Whispers

Nine

Blake and Rosaline walked slowly back down the road. It had started to sprinkle gently, but nothing hard. "It's like the sky is crying for him," Blake whispered, not meaning to say it out loud. Rosaline smiled, her eyes still glowing with tears. "Yeah, it was like that at his funeral too. We were all trying not cry, like he told us to. And then the sky cried our tears for us. He couldn't make it to where no one cried. It's impossible. I mean, he was one of my closest friends, and he was my brother. He was my rock, and now he's gone. But he wouldn't want me to be upset about it," she added, wiping a tear from her face. "He would want me to remain strong, and get through this. He made a whole section in his note just to me, you know. He wrote me a poem, and then explained it. Then he wrote an actual note. Telling me to never give in to society. That I am strong enough, whether I think so or not. That I'm beautiful, no matter what the bullies say." Rosaline paused, looking at the ground as she walked.

"What's wrong?" Blake asked, not knowing what to do. This was all so much for her, learning that the most popular girl in school had problems worse than her, and then actually being talked to as an equal. "And then I hang out with the bullies. I make others feel bad about themselves, even though I know what it can do to a person. I still make them feel like they are worthless pieces of crap, even though no one is that. No one is worthless. But they still feel that way because I made them. And I know they do; there's no use in trying to argue with me about it." Rosaline looked up at last, and kept her eyes trained on the distance. "You could say what you just said to me," Blake said after a while. "Not about your brother if you don't want to. But you could tell them that. That you were bullied too. And then you started hanging out with the bullies to make them stop doing that to you. How you in turn started to bully people and make them feel worthless. But no one is worthless; everyone is worth something."

Rosaline stopped in the middle of the road. Blake stumbled to a stop as well, wondering if she had said the wrong thing. "Do you think that would work?" Rosaline asked quietly, as if scared to speak any louder. "If people feel the truth like I do, yes." "Thank you," she whispered, and the pair began walking again.

They walked for probably fifteen more minutes before they were in the neighborhood. "Well, I have to go this way," Rosaline said, pointing to the opposite path of Blake's. Blake pulled Rosaline in a hug, surprised at herself. She rarely ever hugged anyone. "Thank you," Blake whispered into her ear, meaning more than what the two words meant. Rosaline pulled away, her eyes glistening with tears once again. "If you ever need me, call me. I'm sure you have my number somewhere." The two girls nodded, and headed their separate ways.