Chapter One
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" Victor is dead. "
I felt the phone drop from my hand and heard it slam onto the floor.
" Taka, you there? " I heard the voice ring out, " Taka? "
I would have replied, but my voice had gone. My hands began to shake and I felt hot tears of guilt stream down my face. I yelled out in agony and fell to my knees, sobbing like a 1 month old infant.
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3 hours earlier, Victor, my childhood friend, had been sitting with me in our
school cafeteria. We had been eating our favourite food; strawberry shortcake. One of the local bullies, Mark, came up to Victor and wacked his Science Text Book across the back of his head, making his face smudge into the pink icing covering his half bitten cake. The entire cafeteria (Excluding myself) burst out in laughter, chucking bits of food and garbage at him. I should have stood up and helped him out, but I didn't. I just sat there, trying to ignore the look of pain eched across his face.
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After school was over we walked down Buliven Avenue, which is where Victor lived. I felt bad about not standing up for him, but it had died down a bit. Still, we walked in silence, as if neither of us were there. Our footsteps echoed through the empty street as we approached his house. When we got to his front door I was surprised when he extended his arm out, blocking my path from his doorway. Usually I would always visit him after school.
" I need to take care of something, sorry Taka. " He apologized, smiling.
I only nodded, confused as I walked off, towards my place. I didn't understand what he ment at that moment. Now I do.
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The police found him laying face down on his bedroom floor, a bloody knife beside his left hand. He had slit his own throat. He was dead. They confermed the time, 5:20pm, 10 minutes after I had left his house. Underneath his pillow, tucked deep into the case, was a letter. The police read it mentaly, then walked over to my address (It was printed on the letter), and handed it to me. I unfolded it and read it silently.
Dear Taka,
Thank you. Thank you for everything you have ever done for me in my life. I owe so much to you, yet I cannot repay it. My heartfelt apologizes. I can't take this anymore, Taka. This pain. This suffering. It needs to end, and this is my only option left. I've tried therapy. I've tried anti-depression pills. Nothing helps. I tried to push it back, deep into my self consiousness, and hide it from my daily life. I failed. Today pushed me over the edge. Everyone picks on me, no one, not even you, stands up for me. My parents expected so much from me. They still don't know I'm failing school. They won't have to worry about it now. No one will have to care for me, or beat the hell out of me any longer. It will all end in a minute. Take care of yourself.
Sincerely,
Victor
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They held the funeral 5 days later. Almost everyone was there, even Mark.
" May he rest in peace... " The priest finished, closing his bible and nodding to us.
Everyone, even my parents, left the cemetary. I stayed behind and knelt down infront of the gray tombstone. I placed my hand on his engraved name and ran my fingers across it. I heard a twig snap and glanced back with my eyes, not bothering to move my head. Chris, the one who had told me the horrible news, stood there, looking sorry.
" You miss him? " He asked, sympathetically.
Tears streamed down my face as I felt a spark of something true flow through my body. I smiled and stood up, turning to him.
" I do... " They trickled down my cheeks in grief, but in my heart I knew Victor was finally happy where he was. He was at peace.
---The End---