Young Writers Society

Chapter Five

Aubrey dropped to her knees, beside her bed, and weakly reached up to her dresser, retrieving the thin brown rock her grandfather gave her, running her thumb along it, feeling for the indent. She began to fiercely rub the indent, on the edge of the rock, shutting her eyes tightly. Tears began to seep past her eye lashes, and down her pale cheek.“God.Tonight I am wishing up to you, pleading, that the words that girl Erica had said to me, were true. I hope it really wasnothing,I love him truly, with all my heart. I’ve never felt this strongly before, it hurts, God. It hurts!” Aubrey whimpered, as she tilted her head up to the ceiling.

She slipped her thumb across the rock once more, than sighed deeply. She pressed her palms to the edge of her bed, pushing her body upward.She opened her eyes slowly, than swiped the back of her hand across her eye lids, sniffling. She then peeked at the black smudge from her mascara, smeared across the back of her hand. She placed the stone down back on the dresser, than tiptoed over to the window sill, sitting up on the radiator, scooting against the wall. She peered out at the dark sky, covered with shiny specks of white. She pressed her forehead to the screen, which was the only thing keepingher back from falling through. Deep inside, a feeling in her heart wished the screen wasn’t there.

“It’s your damn fault Crystal!” came blaring from below her, outside. “Always me isn’t it Dean, cause your perfect, aren’t you?!” Aubrey’s mother shrieked, as Aubrey’s father’s hand clashed with her cheek, slapping her hard. Aubrey pulled her knees on top of the radiator, hugging it close to her chest,squintingher eyes, to get a better view out the window. “You did it all along, it’s always been you that has destroyed this god forsaken family, without you, I could raise Aubrey fine!” Dean screamed into Crystal’s face. Fed up, Aubrey slipped her ear buds into her ears, blasting Evanescence’s playlist, singing along quietly, as she blocked out any slight sound from the atrocious reality she was trapped living in.

Chapter Six

Erica sighed, sitting down in the first row of the pillars, sliding her palms down her thighs, smoothing her black pencil skirt. She wiped her index finger across her eyes, once again smudging her eyeliner. She folded her hands daintily on her lap, looking up to the ceiling of the funeral parlor, wishing that it was all a prank. “Erica, darling?” her mother glanced over at her, from the casket. “Come say goodbye? I know you two had only met, but isn’t it proper?” her mother said, with a slight sense of a chipper tone, masked by what appeared to be fake sorrow.

Erica placed her palms to the seat, pushing herself upward, dragging her feet along the wood floors of the funeral parlor, approaching the oak wood casket.Benjiwas lying still within, his face and hands pale, the rest of his body coated in a black tux, and his phone placed in the pocket where a hanker-chief should have been. “Think he will get reception 6 feet under?” Erica’s mom joked.

Erica closed her eyes ignoring her mother’s rude comment, reaching withinthe casket to take hold of Benji’s cold hand. She intertwined her fingers withinBenji’s, bringing his arm up and kissed his knuckles.

“His hands are just like his fathers, large and boney.” Erica’s mother joked again, trying to lighten the moment.

But for Erica, there was no lightning of the moment. More like, a lightning bolt striking down on her heart. The way her mother said the words, felt like an insult. “So nowBenjiowns used parts, of that horrible man, in your eyes?” Erica squinted at her mother, a feeling of betrayal taking over her system.

Erica didn’t like her father, because he had putBenjiup for adoption without anyone knowing, due to his thoughts ofBenjigrowing up to be a delinquent, and her father felt like he was unable to raise such a child, and change those habits.

Aubrey sniffled, wiping her nose across her hand, her heart numb as she studied the walls ofBenji’sbedroom. She had come over to try and explain the misunderstanding, and beg for him to take her back. The bloody words were now dried to the walls, the stain of whereBenjiwas lying, all red-ishbrown. She walked over to the wall slowly, placing her hand to where the words were sprawled across the wall, trailing her fingertips across the letters, smearing the bit of blood that was still wet. The letters smeared, along with her mascara, as the tears streamed down her face. She clenched a fist, and with-drew it through the air, then slammed it hard against the wall, indenting it slightly. “It’sall myfault! I loved him too! I truly did. I thought he was the one..” She cried, as she laid her head to the wall, her body trembling.

She glanced down at the bracelet, strangling her ankle.“My angel, I will love you until the day I die.”The four words she dreaded most of all, were racing through her mind. It was true, there’s no hiding or denying it.He.Died.For.Her.

