From Me to You

The sun was a little too bright and the air a little too bitingly cold for Lance Everett that morning. He wrapped his coat tighter around himself and ventured out of the coffee shop onto the busy streets of the city.

When he'd first gotten up that morning, Lance was determined to get his very own copy of Blood Curse: The Hero's Return even if it killed him. Now, with only a coffee to keep him from collapsing of exhaustion, Lance already felt like death. His cousin had promised to reserve a copy of the game for him as long as he made an order for it at exactly midnight. His cousin owned the video game store YOU GOT GAMES? and, while he was perfectly capable of just holding onto a copy for Lance until he came in and paid for it, he decided to be an ass about it and told him he had to make an order online. Lance had the whole day to sleep and play Blood Curse since his mom had let him take a day off from school. This was the first time Lance had ever been so motivated for something in a year.

Lance was not the type of guy who tried to look good. He just did. With windswept blonde hair, naturally golden skin, handsome features, and an impressive height, Lance didn't have to try to draw attention. Upon first glance, nobody would know that he was struggling with carrying out his everyday life. He smiled at girls who glanced his way, making them blush and giggle with their friends. He waved at people he recognized and even made small talk with them if they welcomed the interaction. Some of them teased him about playing hooky, and he only gave them a charming smile and a wink in return, calling himself a rebel. He helped two old ladies carry their groceries to their seats on the metro. Lance was the type of person that people couldn't help but fall in love with one way or another.

He thought that if he could act as if today wasn't her anniversary by distracting himself with some stupid video game and conversation with random people, then maybe he'd be able to avoid his heartache. However, fate would not have it.

Lance heard one of the old ladies murmur to the other as they sat down, "My, what a good looking boy. I wonder if he has a girlfriend." His heart dropped as he gave them one final wave and smile before getting off the bus. Just like that, Lance remembered why it had been so hard for him to get up that morning.

It had been a year since she died. It was the biggest news in Lance's school and just as big news in the city itself. Lance remembered one of the many headlines that made newspapers that day: LOCAL TEENAGER COMMITS SUICIDE. Many of the articles made sure to include that said local teenager's body had been found by her boyfriend. Although he remained unnamed, it didn't take long for kids at school to connect the dots, and soon everyone was giving Lance pitying looks. Everyone put their own two cents in on the whole ordeal and Lance wished he could say there were more positives things said than negative. 

He couldn't tell which was worse. There was Group 1--the people that condemned suicide and called the girl he loved a selfish, cowardly, and horrible person. What a terrible thing she did, one teacher had said to another in the teacher's lounge, not knowing that there was someone listening. I know it sounds bad, but I can't help but think this girl was so weak. She couldn't even hold on for her loved ones?

Lance broke his hand that day after he punched the wall with a scream after hearing that. Mrs. Fischer never looked at him the same and she rarely spoke about anything but math nowadays.

Then, there was Group 2--the ones that lamented over not having known what she was going through and only thought about it now that they couldn't ask her; the ones that gave Lance a constant reminder that he was just like everybody else. He didn't know about how much she was suffering and neither did they. There was something in him that made him angry that he didn't know how she felt even though she was his girlfriend. He loved her, but there was something in him that broke when the question struck him: who exactly was I in love with?