The Saddest Song - By Susie Kaye Lopez Page 0,9
hall and called my mom.
“Yeah, Sweetie?” mom shouted from downstairs in the family room.
“Is dad here?”
“Right here buddy. Whatcha need?” Dad’s voice replied, also from downstairs.
My knees went weak and I yelled. “Nothing. Just wondering what you guys were doing.”
“Our movie is just starting. Want to join us?” Mom yelled back.
“No thanks, I’m good,” I replied, glad my voice hid my fear.
I walked back into Garrett’s room and stopped dead, chills running up my spine. The TV was off, as was the Xbox. I walked quickly back to my room wondering if I were crazy. If I wasn’t crazy, what was happening? I decided I was hallucinating and prayed it was a onetime thing. I told no one, not even Rainey. If she had to deal with me being nuts too she might disappear and I needed her. She was my life raft.
Nothing happened for a few days and I began to believe I had imagined it all when the strangest text appeared on my phone. Rainey was stretched out on my futon reading a book and I was sitting on the floor, pages of lyrics scattered around me. My phone had been pretty active with both friends of my brother and mine checking up on me. So when it vibrated on the carpet next to me I absentmindedly grabbed for it. I read it, blinked in confusion, and read it again.
You’re doing a great job Maxwell. She’s beautiful, isn’t she?
Maxwell? Only one person in the world called me that. It wasn’t even my name. I was simply Max, but Garrett would call me that when we were little to tease me. I looked for the return number but it was Garrett’s and I knew his phone line was gone, as was his cell phone. It had been destroyed in the accident. I must have been staring for several minutes when Rainey spoke.
“Max, what is it?”
I looked up startled by the alarm on her face and hoped my face looked calm. “Nothing, sorry.” I quickly put the phone down and hoped she couldn’t tell my hands were shaking.
“Who was it?” She questioned me.
“It was for someone else. Kind of confused me for a minute. Hey, are you hungry yet?”
Happily I distracted Rainey, and as we sat and ate our lunch I stared across the table at my brother’s girlfriend and thought to myself, “yeah bro, she is beautiful.”
Chapter 5
Rainey
I told no one, not even Max, about the M&M or texting incident. Knowing I was losing my mind from losing my boyfriend, I felt utterly afloat. Disengaging from reality seemed the easiest way to survive. I set myself on my own autopilot and I was good to go. It seemed to work. My days were woven into a simple routine. Wake, remember to eat enough to keep breathing, question myself about why I wanted to keep breathing, dodge my friends, visit Max and his parents, eat dinner, or pretend to, with mine, and then lay in bed until sleep took my pain away. Wake up. Repeat.
This went on for two weeks and the routine was becoming familiar, a comfort of sorts that helped pass the days and kept me numb and calm. I tried so hard not to think, not to feel, not to cry. If I could keep my emotions in neutral I could survive yet another day without Garrett. Then Max had to go and rock the boat and I found myself once again frantic to keep my head above water.
It was a Thursday and Garrett had been dead for three weeks and one day. As was our ritual, Max was perched on the top step of his front porch waiting for me when I walked up. Rising to hug me, we turned to go inside when he hesitated and said, “Rainey, my mom is losing it. She is going to a Psychic and wants us to go with her.”
“What for? I could tell her fortune for free. We will all miss Garrett until we die. The end.”
“It’s not a fortune teller Rainey, it’s one of those ones who claim they can talk to the dead.”
My eyes searched Max’s confused. “That is sick Max. That’s not funny!” I was angry and fear tightened in my gut.
“I’m not joking. I’m afraid to let her go alone, and I can’t talk her out of it.”
“Well I will! Where is she?” I lunged for the front door and Max put his arms around my waist, pulling me back.
“Wait! Rainey, listen.” His tone