Chasing An Echo

The End Of The Road

AUTHOR'S NOTE: The above is of the recently deceased, Amelia.

SONG FOR THE CHAPTER: How to save a life by the Fray

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The silence that followed her mother's breaking news lingered on for an eternity. Echo didn't move, couldn't speak. She just stared at the Lebron James poster on Chase's wall, but her gaze was so distant she probably wasn't even seeing it. Her chest tightened, making it harder to breathe; tears she didn't even remember shedding dripped from her chin and onto her jeans. Chase sat behind, confused but not questioning her, while he gently rubbed her bare back.

"Echo, honey, are you there? Are you okay? Speak to me..." her mother pleaded on the other end. But Echo didn't even hear her mothers words. Couldn't even respond if she wanted to, as the pain in her chest felt like it was tightening, constricting her airways, snapping her ribs. Her harsh words earlier about Amelia came rushing back then. Guilt-ridden thoughts swirled in her head, taunting her, ripping apart her brain.

"Echo if your still there listen, Amelia's grandparents drove down, they're here with me now. They aren't taking the news so well, since this is so soon after...Anyways. We're heading over to Amelia's...well their apartment now. But sweetie I need you home kay?" She paused to see if Echo would respond but there was still nothing but silence."Okay well I love you Echo so, soo much."

Then she hung up. Echo didn't move to end the call, the phone sat suspended near her ear until Chase finally reached up and took it. He pulled Echo onto his lap, holding her head near his chest. The simple act, caused whatever was holding Echo together, to finally snap. Tears streamed faster down her cheeks, while she she sobbed against Chase. Her crying escalated until she was completely hysterical, gasping for breathe while shudder after shudder ran through her. Chase waited patiently, holding her tight against him, wiping each tear as it falls. Her crying slowly died down and she just sat there breathing in his sweet scent. He kissed the top of her head and she clutched him tighter.

"Amelia...shes..." She started but he shh-ed her, she didn't need to say it he already knew. He smoothed the back of her hair while Echo got lost in her thoughts. She couldn't help but feel guilty. Guilty for not stopping her friend from living alone in New York, guilty for not pushing harder to find out what was wrong with Amelia that day Echo called, guilty for being a terrible friend. For a few more minutes she just sat there, letting Chase soothe her. With him, in his little room, she could forget, if only for a few seconds, that this is real. But she had to face reality soon, and that meant facing the fact that she's lost the one person who knew everything about her.

"I gotta go" Echo said scrambling out of his arms and off his bed. She hastily donned her shirt, actually, it was once Amelia's. Echo's eyes lingered on the rainbow pattern on it.

"Do you want me to go with you?" Chase asked, worry clear in the way his eyebrows crunched together. He was still shirtless, only his ripped-up black jeans on. He sat crossed legged on the small bed, his blue eyes searching hers. She wanted him with her, he was her distraction from the world. But she felt like she needed to go to Amelia's alone; she didn't need him there when the real breakdown/ sob fest happened.

"No, I'll go alone. I need to...I have to go alone" Echo mumbled. He nodded, he understood this feeling better than she did. His older brother passed 5 years back in the war, so he knew that what she needed right now wasn't here with him.

"Well if you do need me I'm here baby" Chase promised.

"Okay, I love you, I'll let myself out" Echo said giving him a peck on the lips before she scurried out of his cluttered room.

"Call me later" She heard him call as she flew down the stairs. Her beat up red-ish 2005 Chevy Impala, a hand-me-down from her brother Liam, was parked across the street of Chase's house. She jogged across the lawn and then the small stretch of road. The driver's door creaked when she opened it and there was the faint cigarette smell she could never get rid of. But Echo barely noticed these things. Without a moments hesitation, Echo started up the old engine and took off. She made it to their apartment complex in record time. At the end of the road she spotted, her mother on the steps of Amelia's old home, standing in the same place Amelia stood just 6 months ago.