Chapter Seven: Speaking the Truth

Sydney took off at full speed, knowing that this was her only chance of getting to her car before Michael. She knew that he ran faster and her head start was her only advantage. Her car came into view and she exhaled slowly. Just as she was about to get in, she felt someone pull her wrist. Michael. She sighed. He put his other hand on the door to prevent her from opening it. She took a deep breath and turned around slowly. "What? What do you want? I don't want to hear it, Mike. You lied to me. What other secrets are you hiding? Huh? You married? Got a wife and kids in France? Have you been playing me this whole time? I heard what you said. I'm not a charity case. I don't need you to "take care" of me. I'm perfectly capable of doing that myself. What do you think I did those two years you were in France? Let go of me. I'm leaving. We're over."

Michael took his hand off her wrist and raked it slowly through his tousled hair, keeping his gaze on her. He didn't remove his hand from the door. "Slow your rant, Syd… just listen. Let me tell you how I know Danny. Then you can go off, make a voodoo doll of me, and poke pins in it, if you want. If you still feel the same way after you've heard my story."

Sydney wasn't stubborn for nothing. "No." She met his gaze. "I don't want to hear it. You should've told me whatever this is all about when we started dating. How am I supposed to trust you now? Move your hand."

"Dammit! Sydney, just listen to me. I'm not letting you go. You have to hear this. I don't care what you do after you've heard this. I don't care if you never talk to me again; I don't care if you go to the police and tell them to make me stay away from you. I want you to hear the story," He burst out, surprising the both of them.

Sydney gave him a steely look. She knew he was serious. He rarely got mad. But she didn't want to hear it, not because he had lied, not because she didn't trust him. She didn't want to hear it because, on the inside, her heart was breaking. She seemed angry and uncaring, but she felt as if she was going to burst into tears if he started talking. "Fine. Tell the story. I'll listen. That doesn't mean I'll change my mind." She leaned against the car door and crossed her arms.

Michael took a deep breath and prepared to tell the story he had kept a secret for so long. "When I was little, before my dad died, our family lived here, in LA. Danny's family lived next door. We were neighbors." He glanced at Sydney. She opened her mouth to say something, but he pressed a finger to her lips. "Just… listen okay, Syd? We were neighbors but we became friends only after my dad passed away, when I was seven. Danny's entire family came over with a cake and condolences. I noticed Danny's sister, Cassandra was my age, and Danny himself was only 2 years younger. The three of us starting going to school together and hanging out after school. Since Bridgette was about 4 years younger, she had her own group of friends. Occasionally she hung out with us."

Sydney opened her mouth again, "Danny's sister? But didn't she—"

Michael shushed her and continued. "When Cass and I were both 12, we went from the elementary school to the middle school, which was farther so everyday we took the bus together. Danny walked to the school by himself and the three of us just hung out after school. That year was also the year I became the biggest jerk." Michael sighed and swallowed, preparing to get into the hardest part of the story. "When Cass and I started middle school, we still hung out and went to school together and went home together. But after a while, I became friends with some of the popular jocks and I started hanging out with Cassandra less and less. One of them, Bryan, kept calling her my 'girlfriend' and it got me really irritated, so I began to distance myself from her. Around the end of the school year, my mom found out that I had been ignoring Cassandra and reprimanded me. She told me the next day to take the bus with Cassandra and not go anywhere with my other friends. I had to be home on time. I was pretty mad, so the next day, when she started talking to me and asking if I was taking the bus with her, I sort of blew up. I told her that I had somewhere more important to go and that she should leave me alone. We were all at the bus stop and I started walking away." Tears formed in his eyes as he remembered his horrible words to Cassandra.

Sydney's eyes widened. Michael looked visibly shaken. Maybe she was being too hard on him. "Mike, if you… can't tell the story… you don't—"

He shook his head. "You deserve to know Sydney. I want to tell you. It's just… so hard…" He trailed off as the memories of that horrible day rose to the surface. He had tried to keep them hidden for too long. The visions still stung, but not as much as before…

-

"Hey, that girl you keep hanging around with? What is she, like your girlfriend or something? No? Then why do you keep hanging 'round her? I bet you like her… Mike and Cassandra, sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g, first comes loveeeeeee—"

"Shut up, Bryan. My mom is friends with her mom. I don't like her. She's NOT my girlfriend."

