Under the bridge

Best friends.... a word that means a lot but is often given to random or unworthy people we know. But that wasn't the case for Emma and Jennifer, who both had the story that you would hear about in any regular movie. They were friends since they were five. Despite the difference in their appearance, people would usually point out how they looked alike. Their friendship was just like a fairy tail. Often contained fights but they wouldn't let that go in their way. Yet there was a bigger thing is their way that none could imagine.
"Heyyy girl, what are your plans for the day?"said Jennifer to Emma during their normal morning calls. They could have yet Texted instead but they just preferred to hear each other's voices better.
"I don't really know, I wanna do something different this weekend. A lifetime experience or something like that" replied Emma
"I've got an idea. It might not be what you had in mind, but it's better than nothing"
"TELL ME"
"there's a country fair in the town next to us. We could go there and just let our inner child out! What do you think?" Replied Jennifer with enthusiasm. 'Their inner child' something that they haven't let out since years because letting it out is harder now with the responsibilities upon them as high school seniors.
"Sure, that sounds so much fun. Meet you at 11 am under the bridge?"she replied without hesitation. Meeting under the bridge wasn't new for them at all, in fact, they met there since they were kids. They even had their names carved there. They would usually sit there for hours, staring at the river, talking about life, anything was fine to do there.
"Yes, see you soon. Bye"
As soon as Jennifer ended the call, she got up and tried to get out the most childish outfit she could find. "Overalls and T-shirt" perfect she thought to herself. After 2 hours of changing her hair and makeup she finally settled for a look and went out to meet Emma. The streets were not so crowded although it was the weekend, but for their small town their definition of crowded was 20 cars parked at the department store. The walk from Jennifer's home to the bridge was about 15 mins but she didn't really mind it. Because she went their every time with enthusiasm to meet Emma so she never really felt the time or the distance.
When she got there she found Emma waiting for her under the sunlight, she felt something was different about her but couldn't really tell what was different. She wore a white floral dress and her hair in dutch braids, that were perfect with her caramel hair that had natural highlights. Jennifer could see a shine in Emma's hazel eyes, yet they seemed strange. They headed off to their journey with all the happiness in the world. When they got there Emma told Jennifer that she didn't want to waste a moment, and also that she wanted to try every ride and snack available. Which was kind of weird of Emma to say since she always stressed out about her weight and definitely wasn't the "all of the rides" person since she was terrified of half of them.
"What is wrong with you today." Asked Jennifer
"I just decided to live today without stupid limitations that I put to myself, just for today I will be free"
"You can stay free if you like" she replied with a laughter
"Why not?!"
They went on enjoying the day. By the night time, the sky was full of stars . Both of them sat beneath the bridge and talked nonsense for hours, and didn't get bored. Emma thanked Jennifer for the day, told her how much she loved her and went home. When Jennifer got home, she thought about Emma's talk the whole day and how she was changed. She really liked that change, because for that day Emma seemed simply happy.
The next day Jennifer woke up and found that her room was still dark. Which was weird because her room is usually full of sunshine by the time she wakes. So she goes to check the clock on her phone, it was 10 am ?! Why was it dark? She opened the curtains and looked through the window. The sky was full of clouds, dark ones, the sun seemed as if it disappeared. Something just about the appearance of the sky sounded awful. She got out of her room to find her mother crying at the kitchen table.
"Mom! What's wrong?"
"Honey, come sit here next to me I need to tell you something..."
Jennifer Walks towards with fear then talks a seat
"Is something wrong with granny?" At this point she was frightened from the answer wether if she's correct or not.
"No dear she's fine"
"Then what's wrong?!" She could hear her heart beat now but still tried to remain calm
"I need you to be strong, okay?"
"Just please tell me, you're making me worry even more"
"You know that the past months were hard for Emma with her mother's death and all... I guess she just couldn't bare it anymore, so she decided to join her mother"
Once her brain analyzed these words, she felt as if her heart dropped to her feet. She was breathless, and her tears came rolling down her cheeks without control
"Wha.. what do you meen mom? No, SHE WOULDN'T DO THAT" she screamed these last words and ran out of the house to go check on Emma. The whole way to Emma's house she was that it would be some kind of stupid prank, But again who would prank in this sort of thing? Although She couldn't feel her feet from running and was breathless, she didn't stop for a moment. When she got there, she could see a police car in front of the house. She also saw jack (Emma's father) crying next to the door. Running to him, she knew that this was no prank and definitely no dream. It was just so real that no brain could be able to make it up.
"She's gone Jennifer, she went in the worst way" said her dad while crying and looking at the photo in his hand. It was a photo of Emma and her mom that they took earlier this year.
"No, my Emma wouldn't do that no. I was just with her yesterday and we had the best day... something must be wrong, I'll go and check with the police"she tried to be strong because jack honestly was a wreck himself and two wrecks would be too much. She got up and went to the officer standing next to his car
"Are you her friend?"
"More like a sister"
"I'm sorry for your lose... it must be hard for y'all"
"How... how did she go?"
