Of Scissors And Scooby Doo

Chapter 2

I let my mind wander and found myself thinking about a time where everything was way easier.

At least it seemed easier.

Eight year old Tori bit her lip and snuggled deeper under the blanket. Her eyes flicked restlessly over the glow in the dark stars glued to her ceiling as a question popped into her head. "Jade?"

"Hm?"

"When I die, will you be sad?"

The sheets under them rustled a little when Jade turned to her side. Tori watched in fascination as she saw that her blue eyes glittered, a little like real stars, in the faint moonlight that seeped through the window. "You're only nine. You won't die yet. Only old people die."

"I know. But..." She paused and turned onto her side too, so she and Jade were lying facing each other. Tori didn't really understand what exactly death was, if she was completely honest. She knew her grandma was gone now and she knew that her mommy was sitting downstairs at the kitchen table, crying. She was sad and Tori was sad too, of course she was, she loved her grandma. But her daddy said she felt better now where she was – Tori didn't know where she was now. Her daddy said heaven, but Tori wasn't so sure. People couldn't live on clouds, could they? – so her mommy should be happy that she was there now, right? But everyone cried, even Trina, and Tori wondered why that was. She also wondered if Jade would cry too, if she would die someday. "When I'm old and I die... will you be sad? Will you miss me?"

Jade blinked a couple of times, her thick eyebrows tugging down and lips pursing while she thought about Tori's question. "Of course I will. But I don't think we are supposed to think about that kind of stuff. It's not good."

Tori nodded. Jade was probably right. And why should she think about it yet? Like Jade said, she was way too young to die. She shouldn't worry about it just yet. But... would Jade still be her best friend when she was... 104? Would she be there when she died?

"Jade?"

Tori propped up her elbow to rest her head in her palm and looked at the girl next to her, who had turned back onto her back and was staring at the ceiling. "What?"

"Do you think we will always be best friends?"

"Why shouldn't we be?"

"I don't know. Maybe... Maybe you won't like me anymore when I'm old."

Jade frowned and met Tori's eyes. "I will always like you. Even when you have wrinkles."

Tori grinned. "I'll always like you too."

With a nod, Jade turned to the ceiling again but the corners of her lips were tilted up into a small smile. They were both silent but not yet asleep, even though they should have gone to sleep a long time ago. Then, Tori's voice sounded through the room again.

"Jade?"

A sigh. "Yes, Tori?"

"I can't wait to grow old and wrinkly with you."

"Tori?"

My eyes snapped open when my mom's voice called out. I removed my arm from my face and craned my neck to look towards the door where she stood, gripping the door and hesitantly smiling at me. "Can I come in?"

I didn't even hear the door open and if I was honest, I just wanted to be alone. But I nodded, why, I have no clue. Mom sat down on the edge of my bed, that careful smile still on her face. "Trina told me you might need me."

I slowly nodded. "Jade is back."

"I've heard." She twisted her body toward me and her hand came to rest on my knee. "Have you talked to her?"