Her Last Breath~13 Reasons Why~

4

I look up as Alex sits down next to me on the bench. He nudges my shoulder and I take the headphones off.

"Hey, Myla. What you listening to?" He asks as I slide the headphones into my bag with the Walkman.

"Oh just the usual. Neighborhood, depressing shit." Alex laughs and looks at my eyes. His smile deteriorates and I look back up at him. "What's wrong?"

"Are you feeling okay? You look pale and your eyes look... blank." Alex says. I try to plaster a smile onto my face and nod.

Alex stands up and pulls me with him then makes me jump onto his back as we head to first period.

Thus began the story of Monet's, the story of friendship. It was a hot chocolate friendship good for cold months, but maybe not perfect for all seasons.

For a while we were the kind of friends you wish you had. We did disgusting things like shop together and compare what we bought.

And talk about boys.

And just like that three became four. And like before you know it you're best friends.

There was nothing two hot chocolates, Myla's and Alex's coffee drink du jour couldn't fix.

You need friends. Even just hot chocolate friends.

Especially when your life goes to shit.

Day after day, drink after drink we lifted our mugs and we lifted each other.

In spite of our differences, we were what we each needed at that moment in time.

Four drinks against the world.

Two hot chocolates and what ever the hell Alex and Myla were drinking.

I'm not great at math but here's one thing I learned for sure. One plus one plus one is not a simple equation. Alex was the first to stop coming. He found some other friends. He traded up. We were still friendly in the halls but that's it.

Then it was down to Jessica and me. But then Jessica stopped coming too. We all went our separate ways. Or so I thought.

It was fine Jess. It was.

You're the kind of girl that boys like to like, not spread rumors about. You're the nice girl. The kind that becomes a cheerleader.

When Jessica has something on her mind, she lets you know. And I knew what she wanted to talk about. Alex's list.

You see that's just how it works in high school. Boys talk, girls listen and everything gets messed up. Or at least that's how it was with us. Right, Jess?

You needed it to be my fault. So it was my fault.

I remember that day at Monet's. Hannah was my ride home and she stayed to talk to Jess. Jess slapped her and when I tried to stop her she cut right above my eyebrow with her fingernail. And me being how I am it bled a lot more than it should have which resulted in the scar above my eye.

Friendship. It's complicated.

Losing a good friend is never easy... especially when you don't understand why you lost them in the first place.

Like I said it's complicated.

I sit my penny board on the ground and start off, plugging my music in now instead. I just need to drown it out. Drown out the world.

A car horn honks and I jump, falling off the penny board and rolling against the concrete. The tires screech to a stop and I hear two car doors open as I try to sit up.

"Hey. You okay?" Zach Dempsey asked, hand on my shoulder as I rolled up my pants leg. Blood was already going down my leg from the scrape.

"Okay we're going to Bryce's. Come with us and we'll clean up your leg." Zach says. I hesitate before I let him help me into the passenger seat. He drives off and I see Tony's red mustang where he is inside, shaking his head.

When we get to Bryce's, Justin is the first to react. He goes over and lifts me onto the counter, putting gauges on my knee to make sure it stopped bleeding. He wraps it up and I get down.

Jessica looks at me as I walk over. She looks up at Zach and Marcus then back at me. Her expression is hard and she's slightly glaring at Justin.

"God. What did you guys do to her?" Jessica asks, holding onto my elbow as I sit down. Marcus puts his hands up. "I wasnt the one driving."

" I honked the horn when she was on her board and scared her. She fell." Zach said looking at me.

"Okay come on, Myla. Monet's." Jessica said and we walked out to her car. I got in the passenger seat while she got in the drivers seat.

When we get Monet's, I order a random drink like I would have with Alex. Jess orders her infamous hot chocolate and we sit down.

"How far are you?" Jess asks as I'm taking a drink. "Your tape. Just finished it actually." Jessica looks at me and plays with the rings on her fingers.

"Look, you know as well as I do that I didn't mean to hurt Hannah and neither did Alex. I won't defend Justin because he should have done something to stop them." Jessica says and I nod because I know she's right.

The bell on the door chimes and Alex comes over to sit with me and Jessica. I look to the empty seat Hannah would have sat in if she was here.

"For fucks sake, Myla. Answer your phone for once. You almost gave me a heart attack." Alex says, hugging my shoulders. I look at him confused.

"Bryce texted me and said you were over at his place and were pretty banged up. When I got there you weren't there and Zach said you guys were here."

I take a drink and Alex orders the same drink as me. Jessica looks at Alex then back at me. "Okay so have you started tape two yet?" Jessica asks. I shake my head. Alex and Jessica look at each other.

"Myla, promise you won't hate me. Understand I didn't mean it like that." Alex says. I nod and then we leave.

~~~

When I get home again, I fall onto the couch and Dad looks at me from the kitchen. "Hey, Myla. Come here." I hear Mom and I get up walking in there where Mom is with a sheet of notebook paper. Mom turns the Paper around and I look at it.

"Do you know what this is," Mom asks. "Myla, even you're on it."

How could I forget?

"Mom, it's just some stupid list. It was a joke." I tell her then go upstairs.

I get the tapes and Walkman out of my bag and put the next tape in and press play.