Decreased.Croaked.Departed.Withdrawn from the living.Bitthe big one.Dead as a doornail.Gone.Out of business.Lifeless.Taking a dirt nap.Kaput.Worm food.Bit the dust.Cashed in his chips.Finished.Lapsed.Pushing up daisies.Terminated.Inanimate.Kicked the bucket.Finished his list.Paid his dues.Past his expiration date.Nonliving.Checked out.Left the building.Passed away.Passed on.Isn’t coming back for the sequel.Dead.

Chapter Seven

“Benji. I may not have known him for long, but I can already tell, that after the day we spent together, he really is a great guy. Aubrey was lucky to be able to hold him in her arms, the way I wish I could do. You see, my father put Benji up for adoption, without my mother knowing. Half of a year later, I was born. So I never got a chance to meet Benji, until yesterday. Well, Aubrey saw us, holding hands, and she broke up with him, saying he was cheating. I won’t her blame for his suicide, but I will say, to never assume something, because now, I lost my brother. Thank you for listening, and being here. I will always love you Ben.” Erica said, wiping her tears.

The crowd erupted with both tears and applause, as Erica took her seat. She slipped her sweaty palms across her dress, smoothing it, as a tear fell onto the back of her hand. “Thank you Erica.”

The words startled Erica, and caused her to look up, as she saw her mother standing at the pedestal. “Now, you may head outside for snacks.”

Stephanie spoke clearly into the microphone.

The crowd began gathering their belongings, and filing thru the back-door, which led to the open field outside the church, where tables were spread out, with cookies, fruit and tea placed on them. Erica was the last one still seated, her head tilted up, her eyes closed, her hands cupped in her lap tightly. “I will never forget you, Ben.”

Erica spoke quietly, before standing up and sulking her way down the aisle towards the back door, joining her mother who was ushering everyone through.

Erica’s eyes shifted throughout the crowd, in search of someone to hold her hand, and keep her from breaking down into hysterics, as she watched two men lift Benji’s casket up into a truck, and climb into the front seats, driving towards the cemetery across the street. “Sorry I missed the funeral.”

The gentle words filled Erica’s ears with shock as Aubrey placed her cold hands on Erica’s shoulder. Erica turned around and smiled weakly, as she held Aubrey close. Aubrey’s tears began flowing onto Erica’s shoulder. “He can’t really be gone. Please tell me it’s a dream.”

Erica attempted to say, but her words were being strangled by her sobs.

“It’s all my fault!”

Aubrey cried, dropping to her knees.

“There’s nothing left we can do or say, to bring him back. Blaming yourself is only making you feel worse, and that doesn’t help the scenario either.”

Erica spoke in a hushed but bitter, as she sat on the grass beside Aubrey. Dozens of people began crowding around them, shaking their hands and apologizing for their loss, cutting off their conversation.

Chapter Eight

A month had passed since the dayBenjiwas laid to rest, and Aubrey still hadn’t finished her conversation with Erica from that day. She scuffed her feet through the leaves, moving the bare branches away, so they wouldn’t reach out and grab her hair. She ran her eyes past each tombstone, in search forBenji’sname inscribed onto therock. She could faintly see his name, which caused her to run towards the stone, her hair getting grasped by the hands of the trees, the twigs catching her hair. A piece of paper fell to the floor in front of his stone, into a mess of damp leaves. The sun had caused the snow to melt, leaving the ground as lakes of mud and water. She knelt down, resting one cold, pale palm on the plaque nailed to the stone, her numb fingertips grasping the thin sheet of paper.

“Aubrey, my love for you will never end. Don’t cry my love, don’t worry dear, heaven isn’t far away. I know you’re shattered, I miss you too, but sweetie the wounds will heal. If I could have one wish I would want you in my arms again tonight. I will love you until the day you die, and rejoin me in happiness in my arms. Love,Benji.”

The tears began flowing from Aubrey’s eyes and onto the crumbled sheet of paper, causing the ink to smudge. The handwriting was unable to recreate, without simply, being him. She pressed the soggy paper to her nose, inhaling his musky odor. Her eyes began watering even more so, her numb heart unable to take the melancholy, as she let the paper slip from her grip, into the mud. The mud acted like quick sand, grasping the paper and pulling it under, burying it from her sight.

“Aubrey, Scarlett is home with dinner!”

Her mother yelled. Aubrey let her legs fall to the floor,pushing her body off the bed, as she slipped out the doorway of her bedroom, and descended down the creaky, old wooden staircase.

“Hey kid, what’s wrong? Aren’t you happy to see me home from college?” Scarlett said, placing her hand on her little sister’s shoulder, but Aubrey shrugged it off.

