Think fast! Another update. I'm getting back in the zone for a few days. Welcome to the actual legit chapter 1. This doesn't have any action or anything, mainly just emotions and stuff. It's just one of the short one-shot kind of chapters. This is Chase facing guilt and disappointment and regrets and Clara helping him. Anyway... here you go!
Can't Always Save Everyone
The day Abby collapsed was the day I learned she had diabetes.
It was also the day that all of us, including Abby, found out she had cancer.
I had never been close to her before. Our conversations would be brief and to the point, just like they probably should be. But now, of course, I regretted not getting to know her better.
I was pacing on the roof of my family's house. Clara, my best friend, was sitting on a bench we had recently put up there. My mind was ping-ponging back and forth, debating every thought.
"At least you were nice to her and actually talked to her. A lot of the other kids bullied her," one part of his mind said.
"But I should have done more. I should have at least known the fact that she had diabetes," the other side was arguing.
"There's nothing you can do now. The doctors say she won't make it."
"Which is exactly why I should have done something before."
"Let it go, dude. Regret and guilt don't help a situation. There's nothing you can do to change the past. What's done is done."
"But…"
Clara stood, drawing my attention back to reality. "Um…are you okay, Chase?"
I sighed and stopped pacing. "No. I just…I wish I could have known her better."
Even though I didn't specify, she knew exactly who I was talking about. Somehow, she always knew what I was talking about. "I know. But you can't change the fact that she wasn't your close friend. You did all you could."
"No, I could have done more."
"You can always do more. The things you can do to a human being are endless. If you really wanted to be nice to her, you could have asked her out or something. And then, where would you be?"
I didn't reply. I didn't want to.
"Chase, you're going to have regrets in life. Everyone does, even me. But we can't let that bring us down. Yes, we can feel guilty because that's what makes us human. But would Abby want you or anyone else to mope around just because of her?"
"No, I guess not." My tense body slowly relaxed as I let out a long-drawn breath. I sat on the bench, and she sat next to me. "Do you think she's angry with me?"
"Of course not. She loved you. You were sweet and kind and helpful. You were her friend, and sometimes that's enough."
"Then, why doesn't it feel like enough?"
"Because it never does. We can always do more, but we have to live with the fact that we did our best. The past is in the past; we have to put these things behind us. But we always need to remember them." She looked me straight in the eyes, but I couldn't meet her gaze. Her small hand slipped into mine. "You can't always save everyone, Chase." Clara squeezed my hand.
I finally looked up into her dark almost black eyes, smiling back sadly. I squeezed back.
Guest: Glad you're so excited. Here, have another one.
Dirtkid123: You'll just have to find out... Hehe. Thanks, and here you go.