𝙳𝚘𝚗'𝚝 𝙵𝚘𝚛𝚐𝚎𝚝...

Chapter 37

The days passed by slowly, turning into weeks, then months. 

Every day Will woke up, went to school, and then shut himself off in his room, talking only to his parents. Kyle supported him as much as he could, but really...Will felt like giving up. 

On Rosemary. On Jackson. On this entire drama that uprooted his life. 

But it wouldn't let him alone. As the days went by, Rosemary grew closer and closer to Jackson, and Jackson apparently to her. James Reidall had stopped coming to school; he was being home-schooled by his mom, who had gotten back together with his dad. After Charlotte's death, his parents decided to get a new, fresh start and start over their lives.

James visited Charlotte rarely. He had told Rosemary and Will that he wanted to move on, but there was some tiny string, some part of him, that took him to Charlotte's grave.

So Will took it upon himself to visit her regularly. At least once every week, he sat in front of her grave and told her about his week. How Rosemary was. How his parents were. How he was. He told her his worries, his thoughts about giving up, and while she never replied, it was soothing to let go of the burden. 

The best part was that it didn't even let Will feel guilty. After all, how could you make a dead person feel burdened from your secrets? 

Rosemary had moved on, had gone and become someone Will didn't even know anymore. They barely spoke, unless it was something generic, like, "Hey, pass the salt." 

She tried talking to him. But every time she said, "Will, can we talk?" their conversation ended up on Jackson and his friendship with Rosemary. 

The same argument, over and over. 

And Will was tired. 

Half a year had gone by since they first argued. He didn't even know his sister anymore. 

His sister, Rosemary, who had once had the most vibrant eyes, with a soft smile and could make Will laugh anytime. Rosemary, who had once been so gentle and kind and listened to him. 

Now...that Rosemary had been replaced with a girl with a pale face, bags underneath her eyes, a distant expression, and she just wasn't her lively self anymore. At least, that was what Will observed. Who knew what she was like with Jackson? 

He wasn't sure when Jackson would make his move and hurt her. It had been some time; he was in ninth grade now; the summer had started and gone. 

He would hurt her soon, Will knew. They were both fifteen years old, nearly sixteen. They had been friends for some time now. And Will, deep within his heavy heart, prayed that Jackson would never get around to hurt her. 

He wished it. On his birthday, whenever he saw a shooting star, whenever a sign of luck passed—he wished the same. 

Don't let Jackson hurt her. 

The strangest thing about wishes was that sometimes, they came true. Other times, not really. How did the world decide which wishes to grant, and which ones not? How did the world know? Why were wishes a thing, anyway? If you wish for something over and over, would it be more likely to come true? 

And what about those wishes that didn't? Was there a reason? Was the world just being cruel to you? 

Those were two wishes. 

But there was one other, crueler, more dangerous. Wishes that you make, but don't specify. 

Those wishes were the most dangerous. 

 That was the type of wish Will made. 

Don't let Jackson hurt her. 

His wish came true. 

---

He closed his eyes breathing in the pines. It had been half a year since she died, exactly. He missed her. 

He missed the way she would smile at him, would hug him. But after the accident, he realized, things had changed. 

So much. 

He missed how she had been before. 

"I miss you," he whispered, choking on his tears. "I miss you. So much...I didn't believe you'd died until Dad told me. I had to see you for myself. I'm sorry. I—I'm so, so, so, so, so sorry."

He placed the pink rose on her grave. 

"I hope one day you could forgive me," he whispered. "It doesn't have to be now...

"I love you." 

~ Lyn 

Words: 720 

So! I think a couple more chapters until this part ends! ;) 

I hope you're enjoying so far! 

See you next timeeeeeeeeeeeeee