Lily sat on her bed, staring at the wall as tears rolled down her tired face. Her mom had died about a year ago, yet the pain felt as if it had just happened. She missed her mom and the way she made everything better with a single word. Lily grabbed her phone, scrolling through different pictures of her mom. Each one reminded her of the love they once shared.
“I miss my mom so much,” she whispered to herself. “I hope that the man who killed her dies.” So many questions went through her mind trying to figure why it had happened to her.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxlSInGPIiP
Lily’s friend Ryan had always been there for her through the tough times. He was always there for her, always trying to make her laugh, every afternoon at the small park near their school. They would sit on an old bench in the park, watching the birds and the leaves twirl and dance in the wind. Today, though, felt different. Ryan seemed more worried than ever, his brow furrowed as he walked back and forth.
“Lily, can we talk? ” Ryan finally said, stopping in front of her.
“Of course, what’s on your mind? ” she replied, wiping her eyes.
Ryan took a deep breath, looking as if he’d seen a ghost . “I have something to tell you,” he said cautiously.
“What is it? ” Lily asked, her mind racing with questions.
“My father… he’s the man who killed your mom. ”
Lily felt as if the ground had opened up beneath her and swallowed her up entirely. “What? ” she shouted. “How could you lie to me, especially about something so big? I loved my mother, and that’s not something to lie about. WE’RE NOT FRIENDS ANYMORE! ” Her voice echoed through the streets and the nearby stores, people even turned to stare, but she didn't have the time or the patience to care what everyone was thinking.
“Lily, please listen,” Ryan urged, his hands trembling. “I didn’t know what to say. I wasn’t sure how to tell you. My dad was drunk that night and… it was an accident. But I can’t hide it anymore. ”
“Lily, can we talk? ” Ryan finally said, stopping in front of her.
“Of course, what’s on your mind? ” she replied, wiping her eyes.
Ryan took a deep breath, looking as if he’d seen a ghost . “I have something to tell you,” he said cautiously.
“What is it? ” Lily asked, her mind racing with questions.
“My father… he’s the man who killed your mom.”
Lily felt as if the ground had opened up beneath her and swallowed her up entirely. “What? ” she shouted. “How could you lie to me, especially about something so big? I loved my mother, and that’s not something to lie about. WE’RE NOT FRIENDS ANYMORE! ” Her voice echoed through the streets and the nearby stores, people even turned to stare, but she didn't have the time or the patience to care what everyone was thinking.
“Lily, please listen,” Ryan urged, his hands trembling. “I didn’t know what to say. I wasn’t sure how to tell you. My dad was drunk that night and… it was an accident. But I can’t hide it anymore. ”
Lily’s mind raced. She felt anger bubbling inside her but also a deep sadness. She could see Ryan’s face—it was full of regret. But how could she trust him now?6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwnv6FJ6CBw
“Get away from me! ” she screamed, feeling the weight of betrayal. She stood up and started to walk away, tears streaming down her face.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Q2YzZaxrl
“Lily, wait! ” Ryan called after her, desperation in his voice.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjax7NM3OmE
But she didn’t stop. She walked home in a haze, feeling the world around her dim. Once inside, she slammed the door and threw herself onto her bed, allowing herself to cry fully for the first time in months.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfGZyjdbcIr
Her mom would have known what to say. She would have held Lily tight, telling her that some things were beyond their control. But there was only silence now, and the memories felt like sharp knives.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ97fwZjgGTt
The next day at school felt heavy. Lily hardly noticed her classes. During lunch, she sat alone, pushing her food around on the tray. Her heart ached with betrayal, and each bite felt like swallowing stones.
