"Amanda, you know it IS rude to leave your guest outside for so long by his self. You could have at least invited me in," Nick said as he slowly walked in the front door. "And you know it's not good to leave your front door open. Your t.v is looking mighty nice. Amanda?" Nick expected Amanda to hear him and answer, but nothing. He decided to look for her up in her room first. But as he walked passed the kitchen, he couldn't help but see her figure on the floor lifelessly.
"Amanda!?!" he quickly went to her side and shook her vigorously. "Amanda, are you okay? What's wrong?!?" He ignored the loud beeping sound coming from the telephone, due to it being off of the hook for some time, and continued trying to wake her, but nothing was working. Tears sprung to his eyes and he had a hard time fighting them back. "What's wrong with you?" He sat her body up right when he felt her begin to stir, and finally started sputtering and coughing.
"Are you okay? What happened?" I cleared my throat and wiped the water from the corners of my mouth and eyes.
"I think I'm okay. I...I don't remember what happened." I looked up from the kitchen floor and into Nick's eyes, then back down to the floor where the telephone was. "I...I choked on my water, I was in so much shock, and I was so disturbed that I blacked out."
"Why? Who was it on the phone?" he asked as he picked up the phone and placed it back on the wall.
"My Dad, he said that she's gone, Nick. She's gone." I waited there silently, on the verge of tears for him to lean forward and hug me, to let me let it all out, but he didn't. He just sat there in awe, like he was as surprised as I was. "Things like this only happen in movies, and books, and in those stupid little tv series no one watches, not to me. Not in real life. Not me Nick. Not me." I closed my eyes and sobbed into my hands. Slowly, he pulled me forward to him and wrapped his arms around me. He just cuddled me in the tiny ball I was rolled up in and just tried to be there for me as best as he could.
"I don't know what to say Amanda. This is a big shock to me, as it is to you." I sucked in a deep breath and began to talk.
"You don't have to say anything Nick, I just need you here to listen to me."
"I need to say something, I WANT to say something. But I'm not going to fill your head with lies and say everything's going to be perfectly fine, because it's not. And I refuse to say that I know what it's like to be in your position, because I don't. I actually don't know what I'm doing, and if what I'm doing is right, or if I should have some long drawn out plan for you. All I know is that I'm here for you now, and I'll try to be here for you later. I can't say I will be there for you later, because I may not be around when you need me."
"It's okay Nick, you don't have to say anything."
"I love you Amanda, and that won't change. Just remember I will listen whenever you tell me to. Just lock that inside your heart, and release it when you need someone." I began crying harder than I have ever cried before because of what he said. He reminded me that some people will never lie to me, and will never forget who their friends are, and I know that if I ever die, he'd be sure to think of the good times. And that's how I felt towards my Mother not only while she lived, but while she was gone too.
In the middle of my moment, I heard the phone ring impatiently, I figured it was my Father and quickly gathered myself together. I stood up, wiped my face, and took long breaths. I gave Nick one last look for sympathy and answered my telephone.
"Hello?"
"Hello," I heard my Father say. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah." I didn't speak too cheerfully because I didn't want him to think I wasn't saddened by this event, but I didn't speak in a voice that sounded too depressed. I didn't want him throwing this huge fit over me.
"Well, I'll be coming home shortly. So I'll be seeing you then, alright pumpkin?"
"Uh huh." I heard him begin to say goodbye, but I quickly interrupted. "Dad?"
"Yes?"
"Does Jakob know, yet?"
"Yeah. I paged him earlier and he returned my call. I had tried calling you actually, for awhile, but no one answered. I guess you were at Nick's or still on your way home huh?"
"Yeah, I guess. Alright, well I'll see you later then. Bye Daddy."
"Bye."
I sighed as I hung up the phone and realized I didn't know what to do. I really didn't want to cry anymore, and I did have Nick over. But that was an uncomfortable situation, so I was confused.
"Are you okay?" he asked me.
"Yep. I just, I just wish I hadn't had the freaky dream the other night about my Mom." I shuddered and shook my head.
"What freaky dream?" Nick asked as he stood up from the floor and took a stand next to my body.
"I just dreamt she had died and I was talking to her ghost in my room. I asked her to take me with her, but she said..." I let my voice trail, remembering what she had said about Nick.
'Nick. You have to stay here and share life with him.' she had said to me. But why? He's just a friend...
"What? What did she say?" I snapped out of my some-what daze.
"She just said I had to stay here to live with my Father, and my Brother. That they needed me."
"Oh. Well, that's true. And if you were meant to pass on Amanda, you would have. Don't worry, you'll be back to normal with the help of time."
"Yeah, I hope so. I certainly hope so."
