Letters to Juliet

Juliet

I searched for Devon in our next class, but he wasn't there.

I don't know why I wanted to find him..its not like I can apologize, though I desperately want to. He can't know the reason why I did that. If he did, he would try to protect me, and I can't let him do that. He'll get himself killed.

I sit through my next two classes, thinking about Devon and Brandon and the mess I've made of my life..

I missed the whole lesson.

During lunch, I looked for him but I couldn't find him. He wasn't anywhere in the lunch room, and I had a strange feeling that he wasn't even at school. It scared me.

I sat at his usual table, causing Brandon to shoot me a few dirty looks, but he couldn't hurt me in here and he knew it. He made no move to get up from his seat, so I was safe for the time being.

I was eating the bland taco that was served that day for lunch and thinking about what I would say to Devon when I finally found him when my phone buzzed. I pulled it out of my pocket and wiped my fingers on my napkin before glancing at the screen. It was an unknown number, but I had a feeling that it was important, so I answered the call anyway.

"Hello?" I asked politely, tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear.

"Bethany? Is that you? This is Devon's mom." A voice sobs into my ear.

"Oh! Hi!" I say eagerly, leaning forward and listening more attentively. "Have you heard from Devon since he left the house this morning? Did he go home or skip school today? I haven't seen him since..er..since this morning in homeroom."

"You don't know then..." She whispers, her voice cracking as she sobs breathily into the phone.

"Know what..?" I ask, becoming alarmed. Did Brandon get to Devon? Did he lie to me and go after him anyway?

"Devon is in the hospital..he was hit by a..a car. He's in a c-coma, and the doctors don't think he's going to wake up. They say that he must have r-run out of the school and not even looked where he was going..he didn't even see the car..he.. just ..bolted from the building and ran right into the-"

I don't hear anything else that she says because I drop my phone and scream, causing everyone in the lunchroom to look at me as tears roll down my cheeks and I fall backwards onto the floor.

I'm the reason he ran from the school.