i miss you

Besties for the Restie

"I love you guys so much it hurts. I don't know where i'd be if I didn't have you." Mary said, wrapping her arms around her best friends shoulders as all three of them walked out of the movies.

"I know where. You'd be sleeping on some sketchy street with a bottle of God knows what, opening your legs for anyone who pays." Laughter rang out as Kaitlyn painted all three girls a pretty image of what life woud be like if they didn't have one another.

"Oh shut the hell up! I'm being serious you guys." Mary suddenly slowed her pace at the same time switching her voice to something more serious. This time when she spoke, both girls listened. "Like I know that we've been bestfriends since like the 6th grade, but I don't think you understand how much I love you both. I can't see my life without either of you, and if there ever comes a time when life doesnt have a Kaitlyn Stevens or an Erika Ryder, well then I don't want to be alive."

"Gosh, we really need to stop taking you to these sappy chickflicks. You always get so..." Erika drifted off looking for the right word, but Kaitlyn found it first.

"Mushy! Its really weird, Mare."

"I'm sorry! But did you see the way Zac Eforon was looking at Vanessa? Its like, she held the entire galaxy in her eyes and he was starstruck. You can't fake that kind of stare."

"Whatever!" Erika laughed, rolling her eyes. As they approached the car, Mary missed the curb and would have fallen flat on her face had Kaitlyn not caught her, mid fall. "Watch out, there's a curb." She joked.

In Mary's eyes, fear and panic were immediately replaced by a sarcastic laugh. "You're so funny."

"I try." With a shrug, Erika hopped into Mary's jeep and waited as everyone got situated.

For a good minute, Mary's keys jingled as she searched for the right one. "Finally!" She held up the silver key with a satisfied smile before plugging it into the ignition. Only, her first attempt wasn't a success. She had missed the key slot, ramming the key into the dash right next to it. A slight laugh escaped her pale lips, but her eyes narrowed in with a concentration Erika nor Kaitlyn had ever seen with Mary. Her next attempt...same result as last time. "Oops!"

"Mare, are you alright?" Kaitlyn leaned up a bit, poking her head into the front section of the car.

"Fine! Yeah, its just dark in here, I can't see where the key goes." But her explination proved weak as her third attempt landed a perfect bullseye into the key slot. "Got it!"

A moment of awkward tension filled the jeep as Erika and Kaitlyn exchanged semi-worried glances.

"Guys! Seriously, I'm okay! Like I said, it was dark." Mare tried her best to be eassuring, but the other two weren't buying into it. This wasn't the first time today she did or said something strange. It wasn't even the first time this week. Something was up with her, but neither girl knew what. "Lets jam!" Grabbing her phone, and completely ignoring the looks her friends gave her, Mary searched her playlist for the perfect song. As the perfect one appeared on her screen, excietment filled her eyes. "Oh my God! So I found this new band, and they are totally my jam. And not to mention, all of them are hot as hell. Especially that guitarest, Michael Clifford." Mary winked. As the music started up, Mary looked over at Erika and smiled. "This song is Beautiful Disaster put to music." Beautiful Disaster, a reference to Erika's favorite book that she made her friends read.

At the mention of the book, excitement replaced Erika's worry as she leaned back and listened to the music. And just like that, the three best friends were cruising down the highway with new lyrics filling the air.

Simmer down, simmer down, they say we're too young now to amount to anything else...

...

"Hey, whats the name of this band?" Erika asked as she stood outside of the jeep, just about to head inside to her house.

"5 seconds of summer. Good, huh?" Mary said, pride swimming in her voice.

"They're the shit." Erika agreed full heartily. "Anyways, thanks for the ride! Ill see you...sometime!" Waving behind her, the blonde out of the group headed up her porch to the front door. Just as she was reaching into her pocket to grab her house key, she felt a body crash onto hers, and two arms came around her. "What the-?"

"I'm sorry, I just forgot to tell you that I love you bestie!" Mary said, tears shimmering in her eyes.

"Mare, whats going on? You're being so weird!" Erika screamed, not out of anger, but worry and complete confusion.

"I know. I'm sorry. I guess its just that time of month." She sniffled with a sad smile.

Immediately Erika understood and it all made sense. "Of course! You've just been pmsing."

"...Yeah! Yeah, thats it. Well uhmm.. I'm gonna go now. Ill.. uhh..." Mary turned and walked away. But just as she made it to her car, Mary paused, looked at the moon high in the sky. It wasn't quite full yet, which ultimately dimmed its light, but to Erika, a moon was a moon. For some reason, they seemed to capture Mary's undying attention.

Erika stood absolutley shocked as to what just happened a moment ago. First her best friend rammed into her giving her a full body hug, then the next, she turned away and gave the most awkward as fuck goodbye she had ever heard.

Recalling her friends last words, Erika was able to shake off the weird night as she slipped her house key into the lock and settled herself into bed. It was strange, laying there in her queen sized bed all alone. Typically, at least one of her bestriends stayed the night with her, so the bed didn't feel so big, but to her surprise, she fell right asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

...

"Erika. Erika, sweetheart." Erika's mom shook her arm violently as she tried waking her daughter.

"Hmm? Go away! Its Saturday." She groaned, turning away from her mom.

"I..I know.. sweetie, Erika." Her mom stuttered, a hint of tears in her voice but Erika couldn't hear it.

"What?!" She yelled into the pillow.

"There's.. uhmm.. Mary, she.. Sweetie, there's been an accident. Mary didn't make it home last night."