Silence

10

Wolfe's POV

The steady beep of the heart monitor was the only sign I had that Amanda was still alive. For a month, the girl that I had fallen in love with had been in a coma. The bullet that she had taken for me had passed very close to her heart. The doctor told us that if it had entered a smidge to the right, she would have died on the gym floor. The thought of that night had my heart stopping.

A soft knock on the door swiftly pulled me from my thoughts. I watched as the doctor quickly popped his head in and gave me a weak smile. The knot in my stomach grew tighter. Something was wrong.

"Any change?" I asked him but he just shook his head. "Her gunshot wound and ribs have healed nicely, but she's showing no signs of waking up anytime soon."

"When do you think she'll wake up?" I asked but he just sighed. "I can't tell you that Mr. Wolfe because I honestly have no answer. However, her heart seems to be growing weaker. And at the rate it's going, I wouldn't give her another month." With that, he gave me an apologetic look before leaving the room.

I just slumped back against the chair, shocked. The hand that I held in my slowly tightened and my eye whipped towards the bed, startled. Her wide eyes were staring back at me, along with a smile on her lips. "You're awake," I whisper softly, not letting her hand go.

A look passed through her eyes as she slowly shook her head. "I love you," she said suddenly, surprising me. "I realized a long time ago that I loved you. The night of my fight I realized that I hadn't told you. I was afraid that you didn't feel the same way, that if I told you, I would lose your friendship.

"You're a good man Johnny, don't ever think otherwise. You have so much love, kindness, and hope inside of you; don't lock it away and hide it from the world. Promise me." She demanded as her grip on my hand tightened. "I promise." My words slipped off my tongue softly, barely a whisper.

The smile on her lips grew and my heart beat faster. "I don't regret jumping between you and the gun, Johnny." She whispered and I watched as her eyes starting shining with unshed tears. "I would gladly do it over and over, as long as you were safe. No matter what happens to me Johnny, know that I'll always be with you, here." Her hand came to rest on my chest where my heart lay, racing."

Someone was shaking me. My eyes flew open to find Mr. Stone staring at me. He looked tired; the black bags under his eyes matched mine. I snapped my head towards the bed but found Amanda lying there still unconscious. Her face showed no signs of tears and I shook my head. Had I dreamed everything? I sighed softly and rubbed my face.

"Son, you look horrible." Mr. Stone spoke and I chuckled. "Why don't you go back to your apartment, freshen up, and grab a bite to eat. Maybe get some sleep. Bobbie and I will stay with her. We'll call you right away if anything happens."

"Thank you," I muttered softly as I stood up and walked the few steps to the bed. Leaning down, I place a soft kiss on her forehead and whispered "I love you" before slowly leaving the room. I had just made it to the elevators that were close to her room when I heard yelling behind me. Turning, I watched as nurses and doctors rushed into the room I had just left.

I stood there frozen as my heart broke. Promise me. Her voice suddenly sounded in my mind. My body jerked as if it had been shocked. You have so much love, kindness, and hope inside of you; don't lock it away and hide it from the world.

I could feel tears running down my face, but I didn't stop them. Whether our last conversation had been a dream or something I had made up, I had made her a promise. And I would keep it.

Bobbie's POV

I stood behind the crowd of people the surrounded my sister's casket. The skies were gray and a heavy mist was falling; Amanda's favorite kind of day. If there was no school, she would spend most days like this curled up on the couch reading.

My mind drifted back to the hospital and my eyes started burning. Wolfe had just left the room and my eyes fell on my sister. I couldn't help but wonder if she knew that something was going to happen after her fight. After all, she had been the one to tell me to leave as soon as it was over. And I did.

I had just stepped out of the gym when I heard the gunshot and my heart froze. I had thought that the worst thing I had seen in my life was her body lying in the arms of Wolfe with her blood soaking his clothes. Well, I was wrong. The worst thing I had seen in my life was her taking her last breath, her chest stop moving as the heart monitor told us that she was no longer alive.

Shaking my head, I noticed that most of the people were leaving. Yet, I stayed where I was. I waited until there was no one left and I slowly made my way to the casket. I found that I couldn't speak past the knot in my throat, so I just laid my hand on her casket.

"I'm sorry for failing you, Mandy. If I could go back, we would have never gone to that party. We would have stayed home or went out to the movies. We would have grown closer instead of apart." Removing a picture of the two of us just days from that horrible night, I stare at it before slowly laying it down on the bed of roses before me. Life was going to be heard, but I knew one day, the memories wouldn't hurt so much and there would be laughter instead of tears whenever she came to mind.