"Prove it."

"Hi, Michael. Why don't we ever hang out any more? You should come over more. You're making my sister sad. I think she likes you."

"Michael Vaughn! Have I taught you nothing? You think that you can just go off and make new friends and ignore Cassandra? All these afternoons I think you are with her and Danny when you have been off gallivanting, doing who on earth knows what with those friends of yours. I don't mind you having friends, Michael, but you shouldn't just stop talking to Cassie altogether!"

"But…"

"No buts. Tomorrow you are coming straight home and you are going to take the bus with Cassandra, because God help me, I will be at the bus stop waiting for you. You can go over to their house if you want. Tell your friends you will be busy."

"Hey Mike! You gonna take the bus with me today? I'm so glad. We haven't had a chance to talk in a while." Cassandra smiled brightly. Michael studied her, she was pretty that was for sure. But he was getting real annoyed with her lately.

"Listen, I'm not taking the bus today. Me and the guys have had a hockey match planned for weeks. I don't care what my mom says, I've got to go. It's much more important okay? Stop bothering me, Cass. Don't you get it? Sometimes people grow up and grow apart." He caught a glace at Cassandra's shocked expression before he turned to Brian and said, "Let's go, man." The two of them started to walk off.

"Michael! You're supposed to take the bus! What am I going to tell your mom? MIKE!" She was so busy screaming after him that she didn't notice the bus driver lose control of the vehicle and swerve onto the sidewalk.

Michael heard a few screams and tires screeching; he turned around curiously. When he saw Cassandra's body, all thoughts flew from his brain. "Cass!" He ran to her side and saw her crumpled there, and he knew she was gone. She had been gone upon impact. All because of him. He slumped down against the bench and started crying. "I'm sorry… Cass… come back. I didn't mean to yell. Cassie, come back. Cassie… you're my friend. I didn't mean to yell. I'm sorry. Sorry. I love you like you're my own sister. I'm so sorry. Please. Come back." He knew it was hopeless and he knew it was his fault. He couldn't stop crying.

The next few hours went by with a blur. He remembered someone calling Cassandra's house, his house. His mom picked him up and took him home. Bridgette had sat on the sofa, unmoving. He didn't remember what else had happened. He sat on the porch, staring at nothing and looking at the sky. Danny walked over. His eyes, red and puffy from crying, fixated on Michael and then shifted to the night sky.

"Michael… where's Cassie? Why doesn't she come home? I don't want her to die. I want her back…"

"I know… I do too. Me too, Danny. Me too."

-

Michael wiped the tears from his eyes and looked at Sydney. She was crying as well. "It was all my fault, Syd. I killed her, practically. If it hadn't been for me, she would be alive. I was so stupid. So stupid. After that, Danny's family moved away. They didn't blame me, after all they couldn't. They didn't know what I had done. At first my mom kept in touch with them, but we moved to France later on. I guess we lost touch. After all these years, Syd. I tried to forget everything. I made my peace with it. Then Danny comes along. Car accident." He gave a short laugh. "The irony. I didn't even remember until I was looking through my things about 3 months ago. Everything came back to me. Every detail, every word. I decided to go to Danny's grave for forgiveness. And to talk to him. I wanted him to understand, Syd."

Sydney shook her head and shivered. It was getting pretty cold and Michael's gruesome story hadn't helped. She was speechless. Michael noticed she was cold and handed her his jacket. She took it without a word.

"Sydney I know it's a lot. Just think about it, okay? A few days. I'll be by on Friday." He walked away, leaving Sydney leaning against her car, still unable to speak.

She finally got in her car and drove home. As she walked in to her living room, she noticed she was still wearing Michael's jacket. She sighed and rubbed her temples. It had been a long, harrowing day. She still didn't know what to think about the whole bus accident. It wasn't Michael's fault though. Damn. Why hadn't she said something? She took off his jacket and threw on the sofa. She heard something clunk against the ground but ignored it and went to get a pint of ice cream. When she walked into the living room, she noticed a small black box on the floor next to the sofa. It must have fallen out of Michael's jacket… She frowned and set her ice cream on the coffee table. She picked up the box and opened it. Sydney gasped. A diamond ring was inside…

Oh, Michael…