I received a letter from Micah today. I haven't opened it, though it is only a matter of time. Even if I never write back, I owe her that much.
Rick was 18 to my 14, an odd gap for friends such as us. His sister was 12, a large age gap for siblings. Not that I am an expert on siblings, though those two were the ideal in my mind. Always bickering, they cared for each other in a way that went far beyond the usual sibling duo.
I'm unsure of the exact circumstances that forced him to care for his sister. We didn't talk of such things. Micah, for her part, was never particularly interested in me. She was my friend, in a way. Always there with a smirk on her face and an insult on the tip of her tongue.
Tina, Rick's girlfriend, certainly wasn't my biggest fan. She thought I was a bad influence, and as much as I'm sure I was, Micah hardly needed my help in her corruption. She was of a sort whose circle consisted of little more than oneself. Her so called 'care' for Micah was only brought forth by her incessant need to control her boyfriend.
Neither of them really mattered to me at the time. Tina was an annoyance at the best of times. Micah, while closer in age to me, was wholly uninteresting. Her sarcasm angered me at the time, not because of her attitude, but rather because she spoke the truth. We got along when he had to. Our interests were relatively well aligned and our demeanors were not wholly
She always did have that unnerving ability. Like Rick she fit into most crowds, though he was more reserved than she. It would seem otherwise, on the surface. Rick liked people far more than Micah ever did, for she found them exhausting and didn't care for the drama that came with superficial relationships, but given the chance she would open easily enough. Rick, on the other hand, rarely spoke of his past.
Our acquaintanceship was short lived. Rick and I barely knew each other for a year when he passed, and I left shortly after. I never even went to his funeral, convinced as I was that I was unwelcome. To Tina, I'm sure I was. She despised my presence before Rick died. Micah, it seemed, expected my reaction, and in preparation for it had given my parents a letter. The first of many she would address to me. She bares me no ill will, though I am still unwilling to face her.
She still writes me every month or so. She tells me of her life. Her friends and her classes. She doesn't speak of my parents, though I know she is in contact with her. They likely felt as guilty as I did, though for various reasons. After all, their son was the reason for her brother's death. I know better than to assume they are ashamed of me. They are my parents, after all. Still, they would feel indebted to her, if only because they always felt indebted to Rick for saving me from myself. Funny, how my savor became my martyr.
Well, that happened. The side project I mentioned before wasn't a continuation of this theme, but it seems that I couldn't leave well enough alone. Idk how often I'll be updating this, but it'll continue on a case-by-case basis.
I kinda like the whimsical, thoughtful tone of this story, it's unlike my typical writing style.