Suddenly, Ryan appeared, sitting across from her. “Lily, please. Just let me explain,” he pleaded.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWUopm27pp2
“What’s there to explain? ” she snapped. “You’ve said enough already. ”6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCYUBjq3mR6
“Just hear me out. My dad has been drinking a lot since the accident. He feels terrible, and I hate him for it. But I didn’t know until recently that he was involved in your mom’s death. I didn’t want to lose you over this. ”6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnhfmt90IY2
Lily took a deep breath, looking into Ryan’s eyes. She could see sincerity there, but it didn’t ease her pain. “You should have told me the truth earlier,” she said softly.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF0gtsA9Le9
“I know,” Ryan replied, looking down. “I was scared. I didn’t want to ruin our friendship. But keeping this from you was wrong. I’m sorry. ”6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL7VJfq7j5I
Silence fell between them, thick with unspoken words. Lily wanted to scream, to cry, to run away again, but she was tired. “Why did it have to be like this? ” she asked, tears threatening to spill again.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCm4lMF4UKm
6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4fzstKrm3q
“Because life is unpredictable it could happen to anyone, really,” Ryan said, his voice barely above a whisper. “People make mistakes. I wish my dad hadn’t been drinking that night. I wish it could be different. ”6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGdRravFCMP
Lily looked away, contemplating his words. She felt anger towards Ryan, but a small part of her knew he wasn’t to blame for his father’s actions. Yet, the betrayal hurt deeply.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdQca1jXJot
As the days passed, Lily struggled with her feelings. She missed the days when everything was simple and carefree. Ryan texted her daily, trying to mend things, but Lily found it difficult to respond.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEqTFtGcwWy
A couple days later, she decided to go to the park, hoping the fresh air would help clear her mind. As she walked, she spotted Ryan sitting alone on the bench they usually sat on, looking lost and afraid”. Against what her mind was thinking,instead she listened to her heart this time, she approached him.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ281Uiouu9N
“Hi,” she said softly.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCQy8kwzRqp
“Hey,” he replied, his voice lighter but still filled with sadness. “I’ve missed you.”
Lily blushed but remained silent. 6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRElAiqnyDW
“Look, I don’t expect you to forgive me right away. But I won’t stop trying, I care about you, Lily. You’re the best part of my life, I’ve never felt this way about anyone before…I-I don’t know what love is and I don’t know if it really exists, but, I-I think-I think I love you…,” Ryan admitted, eyes pleading as tears ran down his face which was now as red as a strawberry. 6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhS7PSHBuOu
Lily felt her heart beating out of her chest as her face turned pink. “I love you too,...and I never want you to leave my side…just-j-just promise-promise me one thing-promise me you’ll never hurt me or lie to me ever again” she finally said. 6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHwrLSgN28V
6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2LCLK3e0z6
“I promise I won’t,” Ryan replied. “I want to be here for you—i-if you’ll let me.”6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK79WL9E9iF
As she sat next to him, Lily felt a wave of happiness wash over her, it had been so long since she even thought about smiling she’d almost forgotten what it felt like to be happy, she hadn’t felt it in such a long time, she would never stop missing her mom, but maybe she could still be happy after all that’s what she would’ve wanted for her.
Maybe one day, they could heal together.
Lily began to think to herself, maybe just maybe.
Lily leaned forward and hugged Ryan just then it felt like the world stopped spinning and all the world’s problems just disappeared.
Before she knew it her lips were on his
She’d never kissed a boy but this-this felt like heaven
Ryan’s armed were wrapped around her waist and her’s around his neck,
He pulled back slowly and whispered to her “as long as I’m with you I’m happy”
As he pulled her closer to his chest wrapping his arms tighter around her waist he kissed her.
Soon after it started to rain so they went back to his house.
“Lily I love you” Ryan said
“I love you too Ryan” Lily answered6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAZTWAKEB3n
“Let’s watch a movie till the storm is over.” Ryan recommended
Lily agreed.They decided to watch “The unbreakable boy.”
But less than 30 minutes into the movie, Lily found herself kissing Ryan.
Lily never wanted it to end, she loved him more than words could ever say…
He pulled away gently as he brushed her hair away from her face, she leaned forward and hugged him wrapping her arms around him.
“I love you Lily.” Ryan said softly in her ear
Lily felt her face turn red she pulled away facing the opposite direction of Ryan.
“Whats wrong?” Ryan said worriedly6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAejWhMYzbH
“Nothing I-I’m just tired that’s all” Lily answered
“Oh ok here” Ryan said passing her a blanket.
“If you want too, you can sleep here for a bit” Ryan offered
Lily nodded as she wrapped herself in the blanket.
“I’m going to take a shower” Ryan said
“Ok” Lily replied
Ryan went up to take a shower and before Lily knew it she had drifted off to sleep.
Lily woke up in what felt like minutes,and she noticed a sweet smell coming from the kitchen, as she walked to the kitchen she heard someone at the door, and what sounded like they were searching for their key.
“Ryan! Someone is at the door” Lily yelled to Ryan not knowing where he was
“Can you open it?” Ryan asked
“Sure!” Lily answered
When she opened the door her heart dropped.
