"I never asked for friendship, yet you gave it to me."
An introvert who likes to go outdoors. An extrovert who's friends with one person at a time.
Summer's daytime lasts longer than the night, inviting everyone out to play. Sabito, a child who's l...
There was no way I could tell her Valerie was dead. I don't want her to know.
"She's... alright..." I said, masking the truth with my voice.
I scrambled away from the scene and back to the crossing to get her sun hat. The cries from strangers were embedded in my skull and rang through my ears, echoing and fading away.
"An ambulance is on the way." someone said.
"Paramedics should be here any moment." another person stated.
"It's going to be alright, she'll be fine." someone lied.
No, she won't because she's-
She's-
Valerie is-
This was all my fault.
I killed the last person I loved.
If I didn't run across the road, she wouldn't have copied me.
I covered my ears with my dirty hands, barring out the murmurs and the shouts from outsiders and the piercing cries and wails from her mother.
Had she found out she was dead?
I hope not.
The sound of sirens ripped through the air, and a whole herd of paramedics rushed down the road to take Valerie away. Right there on the pavement, I curled up into a ball and wrapped my arms around my legs.
I didn't want to believe it was true.
The ambulance drove away, screeching its tires and flashing its lights. All that was left was the car and the blood. Another set of sirens blared in the distance, but this time, police officers came out and walked towards the ruins, and one of them came towards me.
I don't want to talk to people.
I uncurled myself from my safe haven and peeked over my scruffy knees. Red and blue lights flickered in the reflection of the windows from the buildings, and a policeman loomed over me.
"You ok son?" questioned the officer.
"...no."
He raised an eyebrow at my tainted hands and the sun hat.
"Do you want to come inside the police car and have a chat?"
No. I don't want to.
His American accent was friendly and kind, but I didn't want to talk to him.
"Come with me, and we'll sort things out," he said, rubbing my back.
He held onto my arms and hoisted me up, and I snatched the hat away from the pavement.
Valerie, I am so, so sorry.
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