"Leah!" The voice echoed through the corridor.
The familiarity made her skin prickle and her eyes water with new tears that wanted to escape. She blinked them away. She felt arms wrap around her body, shrouding her in a warmth that only her best friend could give. She embraced the warmth while it lasted before the arms retracted. She shivered slightly at the cold. She did not realise how cold she was until she felt a little warmth. She reached back out to take Kiera's hand into her own.
She lifted her gaze to Kiera and found herself gasping at the mess she was in. The normally calmed and composed Kiera that was always neatly attired had a hair dishevelled and her eyes red and puffy. That was astonishing, to say the least. The usual smile that adorned her face was absent and instead, there was a small frown that took its place.
She was unsettled by the new revelation that maybe her grounded friend was not as grounded as she thought. She no longer had a proper anchor--someone that kept her composed, stopped her fragile pieces from shattering apart, glued her back piece by piece every time she fell.
What was the point of an anchor that could not secure properly?
Leah froze for a moment at the realisation that Kiera was no longer useful to her or more like, she was no longer useful to Kiera. She would just be a dead weight that was dragging down someone that knew how to swim, someone that could survive, someone that did not have an impeded death as Leah did. It would be selfish of her to drag Kiera down with her. Kiera deserved better, better than herself.
A ghost of a sad smile hinted at her face. She was useless. No one needed her anymore. She memorised the feeling of Kiera's hand in hers, a comfort that she probably would not get ever again. She slowly released Kiera's hand, just like how she would release Kiera from her life ever so slowly.
She stood up from her seat and walked to the restroom. Kiera tagged along behind her.
"He left me! He abandoned me! He promised that he would be there for my wedding no matter how long it takes! He promised that he would be there for my first day of university! He broke all his promises! Do you know how that feels, Kiera? It's absolutely terrible!" Everything spilt out before Leah could even control herself.
The words stunned Kiera into silence. Leah regretted what she said as Kiera flinched and took a step back as if the words had been a physical blow and not a verbal one. Or maybe that was just how strong words could be. They could be more hurtful than punches could ever be. Maybe that was what people liked about words. Even the simplest of words could deliver the most of meanings.
Words could destroy the best defences.
Words could destroy the closest relationships.
Words could destroy the strongest people.
Words were the very weapons that everyone has equipped, but nobody has the manual. Nobody knew how to properly use their natural weapons, the responsibility that came with them. And with that came disaster.
After all, no one would want the atomic bombs in the wrong hands, would they?
"I'm sorry! I'm extremely sorry! That was really insensitive of me!" Leah frantically apologised. No matter how emotionless she wanted to be, she could not help but still have a conscience, especially since Kiera was her best friend.
Kiera shook her head, seemingly to shake herself out of her thoughts and then replied with a quick, "It's okay."
Leah wanted to object because she knew that that statement was obviously a lie but she accepted it and moved on. She took a deep breath before saying,
"He died when I was in the ward with him. The surgery worked and about two hours later he came to, seemed to panic, and then he had a heart attack."
