Silver Starling

Mail

"You may be gone from my sight, but you are never gone from my heart."

A week had passed, but I had been able to see Jaden by face timing him. But in the past few days, he hasn't called at all. Whenever I'd meet up with Iyla, Layne, and Nadene, the one subject we'd always skip would be Jaden. He was one of our beloved friends and it hurt so much to think that he would be gone, that meant it had to be much worse for Roxie, she had only been an official couple with Jaden for only to days, and now what. Roxie wouldn't always be with us anymore, she'd be off somewhere. It kind of felt like our friendship was falling apart.

Jaden too, the last time I talked to him, he seemed so convinced that he was going to do. Why is he? He has one more month to recover, he shouldn't die, it's not right. He shouldn't, he can't! I do want him to, that sick person should be convinced to live nor die, he has a life to live. A life with Roxie, where the two can be lovers without any grief. A life where Jaden can continue to be my best friend, we could be a happy circle of friends with Layne, Iyla, and Grayson, maybe even Nadene could become closer friend with the rest of them two. It will be a fun life with Jaden in it, so he has to stay, he needs to! With Jaden, Roxie will stay, she hasn't talked to me, and she needs someone to be with.

My phone rang, and on the screen was Roxie's name. I picked it up with some relief, "Hello. Roxie!You don't know how happy I am to see you've called!"

"Sterling," her voice was broken and muffled, "Mail. Go to mail." Roxie ended the call, hanging up on me with no sound.

I was scared to get the mail for once, it could be a happy thing and Jaden could be standing there waiting for me and Roxie was crying of happiness, she might not have had that stuffed voice I heard. Yet once I was outside, there was nothing, no one waiting for me, no one making me smile. At the mailbox, there was a letter with my name written on the front in a handwriting I know, Jaden's neat handwriting.

The envelope made me smile, this is what I wanted, evidence, Jaden was back, healthy and alive. I ran all the way to his house with the letter secured in my hand. I wasn't very athletic so a cramp was riding up my stomach painfully like little pins stabbing me with every step I took. But those tiny jabbings were worth it to see and have my best friend back. My breath was so uneven after all that running, I stopped to catch my breath before I slammed my finger into the doorbell.

Gently pressing the doorbell, I crumpled the envelope slightly in my fingers. My excitement levels were so high, I didn't bother to fix my hair that made my neck hot after the long run. It was a while before the door opened, opening to Mrs. Leyson. Her eyes were still puffy like she never stopped crying, once she saw me Mrs. Leyson didn't brighten, she just seemed more down.

Mrs. Leyson wiped her tears and looked down at my hand, "I see you've gotten the letter." She kept staring at my hand, not looking at my face. "You haven't opened it."

"What's in the letter?" I asked, hoping for a satisfying answer.

"Jaden. His words are in the letter."

"Thank you," I held back my tears, blinking them away. "I'll be on my way then."

I left the house steps in slow motion, my footsteps felt heavy like concrete. Who knows how long it took me to get to the park bench. No one was around, and it was a suffocating heat, making it hard to even lift up the slightly wrinkled envelope. There were two things inside of it, a piece of paper and a bookmark. I remember hinting for one a long time ago, or maybe it wasn't that long ago, it was before I found out Jaden was sick, back when I was happier, life seemed great at that time. On the first side of the bookmark was a blue and yellow sunrise, in the middle was the black outline of to hands holding onto each other. The back held a pink and orange sunset, and in the middle again was the outline of two hands locked in a pinky promise. I opened the letter next, knowing exactly what would be written on it.