Seeking Souls

3: Unfair Advantage

I took slow breaths, my hand over my heart, trying to get myself to calm down anyway I could. I was sitting down just outside the school, I was waiting. Waiting for security guards or the principal to come get me for knocking Chris flat on his back. I ran a hand through my hair, shaking violently. I closed my eyes my mind lingering to more memories of Kara, the moments that mattered.

Five years ago.

       “Desmond I can’t talk right now, okay?” Kara whispered to me through the phone, her voice sounding shaky. Something was wrong, I could feel it. Kara and I had begun to be inseparable; nothing could have torn us apart. I thought nothing of our friendship until that night. I had called her to explain my over-excitement for getting Luigi’s Mansion for the GameCube but she couldn’t talk. Something was wrong, and she wasn’t sharing.

       “Kara, what’s wrong?” I whispered back, sitting down on my bed. I heard it, a sniffle; she had to have been crying. “Kara?”

       “Desmond,please leave me alone okay? Good Bye.” She hung up, and that was when I knew. A while ago Kara and I had our first argument, and I told her goodbye, but in an angry way. She told me not to say that, ever. “When you say goodbye, it means you won’t be coming back.” My breath had cut short, she wasn’t coming back.

       I dropped my phone and got some shoes on, leaving my house and running towards her. She was a few blocks away, I could make it there in time, I had to. It took me about five minutes to get there, but once I did I started banging on the front door. Her parent’s car was gone, she was home alone. “Kara!” I screamed. I closed my eyes, thinking; the back door. I ran around the house and tried at the doorknob, it was open. I ran to her room, knocking over a lamp on my way up. I pushed open the door and saw her there, her arm extended out, blood leaking onto the floor. “Kara.” I whispered, getting closer to her and grabbing her arm, lifting it above her head to stop the bleeding. “Kara, you’re okay, I got you.”

       She moved a bit, her eyes opening. She looked right at me. “Desmond…?” I nodded, a tear rolling down my cheek. She looked up at her arm, seeing the blood, and she began to cry. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry Desmond. I don’t know what happened, I can’t remember.” I put my free hand over her mouth.

       “It’s okay, it’s alright.” I smiled, pushing back the fear that if I was late, I would have lost her forever.

Present Day

       “Desmond?” A voice broke through my memories, making me open my eyes. I turned around to see a tall girl standing there, curly long brown hair and a pair of forest green eyes. Her skin was pale, like snow with her lips a nicely colored shade of pink. She held out my book bag for me. “You dropped this inside.”

       I forced on a smile, reaching out and taking it from her. “Thank you.” I didn’t know her, but clearly she knew me. Maybe she had heard someone say my name inside the school?

       “I’m Madison, Madison Gray.” She sat down next to me, keeping about an inch between our shoulders. I kept my eyes on the ground, watching the wind push around the grass the rested at my feet. “You’re Desmond Miles right?” I nodded, and she nudged me. I looked up at her. “I’m sorry to hear about Kara, you guys were what? Dating?”

       I laughed, I couldn’t help it. Kara and I were far from dating. “No,” I smiled, the threat of tears coming to my eyes. “She was like my little sister. She’s been my closest friend since sixth grade.” Madison nodded, playing with a black and brown beaded bracelet on her right wrist.

       “Anyway I’m really sorry.” I gave a small smile and turned away from her. She had to have thought the moment was awkward because she stood up just then. “I’ll see you around, yeah?” I nodded, once more, not looking in her direction. “Can you promise me something?” I turned then, looking up at her. “Promise me you won’t hurt yourself, ever?” My mind went blank when she said that, it was like the wind was knocked out of me. She turned her head to the side and I nodded really quickly to her request. She smiled, walking back into the school. I sat there for another moment, going back to my memory, trying to stay sane for another moment.

Five years ago.

       I had cleaned up her wound, wrapped it up nice, and now I was making her a sandwich. “I’m glad you came Desmond.” She whispered her eyes red from the tears. I nodded, placing a plate with a nice peanut butter and jelly sandwich in front of her.

       “Of course I came. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you.” She was the only friend I had, the only reason I had to try and be normal. She was the best person I had ever known and if I lost that, I would be lost. I dropped my head, taking a slow breath.

       “Can you promise something?” I looked up, meeting her big brown eyes. She reached out and touched my hand, gently. “Promise me you won’t ever hurt yourself, ever?”

       I placed my other hand on hers and smiled. “I promise.”