• Jackie: Sigh, work again. It’s another boring Tuesday morning at the muffin shop. The supposed ‘retro’ theme of the muffin shop always annoyed me. The circular red clock ticking away as I impatiently drummed my fingers on the long counter. The silver stools with their bold red seats stood there motionless as I waited for the customers to start pouring in. Soon Scott walked in pulling on his uniform jacket, he was late as usual. “Hey Scott.” I mumbled as I rested my head on my hand, pressing a button making the old muffin maker groan in its attempt to slowly start. “Oh, hey Jackie. What trouble are we cooking up in the sixties today?” Scott said as he let out a bit of a laugh. I smiled; Scott and I called this place the sixties because of its décor. We were the troublemakers in town. I really hate quoting music but, I was the punk rock princess of this town and Scott was the garage band king. I laughed, picking my head up to smile at him. “I heard of this new club, they call it the asylum.” Scott and I always went clubbing it was one of out pastimes. He smiled at me then jumped over the counter, pulling off one of his show off moments again. “Sounds insane, Mayhem. What time am I picking you up?” I smiled then gave him a shove, Mayhem was the nickname he had given me the first time we went clubbing. He fell over and I burst into laughter as the first customer walked in. He was strange and wore his hood so it covered his face and he had his hands rammed into his pockets. “Hello there, how may I help you?” I smiled and kicked Scoot who was now playing dead on the floor. The man said nothing then pulled out a gun and placed it against my chest. I felt a knot in my stomach and cringed. “Give me the cash.” He demanded in a low and vicious voice. I couldn’t move and Scott was still on the floor, staring up at me in shock. He was frozen in place due to the traumatic scene unfolding before us. “Now!” The man shouted, pressing the gun’s barrel harder into my chest. I cringed then shuffled slowly over to the register and opened it, pulling out the money and I started dumping it into the bag he had on the counter. Hot tears were rolling down my cheeks, stinging my eyes. I was so scared; this was all happening so fast. All of a sudden Scott jumped the counter and kicked the man straight in the face. The man fired off a shot and I fell back in shock, my hand fell to my stomach. I moved my hand and squinted trying to focus in on it. I gasped noticing the dark red liquid oozing down my hand and pooling on my stomach. I’d been shot; I let out an agonized scream as the pain registered in my mind. The hooded man started running with the bag and Scott quickly sat by my side, dialing 9-1-1. He kept choking out apologies and you’ll be Okays. I couldn’t answer him, I could hardly hear and I moved my hand back to my stomach. I fell limp, my body crashing to the floor as I slid down the back of the wall. I opened my eyes to hear the screaming sound of sirens and doctors all around me, poking and prodding me with needles. “Ow!” I hissed, reaching over to my arm. Next I felt a sharp pain in my side and I fell limp again, blackness taking place of the hectic scene. I woke up again in a bit of a drunken state, Scott at my side and two doctors next to him. They shook their heads as Scott started to cry. At first I wanted to punch Scott and tell him to toughen up but then I realized. “I-I can’t move…what’s wrong?” They all stared at me and the doctors shook their heads, beginning to speak. “Jackie, you’re not going to make it.” I stared at the man in disbelief as he went on and on about how the bullet hit something important in my spine and they couldn’t remove it. I couldn’t really tell what he was saying it was to complex and sounded like another language. “S-so I’m dying?” they nodded and Scott turned away, hiding the fact that he was crying. I felt a knot in my throat and swallowed, this wasn’t how it happened in the movies or in books. I was supposed to survive and the bad guy would be caught and maybe I’d fall in love. Then I remembered this is reality, not some stupid book. I was dying and it wasn’t fair, the annoying “life isn’t fair” quote popped into my head and I grumbled ignoring the little voice in my head. Scott turned around, his bleach whit hair with blood red tips fell in front of his tear stained face. My eyes widened as I saw the blood splattered all over his black band T-shirt. He started brushing back my jet black hair so that it was out of my horror struck face. He forced a soft smile then leaned forward and kissed my forehead. “The sixties is going to suck with out you..” I frowned again this just wasn’t fair. I didn’t want to die! I wrapped my arms around him suddenly finding the tears I had been struggle to let free. “S-Scott I…I don’t want to d-die.” I kept choking on my words as my hot tears stung my eyes and rolled down my cheeks. Scott held me close, his arms wrapped tightly and protectively around my small, frail body. “I know Jackie…I don’t want you to die either.” Three more doctors walked into the room to stare at us but I didn’t move. If I was dying, I was dying in Scott’s arms; not some strange, uncaring doctor’s arms. One of the bolder of the doctors made his way over to the curtain and tapped me on the shoulder. “Ms. Jackie we do have one surgery…the risks are high and you might lose mobility of your legs or even worse die, but you still have a chance of living.” “Why didn’t you tell me before? Give me the surgery!” Scott smiled when he heard that I could live but frowned, running his hands over my legs. “What will you do if you’re crippled, mayhem?” I shook my head and gave him one of my dazzling smiles. “Not be dead.” The doctors nodded then moved me onto a moving bed and started rushing me to the surgery section. I sank back against the flat cot and sponge pillow. I rammed my eyes shut, groaning at the bright light. I was being poked and prodded at again. Someone mumbled something then rammed a needle into my arm and everything went black.

