Special kind of Mentally Ill

Gunner

  I hadn't talked to Lenny in a long time. He wasn't making effort in our friendship since junior year. There was something different about him since senior year. He became so obsessed with Jackie. When she passed, I knew that would be a turn for the worst. He was such a blank face. He was to calm. I assumed he was on drugs. Lenny and I had been best friends since the age of 9. We were inseparable. When Jackie came into his life he became another person. I hadn't seen him act like that before, like so obsessive. He seemed to be very distant to the rest of the world. I tried so hard to be what we always were, best friends. It became difficult when he wanted nothing to do with me. I'd see him at social gatherings and I would be proud. He seemed so antisocial around Jackie. I watched him, watch her. I tried to include him in field fires, and barn parties, but he didn't seem very excited for anything. The summer after junior year he took a great interest in Lynette. They did things separately and then with the group. They were good together. Suddenly that goodness changed. He broke Lynette's heart and didn't seem to care. He was being such an awful person. I tried to have sympathy and understand. About half way through the school year, Jackie broke up with him. I don't know the extent of it. He became more open to being back to the old him. They soon got back together. She was his drug. They became more attached to one another then before. Close to the end of the school year I noticed Jackie wasn't there. Lenny looked awful. He looked restless and ill. I found out Jackie had passed and I felt terrible for Lenny. He was skipping school after it happened, but eventually came back. He then began to date Jackie's half sister Laney. It was strange how he could do that, but I let him be. Graduation came, I saw him at a big party and that was the last I would see of him for a long time. I can't recall the exact date but I remember seeing that Arnold, Lenny's brother committed suicide. My heart broke for him and his family. I rushed to see him. I came to his house late at night and asked to talk. I asked him if he was okay, and he was doing just fine. He was doing better than a normal person would if their loved one committed suicide. I thought it was strange. We got to talking and he told me he killed Arnold practically. He told me he killed people and I knew he wasn't lying. I could tell he was being honest. I got sick immediately and threw up everywhere. I told him I wouldn't tell anyone and he warned me about being dangerous. I thought he would flee but he stayed where he was. The cops got a warrant and arrested him. Soon he would face his prosecution and then he would be sentenced to death. This was quite the story of the town. We had all been raging over multiple murders happening in town. Lenny was good, he covered his tracks well. When I saw all the people he killed I was devastated. It hurt my heart. I investigated everything he did when he was put away. I saw the crime scenes and they were gory. I had to look away most of the time. I was best friends with a serial killer. He could have killed me. He had done so many things. I talked to his family that had just gone through a suicide and they were a mess. The town would see their family as a tragedy. I had to comfort the people close to him. After all, I was the one to put him away. I immediately told Laney and I had never seen someone fall apart so fast. Her heart fell heavy and her eyes glossed over with tears. I helped her broken soul and slowly she would be healed. She would always wear a scar upon her heart. I felt bad for her. Through everything we grew to love one another. I had to protect her from the horrors of her past. She went to see the execution, I told her not to. I wanted to be mad at her for going, but I just felt bad. A few days after the execution Lenny's mom dropped over with a folder. I asked her what it was and she told me it was Lenny's. It was a book he had been writing. She said no one could bare to read it. I left it on my night stand for a few days, and then my curiosity got the best of me. I laid in bed reading it all night. After I was done, I sat in thought. I finally understood why Lenny could do all the horrible things, and why Jackie was so important to him. I had to tell someone, anyone. I told Laney I received an unfinished book by Lenny. She wanted to read it. She begged and pleaded. I thought it would be bad for her, but I knew eventually she would have to read it. I didn't want her to know he didn't love her. Her heart was broken enough. I told her about his numbness and how he didn't care he killed people. She didn't put together that he didn't love her. She was still curious but I told her I didn't want to invade the dead's privacy. After we discussed the details of the book, as much as I could without hurting her, I thought of an idea. I wanted to finish the book. I got Laney to write how she felt and some people close. This is my chapter. Lenny wasn't always a bad guy. He was once a good boy, but now he's gone. He's paid for what he's done.