Abby (long version)

E I G H T

Johnny and I walked hand in hand down the street, swinging our arms. With only a couple weeks left, we had decided to go for a walk. Besides, it was the first day of summer.

I rested my head on Johnny's shoulder as we walked, and he put his arm around me. "You know, I finally know what it's like to live for someone else," he said.

"Yeah?" I cocked an eyebrow, a trick I'd picked up from being around the gang so much.

"Yeah."

"And who did this to you?"

"An angel."

"Is she as beautiful as she sounds?"

Johnny took my hand and twirled me. "You know she is."

There was a brief silence. "Johnny, the lucky ones get to be loved by the one they love. I consider myself the luckiest girl in the whole world."

"Abby..."

"Life's too short to sit around mourning the ones we lose. You gotta go do something great," I said quietly.

Johnny was trying not to cry. "I can't imagine a life without you in it."

"You'll have to. You've done it before; you can do it again."

"Abby, don't say things like that. You're scaring me."

I sighed. "I've only got a couple weeks left. If I don't say these things now, they'll forever go unsaid."

"Two weeks isn't gonna be long enough," Johnny said quietly.

"Fifteen years wasn't long enough. I guess we've just gotta get used to precious things getting cut short. There's actually a poem about that. I can't remember the words, but it was Nothing Gold Can Stay by Robert Frost."

"I'll have to read it."

"Johnnycake, I love you. Even death won't separate us."

"I love you more than life itself," Johnny whispered.

I gave Johnny a tender kiss. "Even though it feels like the weight of the world rests on your shoulders, don't let it weigh you down. I'll always be there to lift you up."

Nothing more was said, but Johnny squeezed my hand tightly. We made our way back to the Curtis house slowly, not wanting to let each other go. I was scared that anytime I let him go could be the last time.

"'We would cry an ocean, if we lost true love,'" I gently sang, breaking the silence. Johnny hummed the tune as I sang.

We just kept walking, hand in hand, down the ghetto streets of Tulsa. Most people don't think of that as romantic, but who needs a candlelit dinner when you already have the person that matters most to you?

There were two men just inside the front door when we got back. "Abby, these two men want to talk to you," Darry said as we walked in, sounding concerned and suspicious.

One man wore a neat suit and hand a folder underneath his arm. I didn't recognize him, but he seemed to be overly professional. The other man was thin with thick glasses over his eyes. His hair was too neat, and his sweater clashed with his pants. It was my uncle Eugene.

I gripped Johnny's hand tighter. "Abby, I'm glad you're alright," Gene said.

"Of course I'm alright. What made you think I wasn't?" I was shaking, and Johnny put an arm around me to steady my nerves.

The other guy stepped forward. "I'm a social worker from the state. We couldn't help but notice when your parents died, and you didn't fall into the custody of anyone. We're here to fix that."

"No. I'm fine here, thank you," I said sternly.

Darry put his hand on my shoulder. "We'd really like her to stay. She's like a sister to us. Abby should be allowed to make her own choices," he said firmly.

The social worker shook his head. "We've already arranged for her to stay with her uncle."

"And where does her uncle live?" Darry asked.

"Oklahoma City," Gene said.

"That's too far away. I'm not leaving everybody behind," I nearly shouted.

"Come on, Abby. Grab your stuff so we can go," the social worker pleaded in his professional tone.

"No!" I screamed, pushing past everyone, and running out the door.

I kept running, taking all shortcuts I knew. I was determined to get away from those two men. I hated my uncle. I hated him with a passion. I couldn't imagine leaving everyone I loved to live with some guy I never wanted to see again.

I was almost at the vacant lot, but my vision was starting to blur. At first, I thought it was tears that were limiting my sight, but no tears came. I didn't care what happened, though, as long as I escaped. The gang would know where to find me.

My senses seemed to dim, and I lost my footing. "Johnny," I tried to cry out, but no words came out. I crashed to the soft grass in the lot, and everything went dark.

Johnny's POV

"This is all your fault!" I hollered at the two men, after Abby broke my grip and ran out. Darry was wide-eyed. He'd barely ever heard me talk, let alone yell at someone.

I went running out after Abby. I followed her as she cut through the block towards the vacant lot. I watched her stumble and fall when she got there.

"Abby!" I screamed. She wasn't getting up.

I slid to my knees beside her and cradled her. "Abby," I softly cried. "You'll be okay."

I knew she was gone, though. I knew, just as sure as her pulse had disappeared, that she was dead. The love of my life was gone. I gave her one last kiss on her soft lips and started to cry. "'We would cry an ocean, if we lost true love,'" I gently sang, as she had done only a few minutes before.

I noticed one of her hand's had been balled up in a fist. I gently opened her fingers, knowing she'd likely been holding something. It was a paper flower, one she'd folded, crumpled in her palm.