Read: Old Connections

Chapter 6 - Her Best Friend

Jake's Phone
Text Conversation
April 8th, 2020
04:21 pm

Jake: Hey man.
Mark: Jake Riechel?
Mark: I think I know who you are. You are Nic's former best friend right?
Jake: Yes I am.
Mark: Nic told me a lot about you. She told me about what you guys did in middle school. And I assume you're talking to me because you wanted to see if your letter was received?
You: (Should I lie and say that I haven't delivered it yet? He might block me if I make it clear that my goal is to get him back together with her.)
Jake: Yes. I need to have the letter delivered to her as soon as possible.
Mark: Do you remember where you last mailed it?
Jake: No I don't. Sorry dude it's probably too much of a hassle knowing how far you live.
You: (Damn it I slipped! He knows that I'm aware that he moved out.)
Mark: What do you mean? How do you know how far I live? 
Mark: More importantly, if you know how far I live, what are your intentions?
Jake: It's important that I tell you this.
Mark: Go on man.
Jake: Nic misses you so much. She wants to see you again.
Mark: What? Nic Remembers who I am?
Mark: But how? It's only been a month since the accident happened. I can't believe this...
Jake: My sister and I have been helping her get her memories back. It's been hard for her and the more I talk to her about you, the more she starts to wish that you came back.
Jake: Don't you see it man? She needs to see you again and she won't feel whole until her best friend comes back into her life.
Mark: I don't think you understand man.
Mark: When Nic friendzoned me at the park, I should've done what most guys would do. I should've accepted her as a friend. I shouldn't have forced myself on her when she made it clear that she wasn't ready to love again.
Mark: I made her feel so lost and alone. I was the one she looked up to when she had problems in life.
Mark: It was selfish of me to beg her to love me back. I shunned myself away from her the day after I confessed at the park. I was the one that pushed her away. And when I stopped contacting her, she texted me saying that I've changed, that she no longer felt like I was still her best friend.
Mark: The last time I talked to her, I hurt her, I manipulated her, I made her feel as if no on else cared about her anymore. That was when she decided that she would never talk to me again. Forever. And that's why I've decided that it's best if she never remembered who I was.

Flashback: March 7th, 2020

Nicole: "I guess this is it. No one else cares about me anymore. I have no purpose in this world."
Mark: "NIC!! I'LL SAVE YOU!!"
The car hit Nicole and she flew a meter from where she stood.
????: "NIKKI!!! My baby!!"
Nicole's parents rushed to the place where she fell.
The police followed them to their location. Two police cars parked next to the Mercedes that hit Nicole. 
????: "Put your hands up where you are! You are under arrest!"
The driver spoke.
????: "This is what you wished for Nicole Tyler. Goodbye."
The driver drove off.
????: "Stop the driver! I need all active personnel to pursue this vehicle!"
The police were off. They went for the Mercedes.

Meanwhile...

Mark: "Nic please! I'm sorry I couldn't save you Nic... Please... Don't die on me."
Valerie Tyler: "Honey... I'm so scared right now. What if our daughter dies? Please do something! I beg you..." Her face was filled with tears.
Connor Tyler: "I know what to do. Stand back everyone. I'm going to operate her right now."
Mark and Valerie moved away from Nicole's body.
Connor Tyler: "She's suffering through internal bleeding right now. Good thing I brought my suitcase. I need to inject her with anti-bleeding fluids."
Nicole's dad injected her with medicine.
Connor Tyler: "Our daughter will be fine but won't live if she's not given proper medication within the next thirty minutes. We're going to bring her to the hospital ourselves."
Mark and Conner lifted her inside the car while Valerie rearranged the suitcase and brought it inside.
Valerie Tyler: "I'm panicking so much! I don't want our daughter to die right now!" She continued to cry.
Connor Tyler: "Honey. I'm going to need you to calm down alright? Can you do that for me?"
Valerie Tyler: "Yes honey... I'll try."
Connor Tyler: "Oh and son?"
Mark: "Yes Mr. Tyler?"
Connor Tyler: "Thank you for accompanying us. We are so thankful that you're here for us."
Mark: "Of course Mr. Tyler."
Mark: (Nic. This is all my fault. Look what I got you into. That car should've hit me. What did you ever do to deserve this?)

Present
Mark: The truth is, I witnessed the accident with my own eyes.
You: (He was there during the accident? 😕)
Jake: What do you mean man?
Mark: I could've saved her but I didn't. I ran to her as fast as I could but to no avail.
Mark: I was there with Nic and her parents when the accident happened.
Mark: And I witnessed her almost dying. It hurt so much knowing that my best friend almost died because of me. That's why I can't see her again man. It's best if I left her.
You: (Before I convince him to see Nicole again, I need to know everything about the accident.)
Jake: Who were you with at the accident?
Mark: I was with Nic's parents. A couple of policemen were there too. The police went for the driver that ran over her.
Mark: Her dad treated her and I went to the hospital to visit her along with her mom.
Jake: You were there with her at the hospital?

