ONE CHANCE

Chapter 17

Beloved by family, cherished by friends. Emily Rose Headrick. April 22 1993- July 23 2013.

A few tears falls from my eyes, my heart breaks a little. A 20 year old, innocent and young lays here. I can't seem to stop the questions flooding my mind. How? Why? What happened? The anniversary of her death is coming up in a few days. No wonder Bryce came to visit.

Flowers still stand by her headstone. Some on their last few petals while others are still alive and blooming. I lean down on to my knees so I'm eye level with her headstone. A photo frame sits beside a bunch of white daises. It's a photo of Emily. Her blonde hair cascades down her body stopping just above the middle of her back, her brown, captivating, smiling eyes, her lips spread across her face in a wide smile. She is beautiful. She is flawless. And she reminds me of myself. Innocence reflective in her smile and eyes.

I smile a little to myself, imagining what type of person she would've been. I stand back up, checking my surroundings. The sun is beginning to set. Few people are leaving now and I take that as my cue to do so as well.

+

I walk through the gates of the college making my way straight to my dorm. While I'm walking I see Dani walking out of the library. Her head hangs low instead of up high with pride like she use to. Her books clutched tightly to her chest. I pick up my pace and rush over to her.

"Hey you okay?" I ask. It's only now that I think she may be bothered by me knowing the truth but I reassured her that I'm okay with what's happened in the past. She looks up at me; her eyes show nothing but sadness.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She weakly smiles.

"Dani..." I push.

"It's one year tomorrow." She says quietly, her voice shaking.

"One year of Josh?" I ask, my voice soft. She nods before a few tears fall from her brown eyes. So the 18th of July is when he past. My heart breaks. She's going to be a mess tomorrow. I take her into my arms, to comfort her. It's the only I can do. I can't exactly sugar coat the anniversary of tomorrow.

"Are you going to be okay tomorrow?" I ask with concern.

"Yeah just going to isolate myself from everything and everyone tomorrow." She answers.

"Are you sure? I can come down to your dorm and we can just talk if that will help you deal?"

"No, I deal with this a lot better on my own. Thank you though, I appreciate your offer."

"No problem, you know where to find me if you need someone." I rub her back in comfort before pulling back from the hug.

"Thank you, I'm going to go, I'll see you around." She waves me off. I wave back at her.

Poor, poor girl. I can't imagine what she could be going through right now. Not only now but also ever since she realized she was the reason why. July 18th will forever break her for as long as she lives and roams this earth and that upsets me.

"Little one!" A voice calls from behind me. I smile.

"Do you always just come up from behind me every time I'm walking back or from my dorm?"

"Seems that way doesn't it?" He chuckles and I nod.

"Where have you been today? I haven't seen you at all." He tells me.

"I could say the same about you." I tease.

"I had work." He pokes out his tongue in a childish manner. I roll my eyes at him playfully, little does he know I saw him at the cemetery.

+

I wake up and straight away remember it's the day Josh left this world unwantedly. Dani. I want to call her up to check on her but I know she won't answer. I slowly lift my body up from the soft mattress. Much to my surprise, I don't see Amy in her bed. It's as if she hasn't slept in it. Maybe it has to do with Josh's death but what do I know?

I pack my bag with my books and everything I need for my lectures. I freshen up and get changed into suitable clothes for the day. Once everything is done, I grab my bag and walk of my dorm, locking the door.

"Morning Sweetheart." Amy greets as she walks passed me while I walk through the busy halls.

"Oh hey, you're cheery today." I say stopping to talk with her.

"Aren't I always?" She eyes me.

"Well I just thought because it was Josh's you know....today is the day he passed." I tell her, trying not to hit a nerve. She looks away from me for a second but looks back at me.

"I know." She speaks quieter than before.

"Are you okay?" I ask, concerned for her. It mustn't be easy for her either.

"I'm fine." She answers simply. She's masking it all, I can see it.

"Amy it's alright not to be okay." I tell her, trying to make her look into my eyes instead of avoiding them.

"Not here. It isn't." She says before walking away. I can never manage to get her to talk. But no one can.

I sigh and walk into my classroom, greeting my teacher with a nod of my head while I sit down at me desk.

This lecture feels longer than normal and I am not taking in anything my teacher is saying. My thoughts are just wondering back to Josh and how the group must be handling it all. Emily's anniversary is coming up in 5 days.

What?

They died 5 days apart....How does that work out?

I could be thinking too much into this but the feeling in the pit of my stomach is telling me different. Something isn't right about all this.

It hits 12:15pm when Pathology class is dismissed and I can't be thankful enough. I'm going to have to run over these notes numerous times. I wasn't listening at all during that lecture. My mind was too busy thinking of other things.

I run out of the classroom and attempt to find Amy, Harry or Bryce. But to my luck I can't find them at all. Maybe they are still in classes?

I decide on just going back to my dorm and revise over these notes. Parents will kill me if I don't ace the upcoming exam. Speaking of my parents I haven't given them a call since I've been here....

+

9pm.

9pm, I still remain lying on my stomach on my bed, staring at my notes. Scanning words instead of taking them in. My thoughts are stopping the important information sink in. I decide on taking a walk to give myself a break.

I walk further than I did yesterday. I walk to the point where I'm walking across the bridge over the busy traffic below me.

I wonder how Dani is feeling? Is she handling today okay all on her own? I ask myself. I keep repeating the questions over in my head as I continue walking on the bridge.

And my thoughts are suddenly answered when I see Dani. I stop in my tracks, my breath hitches in my throat. My body is frozen. I can't seem to move. I'm glued to the concrete floor. Tears begin forming on the brim of my eyes.

Standing on the other side of the railings of this bridge, her hands holding her back.

Don't jump is the last thing I think to myself before I bolt.

_________________________

Picture of Emily Rose is on the side or at the beginning of this chapter if you're on your phone :) Suki Waterhouse (She will be playing Marlene in Insurgent) is how I imagine Emily to look :) .x