“I didn’t think it was a big deal until Monday when she didn’t show up at school. I was worried but soon just assumed that she was just going back to skippingschool like she had been for the last few weeks.”
“I was doing my homework the following Friday when I heard the phone ring. I answered it and on the other end was a frantic Mrs. Johnson. She told me that Maddy hadn’t come out of her room for a week. She also said that Maddy hadn’t spoken to anyone since Wednesday. She said that she was worried and wanted me to try to talk to her.”
“I told her that it was probably a bad idea but she was persistent.”
“I told my mom where I was going and hopped on my bike.”
“As soon as I got to Maddy’s house, Mrs. Johnson hurried me up to Maddy’s room. Once I was at Maddy’s door, Mrs. Johnson left me alone.”
“I tried getting Maddy to say something but all I heard coming from inside was silence.
“I tried to open the door but it was locked. That didn’t stop me. I had know how to unlock that door since I was eight years old.”
“I quickly had the door unlocked. When I opened it, I almost cried right then and there. There on the bed was Maddy. She had bled to death.”
“At first I was too shocked to be sad but it soon set in. My best friend was gone. I was all alone. I started to cry. The niose brought Mrs. Johnson up. I could tell that she was very sad though she tried not to show it. She went downstairs so she could call her husband and so that I could be alone.”
Alex paused and his eyes started to fill with tears again. Then he continued.
“I know this may offend some of you. And for that I’m sorry. I was just saying what I felt needed to be said. The truth. But now I want to say what Maddy meant to me.”
“She was my best friend. She helped me get through everything from the chicken pox to our first day of high school. I have benefitted so much and learned so much from Maddy.”
“I can’t imagine having a better friend than Maddy. Those last few months were hard and I’m still trying to forget them. But all in all, Maddy was the best part of my life. I looked forward to seeing her everyday.”
He stopped. He realized then that he loved Maddy the way she had loved him. Maybe even more than she had loved him. He started crying so hard that could only get a few words out.
“Goodbye Maddy,” he whispered. “I love you.”
Nobody could hear those last whispered words. Alex was crying so hard that all he could do was run away.
He ran as far as his legs would carry him. He ran into the first building he came to without really knowing where he was going or what he was doing. He ran into someone making him realize where he was.
He was at Maddy’s favorite resturant, the place they went every Saturday morning for waffles. As he listened more closelt to the area around him, he heard Maddy’s favorite song playing over the speakers. He went to a booth and sat down. As he listened to the song, he tried to sing along but could get past 500. He sat in a booth crying and listening to Maddy’s favorite song, “Seasons of Love.”
