Alive

Kile’s POV

“Good morning everyone,” a voice came over the PA system. “We’d like everyone to make their way over to the auditorium for an emergency assembly.”

Everyone in class was baffled. What could be so important they’d pull us out of class? This was an academically oriented high school; they usually didn’t want to pull us out of class that easily.

“What do you think happened?” my friend Luce asked me quietly.

“I don’t know.” I whispered back. “As far as I know nothing happened. The only out-of-place thing today is that Elysia isn’t here.”

Luce frowned. “I still think you like her.”

“I don’t.” 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.

“Okay then,” 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 Elysia’s 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?

“Alright students, quiet down,” the principal said as she walked out onto the stage, microphone in hand. “We have some terrible news. One of our best and beloved students, Elysia Langdon, has disappeared, and is presumed to be dead.”

Violetta’s 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 wouldn’t just leave like that. She had too much.

“I’d like to invite her best friend, Violetta Schwarz, to the stage. She has some things to say.” 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 hadn’t read mine yet. Maybe it would tell me what happened to her. Or maybe it would just make me cry. Who knew.

“Um...hello everyone. As our principal said, I am--was Elysia’s best friend. This morning, when her mother told me the news, I was heartbroken. After all, I’d known Elysia since we were both girls. So to hear her dead...that was horrible. Then her mother gave me this,” I held up the box of letters. “It’s a box of letters addressed to the people she cared about the most. I’d like to call up these people to receive their letters now.”

I set the box down on the table in front of me and opened it. Pulling out the first letter, I read the name. “Anica,” I read. Within the audience, a small girl stood up. She was crying, as she was one of our closest friends. “Cathryn,” 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. “Luce,” I said, and he stood up, looking bewildered. I guess he didn’t expect to get one. “Kile,” 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 didn’t think he’d get one, after all that happened.

Felix was Elysia’s neighbor, and her two-year crush. She’d gotten over it last year, and they’d become friends, but something had broken them apart and even I didn’t know about it. So for him to get a letter...that meant that they had probably made up at some point.

“I’d 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,” 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, I’ll be gone. I don’t want to say dead...but...anyways, I’m really sorry I had to leave you and the rest of our friends, but I just can’t deal with it anymore. Unfortunately, there’s a lot in my life that you didn’t know about, and that’s all coming into play now.

First off...I am happy around you and our friends. Don’t 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 don’t 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 don’t believe in reincarnation, but I do. And I’m sure it’ll happen to me. Someday.

I know you’re probably crying right now. And you’ll 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, you’ll be better than I could ever be.

I’m sorry.

- Elysia

So she was dead.

I miss her already.