What Friends Are For

Chapter Six

CHAPTER 6

"A true friend is someone who sees the pain in your eyes while everyone else believes the smile on your face." -Unknown

"Izzy!" a voice called out to me. Alexis' voice. "Izzy, run!"

I turned around and saw Alia and Michelle running at me. Only they were 1,000 times bigger than usual.

Alia's braids seemed scarier, and Michelle's short hair looked as sharp as a knife.

I started running away.

Faster than I've ever run in my life.

I ran so fast I didn't see the cliff in front of me. I finally noticed, but when I tried to stop, I kept on skidding across the ground.

Then, right before I fell off the cliff, a hand grabbed my wrist.

I turned my head and saw Alexis. She smiled at me.

"Hold on tight," Alexis said, pulling me back onto the flat part of the cliff.

She saved my life.

I was about to thank her, but I could see Alia and Michelle catching up.

I screamed, and Alexis turned around. She threw herself in front of me, so Alia and Michelle would hit her instead.

To save me.

Alia and Michelle laughed and laughed as Alexis skid across the ground and was left dangling off the cliff.

I reached out for her hand, but Alia and Michelle grabbed my ankles, pulling me away.

I screamed and screamed as I desperately reached for Alexis' hand, but I couldn't reach it.

"ALEXIS!" I shrieked. "ALEXIS!"

But I couldn't reach her hand.

Even though I tried desperately.

I just couldn't.

"Alexis!" I scream. "I can't reach your hand!"

"It's okay," She said quietly.

"It's not okay! You're going to die!"

"Take care of the rest of our friends," I heard her call out to me as she fell.

And fell.

And fell.

To the bottom of the cliff.

I screamed in horror. The world around me turned black. Alia and Michelle disappeared, but I was still being pulled backwards.

I was pulled off the edge of what | think was the cliff. And like Alexis, I fell too.

To the bottom of the cliff.

I woke up in a panic.

It was just a dream, I say to myself, relieved.

It was Saturday, so I didn't have to be at school.

I just lie in bed, my mind wandering all over the place.

I think about my life last week. Everything was so normal. So simple. Boring, even.

I frown. Whatever happened to that life?

I sigh. Before, everything was too simple. Now everything's too complicated.

Why can't there ever just be a level in the middle, I ask myself. Of course, I'd choose too simple over now. I'd choose anything over now.

I thought back to my dream. It played inside my head over and over until I realized what the dream meant.

Alexis was always there for me.

But was I always there for her?