    Scott: Two weeks later men and women covered in black, sorrow swept over them like a wave in the ocean. The tide was pulling them further and further into their misery and grief. It’s Jackie’s funeral today and I’m up next to view her body and say my final goodbye. She was my best friend almost like a sister, though I loved her far more than anyone could love another. I’m dying inside without her and that club the Asylum only reminds me more of all my unfulfilled promises. I was going to bring her to prom but just as a friend, even though I wanted it to be so much more. We were the only ones who understood one another. My family had never even understood me, that’s why when I was eighteen I moved out. I swallowed the knot in my throat seeing that it was my turn. I took a step forward, closing my eyes and holding my breath as I turned to face her. I slowly opened my eyes and choked on the breath I had taken. There she was, Jackie. She looked just as beautiful as ever. I brushed back her hair as I stared down at her small frail body. I sighed softly then brought my warm lips to her cold dead ones and kissed them, whispering against them as I pulled away. “I’ll always love you.” I took my seat in the pew with my family’s name on it. It was empty except for me. Jackie’s family had invited my family but they rudely declined, leaving me here feeling alone, hurt, and exiled. I knew my family never understood me but why did they have to leave me feeling so empty when I needed them the most? I sat there and closed my eyes as the ceremony started to begin. I listened as her mother started to speak, sobbing and choking on her words. A woman stepped forward and started singing some song that Jackie would have been rudely dancing in the pew to and making inappropriate sexual gestures. I smiled slightly thinking about this then stood up and walked onto the stage. I had prepared a speech but as I thought through it I hated it. I had a speech now and involved way less talking. I popped in the CD with it’s one song, Helena and closed my eyes awaiting to start. I stood there in front of everyone and began to sing with the song, motioning them all to stand. They all followed and sang along with the song. I had put up the words on a video projector so they all sang. I imagined Jackie dancing in the aisles like the girl Helena did in the music video. As it came to a close I opened my eyes and let them sit down. “I just played the song Helena for one reason and one reason only. Jackie always told me how she wanted to hear this song at her funeral. Today we’ve come to celebrate the life of Jackie yet at the same time we mourn the loss of it. Another song we listened to stated that “we all want to party when a funeral ends.” I know for a fact Jackie would not want you all crying and mourning her weeks on end. She wants you to remember all the good times you guys had together. She was always one to have a good time and I’m going to miss her greatly. Jackie if you can hear us, you’ll always have a place in our hearts. Rest in peace my friend.” I stepped off the stage then sat back down in my pew and wrapped my arms around myself, biting my lip as I started to fight back tears. I felt so lonely and so hated. Everything I had just said was true but I couldn’t help but miss her terribly. I just wanted to die and join her, wherever she may be. I closed my eyes and listened to the pain of the others around me. They didn’t even know her like I did; it sickened me seeing all these people from my school. They didn’t want to be here so why didn’t they get out of here? I sighed; remembering Jackie was everywhere and even you didn’t talk to her you knew her and had partied at least twice with her. I rose as the ceremony ended and joined the other men around the coffin. I placed my hand down on the metal bar and lifted, carrying my friend with her family members out to the car to be transported to the graveyard. I held back my sobs, hoping and praying that she would awake and open the lid to the coffin. We placed her in the car and I put my hand to the small glass window and stared at the maple wood as he turned on the car’s engine. I coughed then let my tears run down my cheeks as she was driven away. I hopped into my car and drove after her like I’d die if I wasn’t closer to her. After that the day was a blur of people sobbing and crying, hugging one another as dirt was thrown upon her coffin. It’s two O’clock in the morning now and I’m laying here in a cold sweat. I’d been screaming in my sleep. I had dreamed about the burglary and it was even worse in my dream because when I awoke it was still a reality. I held onto my arms and sobbed, my body shaking as I did so. It was horrible. I was all alone in my dark bedroom in my own dark house. No lights on and no curtains open. The windows slammed shut to lock all the happiness. I couldn’t help but keep replaying the moment in my mind, wondering about all the other outcomes. I got a hold of myself and stared over at the bottle of Nyquil. The label had been changed by Jackie awhile ago and I smiled slightly, staring the wide bubbly calligraphy letters. It said ‘Elixir of dreamless sleep’ she’d called it that because she always suffered from insomnia. Nyquil would help us both get to sleep and it kept all the dreams away. I picked up the bottle then chucked it against the black wall, yelling out in anguish as it smashed against the wall. I went over to the mess then slammed my fist into the mirror and cried out as the glass rammed into my hand. I hurried up and wrapped my hand, stopping the bleeding and pulled out the glass. There was nothing here for me anymore. I really had no reason to live. I went over to my computer and brought up google and looked up a few things. I walked into the garage and set my car up so that when I turned it on it would fill with carbon monoxide. I took a few CDs and placed them in the CD player. I took one of those car paint pens and wrote on the back window, whispering the words aloud “And if I die before I wake..Pray the lord my soul to take.” I smiled softly, knowing I’d used one of Jackie’s favorite quotes. I opened the front door and turned on the ignition. I slammed the door then got in back and laid down on the seat. I closed the door behind my and closed my eyes, the carbon monoxide lulling me to death.
    The End