Love You Too (Short Story)

== Intro ==
The air was still, barely moving, or maybe that was just me, the world…was so fuzzy, the sounds were so loud, it was just so, dark. But everything was dark now, I could barely see the color that painted our world into 500 shades and pain and suffering. My breath caught as her slivery hair caught the dimming light, it shone like one thousand stars, the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. She only turned around once, to face her brilliant, somehow still shining eyes in the ever-dimming light, towards me. She had the stars in her eyes, of maybe it was tears, I wasn’t sure. What I was sure was it’s just her that was making it hard for me to breathe. The blood-stained street was proof of that. I slowly closed my eyes, watching her beautiful figure turn away from me and run away. My last breath was raggedy and shallow, scratchy, and numb, as I finally let go, thinking only one thing, I love you too, I love the way you smile, I love the way you cry, I love you, you’ve held my heart in your hand ever since we meet, but now it’s too late, for both of us. And with that final thought, I let go, leaving my broken body, and my broken life. 
== One year before(ish). Senior year, high school. ==
Her name was Madeline Haria, she had longish brown hair, dark brown eyes, darker tan skin, and full dark red lips that formed the perfect bow. She was on her last year of high school, a cheerleader, had lots of friends, a cute boyfriend and was super popular. Basically, the perfect life until two months into the school year. She got hit by a car, her legs, broken, not to ever heal, paralyzed from the waist down, her life, her world, shattered. She was left in a coma for three weeks after the ancient, almost a full month lost to the ever-binding sleep. When Madeline finally did wake, she wished she’d stayed asleep or died. Everything was broken, she couldn’t walk, couldn’t run, couldn’t do…anything. OF course, her nurses told her that that wasn’t true, but the tremble in her hand and the trauma the accident had inflicted upon her brain. 
After that it just got worse, her friends started to "drift" away, making up poor excuses for why they couldn't hang out. Madeline didn't really mind, they weren't really her friends anyway, more like colleges. They were only friends because it was expected for people of their status (school status) to be friends, it was like, the law. What did hurt, and hurt was probably the wrong word, though it’s the one we’re using, as is when Madeline found her boyfriend cheating on her with what she'd thought was the only friend she had left.
Josie Milliam, she had ice blue eyes, platinum blonde hair, dark pink lips that she always covered in bubble gum lip gloss, and very pale skin. Pretty much the exact opposite of Madeline. After the car accident, Josie took over as leader of the cheer team in Maddie's place, taking over and ruling everything Maddie thought was hers. Maddie had never cried more in her life; her tears soaked the pillows and drenched her clothes that she couldn’t be bothered to change out of. Her heart was crushed, and everything that she felt she had to live for was broken, Jos-Daniel, had taken her heart and crushed before her eyes, she watched it crumbled to dust before her eye, a heartless husk taking the place of the girl who once was full of light and love, was broken.
The next day Maddie tried to stay strong and put on a brave face, she fixed her hair up in a high ponytail, perfected her make up and picked out a killer outfit. But when Josie approached her with Daniel on her arm and a giant, cold smirk plastered across her face, knowing exactly what Maddie had caught her and Daniel doing. She completely lost it, Maddie slapped the blonde girl across the face and rolled over her toe with her wheelchair. It felt good, great actually, the slap made a loud satisfying sound, and she was fairly sure that she heard Josie’s toe crack. But Madeline got in a ton of trouble for it. So worth it. She could tell that her parents angry, but they also understood why Maddie had done what she’d done. She was still punished but Maddie didn’t really care, it felt too good, watching Josie’s smug smirk falter and watery tears fill her eyes. What did not feel good, was watching Daniel comfort Josie and demand that Maddie apologize to his girlfriend. But she did end up calling him some words that would make her Christian grandparents worry that she was possessed.
== Months later ==
In the last quarter of the school year, Maddie decided that she should be over Daniel and so she mustered up the courage to ask out a sweet guy in her tech class, Zac. He had black hair and dark eyes and lips that puckered in the cutest way whenever he was trying to figure something out. They went to the movies together, buying popcorn and sneaking in candy, two nights later. It was kinda awkward, they kept bumping hands and she could tell that he felt weird sitting in the wheelchair area with her, but he was really kind, and Maddie had a lot of fun. She enjoyed the movie and Zac’s laugh was a musical sound but…it did feel weird. She couldn’t help seeing Zac as more of a friend then a potential soul mate or whatever. 