“I am. It’s just..Forget it. I’m fine.”

Aubrey said, as she saw her mother enter the room, her hands daintily folded across her chest.

“Can’t you two talk at the table, as a family? Lets not let thefood getcold.” Crystal said, nodding her head towards the kitchen.

Scarlett and Aubrey followed closely behind their mother into the kitchen.

“I wasn’t sure whatBenjiwould eat or if he planned on joining us, so I just got him a burger. Is that OK?”

Scarlett said, lifting the Burger King bag onto the kitchen table.

“He um..He won’t be joining us anymore.”

Aubrey said,her gaze fixated on the four plates displayed on the kitchen table. “Oh..I’m sorryAb, did you two break up?”

Scarlett said, glancing over at her sister, as she placed a burger and French fry container onto her plate.

“Not in so many words”,

Aubrey said, taking her chicken club from the bag and placing it onto her plate, and sat onto the stool chair.

“Did you two get into a fight? What happened?”

Scarlett said, sitting beside her, unraveling the paper, the only thing that suppressed her from inhaling the fried cake of beef and pickles that were on her toasted sesame bun.

“He died, OK?”

Aubrey spat in a bitter manner, annoyed that her sister hadn’t had the right mind to call or read the paper in the past month to know that Benji had took his life. Aubrey pressed her hands to the edge of the table, pushing it away from her, as she jumped off the stool and ran up to her room, tears already forming the moment the words escaped her lips.

Scarlett stood in shock, her gaze following her sister as she dashed out of the room. She managed to force her feet to follow. HerUggsthudded against the carpeted staircase, her hands gripping the handrail as she darted upwards. She smashed her knuckles againstAubrey’s bedroom door repeatedly until Aubrey were to open the door. “Come on, I’m sorry! I didn’t know!”

Scarlett pleaded, her ear pressed to the wooden door, listening for Aubrey’s footsteps leading towards the door.

Scarlett’s body fell forward as Aubrey yanked the door open, her mascara smeared across her cheeks. “What happened, baby girl?”

Scarlett said, as she stepped into the room, sitting down onto Aubrey’s red and black plaid bed. She patted beside her for her little sister to join her. As Aubrey took a seat beside her, she rubbed her eyes. “He committed suicide a month and a half ago, because I accused him of cheating.”

Aubrey said, her body trembling. Scarlett wrapped her arms around her little sister, burying her nose into Aubrey’s hair, and Aubrey began to confide in her, telling her about everything that happened in the past two months.

Chapter Nine

Aubrey scuffed her sneakers through the leaves as she had done the week prior, leading her sister over toBenji’sgrave.

“The note was sitting in these tree branches.”

Aubrey said, crouching down to duck under the branches. Scarlett followed close behind her sister, dipping under the bare bark arms of the tree. Aubrey plucked a tiny sheet of paper out from the midst of the small sprouting ivy bush.

“See, like this!”

Aubrey stated,her voice jumping as her hands shook as she unfolded the sheet of paper. She slowly scanned her eyes over the sheet before reading slowly.“Aubrey, I miss you. I hope you finally understand that I love you too fondly to have cheated. Love always,Benji”

Scarlett took the sheet of paper from her sister’s hands, before turning it over, then glancing at her sister in a concerned matter.

“Aubrey, it’s blank.”

Scarlett spoke calmly, flipping the paper over, scanning for any lightly written words, but none were there. Aubrey had snatched the paperfrom her sister, and pointed at the top of the page.

“There’s yesterdays date, and then look”,

She pointed towards the center of the blank page,

“It’s his handwriting, Scar.”

Aubrey said hesitantly, before looking at her sister with confusion.

“Aubrey, there is nothing on that paper!”

Scarlett spoke sternly, her eyes fixated on the blank paper.

“Nothing”,

she repeated. Aubrey’s eyes became glassy once again, as she took the sheet of paper from her sister, and swallowed hard.

“I’m not making it up. I can’t be just seeing this because I miss him. It’s real, I know it. It HAS to be..”

Aubrey mumbled under her breath. Scarlett glanced over to her direction, concerned.

“Sorry, nothing. Your right, it was just my imagination.”

Aubrey said clearly, her voice shaking slightly as she slipped the sheet of paper into her back pocket.

“Hey uh Aubrey, I found this sheet of paper in your jeans after I put them in the wash.”

Crystal said, stretching over and handing the damp paper to Aubrey, who was shoveling milk-soaked Cheerios into her mouth. She quickly dropped her spoon, the milk swishing up, splattering onto the table. She unfolded the paper to find the ink smudged slightly, making it hard to read the blue, scripted letters. She stuffed it into the front sector of her backpack, before pushing her chair from the table and slinging the black strap over her shoulder.

