UNCHAINED!

ten

KENZIE eyed the boy anxiously. 

"Well? Are you just going to stare at me?" Johnny asked, still in his lying down position as Kenzie knelt down before him. 

"If I could tell you I would. I swear." Kenzie sighed. "I've just gotten you hurt. It isn't worth it," Kenzie looked down. She caused him harm. She caused him pain. All because she broke the dumb ass contract.

"Come on... first you completely blow me off after we were starting to become friends and now I get punched by your friends. I deserve an explanation," Johnny said. The jokingness in his tone disappeared and was replaced with a serious one. Kenzie couldn't break away from his stare.

"J-Johnny. It's c-complicated," she stuttered, trying to hold her ground so she wouldn't collapse on top of him with all her feelings.

"Please." He asked again, this time softer, taking her hands and bringing them up to his cheekbone, where a scar was already forming. 

"Fine." She suddenly released her breath. "But I've never told anyone this. I don't know why I'm telling you, but I feel like I owe you. We'll see if you still want anything to do with me after this." 

"Wait..." Johnny said nervously. "I didn't... I didn't realize it was this serious. It's okay if you don't want to tell me, I just want to know how I got wrapped up in all of it. And why you refuse to hang out with me with your friends watching you..." 

"Here." Kenzie said, passing over her phone. Johnny took it with his hand, zooming in on a screenshot of a piece of paper. 

"What is it?" He asked her, seeing tears well up in Kenzie's eyes. 

"It will explain it. The whole thing." She managed to get out, turning her back away from Johnny.

Dear Maddie, 

           It's been three weeks. Three long and cold weeks without you. I can't eat, I can't sleep, I can't move. I'm starting 10th grade tomorrow at my new school Panning. I don't want to go. Mom said it will get better with time but she doesn't know half the story. They think you died on the highway. They say you didn't see the car in your blindspot and by the time you realized it was too late. But I know that's not what happened. I was yelling at you. You knew I found out that you and Ashton kissed. You were so scared of what I might've done, you ran. And as if that wasn't bad enough, I called you once he told me what happened. I told you horrible things that I didn't mean. I told you to kill yourself. And then you did.  I don't know if it was because of me. I keep trying to believe it's a coincidence. You brushed off what I said and planned to talk to me about it when you came back from wherever you were going in the car. You crashed unrelated to the pressure I was putting on you. But some impulse tells me I'm wrong. It was because of me. I made you feel so guilty when all we had to do was talk it out. Now you're gone and its all my fault. I'll never forgive myself. Writing to you, I know you can never answer, but at least it will help me think. Mom says its a process to mourn, but again, she doesn't know what I do.  No one will ever know what I do. I don't think I will ever get over this.