When I saw her for the last time, it was through my camera lens. It was
a miracle I could see her with all the blood. It covered everything on her,
her hands, her face, her arms, everything. I panned the camera down her whole
twisted body, and then zoomed in near her heart, where the bullet was. I
didn’t have to try hard to catch the shot perfectly. I knew exactly where it
was.
The sun was shining and I was in the park with her. We had just spent
the whole day there, lying in each other’s arms. An outsider would think we
were happy, and maybe at that point we were. I could have lied there forever,
I was so relaxed, lying in Adeline’s arms. But I knew it couldn’t have last
forever.
It was a shame too, because she looked so pretty that day. Her blond, wavy hair
lying in mock tangles against the ripe, green grass. It brushed against her
pale soft skin that was barely covered. She was wearing a baby blue tank top
with a soft white lace covering that fell off her shoulders. It looked so
pretty with her white and blue swirled silk skirt. I captured it all on film,
she looked too pretty. It was the last time that she would look this fresh,
this sweet, and this innocent. That’s why I had to do it. I had to capture the
last beatings of her heart.
“You okay?” I screamed to Adeline across the car. It was a brand new
red convertible. I had just bought it about a week ago. The sun was hot that
day, so we had the top down. She looked so pretty with her hair flying out of
the car. But the thoughtful look on her face threw off the “stereotypical
teenage girl in convertible look” that they use in the car commercials. “Yeah,
I’m fine” she screamed back “just thinking”. “About me?” I asked and smiled at
her. She hesitated for a minute and then replied “yeah” and forced a smile back
at me. I could feel the tension set in again. I knew she was lying. But just
then we reached the park, so I let the subject die.
“Yeah, I’ve been talking to Dreagan a lot lately” Adeline confessed to
me that Monday. “But it doesn’t mean anything” she rushed on. “I love you”. I
wasn’t sure I believed her but I let it slip. I found I’d been doing that a lot
lately. But I wanted to be happy and I think I also wanted her to be happy. We
finally got a chance to go for another ride in that convertible she had helped
me buy and I didn’t want to ruin it. I was hoping it would relieve some of the
tension between us. If not, well that was where plan B came in.
“Hey” I called out to Adeline as she almost walked by me. She looked
happy and carefree. I panned my camera towards her. It was funny how I needed
my camera to be able to notice the emotion on her face. It was kinda sad, too.
She had a dazed look on her face, and when I called out to her, it changed to
guilt. I was sure it was because of him. “Hey, have you been talking to
Dreagan?” I asked her, trying not to sound mad.
I told her I wasn’t jealous. I promised her I wouldn’t let her
new “friend” get in the way of our relationship. Boy, was that load of crap.
When I was watching it on tape later, I could tell I was lying. I was sure she
could tell too. But she didn’t show it. I was grateful for that. The bell
rang, signifying the end of the class. I rushed down the hallway as I saw
her coming.
“What’s wrong?” Adeline asked me. “Nothing” I lied. “Are you mad at
me?” she inquired softly, not quite prepared for an honest answer. So I didn’t
give her one. “No, why would I be mad at you?” “For talking to Dreagan?” she
said questionably. “Oh, I’m not mad about that”. It was a load of crap. Of
course, I was mad. But I loved her. I wasn’t going to screw this up like I do
everything else. “So your not...jealous?” she asked cautiously. “No, I’m not
jealous” I said and forced a smile in her direction.
I found her talking to him. The place I expected her to be, but not
where I wanted her to be. I walked up to her. She smiled at me, and
stopped talking to him. I could tell by the way he was looking at her that
he was slightly dissapointed that she was leaving, but he was trying not to
show it for fear of what I'd do.
To be Continued...
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