Julie Bane

Chapter Forty-Six

  "Remember this place?" She asks as we walk along the lake.

  "Yeah. This is the place I took you in high school, the place where we jumped off that cliff and into the water." I smile, remembering it.

  "Yep." She nods.

  "Ok, it's time to explain everything, Sadie. You were dead. I watched them put your burnt body in the ground. I watched you burn in that blown up orange leaf." I cross my arms. She sighs and nods.

  "Fine. But I have to start from the beginning."

  Sadie's POV

  "So, right as the place blew up, I turned to go out the actual doors. Of course, I got burned some, of course it hurt. But I got out, and just ran. I wasn't thinking. I just knew I had to get out of there. I wasn't ready to die. I don't know why, but I wasn't."

"But what about your body? The funeral?"

"They didn't find my body, they found some other girls body."

"But... the face."

I laugh.

"Carlos, do you really think my face would still be non-burnt after that explosion? I called a friend, told them to make that random girls face look exactly like mine, and then boom, you all thought it was me."

"But, how?"

"Carlos, I did that for you." He looks at me. "I thought, maybe if I did that, you would've thought, 'how did her face survive that'. But, I should've known. Since you're so stupid." I roll my eyes with a smirk.

When I look at him he's frowning at me.

"What?" I ask.

"Do you have any idea what shit I went through after you died, oh, I'm sorry, after I thought you died?" He asks angrily.

"I-I'm sorry." I say, realizing everything different about him. His body; stronger. His smile; smaller. His happiness; not there like it used to be. His personality; cold, mean. Like me.

I broke him.

"All I was thinking about was ending the war and keeping you and everyone safe." I tell him, trying to help him understand why I left."

"Well you could've called me or something! You didn't have to fake your own fucking death and make everyone break! Have you seen your dad? Do you know how terrible he's been doing? He's an alcoholic, Sadie!"

"I know."

"How?"

"I just know, Carlos." I look down.

"Oh, wait, so you mean every time I went by your 'grave' at three in the morning and takes to 'you', I was talking to myself?" He shouts.

"N-no. Actually, you weren't." I shake my head. "You see, I was at the funeral. No one noticed me. I blended in with everyone else, wearing black and being depressed. Do you know how badly I wanted to go up to you and hug you? The last time I talked to you I thought that would be my last time." I explain. "And, after everyone left, I knew some of you guys would visit, I definitely knew you would visit. So I went by, and set up a little camera in the ground. And every night, I would watch and listen as you poured your heart out to me. Do you know how much I cried the last two years? A lot, Carlos."

He stares at me.

"So, you've been stalking me?" He asks.

"Well, I guess. Yeah."

He's mad.

"Why are you mad? I'm back now. Can't you just be happy? Be happy while I'm still here."

"While you're still here? What does that mean?"

Maybe I should've kept that to myself.

"Carlos, you know I can't stay here." I shake my head. "It's too risky. Everyone thinks I'm dead, and it has to stay that way."

"Why?"

"Because I... Well, you know..."

"I don't."

"I... I have a new life now, Carlos. A happy life. A better life." I give him a small smile.

"Where!"

"In California."

Cala- That's where you've been staying?"

"Yes. I bought my own house and everything."

"And you're going back?" I nod. "And you won't come back after that?" I shake my head sadly.

"Why? You came back. Why would you come back, confuse and excite everyone, and then just leave and go back!"

"To keep you all safe."

"To keep us all safe?" He chuckles humorlessly. "I think this is more than just keeping us safe, Sadie."

"I came back to save my little sister."

"So that's all? Come save your sister and leave?"

"Yep."

"What about me? I'm in love with you, Sadie! Aren't you in love with me?" He clenches his fist.

"Of course I'm in love with you, Carlos! That's why I have to go. I can't let you get hurt if I actually die."

"Are you sure that's what this is about? What is it? Did you find someone new? Did you get married or something?" He walks forward as I walk backward.

"W-What? No. That's ridiculous. Why would I do that?"

"Well, since you're never coming back you might as well just make a family with someone else."

"Carlos, are you serious?"

"Yes, Sadie. It's been two years. Two fucking years! You were assumed to have died two goddamn years ago! You finally come back, and you only stay for one fucking day!"

"Not two days. I was going to stay until New Year's Eve, then I was going to go back. But now, maybe I should just go back tonight. How's that sound? Better for you?" I ask.

"No, I want you to stay forever."

"I can't! Why can't you just understand that!"

I fall back when I step back with my foot but nothing comes underneath it. I scream as I fall into a cold liquid.

Water.