"Overdose, it's coming between kids these days"
"But it's not a suicide case sir !"
"What the hell are you saying? It's a clear suicide case... I know more than you"
"No you don't know... she just wasn't the kind of person that does this."
The police looked at her with sympathy then started to walk away
"wait! wait, her ex was sort of a drug dealer and they had problems... just please try"
"Look, I don't have enough evidence to go interfere in his business or even accuse him of killing someone. If you want, you can go track him or whatever, and in case you found something come and tell me, understood?"
"Yes, thanks anyway"
She then headed to Emma's room. Everything was way too clean in the room. Only the bed was All messed up like Jennifer's feelings. She started searching for a note, something that she saw people left before they killed themselves. She couldn't find it anywhere, which Made her convinced that Emma was killed. After deciding that nothing would stop her from knowing the truth and serving justice for her friend, she sat next to the Emma's bed. Her mind just wasn't able to comprehend the fact that Emma was gown for good, she want going to be waiting fo there under the bridge or next to her at school. She couldn't understand how was she lying there dead in that end for hours, how did they get her out? She was drowning in her sadness and thoughts. Despite all of this, she was determined to know the truth more than ever, but first she wanted to cry till her tears dried out.
The next day was the funeral, the worst of all. Emma and Jennifer didn't understand the point of funerals their whole lives. Why would be people plan a day where they would all sit in one place and mourn the death of their loved one. Why would they wait till he's gone to let go of all their feelings, hatred or love? The idea was way too depressing. Everyone was there at the graveyard, even people that never talked to Emma. Jennifer hates every moment of it, but it seemed to her that jack sort of needed it. Just as they were leaving, a motorcycle appeared and a dude with a leather jacket and cool ray bans got off it. Jennifer identified him quickly then ran to him.
"Are you this bold?" She furiously told him
"I know we had problems but I loved her. I can't believe she did that though"
"Because she didn't! I know what you did mike and I'll expose your lies"
"What lies ?! Are you accusing me of killing her?!"
"Yes I'm, beware from now on" she told him with a bold look with her grey eyes.
"You've clearly gone crazy, anyway sorry for your lose, bye" he said these words with sympathy in his eyes just like everyone else that talked to her these days. The he took off with motorcycle again.
As she was walking back home, she passed by the way leading to the bridge. She thought of going there but then changed her mind. Maybe because she couldn't bare the idea that when she gets there Emma won't be waiting there. Who would she talk to ? Why made the bridge special wasn't it's charming location or the river that follows beneath it. It was the company of Emma. Jennifer thought that not going there was better, that running away from everything or any place they went to together was better than facing it alone. Also she wanted to start stalking mike and gathering evidence because she was pretty sure he was the one behind that "suicide" even though everyone said otherwise.
A few months have passed now, and still Jennifer couldn't get any strong evidence against mike. She had all the facts but no evidence other than he threw away the same bottle of medicine that Emma used to kill herself. Although the bottle was missing from Emma's house the police said that this could be a coincidence and that they needed "stronger evidence". Jennifer was slowly beginning to collapse and started to give up. She was walking back home from one of her failure stalking days when she glanced the road to the bridge, this time she decided to go there. For the diste time in 4 months Jennifer was walking down that magical path through the woods leading to her favorite place under a rocky bridge. When she got there she felt as if a she was struck by a lightening full of her memories with Emma. She uncontrollably started crying and saying
"Hi Emma, I really wish you could hear me now, I miss you so much... I miss you that it makes me sick. I try to pretend that I'm strong but I'm not, once I hear I sing we used to jam to or even smell a lotion that you used the years come rolling down my cheeks without control. I just wish if you were here, then I could complain about the pain I feel from your absence and you give one of your warm hugs. I see you everywhere no matter where I hid. I'm tired from denying your absence... can't you just tell me the truth, PLEASE" she said then hit the brick that held their names with her fists so hard that the brick fell down. The place were the brick stood had a paper in it. Jennifer immediately took out the paper and started looking at it. She was surprised to see her name written on it, it was also Emma's handwriting. So she opened the letter and red it aloud.
"Dear jenn,
I don't know why the hell I put the letter here, but it sounded fun. I know that if you're reading this letter then I'm not there with you under the bridge. I want you to know that I love you and always will. Thanks for today at the fair you really mad my last day a remarkable one. I also know that you are surprised by my action; there are stuff that I can't tell you and even if I did you wouldn't understand. The constant pain that I'm in, and the feeling that there is something wrong or something missing about me never lets me go and talking won't make it go either. You may hate me for my decision but My mind thought that it was the best decision. Please emerge me everywhere you go, don't run away from our memories. Because we make memories to remember each other, not to run away from them. Don't deny my absence, embrace it, please
Yours, Emma
It seemed like the truth Jennifer screamed for popped into her hands. She stood there staring at the river and the woods while holding tight onto the letter and decided that the memories she have will never go away no matter what. That she would listen more than talk especially with her loved ones. She learned that denial is never the right answer