The Story Of Daniel

/t w e n t y - s e v e n/

Chapter 27

Eleven Months Before

It takes a lot to get over heartbreak. It was bad enough when you break up with someone you love, but having them die was absolute torture. But slowly, with the help of Amelia, Daniel started to pick up the pieces of his shattered heart. It seemed as if they were thrown all over the world, but he eventually collected them all.

Just like The Script said: when a heart breaks, it doesn't breakeven.

At school, people seemed to walk on eggshells around Daniel. They would ask him how he was or be polite just out of pity. Even the teachers treated him differently. But it was okay, Daniel finally accepted the fact that he was going to okay. He would never be the same, but he wasn't the one that was dead. Even though it sure felt like it for a while.

He started eating again, sleeping again, he even went to a few soccer practices. His coach told him he could take a break, but Daniel was ready.

He was going to be okay.

He had to keep telling himself that. And it eventually came true. His parents were supporting, Amelia understood, and Jelly loved. What else was there to ask for?

They had a memorial for Sarah at his school. They were reluctant to ask Daniel to prepare a speech, but eventually did. Sarah had friends, but none of them really knew her. Daniel was the only one, other than her family, that had known about her cancer before she died. Now the whole school knew, everyone did.

In his speech, Daniel gave the basics. He talked about how much of a great person Sarah was, how she didn't deserve to die just yet, but he didn't talk about it very deeply in fear that he might cry in front of the whole school.

Daniel later organized a fundraiser for the school that was collecting donations for research on cancer. He was getting by, he was going to okay.

Now

Daniel woke up to the light that was shining through the window. He sat up in his bed and immediately started to panic once he remembered what had happened the day before. Amelia had run away. Why was he just sitting here then? Daniel didn't know. Maybe he'd lost all hope. Maybe he didn't care. It just felt like the right thing to do. He needed to give Amelia some space; maybe that's why she left in the first place. Maybe she was sick of everyone constantly asking, Are you okay? Do you need anything? It must make her feel like a child when people say that kind of stuff to her. But Daniel was just trying to be careful. Amelia was like glass. You have to be careful or she might just crack and try to kill herself again.

The bright light illuminates the room and Daniel looks around. Only then does he notice; the walls are covered it pictures and Daniel's desk is covered in sticky notes.

Confused, Daniel gets out of bed and walks to the wall to examine the pictures. Some show Daniel with strangers. Some show Jelly. Some are just random; the sunset, houses, a bus stop. There's even one of Daniel working at a McDonald's. When were these pictures taken? A quick inspection of the photographs reveals the answer. Each one has a date printed on it. July 8th, 2022... August 21st, 2022... September 1st, 2022... October 31st, 2022...

But... that's the future...

How could these pictures be taken in the future? It was June... wasn't it? Last time Daniel checked; July, August, September, and October all came chronologically after June.

He walks to the desk to see what the little neon yellow papers that cover it say.

Jelly got really sick, but he's better now. What? Since when was Jelly sick? Daniel looks at the foot of the bed to see Jelly sitting there; his tail wagging. He sure didn't look sick.