To kill a kitten would be to take away the life of an innocent, sweet creature. To kill a kitten would be to manipulate and harm a naïve soul. To kill a kitten would be to break hearts as if you didn't have one. To kill a kitten would be to disregard life itself.

A tall, pale, Jadelyn West stood alone in front of the stone slab on a bitter Tuesday afternoon. She stared at the engraving in the cold stone. Her eyes were not misty as they were the other day at the funeral. Today they were icy and blank as she remembered it all.

The day the redhead skipped through the halls with a dimply smile upon her face. The way she couldn't stop grinning as she told them all about him. The day he came to visit all her friends. The look he gave Jade that made her immediately suspect he wasn't a good guy. The day the tiny girl showed up on Jade's doorstep with bruised arms and smeared mascara. The quiet sobs she let out as Jade cleaned her up. The redhead's continuous denial of him doing anything wrong and blaming herself for everything. The promise she made that it would never happen again. The way Jade nodded reluctantly and believed her. The day her black combat boots stepped into the pink bedroom to find a much deeper shade of pink surrounding the body on the floor. The noise the sirens made as Jade hovered over the motionless girl. The day she, along with four other grief-stricken teenagers, stared at the white casket set before them as the preacher spoke of God and Heaven.

How could he do that? The Goth girl thought. Such a sweet child. Such a brutal death. He swore it was an accident. He didn't mean any harm, he said, only the loss of his self control. One swift motion of his right hand was all it took. All it took to end a life. All it took to break the heart of the tough, mean girl standing in the cemetery. He was in prison, but what did it matter? Nothing would ever replace the dimples that were seen almost every day. The all too familiar giggle at the most random moments. The red hair that reminded Jade of the girl's favorite dessert. The optimistic attitude she had towards everything. The way she brightened everyone's day in one way or another.

No, nothing would ever replace her friend. Her best friend. Her kitten that he took away from her.