to read both hers and mine." The class didn't speak. They stared at him, in awe.

     He read mine first.

     Jakob Alexander is an odd person.

     If only it could stop there, though.

     Even though he did me wrong in earlier years by playing me, he did tell me that he would make up for it by being my friend, by being there for me. Though we didn't get very close, I do admit, he was a friend to me. He was there when I needed it and he did show how sorry he truly was.

     There are a few things most people don't know about him, like he's bisexual. In fact, I helped push him out of the closet for his father —who is also just as odd; he thought I was pregnant, and Jake was the father.

     But I guess that's every father's nightmare with their son.

     Jake is eclectic. Sometimes he likes to get into sports, other days he's into other hobbies like playing with his dog, Inkspot.

     He's Christian, which I find strange at times because he isn't necessarily religious in most ways, at least, as far as I had seen.

     Overall, though, he always will be a cool guy. He says what is on his mind, and he will continue to be caring for others —like he did for me.

     I just hope he continues to make new friends, because he was a good, new friend to me.

     He raised his head up to gaze upon the class. I looked around myself to find a few people smiling.

     He put the paper underneath the next one and read his.

     If I had to describe Alysha Osborn in one word, I couldn't give you an answer. Because Alysha Osborn could never be described in one word. If words to describe her could go on to infinity, then the details of her would fill up the space of an entire country.

     She was fighting war with herself, like many young girls do. A war about beauty and self-confidence, and love. And from the distance I was observing? She was losing. Though each time, I saw her pick up the sword and fight those demons like there was no tomorrow. I saw her battle so many of them that I felt bad to see her standing alone, wounded and yet still going strong.

     When we were picked to be partners, I was secretly glad to be hers because that meant I could get a second chance to help her, to be her friend. But the closer I became to her, the more I realized that she pushed people away. Even her best friend.

     Alysha had a whole future ahead of her, yet she threw it away. On what, though? Lack of confidence? Self-hate? Beauty? Whatever it was, it seemed to bother her so much that she wanted to sacrifice her life for it.

     But instead of dwelling on what she could have been, why not think of what she was? She was beautiful. She was kind, and smart, and selfless. She saw the world differently. Though her family were Christians, it didn't look as if she was religious herself. At least, she lost her way long ago. Her hobbies were everywhere, but I knew she loved to draw and write.

     Alysha was many things. I only wish she saw them before I did.