6 months to live

Vending Machine guy

    It was twenty minutes into lunch and Tatum was nowhere in sight.

          "I'm getting worried," I frowned.

         "Maya, forget about him. Let's just fangirl instead!" Chelsea pushed her phone in front of my face. "You know you want to!" Her smile was very wide. "I have some juicy inside gossip about—"

         "Now's not the time," I pushed her phone away which nearly caused her to drop it. "I'm worried about Tatum."

     I got up from the table and started making my way out of the cafeteria. My eyes instantly stopped trailing when I saw a guy who I believe was Tatum. He was leaning against the side of the vending machine outside the cafeteria.

        "Tatum!" I made my way over to him.

        "Nope, someone better," the guy smirked at me.

               Reece, I squinted at him. It was such a long time since he and I last talked. I had to pretend that I didn't care. Besides, I was looking for my boyfriend.

       "Reece have you seen Tatum?" I tried my best to ignore his remark. Reece was my ex-boyfriend. We ended up dating my freshman year but then out of the blue...he disappeared. Rumors spread about him leaving the country to go back to his home in France. I wouldn't have cared why he just suddenly had to leave, it's just that he didn't tell me!

          "I've just been here tending this vending machine. No Tatum here....just sugary fats-er..snacks."

        I gave him my best bland expression. "Wow, thanks vending machine guy."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Later that day Chelsea came over to my house. We gossiped, and then watched TV. Her favorite show was playing at the time. Chelsea was obsessed with music. If a band was hot or on the rising, she would know everything about the members including their blood type, date of birth, age, favorite food, even shirt sizes. Chelsea was so obsessed that nightly phone calls had became the norm in our friendship. No, not phone calls to check up on each other. They were phone calls of her crying to me because she had become convinced that she had fallen in love with the members.

   Chelsea and I told each other everything! From proverbial high school teenage girl stuff like who we thought was cute, to our deepest secrets like almost accidentally committing manslaughter, something that Chelsea swore she would kill me if I ever spilled the tea.

Since we were best friends, I decided that the moment was ripe. I was going to tell Chelsea.

"I've been wondering," Chelsea started. "Is there something going on? You seem really out of it usually."

I laid back on my pillows. "There's something I've been hiding from you."

"Tatum didn't do anything to you did he?" Her voice sounded concerned. She rushed over to me and started grabbing my limbs in a search for new scars.

"No, no!" I laughed. "It has nothing to do with Tatum."

"Then what is it?"

I bit my lower lip hard. More than anything I wanted to draw blood from my lip. "What if I just died? Like one day...I don't wake up anymore."

She furrowed her brows at me. "That's sick! Why would you ask me that?"

"It's a serious question."

Chelsea's lips opened and then closed. "Of course I would mourn for you."

"More than you mourned for Priscilla?" I shut my mouth in instant regret.

Priscilla, Chelsea, and I used to be the three musketeers, or the inseparable three if you must. We did everything together. We were partners in crime.

It all came to an end with just one drive to the movies.

Our driver had been slightly buzzed. We were just a couple of blocks away from the movie theaters when his car slammed into another car. The car ended up skidding off the bridge we were driving on. My brain shut down that moment. Most of the drive had faded away in some odd way to protect me. An important detail was missing from that day, however I still remember seeing Priscilla. The gruesome image would cause anyone to throw up at the site. It was very traumatizing to see your best friend look beat up to a point where you didn't even recognize the person anymore. It was Chelsea who first passed out upon the car slamming onto the street. Then I followed her next after seeing the body of what was once my best friend who now didn't even look familiar anymore.

Chelsea and I were the only ones who survived and coincidentally the only ones wearing seatbelts.

-----------------------------

Lighter stories honestly aren't really my thing. I prefer much darker, and more gruesome stories. I told you, I'll give you treats, but too much sugar isn't good for you.

If you know Reece then give yourself a pat on the back. I like my stories to stay connected, you know? You'll probably be seeing Alex so...yeah.

I really can't stress how important it is to wear your seat belt. I hope this opened up your eyes. One small detail can be what saves your life!
  As for Tatum, you're getting subtle hints that he's abusive. I'm not condoning abusive relationships at all! Instead I'm trying to promote awareness!!!