Flashback: March 7th, 2020

????: "Her condition is too critical! We need to take her to an available room ASAP!"
????: "Got it doc! Room 147 is open!"
Everyone rushed fast down the hallway. A doctor and nurse was rolling the bed that Nicole was in. Meanwhile, Mark and her parents followed.
Nicole's pulse was being checked as they ran down the hallway.
????: "Doc! Her pulse is dropping!"
????: "Emily! Prepare to shock her! Her heart will flatline soon!"
Emily: "Yes sir!"
Valerie Tyler: "Please doc! Save her!"
????: "We'll do our best ma'am! I'm going to need you to stand back!"
Connor Tyler: "Her chance of survival is low... Honey promise me... If we lose our daughter tonight, stay strong. She'll be in a better place."
Valerie Tyler: "Honey please! Don't talk like that! You make it sound like it's over!" Tears were rolling down her face.
Mark: (.....Nic. You have your whole life ahead of you... You can't die now...)
The machine that she plugged into showed 15/8. It was a matter of time before her heart flatlined. Now, you barely arrive inside Room 147. With the tools prepared, Emily grabs the shocking device. At the same time, Nicole's heart flatlined. The machine showed the dreaded number 0/0...
Emily: "Ready to shock! Stand back!"
Nicole's body moved slightly.
Emily: "No response! Increasing voltage!"
Nicole was shocked again. This time, she jumped slightly.
Emily: "Still no response! Increasing voltage!"
Nicole was shocked once more. This time, her body jumped violently upwards.
0/0.....
Mark: (Nicole....)
Still no response...
Valerie Tyler wept loudly and Connor Tyler did his best to comfort her. By now, tears were also rolling down Mark's face.
Mark: (I killed you Nic... You're dead now because of me...)
Mark began to weep as well, clenching both fists on his sides.
Nicole was looking lifeless as ever and her heart seemed like it just gave up on her... but it refused.
Miraculously, her heart rate was pickup up again. 
37/14
62/39
92/72
117/92
Valerie Tyler: "Oh my god Nikki!" She was weeping tears of joy and she ran to her daughter and hugged her.
Her entire family breathed a sigh of relief. Connor Tyler joined and embraced his wife as well.
Mark: "........"
Mark: (Nic... You're still alive... I can't believe it.)
People don't realize how blessed they are unless they are about to lose someone they care about.
Mark: (I love you Nic. I don't know what I would do if I lost you. You're going to hate me for all the pain I've caused you. I don't know if I can even handle seeing you again...)

Present
Mark: Yes I was. I couldn't handle seeing it.
Mark: Her parents were grieving and they thought they almost lost her.
Mark: I couldn't take it anymore. I ruined her life. I ruined her family. I should've accepted that there were just some things out there that are never meant to change. And that is how someone feels about you. If they don't feel the same way, why force them to change?
Mark: Nic once told me that she was afraid of change, because she had lost so many people she once cared for. But I think what she was most afraid of was that one day, the person she trusted most would one day betray her. I was that person. Do you understand now?
You (Jake): (He's hurting right now... If only I could reach out to him, if only I could help him forgive himself... Because I know he still has a second chance with her.)
Jake: I know you're hurting right now man. I know you wish you could've taken back the things you've done to hurt her. But do you think that staying away from her will make you feel better? Do you really believe that the best solution is to run away from your past?
Mark: There is no other way.
Mark: If only you stayed out of this. If only Nicole didn't remember who I was. If only she didn't have to remember the pain she went through when she thought that she lost everyone she cared about. But you had to intervene didn't you? You had to tell her everything about the things I never wanted her to remember right?
Jake: I chose to help her recover her memories because I care about Nicole's past. I want her to remember everything that makes up who she is, everything that happened to her, and all the happy and sad moments she's been through. Even though I haven't talked to Nicole for years, I felt obligated to talk to her again when I heard about the accident. She needed someone to be there for her so that's why I kept in touch again. Nicole was always there for me especially back when I was suicidal and depressed.

Flashback: May 12,  ????

Nicole: "Jake... A person does not need to be romantically loved to be happy. All a person needs to be happy is a friend that will always be by their side."
You: "Do you really believe that Nic?"
Nicole: "Of course I do!"
Nicole: "And I know you can change Jake. The world that you currently live in , it's all an illusion, none of it is real. If you want to be happy in life, you have to change your attitude. You have to be open to change and embrace the world as it is, this wonderful world that we've developed."

