Healing, Love, and High School

Chapter: Kiss and Tell

LESLIE POV

I get the school newspaper in the office. I quickly go to the letter to editor section. The first thing I see is a picture of a major awful car crash in a highway. The caption below says: Picture of car crash that killed student Billy Hawk on November 2013.

Then the passage begins: HI I'M DEREK LONG. IM NOT THE BEST SPEECH GIVER BUT HERE IT GOES.

I WAS VOTED CLASS PRESIDENT JUST LAST YEAR. MANY OF YOU THOUGHT I WOULD BE A GOOD LEADER. I HEARD THAT SOME OF YOU EVEN ADMIRED ME. SO I DO THINK I OWE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU AN APOLOGY AND EXPLANATION OF WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THIS DAY DESCRIPED ABOVE. I WAS SCARED,  CONFUSED, AND ANGRY WITH MYSELF, I WORRIED ABOUT STUPID THINGS. I PUSHED PEOPLE AWAY BECAUSE I THOUGHT THEY JUST FELT SORRY FOR ME. I ALSO PUSHED PEOPLE BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT TO BE A BURDEN IN THEIR LIVES AND WELL WHO WANTED A KILLER AS A FRIEND? I WAS PROVEN NOT GUILTY OF BILLY'S DEATH BUT I FEEL I AM PART OF THE REASON HE DID. I TRIED TO KEEP ON DRIVING WHILE BILLY WAS OUTSIDE THROUGH THE DOOR WINDOW. I DID TELL HIM TO WAIT, BUT I SHOULD HAVE IN THE FIRST PLACE NOT LET HIM GET INSIDE THE CAR. I DIDN'T THINK ABOUT, NONE OF US DID, BUT I SHOULD HAVE SAID OR DONE SOMETHING BEFORE. AND WELL, BILLY DIED AND THE REST OF US GOT INJURED. I WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO GOT BADLY INJURED THAN THE OTHERS AS YOU CAN SEE. I WAS AND STILL AM AFFECTED BY WHAT HAPPENED BOTH EMOTIONALLY AND PHYSICALLY. I DEVELOPED DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY AND STILL SUFFER FROM IT. I STILL FEEL SORRY FOR MYSELF AND WISH I DIED INSTEAD OF BILLY. I WISH I CAN WALK AND PLAY SOCCER AGAIN. I WISH I HAD FRIENDS AND A LIFE LIKE BEFORE. THE THING IS I CAN HAVE FRIENDS AGAIN AND A LIFE ALL BECAUSE OF LESLIE CHARLES. SHE DIDNT GIVE UP ON ME. SHE KEPT INSISTING. SHE MADE ME FEEL LIKE ME AGAIN. SHE SHOWED ME IT'S OKAY TO BE VULNERABLE. SHE SHOWED ME THAT I HAVE IT GOOD COMPARED TO OTHERS. I COULD HAVE BEEN IN JAIL OR WHEELCHAIR FOREVER, OR DEAD, BUT I AM NOT. THANKS TO PEOPLE LIKE LESLIE AND THE REST OF THE PEOPLE WHO STARTED TO TALK TO ME, I REALIZE ALL OF THIS. I MIGHT NOT BE THE SAME DEREK BUT I'M BECOMING SOMEONE I LIKE. AND TROY, I'M SORRY. YOU WERE MY BROTHER AND I JUST FORGOT THAT. YOU KNOW HOW MUCH YOU MEANT TO ME AND HOW MUCH FLORENCE MEANS TO ME NOW. I KNOW I FAILED YOU AS A FRIEND. I KNOW YOU WON'T TALK OR TREAT ME THE SAME. ALL OF YOU WON'T PROBABLY TREAT ME THE SAME ANYMORE, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO REDEEM MYSELF. YOU ALL KNOW WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER THE CAR ACCIDENT. NOW I WANT YOU TO KNOW WHAT THE AFTER AFTER IS AND HELP ME CREATE IT BY LIVING LIKE BILLY WANTED US TO LIVE LIKE. HE LOVED THIS SCHOOL AND CLASSMATES AND TEACHERS. HE WOULD WANT US TO MAKE THIS SCHOOL THE BEST AND LIVE OUR LIVES. THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO READ THIS.- DEREK.

...

DEREK POV

I walk in the cafeteria. I came late to school because of a doctor's appointment.  Even though lunch time is about to end, I want to see Leslie.

Suddenly everyone stands up and claps and cheers as I am walking. What the?

Florence comes running from the crowd and hugs me. "They like you," she smiles. "All the school read your letter."

I let a chuckle and wave awkwardly at everyone. I am not used to the attention like I used to.

I start to look for Leslie but I don't see her.

"Hey!" Jacob comes by my side. "Wow, so there's more to you huh?"

I chuckle, "thanks for being my friend Jacob. I missed you."

"Aww man, me too" he hugs me. "Claire is with Leslie outside," he says.

I nod. "Thanks." I begin to walk out.

"Where are you going? People want to talk to you," Florence drags me to her table. Jacob follows us. I sit and suddenly I'm surrounded by friends I used to have and peers.