“...hello Lily…” Ryan’s father said
Ryan walked down the stairs and Lily couldn’t tell whether he was going to cry or scream
But he just wrapped his arm around Lily and whispered “it’s okay” he continued to say this until Lily could speak again “Hello, I’m-” Lily was saying before she got cut off
“I know who you are and I have something for you”
Ryan’s father walks into the house, goes upstairs and comes back down with a box.
“I’m so sorry about the, well you know…I asked Ryan to get some picture of your mom so that I could well, here just look for yourself…”
He handed the box to Lily, it was delicately wrapped with a powder blue bow on the very top of it.
She unwrapped it, tears filled her eyes.
“It’s perfect! Thank you,thank you so much!”Lily said as she lifted the blanket out of it’s packaging.
It was covered in pictures of her mom.
“I’m sorry I hope you like it I know you prolly never forgi-” Lily ran forward and hugged him with tears of joy “thank you so much it’s perfect I love it” she said as she wrapped herself in the blanket.
Ryan was smiling big as he watched Lily twirl around in the blanket like a kid on christmas morning. “Dad? Can Lily stay for dinner tonight?” Ryan asked
“Of course she can!” He answered as he walked up the stairs
Lily said thank you one more time and sat down next to Ryan.
Ryan’s dad had just finished passing out the dinner plates when Ryan stood up.
“Lily? Will you go to prom with me???” Ryan asked nervously
Lily felt her face turn red. She jumped out of her seat, ran to Ryan, jumped into his arms wrapped her arms around his neck as he held on to her and wrapped his arms around her waist as her legs were wrapped around his waist, she looked him in the eyes with a smile so big it could light up the whole world and kissed him.
“I’m guessing that’s a yes, right?” Ryan joked.
“Yes of course it is!” Lily replied as she let go of him and went back to her seat.
A couple hours after dinner Lily was getting ready to leave.
Ryan’s dad offered to drive her home. “No thanks! I love to walk home in the evening the sunset is so beautiful I wouldn’t miss it for a thing!” Lily responded back to him.
Ryan ran to the door “I’ll walk you” He said grabbing her hand.
Clearly, he wasn’t asking to walk her home, it appeared he was stating it.
Lily didn’t care she found it cute how he always wanted to be by her side. “Ok” she said opening the door.
Ryan hurriedly grabbed the door “Ladies first!” he said with a beaming smile.
Lily laughed and walked out the door as Ryan closed it behind them.
“Hey, uh before you uh I mean I umm uh walk you home I-I want to show you something” Ryan said shyley.
“Ok…?” Lily replied
He took her hand and lead her to a lake, next to the lake was a huge oak tree covered in heart shaped leaves.
“This-this is where I go to ummm well I don’t really know I go here to escape the world and just think…” Ryan said “I’ve never actually showed anyone,...” He continued.
“Its-its beautiful” Lily ran to the oak tree and sat right underneath of it. Ryan followed and sat right next to her.
“Can I lean on you I’m tired?” Lily asked
“Sure, I’ll walk you home later” Ryan replied back as he leaned forward and kissed her gently on the forehead.
“I love you Lily” He whispered
Lily was already fast asleep.
“This Friday we’ll be having prom I will be chaperoning along with 3 other teachers but that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun! That’s all for today see you tomorrow kids!” The teacher said before dismissing the class.
Lily gets up and walks to the door to leave, “Hey! Uhh Lily come here for a sec!” A girl calls from the back “ok…?” Lily says as she makes her way to the girl.
“I umm uhhh I uhhh need…a peeencillllllll reaaaaaallll quiickkkk ppleeesssse” She says slowly as well as moving slowly too.
The girl looks at her phone and then suddenly has to go, she rushes out into the hallway as if she started a huge fire and needed to escape it.
Lily is highly confused but she brushes it off and walks into the hallway…
Everyone falls silent as they all scoot to the lockers so Lily can walk.
Lily walks quietly and slowly down the hall soon she notices rose petals on the floor,
Along with paper hearts she reaches the end of the hallway the students start chanting “LOOK UP!”, she looks up.
“Will you go to prom with me?” is written on a rose-gold banner that’s hung over the school doors
“So will you?” Ryan calls running down the hall to her.
“Yes! Of course I will!” Lily says happily.
“Good cause I wasn’t going to go without you” Ryan said as he lifted Lily’s chin up and kissed her.
