Lost Love - A Short Story

'The first time in a week that I'll talk to you, and I can't speak'

Upon Isabella's request James spent the rest of the day living as if Isabella didn't exist. Of course that didn't stop him from thinking about his girlfriend but after a while- even though he didn't want to admit it- he found it easier to stop thinking about Isabella if he just pretended that she didn't exist. The day went by slowly but James managed to make it until midnight without having any contact with Isabella.

At 12:01 he went back into his bedroom, where Isabella was sleeping soundly. "Hey." he walked over to the bed and sat next to Isabella. "I did what you said; I went the whole day without you. Do I get some sort of reward?" Isabella didn't respond, she just continued laying there. "C'mon sleepy head, wakey-wakey." but Isabella still didn't move and a wave of hysteria washer over James. "Bella?" he reached for Isabella to roll her over and felt that her skin was ice cold.

"Oh my god," James couldn't breathe; his chest was tightening with every passing moment. "Isabella!" he put a hand on Isabella's chest, desperate to feel her heartbeat.

She didn't. Isabella didn't have a heartbeat.

"No, no, no, no Isabella! Wake up, please!" tears were streaming down James' face as he roughly shook Isabella. The girl's body laid limp in his hands. "You can't die on me Bells, you just can't!" But Isabella didn't respond, her cold skin grazing James' fingertips as he slumped down onto the mattress.

"Xander! Kenneth!" he shrieked/sobbed, not caring that he sounded completely hysterical. It only took a few seconds for the two shorter boys to burst into the bedroom.

"What's wrong?" Xander asked breathlessly.

"Isabella!" Janes sobbed, pointing a shaky finger at the brunette laying on the bed. "She won't wake up! Xander you have to do something!"

Xander wasted no time rushing over to Isabella, frantically calling her name and taking her pulse. Kenneth gently steered James out of the bedroom, despite the brunette boy's struggles.

"Just calm down James, it's okay." Kenneth said through his own tears. James shook his head, a harsh sob tearing at his throat and he slowly slid down the wall and onto the floor. Kenneth knelt down next to him and wrapped his arms around James' shaking form, hugging him tightly. A moment later, Xander walked out of the bedroom, tears sliding down his cheeks.

"I'm sorry James." he said, his voice cracking.

James pulled away from Kenneth to look at Xander. "No don't say that Xander." he pleaded softly. "You're gonna be a doctor, you have to know what to do!"

"James there isn't anything I can do." Xander said softly, kneeling down to sit next to James. "I'm sorry but it's too late. She's gone."

"No." another strangled sob wracked at James' chest and Xander and Kenneth wrapped their arms around him tightly, letting their own tears fall onto James' seizing body. But the fact that there were only two bodies hugging him instead of three, the way it should be, just made him cry harder.

It just reminded him that Isabella was gone and she didn't even get to say goodbye.

"James." Xander pulled away momentarily, wiping his continuously falling down his cheeks. "I found this by the bed. It's for you." he handed James a note card folded in half with his name scrawled on the outside in Isabella's handwriting. Sniffling, James cautiously took the note card from Xander and opened it up. Inside, Isabella had written him a message. Xander and Kenneth looked over to see what Isabella had written for James.

'You did it baby, you can do it everyday, I love you'

James squeezed his eyes shut, and pressed the paper against his chest as his body shook with more sobs. That was Isabella's plan all along; to get James to spend the day without her because she knew she was going to die. Isabella knew and she didn't say anything to anybody. James wanted so badly to be mad at her right now but he couldn't even attempt to muster up any anger.

All he felt was heartbreak.