Letters With a Ghost

Chapter Eight

The only thing that got Camryn out of bed the next morning was the promise of AWC after school. Once more, she hurriedly got dressed and walked out the door without making a sound.

On the bus, she slid into her usual seat and put her usual playlist on shuffle. The bus followed the same route, stopped at the same houses.

One thing was different, however.

Camryn was the kind of girl who often kept to herself, always sitting alone and eating alone and doing projects by herself because she preferred independent work to group activities. Sitting by herself on the way to school every morning was no exception. That is, until this morning.

She recognized Danielle from AWC as soon as she stepped on the bus. Prior, Camryn had no idea that she was even there.

Danielle walked over to Camryn's seat and smiled. "Mind if I sit here?" she asked.

Camryn nodded, pulling an earbud out and moving her bags onto her lap.

"Thanks." Danielle took her seat and the bus moved forward.

"So, um, mind if I ask you a question?" Danielle asked.

"Sure, what is it?" Camryn questioned.

"I heard you were friends with that kid who died. Ayden was his name? Ayden Jaxon?"

"Yeah..." Camryn cleared her throat, trying to keep her emotions under control. "What about him?"

"My cousin recently committed suicide. It's a really difficult thing to go through, I understand. I just wanted to know how you cope with it."

Camryn looked down. She never had anyone who actually related to what she was going through. "I don't cope with it, to be honest. Writing is my only real escape, but the slightest thing will bring back all of the good and bad memories."

Danielle nodded. "I understand. Everyone tells me to focus on all of the good times I shared with my cousin, but at the end of the day, it's the good memories that hurt the most."

Camryn nodded. "I know exactly how you feel."

They talked for the rest of the bus ride and throughout the day, whenever possible. They met up again right before they went to the library for AWC.

They walked in to find pizza and soda already ready and everyone sitting on the large sofas. Everyone seemed to wear expressions that were darker than their usual smiling faces.

"Camryn, Danielle, welcome," Mrs. Carol said softly, a hint of sadness playing on her tone. "Please take a seat. There is something we need to discuss."

Dear Ayden,

AWC was my only escape. Well, not anymore.

Today Mrs. Carol dropped a bomb on us -- she has cancer.

She'll only be here for a few more weeks, then she has to leave for a special treatment center in Florida.

Jonathan suggested that the club be student run, but apparently the school has policies against students directing clubs.

It's typical. Everything I love falls apart, everything I get attached to diminishes.

What's left behind are a bunch of broken promises, cast off like the petals of a plucked flower, at once holding so much potential, but then becoming just a faded memory.

Faded memories are something I've grown accustom to this past month.

The memories are fading, Ayden. The Last Day is the only thing I have left. All of the things that I could have said, all of the promises that I could have made...

None of that even matters anymore. I don't have anything to live for. You're not here. No one cares about me anyway.

That's what I'll be. Just another faded memory.

That's okay, though. I don't need to be remembered.

I left imprints in the sand, tiny footprints, surpassed by the bigger footprints that have actually accomplished something. My footprints don't exist anymore.

Our footprints don't exist anymore.

I'm going to keep trying, for you, but I don't know how much longer I can keep going.

I'm leaving more footprints.

The only problem is, the more I leave...

The faster they start to fade.

--Camryn