Life at the High

Miko

Miko couldn't sleep that night. She couldn't believe she heard Janelle's voice again. That cryptic voice mail made Miko feel as if she was about to become the police's number one suspect. She just kept hearing Janelle's voice saying, "Miko I'm so sorry. I promise I won't do it again. Please let me come home."

There it was. Every reason to doubt anything Miko had ever said and the person anyone thought she was. Her best friend called just to incriminate her. What a bitch. Miko knew she didn't physically harm her. She also figured that the full truth would make her look awful after the voice mail. She chased her into the street, and she got away. All over a boy. Stupid Joey, Miko thought. She didn't even know why Janelle was upset about it. They were best friends. Miko always had dibs on him.

None of it mattered now. The police are doing an in-depth investigation and have her phone because of it. She can only imagine the things she should have deleted on the way to the station. She begins to shake, partially from how cold it is in her room, but mostly because she felt horrible. She was glad Janelle was okay, but now that meant people may come after her and act as if the townspeople are after Frankenstein.

She chose to sit on her back porch since to help clear her head of all that was going on. The cold air was still. Miko sat on her bench with her head against the panels along the house, and the focused on breathing deeply and slowly.

Her search for piece ended as she heard the horrid sounds of her neighbors arguing. The fact that yet another incident went by as she didn't do a thing to help the poor woman next year was enough to make her began balling at how useless she was to the people around her. She wanted to, but her body wouldn't let her. She had it in her, but the tears and the agony refused to be released. She knew she deserved to feel every bit of it.

She heard the sound of a truck starting up and driving away. A while later, Miko listened to a familiar voice call out to her in the darkness.

"Miko, can I join you, sweetheart?"

She looked up and noticed the small voice coming from her neighbor's back door.

"Yeah, come on over," Miko said lowly.

She walked over slowly trying to hide a limp, and holding a bottle of wine.

"Hey, Bronte. Sit anywhere you want."

"Thanks, sweetheart. What has you out here right now?" Bronte asked her suspiciously. Hoping she didn't hear what just take place.

"You know that girl in the news? Janelle. The one that's missing. She was my best friend. I just can't sleep now."

Bronte was holding an arm across her stomach but tried to use her free hand to pay Miko on the shoulder.

"She will be just fine. Before you know it ya'll will be back to shopping and talking about boys."

Miko felt really guilty now. This was all over a boy, not that she understood why. And Bronte was just abused and is still able to comfort her. Miko felt like the most pathetic person alive.

"You can take a sip. I won't tell." Bronte said as she held out her bottle of wine. "You could use it as much as anyone else right now."

"Thanks." Miko took it and tried her best not to gulp it too greedily.

"You know Bronte if you ever need to come over to hang or just" Miko wasn't sure how to word it or what exactly she was trying to put into words. "need some help I got your back. Whatever. Whenever."

Bronte found it hard to look at Miko. She knew what the quiet girl from next door was getting at. She felt exposed. But she also felt a little bit safer. "Yeah, same to you sweetheart." She finished off her wine, and they pair sat in silence for a while, as both their minds wandered far and wide as to what would become of them.