Before Her Eyes

Chapter 1

"You can live your whole life not realizing that what you're looking for is right in front of you." - David Nicholls

"Are you sure you don't want me to drive you home? It's pretty late, and you shouldn't be walking around by yourself, " Hunter asked in a concerned tone.

I glanced at the clock as I finished slipping on my boots, 11:57 pm. Three minutes. I had three minutes to get home.

I drew in a deep breath and sighed heavily.

"I promise I'll be ok. I just need to clear my mind. Plus, you know we don't live in that big of a town," I said.

We all practically knew each other in this mostly vacant town. Las Fort consisted of a diner, a few stores, many vacant homes, two schools, and a small medical center that was being run out of our town's only Dr's house.

We didn't have a hospital, college, police station, movie theater, or anything of the sorts. If there was something that we really needed or wanted, it was in the next town over, about an hour's drive away.

Mary said years ago this town had a lot more people, but most of them moved to the next town over. She didn't mention what had caused so much of our town to disappear or why we gained so many visitors every spring.

"Just let me take you home. I'd be a terrible friend if I just let you walk out there alone," she pleaded.

"Nothings gonna happen Hunter," I gave her a reassuring look.

"Just promise me one thing," I added.

"What...?" She asked suspiciously.

"If something does happen by some chance, you'll make sure they use a cute picture of me in the newspaper," I said with a small smile, looking towards the ground, trying to avoid the topic I knew she'd try to bring up.

"May, that's not funny....You need to tell someone," she said, slightly raising her voice towards the end.

I cautiously lifted my tired brownish green eyes to her piercing blue ones. I already felt guilty, and I didn't want to cry anymore. I'd been doing that for the past few hours, and it hadn't gotten me anywhere.

"I can't do this right now. You know what I'm going through, so please just drop it," I said with a weary tone, not wanting to fight when I already knew it was pointless.

"You can't go through this alone. Why won't you let me help you?" She sounded defeated.

"What kind of friend would I be if I just sat back and watched you possibly get hurt?" she asked.

"A good one, because you'd actually listen to me and give me the privacy and space I needed to figure this out," I snapped.

I turned on my heel out her front door and quickly glided down her porch steps into the crisp February air. I stopped in my tracks with my back still toward her as she started to speak.

"Don't call me until you're ready to let me in, I'll wait May. You're my best friend," she called out to me.

As soon as I heard the door shut, a single tear slipped out and trickled down my cheek. I pulled my headphones out of my pocket, turned my volume all the way up, and did the only thing I know how to do best, walk away from my problems.

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I crossed my arms, trying to keep them warm. I cursed myself for forgetting my jacket at Hunter's.

Maybe I should go back and get it?

I only lived a few houses down, but it would be nice not to almost freeze to death on my way home. Actually, that didn't sound too bad. At least I wouldn't have to hear another speech about coming home late. You'd think those speeches would stop by nineteen, but I was still waiting.