“I’m going to be late for school. Loveyou,see you when you get home from work!”

Aubrey said in a hurry, as she spun around and ran out the front door, and off to school.

Chapter Ten

Aubrey smashed her locker door shut, hugging her chemistry textbook to her chest.

“Mackenzie!”

Aubrey shouted, capturing the sight of her best friend, and rushing over to her.

“Aubrey! You haven’t been in school since.. the incident. Are you okay? I missed you!”

Mackenzie said, dropping her bag to the ground and pulling Aubrey into a tight hug. Aubrey smiled, hugging her best friend close, a hugging she so desperately needed. As they broke apart, Aubrey opened up the cover of her textbook, and pointed at the damp sheet of paper.

“What do you see?”

Aubrey said, running her fingers over the smeared date.

“A blank sheet of crumbled white paper, that was flattened by your book?” Mackenzie said with a giggle, before directing her attention back at Aubrey.

“Is this another one of your illusion tricks?”

Mackenzie stroked her index finger over the ridges of the crumbled paper.

“Uh yeah, thanks. I guess I messed it up.”

Aubrey said slowly, shutting the textbook cover and sighing.

“Sorry, it’s just a trick, don’t let it get you down!”

Mackenzie said with a chipper tone, as if to convince her best friend she could master it another time. She reached her arms toward Aubrey for another hug, but Aubrey simply side stepped her, sighing once again, exasperated.

“I’m done, I’m not going back to that grave. No more invisible messages, Benji.” She said with a third sigh of displeasure, looking out the nearby window.

“What?”

Mackenzie said, running up next to Aubrey.

“Sorry, nothing.”

Aubrey said, shaking her head back into focus.

Aubrey tapped the edge of her pen against her desk. Her body was slouched in her seat at the front of the chemistry lab. She raised her hand daintily in the air. “Mrs.Summerhaze, may I go to the bathroom please? I don’t feel well.”

She placed her free hand over her stomach. Mrs.Summerhazenodded her head, permitting Aubrey to stand up and shuffle out of the classroom and slip into the girl’s restroom. She slipped out her cell phone and pressed speed dial two, and held the phone up to her ear.

“Hello?”

her mother said, in a surprised tone.

“Mom, can youcome pick me up? I don’t feel well.”

Aubrey said, leaning over the sink, looking closely into the mirror, and using her free hand to pull her hair neatly over her slender shoulders.

“Sure sweetie, I’ll leave work now.”

Her mother answered, before the click rung through Aubrey’s ear.

Aubrey pushed the door open, and slipped back into the classroom and over to her desk. She sat down on the blue metal seat, drifting her gaze up to the clock. She tapped the edge of her pen to her book, keeping it in rhythm with every other second that passed.

“Aubrey! The answer to 16, please?”

said Mrs. Summerhaze, tapping her foot impatiently.

“Sorry!”

Aubrey said apologetically, as she sat up and scanned her finger down the numbers, stopping at 16.

“Well the legs are both 3, so 3 squared added to 3 squared gives you 18, and the hypotenuse is 6, so 6 squared gives you 36, and you add 36 to 18, leaving you with 54?”

Aubrey said, looking up at the board.

Mrs. Summerhaze nodded and turned toward the Smart board, writing Aubrey’s work up on the board. A loud ring echoed throughout the silent room, as Aubrey’s eyes lit up, feeling her pocket tremble. The classroom erupted with laughter, and Mrs. Summerhaze looked sternly over at Aubrey. As she went to approach Aubrey to take away her phone, the wall phone rang. A moment later, Mrs. Summerhaze turned around and scuffed, “You’re lucky this time. You’re going home, your mother is in the office.” Aubrey smiled softly, nodding as she stood up from her seat, collecting her belongings before sashaying out of the doorway. Aubrey lugged her backpack over her shoulder, peering inside the classrooms as she would descend down the hallway and down the staircase.

Chapter Eleven

The loud screeching beeps rung through Aubrey’s ear drum, as she lifted her head up slightly, groaning as she smacked her alarm clock. Aubrey climbed out of her bed, trudging over to her closet, reaching for a pair of “LookBenji, you’re not here anymore. I need to get over that, so the notes at the graveyard,need to stop, okay? Matter of fact, Ipromise you I will never go back there as long as I shall live.”

