I had to be dead. No one could feel this empty, this lonely, and still be alive. It wouldn’t be fair. It was like my heart had been torn from my chest. Maybe it had been. I would prefer that then losing Simon again.
Oh, God, Simon was dead.
I felt nauseaous.
My cheeks were wet.
How could I cry if I was dead?
I really hope that I’m dead.
For a long time, I swam in and out of consciousness. I caught faces, and snatches of conversations. I saw Cody and Seth.
I saw doctors.
A woman with dark hair in a surgical mask.
“She’s shaking.”
Lucy, face crumpled, eyes glistening with tears.
“Why are her cheeks wet, mommy?”
“She’s crying, Lu.”
“Why is she crying?”
“I don’t know.”
Simon is dead.
“Why hasn’t she woken up?”
Simon is dead.
“I don’t think she wants to.”
Simon is dead.
Jaeb and Benny, holding hands. His head on her shoulder.
Simon is dead.
Mitchell and Emily, his arm around her.
Please let me die.
“Lia? We shut them down.”
Kill me.
“They were all arrested.”
Please just kill me.
“We were in comas too, at first.”
Oh, God it hurts.
“But we pulled through.”
Make this pain stop please.
“Now we need you to do the same.”
I can’t. Not without him.
“Why is she crying?”
Simon is dead.
“Please wake up.”
I don’t want to live if he doesn’t.
“Does she know that Simon…”
He’s gone. Oh, God, he’s gone.
“Lia, please…”
No. No. No.
“We need you…”
I can’t.
“Why won’t she…”
I don’t want to.
“Please…”
Not without him.
“Juliana…”
Not without my Simon.
“Love you...”
A world without him is not a world that I’m interested in.
“Sleep well…”
I refuse to live without him, so goodbye.
“...Jewel.”
Wait…
“I love you, Jewel.”
No…
“I’ll miss you more than you will ever know.”
I can’t…
“I will never forget you.”
Die now…
“I love you, Lia.”
Simon…
“Rest, Jewel.”
No… please…
YOU ARE READING
The Perks of Being a Freak (Editing)
Teen FictionI am not special. I am not extraordinary or unique. Everyone in the world faces hardships. Everyone suffers, at one point or another. I am not unusual. Neglect is common. Abuse, unfortunately, is common. Poverty is common. Five different people, fiv...