Lily melted, she could feel her face turning as red as a strawberry!
The hallway erupted with cheers and squeals and clapping it was beautiful, and it felt like floating on a cloud.
Lily is at the prom. It’s everything she ever imagined slow dance, music, friends and the boy of her dreams!
She’s been dancing with Ryan for hours and she heads over to the refreshment table to get a second drink.
She grabs her cup and chugs down her water. She notices word’s at the bottom.
“They don’t know the truth” is written in her cup in her mother’s handwriting.
She feels chills run down her spine just thinking about how it possibly got there?
“Ryan come check this out?!” Lily says.
“What is it?” Ryan asks.
He looks down at her cup, he barely finishes his sentence when his jaw drops.
“That’s your mom’s handwriting but how?”Ryan asked.
“I don’t know” Lily said blankly.
“Maybe somebody put it there as some type of messed up joke?” Ryan said.
“Maybe…” Lily agreed.
“I-I don’t feel like dancing anymore,...I’m just gonna go home…” Lily said visibly upset.
“I’m guessing you don’t want me to walk you?” Ryan asked.
Lily nodded and as she opened the door to leave “I’ll call you later…” she said before closing the door behind her.
As Lily walked home, her mind overflowed with question and possible answers, she couldn’t even think because of how much she was thinking.
“UGH!” she screamed as tears rolled down her cheeks.
“Why me?!” She cried dropping down on her hands and knees.
She started ripping grass out if the dirt as if she was trying to dig a hole to disappear in, tears ran down her face as she cried uncontrollably her face was red and people were staring she turned around so that she was facing a little girl and her mom “WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?!HUH?!MIND YOU BUSINESS!!!6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLpvL55t4NR
The girl burst into tears immediately, as she was running away.
Her mother ran after her.
“WAIT I’M SORRY! I’m sorry!im sorry…!” Lily cried
She started crying hysterically.
Eventually she made her way home and as she walked up the porch she noticed a yellow paper under the rug she picked it up and read it and it said “Help me” in her mother’s handwriting.
She crumbled it and threw it as far as she possibly could.
She opens the door and goes straight to her room. She wraps herself in blankets and grabs her phone.
Ryan has texted her at least 40 times. She calls Ryan “Lily?Lily are you okay?!What’s wrong?” He asks her, although she can’t see him she knows he’s been worried.
“I’m fine.” She answers6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdnuLtRCOhS
“Lily what’s going on?” He asks.
“I don’t know, I keep finding notes from my mom the last one said “help me”...” She said shakily
“Ryan?Ryan are you there?” Lily asked confused
The next day at Ryan’s house was weird.
Ryan who was usually all over her, was very cold.
Not in a cold, hot kinda way.
It was more like a distant, quiet sort of way.
His father too, it felt like they were hiding something…
Lily was sitting in the living room by herself, Ryan and his Dad had gone upstairs.
Lily was just watching tv when she heard knocking, she couldn’t figure out where it was coming from, but it was definitely close by.
Lily heard crying and thumping she looked everywhere but couldn’t figure out where it was coming from.
There was only one place left to look, the closet under the stairs.
She walked to it slowly grasping the knob she was just about to open it when she felt someone behind her.
“Lily?!What are you doing!” Ryan was behind her his eyes were bloodshot red.
“I-I was just-”
“Just leaving!” Ryan grabbed Lily’s arm and pushed her towards the door “Go!”
Lily ran out the door.
Lily couldn’t stop thinking about what was behind that door, and why was Ryan so angry?
The next morning Lily decided to sneak into Ryan’s house and figure out what was behind that door.
When she got there, the driveway was empty and no one was home.
Lily walked in looking around making sure she was alone she ran to the closet and swung the door open.
Nothing.
There was nothing there, Lily started throwing things out of the way trying to find some explanation and there it was.
A bracelet, her mother’s bracelet.
She picked it up and held it in the palm of her hand.
How did it get there?
Is Ryan hiding something?Her mind raced.
Until she heard a car outside.
They were home.
She couldn’t run out the door, or they would see her.
She heard keys jingling outside the door.
Se had to move, and quick!
She ran into the closet and shut the door.
They were in the house.
“Do you think she knows?”
“No, not unless she opened that door”
“She didn’t I stopped her”
“Good, I moved her to the shed just in case she tries it again”
What were they talking about?
As soon as they went upstairs she dashed to the door and ran until she was at her house.
