The Wrong Choice

It's a normal Saturday morning for me, standing in the local cemetary, hand on her tombstone. This day was far more depressing though, being it was an overcast. The writing engraved was hardly visible as the day was beginning. Her name, Angel Redd, seemed to glow to me. I looked down at the dirt, where her cold, pale body lay. I remember the day she passed, I remember it too well. I remember it because it was my fault.

2 years ago, I was 16, so was Angel. It was the month of June, school just getting out on the 4th. I was sitting at my locker when she arrived. "David!" She yelled from across the hall. I looked from my locker to her. She smiled, her green eyes shining and brown hair bouncing as she ran towards me. "Dude, here she comes." Said my best friend, Mike. Mike was the kind of guy who only saw girls for that one thing. He was a party animal and a drunk. Just last weekend he passed out, and his friends shaved his head bald. He looked terrible. "You think I didn't hear her?" I snapped at him. "Damn dude, what's the deal?" Mike asked. "It's nothing I guess. I will tell you later." I said. Mike nodded and left as Angel approached. "How's it going Dave?" She asked, tilting her head. I shrugged, avoiding looking at her. She began to poke my side. "Talk mister!" She playfully said, putting her hands on her hips. I just shook my head. She began to growl and stomp her feet. "Babe come on." She began to pout. I looked over at her, and she saw something was wrong. Avoiding looking at her eyes, I looked at her band shirt, the down her skinny jeans, her Vans, then to the floor. I couldn't look at her. "Dave, I'm up here!" She said, tilting my head upwards. I locked eyes with her, her green eyes looking at my hazel ones. "Baby I don't know what's been wrong with you lately. You been avoiding me. What did I do?" She asked, tilting her head again. I shook my head once again, and shut my locker in anger. I looked back at her eyes, which began to swell with tears. She was known to cry, a lot. She was known for a lot of things. She was labeled as a freak to many people. It was because Angel was known to cut herself, to attempt suicide, to enjoy dark things. She wasn't a girly girl. She loved to skate, listen to metal, play basketball with me. She was perfect for me. So I thought. "Angel, I will text you later." I said as I walked out the doors of Western High. I met up with Mike at my truck, a beatup orange pickup. As I approached, Mike hit my tuck. "Dude, sell this piece of shit already." He said, laughing. "No dude, I love this thing. I want it to bare my children one day." I said with a smile. "That's Angel's job!" Mike said. I punched him in the arm, hard. "Dude, what the fuck?" He yelled. "Just don't talk about her okay?" I yelled back. We both got in my truck. I started it and pulled out, then went on my way home. He began to rub his right arm where I hit him. "Mike, I'm sorry. It's just..." I got lost in thought, fighting tears. "...something happened." Mike looked at me. I began to turn into my driveway. "Dude, she cheated on me." I said, my vocie cracking. "How did you find out?" He asked. "Well, at first I heard it from others that she was with this Rick guy. I didn't believe it of course. Then I was at the skate park, and I saw her and this guy laying there in the grass by the park. She didn't see me. I saw as the guy rolled on top of her to kiss her." I said with a single tear rolling down my eye. "Dave, dude, you known her since you two were 8. Grew up with her. Freshman year you asked her out, you guys have been dating for quite some time. Now we are going to be Juniors! And besides, Angel loves you." Mike said, patting his hand on my back. I punched my steering wheel. Mike flinched, and got out of my truck and walked to his house. He lives next door. I walked out of my truck. I put my keys into the door and walked into my empty house. My parents were dead, so I live with my 28 year old cousin Joseph. He wasn't home, being he worked at an autoshop at this hour. As I walked to my room, my phone rang. I saw it was Angel, and I answered it.

"Hey." I said as I answered the phone. "Dave, what is wrong with you?" She asked, her voice sounding cracked "It's nothing." I lied. "David Moore, tell me now!" She yelled, her voice cracking even worse. "No." I said blankly. "David!" She yelled even louder. I sighed. "How's Rick?" I asked. There was a minute of silence. "I asked you a fucking question!" I yelled. I heard her crying from the phone. "Answer me." I said in a serious tone. I heard her studdering with trying to speak. "So, it's true huh?" I asked, my voice filling with rage. "Yes David, it's true. I been with him because you have been nothing but an asshole to me! You blow me off for your friends, you always make fun of me, you hardly ever text me or call me back!" She began to yell. "So this is my fault huh? My fucking fault? Go die, you whore, and take that kid with you!" I screamed, hanging up. I sat down on my bed, with my hands on my face, and cried.

That night, as I was sitting with Joseph watching TV, there was a knock at my door. I opened it and Mike stood there. He hugged me. "David..." He began to say. "Angel. Angel is dead."

I felt my heart drop. I drove to her house, and saw the flashing lights of police and ambulance cars. I ran out from my truck to her house. The ambulance drove off, and I saw her parents crying. I ran to them. Her mom looked at me, and her face became red. "You killed her!" She screamed, tears going down. She ran into the house. Her dad, who was calm, walked up to me. "It isn't your fault son." He began, putting his hand on my shoulder. "She took the weak way out, killing herself."

Hearing she commited suicide killed me too. I looked down, then back up to him. "Angel slit her throat open, there was a note in her hand where her dead body lay." He handed me the note, and walked inside. I opened it

David Moore,

I can't tell you how sorry I am, because you will never accept my apology. None of this was your fault. I couldn't keep myself commited to you, because you turned into someone I couldn't stand. I love you, but I can't go on knowing that everything between us is over. Tonight I was going to call Rick and tell him we are going to stop. Instead, I called Death, and told him I'll see him soon. Goodbye love.

That was two years ago. I am now 18, about to go to college, far from my town. I spend this morning, my last morning here, at her grave. I look at my upper right arm. Angel Redd was tattooed to my arm, with angel wings coming out the sides. Mike called me. "It's time to go to college and party, fucker!" He yelled. I laughed. "Alright dude, on my way." I said and hung up. I stood up and looked at her grave one last time. I sighed, and whispered "I love you", then walked to my truck as it started to rain.