Pen-Pals

Dear Taylor

To the most precious girl in the world,

I arrived a week later.

It was no use though.

You'd already broken, given up.

It was my fault.

If only I'd have put you first.

And if only those girls hadn't thought what they were doing was funny.

They're all being investigated now as I told everyone what they did to you. It only seemed fair, they deserve to know how you felt though I doubt they'll ever feel the pain they put you through.

It breaks my heart to think that if I hadn't of been so stupid, none of this would've happened. This could've been preventable if I hadn't done what you'd said. I wish I had ignored you because even if that meant we were no longer friends, at least you'd have been safe and people would've been aware of the situation.

You're so beautiful and I wish I could hear that stunning voice of yours singing once more as we lay in the long grasses with our hands entwined and you singing love ballads under your breath.

I'll keep all the Polaroids as they show you as the person you were when you were with me, your family and mine: a loving, carefree girl with a heart of the purest gold.

The one with the sparklers will always be my favourite though Tay. Because those sparks show how I felt around you.

You were the light, the girl who made me happy by simply being there and who unknowingly burnt down.

Then the sparkles were gone and we were left with darkness. However through that darkness I could feel your smile and things were no longer dark.

Later that evening when we lay on the beach, we also took a Polaroid. It's my second favourite.

Us, standing in nice dresses and staring at the sunset. It was a glorious evening and I never want to see a sunset like that again without you. Our hands lay in each other's waists and although that was only our first day of meeting, it was as if we were made to be like that: close and supportive as you lay your head on my shoulder.

And after the Polaroid was taken I remember glancing down and seeing the most beautiful smile on your face.

That night was spent whispering secrets about us that no one knew and hoping that my sisters didn't hear as the tried to crash our sleepover. You didn't mind though. You gave them cookies and laughed at their bad jokes when all my other would do was get grumpy and snappy and complain before getting me to send them away.

You always were the kindest person I've ever known. You had a beautiful soul and although it went through so much it stayed gorgeously pure.

The next day we went shopping.

It was a ridiculous day to shop as the rest of St. Louis seemed to have joined us but we felt invisible amongst the crowds. No one really noticed us but that didn't matter.

We dived in and out of shops. Book stores and music stores, clothes stores and good stores.

The Pop Tarts we bought that day... I still have them. I was waiting to eat them with you so I still have full boxes of various pop tarts.

And in the music stores with our James Taylor and Carly Simon gifts. And the Polaroid of you rifling through all the vinyls with a grin on your beautiful face.

They're my favourite memories.

We loved every inch of that weekend as you told me and I wish it could happen again.

If the world wasn't so cruel in sure it would've happened again.

However life has a horrible way of twisting things: the nicest people get the worst things thrown at them. Literally with you.

And I would change that if I could.

Yet I couldn't.

My hands shake as I write this.

Why?

How?

All the things they did to you- even the stuff that you didn't tell me but I found in your diary with the note saying I could read it.

Shards of glass; punches and kicks; wooden sticks; water and waste; other things they put inside you.

How could they have so much disregard for others feelings?

I hope that life will be better for you.

So that only leaves me to say,

Rest In Peace, my angel.

Love Karlie.

•The End•