She went to her bedroom, opened the door and plopped onto her bed.
She got up to change when someone grabbed her throwing her against the wall.
It was Ryan.
“What do you know?!”
“What are you talking about?”
“Did you open that closet yesterday?”
“What no?!”
Ryan looked around Lily’s room, When he wasn’t paying attention to her anymore, Lily slapped him.
“What is wrong with you?!”
“What’s wrong with me?! How could you scream at me?!”
Ryan looked down.
“Where did you get the bracelet from?”
“Nowhere!”
“Tell me where you got it!”
“No! Let go of me, you’re hurting me!”
Ryan let go and left the house as if nothing had happened.
Lily stood against the wall frozen for a minute.
What just happened?Does he know she opened the closet?
All of these questions and more ran through her mind.
*Doorbell rings*
Lily comes back to reality, “Coming!” She runs down the steps and swings the door open.
No one is there.
All her neighbors look weird they’re just staring at her, like she just robbed the bank or something.
Lily ran back inside and ran to her mother’s room.
She started to cry.
*Knock, Knock*
Lily jolts awake, she must’ve cried herself to sleep.
She opens the door and there’s a box.
She opens the box immediately.
There is a note inside, it says “ChEcK ThE ShEd…”
Who wrote this?
Was this written to her or was this a mistake?
Why?
What’s in the shed?
More and more questions crowded her head trying to figure out what was this note and where did it come from.
She reaches down and picks up the box and carries it inside.
Just as she reaches the living room the box all of a sudden feels heavy, she puts the box down and looks inside.
Nothing.
There is nothing in it but that note.
Something strange is happening.
What exactly? Who knows?
Lily decides to sneak into the shed, the only problem is–how?
She sneaks over to Ryan’s house as soon as she sees the car leave she runs to the shed.
The door is locked, she pulls as hard as she can on the door but it doesn’t budge.
As she is struggling to open the door she hears someone inside and what sounded like laughing…?
As she pulls and pulls something shiny catches her eye.
The key! She grabs the key and swings open the door.
“Mom?!”
Lily finds her mother sitting tied up in the very back corner of the shed.
Lily rushes to untie her mother, without thinking she hugs her mother tightly tears roll down her tired face as she hugs the mother that she thought had died.
“WHO ARE YOU?” Her mother screamed angrily.
“It’s me, lily, mom its me.”
“MOM?!” Her mother says as she falls to the ground laughing.
Lily realized that the mother that she had once known no longer existed.
Her mother had been tied up for years, she didn’t even remember Lily, her own daughter, her only daughter.
“Mom its me Lily!”
“Get away from me! I don’t know you!” Her mother yells at her.
Lily hugs her mother as tears fall from her face, but before she can say anything her mother pushes her off.
At that moment Lily snapped.
Lily starts sobbing, screaming, “I thought you were dead! I thought you were gone mom! And now that I’ve finally found you, you don’t even remember who I am?!”
“I DID ALL OF THIS FOR NOTHING?!”
Suddenly Lily is grabbed by the neck as she fights to get away, her mother climbs on top of her holding her down as she strangles her, Lily screams out for help but no one hears her she fights and fights to get away but she can’t she can't breathe.
Her mother grips her neck even tighter, Lily gives up she can’t get away from this.
She stops fighting her mother and just gives up. As she takes her last breaths of life everything begins to blur, her mother’s words are muffled she can no longer make out the words her mother is screaming.
Lily lies on the ground motionless as the life drains from her body, she can feel her skin losing its once beautiful tan color as she struggles to breathe, suddenly her mother stops but it's too late, Lily’s gone.
Her mother drops to her knees screaming as tears run down her tired face.
“No! My baby! I killed her! I killed my baby!” When she finally realized what she was doing, it was already to late.
She grabbed the rope that Ryan and his father had tied her up in, wrapped it around her neck and pulled it tight. She can still breathe so she picks up some broken glass and slits her throat as she pulls the rope even tighter.
Hours pass and Ryan and his father have returned home, immediately they notice that the shed door is open.
Ryan rushes over and drops to his knees, screaming in horror, his father runs over and screams in shock.
Suddenly a paper airplane is thrown in there direction it falls to the ground right in front of Ryan.
He opens the paper airplane and finds words written in blood, the paper suddenly turns to dust in his hands as he’s holding it. “What did it say?” His father asked. “It's not over yet…”
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