When life gives you lemons, throw it back and demand chocolate.
'"Sweet baby Satan!" I screamed, accidentally gaining the attention of the murderers. Act natural, Arya.
"Did you just shoot them?!" I mentally face-palmed. So much for acting natural...
A million words won't bring you back I know because I tried A million tears won't bring you back I know because I cried
It's over.
Arya is dead.
She's gone and I can't do a thing about it.
It's been many years and it still hurts like it was only yesterday. I guess it isn't true what they say about the pain healing with time, huh?
The first few weeks after her funeral, I stayed in my room. People kept offering sympathies, but 'I'm sorry' won't bring her back. Each day, I'd wake up and for a few seconds, believe it was all a horrible nightmare and I'd go downstairs and see Skittle baking and singing in her horribly off-key voice. Or she would be watching a movie adaption of a book and fling popcorn and curses at the screen whenever something happened that wasn't a part of the book. Then reality would crash down and I would feel the crushing sensation in my chest, a hole that will never fully heal.
The others were hurting as well, but we all kept our distance and maintained a sacred silence, one we didn't dare break. I was stuck in a bottomless pit with no way out. Hell, for a brief time, the pain was so bad I even considered taking my life.
One day, I found a black pen-drive in an envelope. It was addressed to us all, our names written with an achingly familiar cursive. I broke the silence, gathering the boys in the living room to watch the video of Skittle's message from the afterlife.
"Hey boys," She grinned and my heart broke. "I guess if you're watching this then it means I'm dead right? Or maybe- just maybe- I survived and am sitting next to you. If so, hi future me! If not... well then..." she turned her gaze from the camera and took a deep breath. "I'm way too big of a coward to tell this to your face so I'm making this video. Please don't- don't hate me for this."
She inhaled shakily. "I am sorry that I didn't tell you about my disease. I know my days are numbered. I don't have much time left." She smiled bitterly. "Please, take care of yourselves and each other. Try not to grieve too hard. I never know what to do when people are crying....I just want you to know that I love you so, so much." She stifled a sob. "More than you ever will know."
She looked up. "Just... remember to take care of yourselves. Drink water. Eat food. And- and I don't want to see anyone of you in hell until you're at least ninety, okay?....I can hear you guys singing in the corridor so I'm gonna go." Skittle gave a tiny smile before the screen went black, leaving us feeling not as empty as before.
After that, we tried to pick ourselves up, comforting each other to heal the wounds and treat the pain. For the first time, we smiled again. Laughed, even. Soon, we no longer looked back on the memories with acidic pain, but with more of a bittersweet understanding.
But no matter how much time will pass, Skittle will always be my biggest 'what if?'. What if I'd reached out to her all those years ago? What if I'd noticed something was wrong sooner? What if she'd told us just a little bit earlier?
I guess what I'm trying to say is don't let your fears decide your future.. That one person you want to talk to? That job you're too scared to apply for? The exam you think you might fail? Go for it. It's better to have a shot at something with the possibility of failing, than living a lifetime of regrets. Trust me, I would know.
Arya found out about her illness at a young age- and had absolutely no support from anyone around her. Yet she didn't let the fear of death stop her from making peoples' lives better. She was always there for us- celebrating our ups and comforting us at our downs. She was as brightly coloured and sweet as the Skittles she loved.
This is the story of Arya McKenzie.
The girl who was in the Right Place at the Right Time.
End of book.
The book is finished.
How I feel:
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I want to say thank you to every single person who clicked on this book and read it- even if you skipped chapters. I also want to thank the readers who have stuck by me since the beginning. Your comments never fail to bring a smile to my face!
