What She Left Me

Chapter 5

My next week of classes went by somewhat better. I still went through my school days as a passenger inside my own body, but all the makeup work was a blessed distraction that I wished I had had sooner. To have something to do besides lay in my bed in my room when I got home was a bonus for my mom, because I think she worried more about my hours spent lying in bed and staring at the ceiling than anything else.

By the end of the week, I had almost completely caught up with my schoolwork. I didn't need the teachers thinking that they could pity me and continue to let me trail behind. They didn't need to enable my wallowing.

I was sitting in the kitchen, finishing an essay when the doorbell rang. Nobody had come to our door since the last of the casserole toting neighbors had stopped coming the first week. I thought it was weird that they gave casseroles to the girl responsible for the accident, and the loss of life, but whatever makes them feel better. I know that it had helped my mom out a lot in the beginning. I got up and opened the door. Marek raised his head which had been looking down at his shoes to look at me.

"Hi..." I said, unsure why he was here. I was pretty sure family members of the people you kill don't often stop by for chats.

"Hey, how are you doing. I heard you went back to school." He said putting his hands in his pockets and rocking slightly on the balls of his feet. Clearly uncomfortable.

"Um... yeah I'm going back now... I'm fine. Are you ok?" I ask.

"Yeah, fine... fine." This was a dead-end conversation; I'd seen them many times before.

"Did you need something?" I ask. I'm not trying to be rude but having him just silently stand outside my front door was just strange.

"Yes. Yes, my parents, they wanted you to stop by our place. They had some things of Reesa's they thought you might like."

It had been a couple weeks since the funeral had happened. My mom tried to convince me to go, but I refused to show my face there. To face her parents, her brother.

"Um... I don't think that's such a good idea..." I spoke. I wanted to close the door right then and hide in my room.

"Look it's ok. They just want to see you. They just want to let you know that they don't blame you for anything... They are glad you didn't die in that crash with Teresa." The thought of everything he was saying was baffling because it was the opposite of everything I felt. I should be blamed it was my fault, and better yet I should have died as well.

"You told me, and I really wish I could say I felt the same way but..." my throat was tightening again.

"Come on. You only have to stay for a minute, and then I can drive you right back home." His eyes investigated mine imploringly. If it meant that much to them, then I might as well give them something, because I couldn't very well give them their daughter back.

"Yeah... okay I'll go." I spoke. I walked back into the house and grabbed my house keys and left a note on our pin board. I didn't want a repeat of last week. Then I walked out of the house locking the door behind me and followed Marek to his pickup parked in front of my house.

We arrived outside of the Wilk's residence. For how long it's been since I'd been there, I figured something about it would have changed. But really it still looked the same. Brick facade, meticulous landscape, and wreath hung door. I step out of the car but stood next to it as if by approaching the house I could make it disappear. Marek walked all the way to the front door before noticing my absent presence and gesturing with his head to follow him inside. I took a deep breath and allowed my feet to carry me forward and into the house.

Marek closed the door behind me as I walked further into the entryway. I looked to the walls, and they were still covered in family photos that had been taken through the years. There was one I had always enjoyed looking at since it was taken. Teresa and I had been in the 8th grade, and Marek had just started high school. They had gotten a nice picture of Teresa holding him and laughing while he tried to hide his smile. They hadn't been terribly close siblings, but they loved each other. I was sorry to have taken her away from him.