Aubrey said with her eyes closed and her hands folded into each other, her chin pointed upwards facing the window. She kissed her index finger, and hopped off her radiator, walking over to her bed, before flopping down onto her stomach. Aubrey closed her eyes, and drifted off into a deep sleep, finally feeling a weight lifted off her shoulder for the time being.

The loud screeching beeps rung through Aubrey’s ear drum, as she lifted her head up slightly, groaning as she smacked her alarm clock. Aubrey climbed out of her bed, trudging over to her closet and reached for a pair ofAlmost Famousskinny jeans. She noticed her diary had been moved to the other side of the shelf in her closet. She cautiously slipped the jeans on, and stood up onto the tips of her toes, grabbing the small, woven journal. She began flipping through the pages for the small bookmark.On the page with the small red marker read “My love, I will not vanish, for I have not completed what I was given birth to do. If you want me to leave for good, than tell me you never loved me. But if you believe, I will do what I can to be with you, as best as I can.”

Aubrey’s heart sank in her chest,knowing that no matter who she told, no one would believe her. She knew the only way to end the messages, would be for her to cut out his way of writing them. She dashed down the wooden staircase, clutching the book to her chest, and grabbed the set of matches. She lit a few of the small matches and through them into the fireplace, the logs catching up in flames, the flames eating the logs and ignited a roaring fire. She took a deep breath, and released the book into theflames, the paper being eaten up fast, every memory ever written down, burned to ash.

Aubrey swung her messenger back over her shoulder, before pulling her long hair out from under the grasp of the strap and headed outthe door. She ran over to her mom’s red Ford Edge and climbed in, looking over at her mother who was tapping her foot impatiently. Without a word, Aubrey knew her mother was angered that she had come out of the house later than usual. She smiled apologetically, as her mother stepped on the gas, and went on the usual voyage to school.

Aubrey pulled her bag out of the narrow, metal locker. She placed her trigonometry textbook back up on the small shelf at the top of her locker, a small sheet of paper floating down to the ground. She bent down, grasping it slightly as she unfolded the thin paper.“Dear Aubrey, You shouldn’t have burned the diary. If you don’t want to contact me anymore, then fine. By burning the diary though, you burned all of those memories written down. I love you, okay? Yours in Eternity,Benji”

Aubrey clamped her lips together, taking her sparkly blue pen and digging into the paper “I need to move on, leave me alone.” With that, she slammed her locker shut, and scurried down the hallway and out the heavy, brown front doors of the school. The wind whipped at her face, causing her hair to fly back,her bangs pasted to her face.

Aubrey sat on the top of the ramp at the skatepark, watching the young kids run around the park across the street. She ran her nails back through her hair, as the vision ofBenjirocking back and forth on the ramp raced through her mind. She sighed, studying the figure closely. It seemed as thoughBenjiwere there with her, his familiar laugh filling her ears as he would fumble resetting his board up at the top of the ramp. Her chest would begin to tremble as the images flashed before her eyes.

“Baby, don’t cry. You know I hate seeing you upset, and I know you don’t want anything to do with me, but I had to come and say goodbye.”

The words filled her ears, as a fragile hand was pressed to her shoulder. Aubrey daringly turned around ever so slowly, as the fadedsight ofBenjistood beside her, and simply smiled down at her.“Goodbye my love, I am yours in eternity, but it is time for me to leave you to move on.”

The figures lips moved, before fading away, leaving Aubrey’s vision to be left staring at the railings at the back end of the ramp.

Aubrey sighed and forced herself up to her feet, knowing that her pain would only grow if she continued to sit there. The only way she could suppress it, was to move on. She jumped off the ladder and walked through the tall, iron fences, directing her attention to the cars passing by rapidly.As the stop light changedto red, the cars all come to a drastic halt, leaving it safe for Aubrey to run across the street. As she rounded the corner, she bumped into Mason Grey.

“Shoot, sorry”,

He said, fumbling backwards slightly, his black hair plastered to his tan, sweaty forehead.

“Aubrey, right?You go to school at McKinley?”

His breath was short as he panted, grasping his water bottle firmly.Aubrey nodded her head, eyeing him awkwardly, as he gulped down the cold water.

“Listen, I see you’ve been going through a lot lately, but I’ve liked you for a while..”

He said hesitantly.

“I’m here for you if you want to talk, maybe over dinner sometime next week?”

He cocked half a smile, looking down at his Nikes. Aubrey smiled half crookedly, her eyes focused on his brown, twinkling eyes.

“Hm..”

She tapped her lower lip, as Mason studied her closely, waiting for her answer anxiously.

“I’ll think about it.”

Aubrey said, before slipping past him, sashaying down the block.