I open my eyes, and I see Chris. He's lying next to me and I know. But I don't cry. I crawl off the bed and go get a nurse. And I stay in the waiting room, not wanting to see the sight. I hear Chris's mom crying loudly as I start to sit down. A couple minutes later, Chris's dad comes running in and heads to his room. I just sit in the chair, and I stare off into space. Telling myself it's just a dream, and I'll wake up any minute. I sit there forever. And when I finally zap out of my trance, I see teenagers surrounding his room, crying. I can't be here; it's too hard. I stand up and go and grab my coat. "Excuse me, Sophie?" I look over at the nurse. "Chris left this for you, it was on his nightstand, I'm so sorry." She says. I grab the papers puzzled. "But...what?" I start to say, but the nurse already walked away. I ride the elevator down to the lobby, thinking of the weight in my
hands. I head out the front doors and onto the pavement. I make my way down the street, feeling the crisp autumn air blowing around me. Forcing me to remember that summer is almost over. I keep walking, I keep thinking of Chris. And I end up on the beach. The first place we ever met and I stroll to the ocean's edge. I sit down and unfold the letters. Ready to face what he wrote.
