𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐊𝐢𝐥𝐥 | 𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆

51: 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

Tears continued to stain my face as I walked back into my house. I was so hurt and I didn't even know it until I saw Damien today. What he put me through was terrible, I lost so many nights of sleep and blamed myself for something I didn't do. I even stopped driving for a while. Times like these made me miss Scarlett. She'd always know what to do and my heart ached once again because she wasn't here. I decided to swallow my pride, if two things were going wrong I could at least try to make one right.

The phone rang a few times before she picked up. "Hello?" She spoke into the microphone and I took a deep breath.

"Hey Scarlett, it's Naomi. I don't know what happened to you during these last few months. I'd call you repeatedly but you'd never pick up, no texts, no voice messages nothing. You're supposed to be my best friend, I know you have a lot of shit on your plate but we always promised to take care of it together. I needed you so much, I needed my best friend and I don't know why you weren't there. I just want to know what I did so I can at least try to salvage our relationship. Please."

I heard some sniffling on the other end of the phone. "Is it too late for me to come over?" She asked I began taking off my dress.

"You know it's never too late." With what I said she hung up immediately. I took this time to wash my face and change into some shorts and a crop top. I stared at my reflection in the mirror and sighed. I didn't notice how small I'd gotten until my aunt pointed it out. My ribs were visible and I now had some sort of a thigh gap. None of these things were bad, it's just not something I was used to seeing. I was always an average weight.

With another sigh, I pick up my phone and head downstairs. I bring out a few cookies and ice cream from my pantry and begin eating them on my couch. Turning on the movie, Legally Blonde.

A couple minutes into the film my doorbell rings and I walk to open the door. Scarlett's on the other side, her eyes red and swollen from tears with my favourite ice cream in her hand. She throws her arms around me, "I lost him, Naomi. I'm so fucking sorry I couldn't pick up your call I was with him till his very last breath. I watched him die, the life drain from his beautiful eyes." She continued to sob and the moment she said this, tears started streaming.

Scarlett had a little brother named Sean. He was 13 when he was diagnosed with leukemia. I had no siblings so Sean was like a little brother to me. I taught him everything he'd need to know for high school, we'd all go out for ice cream and buy him clothes. And knowing that cancer took him away crushed my soul. "I'm so sorry Scarlett. He's with us, watching all of us."

We both sit down on the couch and her tears stop. "I saw all your calls Naomi, all of them. I just couldn't bring myself to pick it up. Sean was my baby brother and now he's gone. Before he even got the chance to do so many things."

I continued to rub her back, something she always did to me when I cried. "It's like the moment he turned 15, he knew he was going to die. He stopped talking about his plans and every time I asked him about what he wanted to be when he was older, he just changed the subject." She released a giant sob, "Naomi I failed you as a best friend. You had your problems and I only focused on mine. I'm sorry for that."

I lay my head on her shoulder and sighed. We both just stare at the wall. "Sean was my brother too Scarlett. Remember when he'd tell his friends that he had two older sisters? That always made me smile." I cry even more thinking about him. "He's with us and in our hearts."

She smiles, "he is. He told me to tell you that you're the best older sister someone could ask for. And surprisingly, you'd make a great mother."

I laughed, "I don't know about great mother."

She smiles, "You love children so much though! I can see you becoming a mother of four."

"Four?!" I asked, clearly alarmed. "Too much; I think 2 children are enough for me."

Scarlett and I catch up with each other. I tell her about what happened with Damien and she tells me about her and Javier's crazy love stories. Before we know it, it's four in the morning and we're wrapped in blankets eating ice cream and cookies, watching our favourite teenage movies.

My heart warms again with the return of my best friend. At least something can go right.

Remade chapter - August 15 2023