Zac drove Maddie home as she couldn’t do it herself, for obvious reasons. He brought her chair over and she lowered herself into it carefully, she’d actually gotten fairly good at that over the last few months. Getting all the way out of the car Maddie rolled up to the door giving a small wave and rolling inside. She ignored her parents, heading down the hall and slamming the door behind her loudly to stop their shout. About five dates later she kissed Zac, on the lips, it was quick, and she tried to be elated when he kissed her back, but something felt...off and wrong. Of course, after Daniel, she was worried about being hurt again so, yeah, that was it. She just didn’t want to get hurt, right, of course.
A few nights later, Maddie rolled down the sidewalk, watching the golden stars twinkle in the deep navy sky. Holding her flashlight Maddie yawned sleepily, her parents would have never let her out of the house if they knew she’d be gone this long, or, at all. But honestly, Maddie didn’t care. Her parents always treated her like a child and not the almost adult she was, they seemed to think that just because she couldn’t walk that she wasn’t able to anything.
Turning the corner Maddie spotted Josie Milliam walking towards Maddie’s house casually, her hands in her hoodie’s pockets. She looked different then her normal impeccable ensembles, her red sneakers were scuffed and frayed, her blonde hair was a mess and her ripped jeans looked a little big to be stylish, if any of the girls saw Josie like that, it’d over for her, but Maddie thought she looked beautiful. 
“Josie, what are you doing here?” Maddie asked coldly, crossing her arms, and glaring at her ex-best friend, but it probably didn’t have the right affect because when Josie turned her cruel ice blue eyes on Maddie, she melted, and a light pink tinged her cheeks.
“Seeing you of course Maddie,” She said in sickly sweet voice, pulling at the red and white hoodie she was wearing, definitely Daniel’s. Maddie tried not to let that sting, especially since Maddie wore that same one, not even year ago.
“What do you want Josie?” Maddie asked, felling her eyes well up with angry tears.
“Look Madds-” Maddie flinched at the nickname, her brown eyes flashing with anger.
“Don’t call me that,” Maddie interrupted, glowering.
“Aw, is little Maddie still upset that I stole her hot boyfriend?” Josie asked, her voice full of malice and spite, pouting out her lip in a sarcastic fashion. Josie lifted her chin up, so she was looking down on Maddie, like she wasn’t already.
“What do you think? Let me give you a hint, I’d happily break your arm.” Maddie answered coolly, trying to ignore the pink tinge that still colored her face from when Josie turned her malicious icy eyes on the brown-haired girl. 
Josie rolled her strikingly beautiful eyes, “Drama queen much? Maddie, it’s not like you haven’t done the same thing,” Josie scoffed, “But I doubt any of the girls at school will have to worry about that.” Josie pursed her lips, looking the tan girl up and down.
“From what I can see it seems that you don’t have much on me, even if I can’t walk at least I know how to use a brush.” Josie’s face turned bright red, from anger or from embarrassment, Maddie couldn’t tell. “Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if Daniel were seeing another girl right now. He and Harper were making eyes at each other in homeroom.”
“If that’s how you want to play it, fine but I’m going to need you to shut up for a second. because Madds, I’m done watching you get the upper hand again and again, I’m done watching people pity you and favor you even though only five months ago you were the bitch who ruled the school. Doing exactly what I did to you. I’m, just so sick of it,” Josie hissed, her eyes tearing up like Maddie’s. She pulled out a gun and aimed it Maddie’s forehead, her hand wavering. “Goodbye Madds,” she fired the gun with a loud bang and as Maddie fell over onto the pavement bleeding out and Josie stepped forward, “Love you,” she murmured, running away into the night as the Maddie closed her eyes and the colors faded away. But with her last breath Madeline whispered one thing back, 
“I love you too,” a silent tear fell down her face and she let the wave of pain and darkness sweep her away in the open arms of death.
Category:Book
Category:Short Story
Category:Realistic Fiction