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I wake up to the soft glow of sunlight filtering through my curtains, casting warm patterns across my room. The familiar sound of my alarm clock buzzes insistently, pulling me from the remnants of sleep. I stretch my arms above my head, feeling the slight stiffness in my muscles as I shake off the last traces of drowsiness. After a moment of hesitation, I swing my legs over the side of the bed and plant my feet on the cool wooden floor.
As I get dressed for the day ahead, I reach for my favorite red, white, and black flannel shirt. It's slightly oversized and unbuttoned over a plain black T-shirt that fits snugly against my torso. The fabric feels soft against my skin as I pull it on, and I appreciate how it adds a casual yet stylish touch to my outfit. Next, I slip into my black faded jeans; they're comfortable and well-worn from countless adventures. Finally, I lace up a pair of classic Converse sneakers that have seen better days but still carry a sense of nostalgia with every step.
While brushing my teeth in front of the mirror, I hear my phone ring from across the room. The familiar ringtone makes me smile because I already know who it is before glancing at the screen—my girlfriend, Elizabeth. With a quick rinse and spit, I grab the phone and answer it.
"Hey! Did you sleep okay?" she asks cheerfully.
"Yeah, I did," I reply with genuine warmth in my voice. We both enjoy these morning conversations; they set a positive tone for our day.
As we continue talking on the phone while getting ready for our respective days, there's an underlying excitement buzzing between us. Yesterday, I had planned a special date for us—a little escape from our usual routines—and now we are finally going to enjoy it together.
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"I was thinking we could go to the mall today," I suggested casually while pulling on a light jacket to ward off the morning chill.
"That sounds great! What do you have in mind for lunch?" She responds enthusiastically.
"I thought we could grab something at that new Italian place that just opened up," I say as images of delicious pasta dance in my mind.
"Perfect! Can't wait!" she exclaims.
After hanging up with her, anticipation fills me as I gather everything I'll need for our outing: wallet tucked securely in one pocket and phone in the other. My keys jingle softly in hand as I take one last look around to ensure I've got everything before heading out the door.
Stepping outside into the fresh air feels invigorating; it's a beautiful day with clear skies overhead. As I walk towards my car parked nearby, thoughts about how much fun we'll have today swirl through my mind—shopping together followed by enjoying good food and each other's company is exactly what we both need right now.
With each step toward her place, I'm filled with excitement about what lies ahead for us today.
I texted her to let her know when I arrived at the designated meeting spot. The anticipation was palpable as I waited, my heart racing slightly with excitement. When she finally walked out the door, I couldn't help but take a moment to admire her. She had striking black curly hair that framed her face beautifully, cascading down in soft waves. Her green eyes sparkled with a hint of mischief, drawing me in instantly. Adorning her ears were delicate gold jewelry pieces that caught the sunlight, glimmering as she moved. Her cheeks were dusted with an array of freckles that added a playful charm to her appearance.
She wore an olive pastel green racerback tank top that complemented her figure perfectly, paired with a nice set of blue jeans that hugged her curves just right. On her feet were stylish boots that seemed both fashionable and practical for our outing. I noticed a carabiner full of colorful keychains hooked onto the belt loop on the right side of her jeans; it was a quirky detail that made me smile. Among those keychains was my personal favorite—the lesbian worm on a string—an inside joke between us that always made me laugh.
As she stepped into the car, she greeted me with a warm smile and asked if I made it here okay. "Yeah, of course," I replied, feeling at ease in her presence. We began chatting casually about our day-to-day lives, diving into topics like our favorite songs and artists we loved to listen to during long drives or quiet evenings at home.
The conversation soon shifted to school life—the people we didn't particularly like and the drama that often unfolded within those walls. It felt good to share those thoughts openly with someone who understood my frustrations. We also found common ground discussing our
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backgrounds; both of us had faced challenges growing up with strict and unsupportive parents who often didn't understand us or our dreams.
As we talked about our experiences with these abusive dynamics, there was an unspoken bond forming between us—a sense of solidarity in knowing we weren't alone in our struggles. It was refreshing to connect on such a deep level, sharing not only laughter but also vulnerabilities.
We continued driving through familiar streets as the sun began to set, casting a warm glow around us. The atmosphere felt comfortable yet charged with possibilities for what lay ahead in our relationship.
When we got to the mall we ate in the food court, I tried something new for her, it was this delicious corn dog covered in potato sticks and on the inside the top half was cheese and the bottom half was a hotdog. After we ate, we walked around the mall and looked at some stores, like this really cool store that had some anime stuff and a bunch of merchandise from some of our favorite shows, and bought some awesome things, like this really cool container with tiny magnets. We went to my house after we left. Elizabeth stayed the night, and we just hung out.
I woke up first, with the sun shining brightly on my face, and made coffee, then I made a warm cup of tea for Elizabeth , like every time she stays over. We just stayed at the house that day.We watched TV and talked more about our lives and past experiences, after a bit, I fell asleep. She woke me up at around Five-ish and we made dinner. Elizabeth had to leave after we ate so I drove her home.
The car ride, we just sang our hearts out to the radio and laughed at things we said.
When I get home, I take a shower, get comfortable, and go to bed.
