Chapter 1
Kileās POV
āGood morning everyone,ā a voice came over the PA system. āWeād like everyone to make their way over to the auditorium for an emergency assembly.ā
Everyone in class was baffled. What could be so important theyād pull us out of class? This was an academically oriented high school; they usually didnāt want to pull us out of class that easily.
āWhat do you think happened?ā my friend Luce asked me quietly.
āI donāt know.ā I whispered back. āAs far as I know nothing happened. The only out-of-place thing today is that Elysia isnāt here.ā
Luce frowned. āI still think you like her.ā
āI donāt.ā I responded shortly. Why was it so hard to hide how I felt? Because yes, I did have a crush on her. Was I ever going to actually admit it to myself? No. Because I was not going to get myself involved in more drama than I needed.
āOkay then,ā Luce said, as we got up to follow the line of students leaving the classroom.
As we arrived in the auditorium, there were hushed murmurs everywhere, everyone wondering what was going on. It was unusual to see the auditorium all dolled up the way it was, almost as if...a memorial was going on.
Was there any holidays today? Judging by the whispers that traveled through the crowd, no. So what could be wrong?
I noticed Elysiaās best friend Violetta standing on the stage, dressed in a cute black dress. She looked close to tears. She was watching the audience, looking for someone. As soon as she noticed me, she burst into tears, and disappeared behind the curtain. What could be wrong? Why would she be crying?
āAlright students, quiet down,ā the principal said as she walked out onto the stage, microphone in hand. āWe have some terrible news. One of our best and beloved students, Elysia Langdon, has disappeared, and is presumed to be dead.ā
Violettaās POV
Wow. Way to break it to them like that, I thought. It was heartbreaking to me to think my best friend dead, but she had to be. I knew she would never run away from her family. They loved her. People at school loved her because she was such a good student. She wouldnāt just leave like that. She had too much.
āIād like to invite her best friend, Violetta Schwarz, to the stage. She has some things to say.ā I walked slowly onto the stage, a box in my hands. It was a box of letters, letters Elysia had written to all of her friends and to the people she cared for. I hadnāt read mine yet. Maybe it would tell me what happened to her. Or maybe it would just make me cry. Who knew.
āUm...hello everyone. As our principal said, I am--was Elysiaās best friend. This morning, when her mother told me the news, I was heartbroken. After all, Iād known Elysia since we were both girls. So to hear her dead...that was horrible. Then her mother gave me this,ā I held up the box of letters. āItās a box of letters addressed to the people she cared about the most. Iād like to call up these people to receive their letters now.ā
I set the box down on the table in front of me and opened it. Pulling out the first letter, I read the name. āAnica,ā I read. Within the audience, a small girl stood up. She was crying, as she was one of our closest friends. āCathryn,ā I said, as I gave Anica her letter. Another girl from our friend group stood up. I continued through our group until I got to the boys. āLuce,ā I said, and he stood up, looking bewildered. I guess he didnāt expect to get one. āKile,ā and he got up. He was actually expecting it. Looking in the box, there were only two letters left. One for me and one for...Felix. I didnāt think heād get one, after all that happened.
Felix was Elysiaās neighbor, and her two-year crush. Sheād gotten over it last year, and theyād become friends, but something had broken them apart and even I didnāt know about it. So for him to get a letter...that meant that they had probably made up at some point.
āIād like to thank you all for being here, and remembering Elysia the way she wanted to be remembered, as a caring person who would do everything for her friends and for others,ā I said, my voice wavering slightly as I walked off the stage. It was time to read my letter.
Dear Violetta,
I suppose by the time you read this, Iāll be gone. I donāt want to say dead...but...anyways, Iām really sorry I had to leave you and the rest of our friends, but I just canāt deal with it anymore. Unfortunately, thereās a lot in my life that you didnāt know about, and thatās all coming into play now.
First off...I am happy around you and our friends. Donāt mistake that. But lately, guilt has been creeping into my life, about all the things I did to people. Especially to Kile. For some reason I feel especially guilty for doing stuff to him. I know I donāt have a crush on him though...I have one on someone else. But anyways, Guilt is reason number 1.
Reason number two is probably that I need a new start. I may say I donāt believe in reincarnation, but I do. And Iām sure itāll happen to me. Someday.
I know youāre probably crying right now. And youāll probably be mad at me if you find out some of the things I did...but for now, look up into the sky and focus on the good aspects of life. I promise that someday, youāll be better than I could ever be.
Iām sorry.
- Elysia
So she was dead.
I miss her already.