What If He Didn't Die?

Chapter 10: The Second Message

Throughout the class, I find it hard to concentrate. Every time I see someone pass in the hallway, I stretch in my seat to see if it is Jack or Eric. After many long minutes of unrest, I send a text to Eric

Easter
Hey, where u at?

My phone buzzes in less than a minute.

Eric
phy class😢

Easter
Enjoy😉

I reply faster than light when I see his message. A sense of relief like I haven't felt in a while now fills me but it is short-lived. The relief soon dies and a feeling of unrest and doubt disturbs me when I notice that Bella didn't send me any other after my message. In fact, there are no unread texts in my inbox at all, but I am sure my phone buzzed earlier.

I look at the top left corner of the phone screen and it shows a small new message icon still there. Clearly, I was not wrong, it definitely buzzed. I drag it down to see what it is and to my pleasant heart-stopping surprise, it says the same five letters word; ′Yours'.

I clench my phone tighter in my fingers. I don't feel scared or anything, I instead feel anxious. And desperate, to listen to it right away. I know exactly what this means, it is another voice message from Dan. He's sent me another message, he's talking to me. He's completely alive and safe, and it was not my imagination.

He is so alive.

The thought grows stronger and stronger under my skin and I feel confident about myself, about everything. This time I will be able to show Bella and she will believe me. She will have to believe because she will have clear evidence in front of her.

As soon as the class ends I grab Bella by her elbow and start walking towards my secret place, the teachers' parking lot but my feet stop soon after. That was our place, mine and Dan's, and I always want it to be our place. I can't bring myself to do otherwise so I turn around and walk back to the school building. Bella cusses me at my unexplainable actions but I know I will answer all her questions soon and that thought just excited me so much more. My feet get faster.

She keeps asking me questions all the while and I keep telling her that she'll know everything soon.

My happiness and confidence are at their peak when I enter the Janitor's room and lock it properly.

"East, what is wrong?" She asks in a hushed voice, her forehead crowded with heavy frowns as if someone has died. God!

"Now you'll believe me, Bella, now you'll know I'm not crazy and I'm not seeing or hearing things."

She looks at me completely confused, not knowing what to say, which only gives me more confidence.

I take my phone out of my pocket and drag the notification bar down. The ′Yours′ is still there. Clear, italic and bold.

"What is it?" She says in a voice that seems to somewhat understand what is happening here.

I look her in the eyes, replying to all her confusion with a huge smile. A smile so deep and wide, it lights up my eyes brighter than it has been in days, but Bella's eyes just get darker.

I flip the phone around for her to see. Her eyes descend to my phone screen and keep trailing up and down for a minute. And then, they lit up with realization and her breath stops in her lungs. She looks up into my eyes and when she receives a confirmation from mine, her jaw drops.

"Easter," is all she manages to say after a minute.

I flip my phone back to myself, tired of waiting for her to give the right reaction and move to stand next to her. After increasing the volume to its maximum, I place the speaker right between both our ears and taking a deep breath I click on the ′Yours'.

Heyyyy Easter Eggs.
You really thought I'll leave you alone huh?
*scoffs*
No eggs, How can I?
You never left me alone, remember?
Until now...

His words echo between our ears and there is no noise apart from our breathing. The message ends, but his voice starts running in my veins like blood again, making me stronger every second. I feel the heat radiating out of my skin and the thought of Dan being alive and safe sets deeper in my bones once again.

He is obviously safe and he is the person sending me these messages and no one can tell me otherwise.

I turn to face Bella who hasn't inhaled since the message ended. She looks at me and remembers how to breathe.

"Easter, this-"

"Yes Bella, this is Dan's voice. He sent this. He's alive!" My face feels hot with glee. I feel like dancing and singing and shouting this out to the world but I'm waiting for a companion. I look at Bella with hopes in my eyes.

"Easter but- but how can this be-" her voice breaks into cracks while she struggles to word her disbelief.

"It's simple Bella, he's alive. He's not dead. He didn't die!"

"But Easter-" she takes another deep breath and holds my hand in hers, "his car fell off the cliff."

"I know his car fell off the fucking cliff, Bella, but he could've survived. In fact, he did survive, the evidence is in front of you." I shake my hands off her grip to shove the phone in her face.

"Wait I'll make you hear it again." I open my phone again to listen to his voice once more and to make Bella believe in the truth as much as I do, but I cannot find it anymore. Just like earlier, it's gone.

I start scrolling and swiping violently to dig the message out of the stupid electronic. I know it is in there, then why the hell can I never find it?

My anxiety starts taking over my self-control and my hands start shaking vigorously.

"Calm down, Easter. It's okay we-"

"No Bella, it isn't, I need to make you believe in me, I need you to listen to it as many times as it takes for you to believe that he's alive. I cannot-"

"Wait Easter, wait. Listen to me. Let me-" she holds both my shoulders with her hands but I keep shaking in anxiety, searching through my phone for it.

"No Bella, wait. I need to make you believe. I know its-"

"Easter. Easter. EASTER I BELIEVE YOU." she snatches the phone out of my hands causing me to stop shaking and look up into her eyes. "I believe you. Trust me, I do."

I search her amber eyes for truth and I find it in there. A voice from inside of me tells me to believe in her, to trust her and I instantly do. She hugs me when tears start falling from my eyes.

Are those tears of happiness or tears of grief?

I don't know.

But I stay locked in her hug, letting them all escape my eyes until she sets me free.

I feel relieved like I am at the top of the world knowing that Dan is actually alive and now I finally have a friend who believes in me and is sharing my happiness.

It is such an overwhelming and exciting feeling to know that I finally made her believe in a truth that only I knew to be true. It's great how she can finally step in my shoes and feel my happiness in its true form.

It wasn't that difficult after all.