Cause of Death: Murder

2

August 2018

As the years went on I began to get more and more envious of Levi. I was there a year ago after he got his first kiss and he told me he thought it was gross. I was also there a week later when he said "you know, kissing isn't that bad. You're gonna like it when it happens to you."

I was there for his first break up, and his second, and I'll be there for his third too. He's supposed to have had seven different girlfriends before the end of high school, according to his future card.

My phone buzzed in my pocket and I wasn't surprised to see that it was Levi.

Hey, wanna come to the park with me and Cassie?

Cassie was a girl that Levi and I befriended in the seventh grade. She was in every class I had and it wasn't long before she was my second best friend.

Can't. I'm busy. I replied

Truth be told, I would much rather go to the park with Cassie and Levi but I wasn't lying when I said I was busy. Ever since that day two years ago, my parents had been taking me back to get retested for my future card. It was my idea actually. I hoped and prayed every day that the next future card I got would have more than five results on it. Once every month, my parents and I take a trip to the doctor's office to get more blood drawn, more hair pulled, and more spit swabbed, only to get the exact same result a few days later- Cause of death: Murder.

I still hadn't told Levi about my results, actually, I hadn't told anyone. The only people that knew were my mom, brother, and dad. I don't even think my other relatives knew I had taken the future card test in the first place.

Everyday I would try to change my results. I had no idea how to go about doing that but I thought that maybe if I do something I wouldn't normally do, like take a different path to school, or say something out of character, my results would miraculously be different. I learned what the Butterfly Effect was and convinced myself that it was going to save my life.

I got the same doctor as every other time, Dr. Salaman. He still called me son and talked to me as if I were an incomprehensive three-year-old. The test went by fast and we once again got a rundown on how long it would take, where to pay, yadda yadda yadda, blah blah blah. Then, we got into the car and went home.

Just as we were pulling into the driveway, I spotted Levi and Cassie sitting on the front steps to Levi's house, talking. As soon as they saw me, they both smiled and waved. I did the same and tried to hide what I was really feeling behind the smile.

They both walked over and Cassie was the first to speak, "Hey Xavier, I was just getting ready to go home, wanna walk with me?"

I turned back to look at my mom and ask for permission. Before I said anything, she nodded and I turned back to Cassie, "I would love to," she flashed a brace-filled smile at Levi and waved goodbye to him. He waved back and we started walking toward her house. It was only a few blocks away but sometimes the walk seemed like it took forever. This was one of those times. I watched her as she walked, her long auburn hair fell in tight ringlets down her back, her eyes were a bright mossy shade of green that she claimed got their vibrancy from contact lenses, but I thought they were just as bright through her glasses. Her cheeks had the kind of dimples that were always there but got even deeper when she smiled. I'd be lying if I said I didn't think she was pretty, actually, she was probably the most beautiful girl I knew. In my mind, she was the one girlfriend that I have before I die but in reality, it seems highly unlikely.

"I decided to get tested for a future card," she said after walking silently for a while.

"Oh yeah?"