I wake up to a loud banging on the door, a sharp rap-rap-rap breaking the silence, waking me with a jolt.
"It's Three am, who could be up at this hour" I mumble to myself, I get out of bed and anxiously open the door to see a police officer standing there, he takes his hat off and says
"Hello mam sorry to bother you so early. Are you Mrs. Piper?"
"Yes," I replied.
"I regret to inform you but, Elizabeth Matthews, was found dead in her home and you are listed number one on her emergency contacts list. We tried to reach you, but failed so they sent me to see you in person".
Tears fill my eyes as I fall to my knees, shattered in disbelief. After the officer left I went back to my bed and lay there in tears, still in shock, thinking about all the fun we had the day before. I just stayed in bed and didn't leave the house that day.
When Topher heard the news, he rushed over, as soon as he could, to see how I was doing. He stayed the night to keep an eye on me but he had to leave the day after, therefore, I was alone again. I attended the funeral, a week after I got the news, then I didn't leave the house for the next week other than to buy groceries.Topher stops by here and there, he said I should go back to school so I don't fail 9th Grade.
"I don't want to because it won't be the same without her." I exclaimed.
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"I'm honestly thinking about it, I can't imagine the work I have to do. Is it worth it though. No! I shouldn't go, because, if I do then everyone will ask a bunch of questions and I don't know if i'm ready for that yet".
Topher had walked in without me noticing,
"Hello! Earth to Jess" he calls out.
"Huh? Oh sorry I was just thinking to myself." He looks over at me with a serious yet playful look on his face and says
"Get dressed, it's Six Thirty and we have to be at school by seven". I argue with him that
I'm not going but somehow he forces me anyway.
We arrive at school and when we walk in everyone in the halls just stares, surprised that I actually showed up. We made it to the first period and Mr. Lawson was surprised to see me because of what had happened and the amount of days I missed. He was nice but I thought that class would never end. Everybody was staring at me, almost as if I had toilet paper on my shoe but worse. Second period, which is Ms. Perry's class, was also slow, all she did was yap about grammar and it was so tiring and annoying. Come third period ,which is my free period in the library, Ms. Pood, the librarian, was really nice. I find a seat, sit down, plug in my earbuds, listen to music, and stare off into space. I stayed in the library for flex time too. I feel a light tap on my shoulder, It's Alysa trying to get my attention. I take out my earbuds and ask,
"What's up?"
"I heard about Elizabeth , I'm so sorry about your loss, I know you had a strong connection with each other and all. How are you doing with all of it?"
I look up at her,
"I'm doing fine, I just needed some time to myself but I'm doing fine now."
She looks at me with a concerned look on her face, with a pause, tells me to have a good day and walks away. I got through Mr Herald's fourth period, I think I fell asleep about half way through the lesson though. As soon as the bell rang,Topher and Alysa met up with me after class and asked if I wanted to go out to eat with the rest of our friend group. By that time I was hungry because I had skipped lunch, so I gave in.
We walk into Up and Down Burger, and I see Jacob and Sara already at the table. They look up at me with an excited yet sympathetic look on their faces. I was getting really tired of that look but I'm thankful that they care.
We sat down and Jacob asked me how I was doing. I told him I was doing ok, him and Sara
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just looked at me with this unpleasant look. Other than that It was, honestly, refreshing to get back with the gang, well, most of them anyway.
After we ate I went back home and turned on the TV, which just happens to be on the news station.
*This is NW2 News and welcome back, two weeks ago today, on September 5th, Friday night, Local Woman Found Dead in Apparent Homicide. The police are still looking for the murderer of thi-...*
I cut off the TV as fast as I could because I didn't want to hear it again, but I was too late. I started to cry because I was not ok.
"I had lied to all of my friends, telling them that I was fine and doing ok now. But I know that they noticed, I was lying."
I called Topher and asked him to come over, he didn't ask any questions when he heard me crying. He lives about twenty minutes from my house but he was there in less than ten. He stayed and called our other friends, Alysa, Sara, and Jacob. They decided to have a slumber party at my house and they tried to cheer me up the best they could.
It helped a little bit but I was still really depressed, it was almost like the police officer was at my door, giving me the news for the first time again.
I woke up before everyone else did and made some coffee, then I made some warm tea and set it on the counter. Jacob watched me set it down and asked me who the tea was for. I told him it was for Elizabeth, then the crushing realization of my mistake hit me. I had made tea for my girlfriend like I always do when my friends come over, but this time it was different. This time I had made tea for someone that is but a ghost, a mere spirit.
I started to tear up, Jacob just came and held me close for a good twenty to thirty minutes. We went to the mall a few hours later, I got more clothing because mine was getting pretty old. Then we went out to eat because I was hungry, after we finished shopping. Jacob and I went back to my house to play Mario Kart. I beat him every time, after that we ordered food to eat because we were hungry again. After that, we just watched TV the rest of the night, until he had to go home. The others had to study for their test on Monday in Mr. Lawson's class. Mr. Lawson told me not to worry about it because I hadn't been there for two weeks and didn't know everything I
needed to. Jacob left my house at around five-ish and as I'm getting ready for bed I think to myself,
"I wish I could just relive that day so I can stop it from happening."
and then go to sleep.