olivia-moussot

[olivia-moussot]

Love, Sarah

(This is an original work of fiction)

Katie’s POV

Katie sat in a circle of teens. After a party invitation and some apparently spiked punch, her sense of reason and caution, which she normally wore a thick layer of, was gone. So, when someone she didn’t know asked her to play 7 minutes in heaven, she was more than happy to oblige.

Katie sat in a circle with four other girls, and six other guys that she either didn’t know or had just seen passing around campus, but one person that sat across from her stood out from the rest. Sarah Guido.

Everything about her was perfect from her tall figure, to her bright blue eyes, shoulder length blond hair, and smile that could light up any room. She was perfect except for one thing. Sarah Guido was straight. Katie’s best-friend that she had told everything since second grade, had been her crush since fourth grade, and the person who Katie had realized she was absolutely head-over-heels, in love with, since eighth, was straighter than an arrow, and sitting in a circle of 7 minutes in heaven participants.

Katie got thrown back into reality as the last person sat down and asked for a volunteer to spin the bottle.

“I’ll go,” Katie turned her head to the voice and wasn’t surprised who it was. Anna Covington, a nice girl and a good student, but also someone who was notorious for their goal of trying to sleep with everyone on their dorm room floor.

Anna leaned forward and spun the bottle. Anyone, Katie thought to herself, Anyone but Sarah.Katie didn’t know why she still had hope of being with Sarah in the almost 0% chance circumstances, but she held on to it as she watched the bottle slow down and finally stop. Katie breathed a sigh of relief that it wasn’t Sarah, or her for that matter.

The bottle stopped at a member of the football team that she didn’t know the name of, and Anna pulled him to the nearby storage closet. A girl went over and locked the door behind them, and started the timer for seven minutes.

She sat in the circle with the other people, using small talk as a way to pass the time. Katie’s phone buzzed and looked down.

It was a text from Sarah “Hey, is everything ok, you looked stressed”

“Yea I’m fine” She wrote back “Just a little tired”

Katie looked up and saw Sarah smile at her. A smile that was so bright it could practically glow in the dark. Katie wondered if that smile could ever be caused because of something she said. It couldn’t possibly be, but it would be cool if it was.

Katie was again jogged out of her thoughts as the timer rang. Someone went over and unlocked the door. The boy walked out first hair disheveled and dark red spots following his jawline and down one side of his neck. Anna walked out behind him not a single hair out of place. She walked up behind the boy and whispered something in his ear. Anna sauntered out of the room followed by the boy right on her heels.

People kept spinning the bottle going clockwise around the circle. Katie was relatively calm, until the bottle got to her. Having downed a few more shots during previous rounds, her mind was a little looser and more prepared for what was to come.

Katie leaned forward and Spun the bottle, time seemed to slow down as her panic heightened. Around, and around, and around it went. Until it stopped. At Sarah. Sarah smiled at Katie before standing up and holding out her hand. Katie couldn’t believe it was happening. She took Sarah’s hand and they walked together into the closet.

The closet turned out to be fairly large, easily enough room for two or three people to sit down comfortably. They heard the lock click behind them and both sat down in awkward silence before they burst out laughing.

Sarah spoke “Ya know, this docent have to be weird. We can just talk”

“Yea, I know” Katie said “But that not really the point of the game, is it”

“Point of the game or not, they can’t make us do anything” Sarah responded

Katie spent the next few minutes in bliss talking to Sarah till her tone suddenly turned serious. Sarah placed her hand on Katie’s and Katie swore her heart was beating so loud that Sarah could hear it. They had never been overly physical when it came to their friendship, so Katie knew she was serious about what Sarah was about to say.

“Katie there’s something I need to tell you, I….”

Sarah was cut off by the door being opened.

“Hope you enjoyed your seven minutes ladies, but your time is up.” Said the girl at the door.

Sarah’s face was full of disappointment and she walked out of the closet with Katie behind her.

They did a couple more rounds of 7 minutes in heaven before the game rapped up. The group broke apart to mingle in the party and as the hours went on, Katie’s curiosity was getting the best of her.

She walked through the party scanning for Sarah and found her talking with a group of friends by the entrance.

“You gonna head out too,” she said in a slightly slurred voice.

“Yea” Katie said

“I’ll see you tomorrow I guess then” Sarah responded

“I guess so,” Katie was panicking and her chance of making a move was slowly dwindling.

Katie went up and hugged Sarah behind, before placing a slight peck on her cheek.

Sarah turned around in a flash with her eyes huge “What are you doing Katie.”

Katie was at a loss for words, she had never seen the anger she saw in Sarah’s eyes

“What are you doing, why did you think that that was ok!”

Sarah’s voice slowly escalated into a yell. Everyone gradually turned silent and focused on them.

“ANSWER, WHAT ARE YOU DOING KATIE!!!”

Katie’s fear grew, she didn’t think about the repercussions of what she had done. She had never seen anger like this in Sarah before.

“FOR ALL THE YEARS WE’VE BEEN FRIENDS, I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU!!” Sarah was screaming now.

“I’m sorry, it didn’t mean anything...” Katie said before she was interrupted by Sarah

“NOTHING! THAT DIDN’T MEAN NOTHING! IVE SEEN THE WAY YOU LOOK AT ME. WHY ARE YOU LYING.” Sarah turned on her heel and stormed off.