Present
Jake: Nicole was the one that helped me back in middle school when I felt like the whole world was against me. There was this girl I liked in  middle school and I always ran to Nic for advice. Her name was Josephine and back then, I placed her on a pedestal. I basically idolized her. I became suicidal and depressed because of my high expectations on women. I lived in a very fixed and perfectionist world. 
Mark: Josephine? I remember that name. When I walked with Nicole at the park during her birthday, I ran across a guitarist and when I told him to play emotional music, Nicole suddenly started talking about you and Josephine.
Jake: Nicole was the one that changed me. Nicole was the one that gave me fresh new thoughts. When i asked her how it was possible to live in such a world full of change and uncertainty , she asked me this: What is beauty? What makes up who I am? What makes a person beautiful? And this is what she told me: There is nothing more rare, nor more beautiful, than a person being full of themselves; comfortable in their own perfect imperfection. To me, that is the true essence of beauty. Nicole was the one that helped me deal with my own insecurities. She was the one that lifted me out of my own dark, depressing world. She truly was a believer of change. And for me to leave her after all those years that I've been by her side in middle school, I felt so guilty. I stopped talking to her because I was scared. I was scared that she would reject me and look down on me for being the loser I was back then in middle school. That's why I stopped talking to her. I should've sent her another letter a few years back. I should've added her on Facebook. I shouldn't have made her feel like our friend ship was nothing, as if we were just strangers. I never should've left her. I should've been stronger than my fear of rejection. That's why, I don't want you to make the same mistake I did. I don't want you to leave your bestfriend, Because you feel like you're not worthy enough to see her again. I don't want you to be the guy that left her life and one day regret it, knowing that at some point in time, she will have already found someone else and gave up on you. So please man, give yourself a chance and talk to her again.
Mark: What you did is nothing compared to how much I've hurt Nicole.
Mark: Friends come and go. That is a fact of life. It's normal for people to be close to one another, to even treat each other as family but there will be a time when some of our friends, even those we've been close to throughout most of our lives, just simply don't have a role in our life anymore. People change, old doors close, new doors open. What you went through is completely normal.
Mark: Me on the other hand? I almost killed my bestfriend. Before Nicole declared me her bestfriend, I already knew that she had lost her ex-boyfriend and her former bestfriend when I just recently came into her life. Nic always ran to me for emotional support because had no other shoulder to lean on. But my motives were selfish. I loved her and I only became close to her not because I felt like she truly was my bestfriend, but simply because I just wanted her love in return. I just don't deserve her.
Mark: You never should've intervened! I know recovering Nicole's memories was your sister's idea. Kate was always nosy and into everyone's business. If she really cared about Nic, why choose now to talk to her again? She only made things worse between us. It's as if she wanted her to remember the accident. It's as if Kate wanted to hurt her just as much as Jenny did.
Jake: We tried to help Nic because like I said earlier, we wanted to make her feel whole again. How  do you know that things are going to be the same if you don't try? You're scared that you'll hurt her again and that fear is not going to fix anything with your relationship with Nicole!  Please stop being stuck in the past and just talk her again man!
Mark: If I say no that's it!
Mark: I've explained everything to you but you just won't listen will you? Since when did you and your sister have the right to intervene with our lives?!
Jake: Don't talk like that man.
Mark: I don't know how else I have to make it clear to you guys!
Mark: I'm not ready to see Nicole again!
Mark: Why are you so persistent? What do you hope to accomplish? Were you there for her during the accident?!
You: (Please just listen to me man...)
Jake: You have to forgive yourself.
Mark: You and your sister should've stayed out of this mess!
Mark: Now Nicole is going to look everywhere for me.
Mark: Look what you've done. This is all your guys' fault!
You: (You can't make the same mistake I did Mark.
All those memories from those times that you've let Nicole down because you refused to see her again, it came back to you. And it hurt so much knowing that Mark was going to make the same mistake you did...
Jake: You have to talk to her again.
Mark: I hate you guys!
Mark: No matter what I say, you'll keep on persisting until you realize that your effort was worth nothing.
Mark: We never should have had this conversation.
You: (What if I can't help him because he's in too much pain? What if all of our work and effort to give him a second chance was worthless? It hurts so much knowing that I'm giving Nicole away to him yet he refuses to accept her into his life again...)
Jake: You have to forgive yourself.
Mark: I have no choice but to block you now.
Mark: Don't text me ever again.
Mark: Goodbye.
Jake: N- Don't talk like you've lost ho--  Don't talk like there's no other wa--- Don't talk like it's all ov----   Don't talk like you're giving u----- Don't do this------ don't-------
Fine. Goodbye.
I've tried everything... If he really doesn't want to see her again then so be it... I've done my part to help Mark and Nicole... Maybe this really was pointless after all...

End of Chapter 6