You Should be Here

Henry

Anastasia Lebbons was the prettiest girl I had ever met. She was my best friend. I gave her my ring pop in third grade on the playground and asked her to marry me. Just last year I gave her a real ring. We were supposed to be married two days ago...

Anastasia died three months ago in a freak car accident. She lost control of her car, sending her and her car into the ocean. It was late at night. We just recently found her body. Sometimes it doesn't even feel real that she's gone.

Sometimes I just lay and in bed and pretend she's still here. I imagine myself wrapping my arms around her. She blonde hair that used to smell of strawberries. She lips soft as petals, pink like bubblegum. Her caring words. Even her belly laugh that I used to adore.

"Are you ready to go?" Tyler asked. Tyler was my best friend. We had known each other our whole life. Tyler, Anastasia, and I were best friends.

"Yeah," I said climbing into the jeep.

"Did you sleep last night? You look awful?" He asked pulling out into the street.

"No, dude," I whispered. In fact, I haven't really slept in three months. When I slept I dreamed of Anastasia. But I would realize it wasn't real and I would wake up. Nothing helped.

"Well, wake up, we have this party. And I'm not taking it on alone," he laughed.

Today was the Fourth of July. My friends and I host a party every year. Tradition I guess. I begged Anastasia last year to not go but she said friends were important. Friends were huge to her. So this year, I had to keep it alive for her...Alive for a dead girl. How morbid is that?