Katie stood there in silence looking at the crowed staring around her. She ran through the house and out into the cold air. She was in a daze as she walked through the dorm parking lot and found her car.

As soon as she sat in it, tears started running down her face. Katie was panicking, she didn’t know what to do. She was going to lose her only friend, and the person she’d loved for years, over one stupid idea.

Maybe she was just drunk. Maybe she was just surprised, and she’ll come around tomorrow. Maybe I can work this out with her. Thought after thought came out of her head trying to replace the last with a more ridiculous one that could lead for a hopeful outcome.

Katie picked up her phone trying to execute the most rational idea she had to come up with and texted Sarah “I'm sorry. Do you think we can talk through this and work this out? You've been my best friend ever since I can remember, and I don't wanna lose you over one stupid little thing.”

Katie hoped but never heard her phone buzz and lost faith as she sat there in her car tears falling thicker and thicker down her face as her breath became more uneven and overwhelmed.

She picked up her phone and saw the text had been marked as read for 10 minutes. She sat there as time went by 15 minutes, then 20, 30, then 45. Steadily losing hope that Sarah would never see her the same way again and she would never be able to see Sarah again.

She kept watching the door to the house hoping that she could see Sarah walk out and catch her before it was too late and she left, but Katie never did.

Katie finally left the parking lot after two hours of waiting for Sarah to answer her text or come out of the party. Finally, she gave up shutting off her phone and starting her car. Tears still silently streaming down her face, she drove away. Away from the party. Onto the silent street, and into the night.

Sarah’s POV

Sarah stood by the door to the party, the effects of the alcohol had finally worn off and she realized when she done to Katie and regretted every bit of it. Sarah put her head in her hands contemplating on what she could do. She had seen Katie’s text but didn’t have the heart to respond and tell her the truth. So, Sarah did what she thought was her only option. She finally texted Katie.

I have so many things to say to you but there’s one that I want to get across. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say what I did. you’re my best friend and I could never live without you. I don’t know why I acted how I did I regret every word that came out of my mouth, But Katie. I love you. I always have I thought of us having a future together and every bit of it excites me. I wanna be with you and no one else for forever. I’m sorry, love Sarah

Katie’s POV

Everything seemed like a blur as rain started coming down in sheets as thick as her tears. Part of her didn't know what she was doing but part of her knew that it was exactly what she wanted. Fear of seeing Sarah in class the next day slowly dissipating. Katie turned down to the highway away from the campus following it until it got to the bridge, she pressed down on the gas faster and faster thinking only about one thing. She moved all the way into the right Lane of the and jerked the steering wheel to the right as peace finally flooded her mind. she heard a crash and a scream, and then nothing. She felt cold icy water running against her skin numbing the feeling of her broken bones. Katie faintly heard her phone buzz through its waterproof case and saw four words I love you, Sarah. She laid there gripping her phone as her vision got fuzzy blocking out the lights above, and those four precious words, until she only saw black. But she knew that whatever she was going to face next that it would be ok. Because she was going to go away again. Away from the party. Away from people. Away from Sarah.

Epilogue

Dear Katie,

It’s been exactly five years since the night of the party. I have so much to say and have so little time to say it. After the bridge, I lost the will to get out of bed, as well as the will to live. I became suicidal the three following years after your death, thinking of only one thing. You. You had been my first love ever since I can remember, and I didn’t know how to deal with your passing. I tried to end my life twice during that period. Once standing in the middle of traffic, praying a car would collide with my body so I could see you again. And a second time, trying to overdose on the same medication that could have saved me. After years of depression and wanting to end my own life because you ended yours, I was told something. The best way to honor you is not to end myself, but to keep living for you. I have loved you for so long and I doubt I will love anyone the same again. But I will try. For you. I was told that I wasn’t honoring your life, by trying to end mine. But didn’t listen for a while. I have been doing better. Some days I can't get out of bed, thinking only about you, concluding the day with crying myself to sleep. Some days I can wake up, like things are back to normal. But my eyes carry to your empty seat in the class, and the thought of you weighs heavy in the back of my mind no matter what.  I've been through into fits of hysteria with no one to blame but myself. Now I know exactly what I want, just like you did that night. I’m standing on the same edge of the bridge you were phone in hand sending this last text to you saying the same thing I did that night. I'm Sorry. I Love You.

Love, Sarah

Sarah set her phone down as she saw the last text, she would even send to Katie go through. She brushed away her tears as the brisk wind softly touched her skin. Sarah closed her eyes for the last time, leaning forward ever so slightly until she felt the wind rushing by her as she fell, and the same cold water soothe her broken bones just like it has done to Katie five years ago.

Her vision lightened until she only saw white. She was transported to a large room that looked like a cathedral and she saw someone in the distance dressed in white, who spoke the same words she had previously just written. The person came into view as she continued to walk toward her a smile on her familiar face, wet with tears. She heard her recite words that she knew too well. Sarah ran to her as the same voice she had loved forever, met her ears.

The girl embraced her still reciting her message. Her voice had quieted to a whisper until only Sarah could hear her as the figure said the last words she wrote.”

“I’m Sorry. I Love You.”

“Love, Sarah.”