Don't Let Me Fall(5)

with green eyes and dark blondish hair. Like Remy.

The way Kelsey described him was how a girl in love describes the love of her life. This is what kills me. Kelsey is young and she’s sick. She didn’t even have her real official

boyfriend yet. Instead, she’s stuck in a bed getting needles stuck into her arms and blood drawn. No kid should go through things like this. Kids should grow up running around the

house and screaming at the top of their lungs. They should be having fun.

They should be living. She always wanted to just live and have a normal life. Go to school and have friends. Be here.

It was late when Kelsey fell asleep. I ate chips while she ate her meal and then we watched TV. Matthew will come by this weekend and Jacky, tomorrow. It’s our routine. Kelsey told

me I’m still the only one to lighten her mood. I feel f-ucking special. Who wouldn’t?

I made sure Kelsey was tucked in extra tight and then I headed out. The nurse at the front desk told me to have a good night then I headed back onto the train.

I have a license but I don’t have a car. Nice, right?

I took the bus home and walked up the steps to my home sweet home. I opened the door and expected to be attacked by Matthew but instead I found him on the couch with his friend,

Finn.

“Hey, beautiful,” Finn said winking at me.

“Dude, stop. That’s just weird,” Matt said. Finn never listens to him. I’m constantly getting hit on by that kid. I shot him the finger and headed upstairs. I’m not in the mood

for his stupid flirting. And it’s worse that he never stops. Whenever me or Jacky are around him, he brings out the cocky guy.

I knocked on Dad’s door and when he didn’t answer, I gave up and headed to my old room. I haven’t been here in so long since I moved back to Revere a few months ago. It’s weird

because my room is still in the same state I left it when I moved to college in Seattle. University of Washington was fun and I loved it. I met some great people. Then I had to

leave them behind as I moved back to Massachusetts. I didn’t want to. I just couldn’t be there anymore. Not after what happened.

There are no posters on the walls because I wasn’t that kind of girl. Instead, I just listened to music and stayed up late on my laptop, writing short stories that no author would

dare think to publish. I didn’t write anything good but the point is that I wrote.

My bedding changed from some pink floral shit I had to a baby blue one with white polka dots. Dad didn’t know what to get me but I don’t mind. Times like this is when you need

your mom but she’s busying with the new boyfriend who is twenty years younger than her. She just sticks around for Kelsey.

I collapsed onto my bed and set my alarm. I can get up earlier in the morning to take a shower. I’m tired and thinking about standing in the shower is super exhausting.



- 3 -



Aimee has been bubbly and talkative all week, especially today, so I thought she was okay. I was wrong. As I left my last class and headed into the bathroom stall nearby, I heard a

girl crying in another one.

I’m not usually the person who helps people stop crying but I’m not heartless and leave them there to cry alone so I left my stall, huffing, and looked under the doors for feet. I

saw a pair of nude pumps and I knew who it was instantly.

I knocked on the stall door and asked Aimee if I can come in. She unlocked the door and stared at me with a mascara streaked face. God, I know this phase and I always hated it. The

heartbreak is never worth it.

“Do you want to talk about it?” I asked, chewing on my bottom lip. I’m not good with this. I’ve always had my problems but people were always there for me. I’m never usually

the listener when it comes to other people.

She grabbed my sweater and pulled me into the stall, closing the door. “He has a new girlfriend,” Aimee cried, wrapping her arms around me and getting a little too close to the

girls. “It’s only been two weeks and he has a new girlfriend.” This is why I hate men. Most of the time they’re just f-ucking *s.

“How long have you two dated?”

“A year.”

Aimee looked up at me and wiped her nose with the back of her hand.

“I’m an idiot. I know. He broke up with me, I shouldn’t care but I do,” she cried, sniffling even more.

“Aimee, you’re not an idiot. He is. He thinks he’s happy right now but you’ll see that in a month…or three he’ll be feeling like shit for leaving you,” I said, grabbing some

toilet paper and dabbing her face. “Just let it out, Aimee. Crying sucks but you need to do it.” I would know.

“We loved each other,” she sobbed, tightening her arms around me. I wish it was less awkward than me standing here not really knowing what I should do but I tried. “We had a

future.” Then she completely broke and let it all out. In the bathroom stall. With no shame at all.

It felt like hours passed but it was probably only thirty minutes. When Aimee washed her face and made herself pretty so no one would see what just happened, we headed out of the

bathroom and I collided into Logan. I know because the smell of him hit me first.

“Do you want to go to your dorm?” he asked, completely ignoring me as he hugged Aimee. I can see that my job is done so I started to walk away. Why be the third wheel of…that.