The choice

Chapter one 

It was the first week of October my friend Kelly and I were walking down the hallway together. When the head cheerleader Megan came up to us with a smile on her face. "Hey guy’s so me and a bunch of other people are going on out for a drive in the country.  Want to come?” Megan asked. "We'll think about it" I say hesitantly. "Okay well let me know your answer. Hope you guys decide to come" she says joyfully. She then flips her long brown curly hair and walks back down the long hallway. 

My friend and I exchange looks. "I don't think we should go" I say calmly. "Why not Elizabeth it's our first time getting invited somewhere" she answers back. "I just have a bad feeling about this, why would one of the cheerleaders invite us to do something with them, they despise us.” I informed. “Fine don’t go but I will” she snapped back. 

Kelly storms down the long and crowded hallway disappearing out of sight. I stand there in complete shock. This was the first ever fight we had in a long time. I headed off to my next period math. The whole time I was thinking about the fight I had earlier with Kelly. I must have lost track because my teacher called my name. 

“Elizabeth are you listening to me” the teacher questioned. “Um yeah I’m listening” I say confused. The teacher turns back to the board and starts writing down notes on the board. I try to write down everything, but I couldn’t get my mind off how weird it was Megan invited us to hang out. 

The lunch bell starts ringing and students are spilling out into the hallway. I fight through the crowd and head over to my locker. I stand there waiting for her to come, but there were no signs of her. I decide to just head off to the lunchroom. 

I wait in line for about twenty- minutes, when I finally reach the end of the line the lunch lady smiles at me. “Good afternoon Elizabeth. Where’s Kelly?” she asks with worry. “We got into a fight. I thought she would be over it, but I guess not because she never stopped by my locker like she always does.” I say sadly. “Poor thing I hope things get better.” she says with care. “Thanks. I said in a whisper.   

I grabbed my tray that consisted of hamburgers, sweet potato fries, and strawberries. I grab a carton of chocolate milk out of the fridge. The other lunch lady scans my card and tells me I’m good to go. 

I walk out into the sea of other students talking and messing around with their friends. I scan the area for any signs of Kelly, but she’s nowhere I start getting a little angry. But then out of the corner of my eye I see Kelly’s long blonde hair covering up her face. She was sitting with all the cheerleaders including Megan. 

I walk up to their table hoping Kelly had forgotten about our little argument. “Hey Kelly, I’ve been looking for you. I’m sorry can you forgive me?” I apologized. Kelly didn’t even acknowledge me she pretended I wasn’t even there. “She doesn't want to talk to you, besides you’re a chicken for not want to go with us” Megan taunts. I look down at Kelly, but she refused to look up at me. It was like I didn’t exist. 

I turn around and walk the other way trying to hold back my tears. I ran into my other friend Lexi. “Elizabeth are you okay?” she asks scared. “I got into a fight with Kelly about not going out to the country with Megan” I say with tears in my eyes. “Megan the most popular girl in school invited you” Lexi shouts. “I brought it up to Kelly, but she doesn't believe me” I cried. “Well let’s forget about her. How about you come over to my place after school for a sleepover. Don’t worry I have clothes you can use” she remarks. “Okay sure let me text my mom. I know she won’t care.” I say with glee. 

I whip out my flip phone and text my mom about my plans with Lexi. About a minute later she responds telling me to stay safe and to behave. My mom always reminded me to be safe and behave because she wants me to remember. My mom has a reputation for bringing up the most well behaved and honest children and so she didn’t want us to mess it up. 

“My mom said it’s fine” I say happily. “Okay meet by my car after the bell” she says merrily. We both go our separate ways and I pass by Kelly’s table I catch staring at me. As soon as she realized I saw her she looked at the floor. Megan started giving me looks disgust and judgment. I just kept walking not thinking about it. 

Chapter 2 

It was nine o clock the next morning Lexi was still asleep, but I was wide awake. Something in my gut was telling me something wasn’t right it was the feeling of something bad happening. Just then my phone starts ringing, waking up Lexi in the process.  

The caller id says it’s my mom is calling, so I quickly answer my phone. “ELIZABETH! KELLY IS IN THE HOSPITAL!” my mom shouts into the phone. “What? What happened? Is she okay?” I quizzed her. “She’s got stab wounds all over her body and the doctor said she is on her death bed” mom screeched. “Stab wounds what do you mean” I worriedly asked. “She was stabbed six times in the face by a couple cheerleaders” mom informs me. “I’ll pick you up in a few moments” mom notifies me. I hang up the phone white as a ghost, my stomach starts to hurt. 

“What’s going on Elizabeth” Lexi asked sleepy. “Kelly is on her death bed she was stabbed six times in the face by cheerleaders” I said softly. “Oh my gosh” Lexi says more alert. “My mom is coming by to take me to the hospital” I told her. “Would you care to come” I mumbled. “No, I think you should be the only one with her” Lexi wept.  

Soon after mom texted me informing, she was here and to come out when I’m ready. I hug Lexi tightly and cry in her arms she embraces me rubbing my back. Lexi tells me that it was going to be okay and to go see Kelly. 

I walked out of the front door with red eyes from all the crying I did. I jump into the car and mom speeds down the road. “I want to make sure we get there before she passes. Brace yourself okay” mom says briefly. Finally, we make it to the hospital and rushed up the stairs to Kelly’s hospital room. 

Chapter 3 

Kelly is laying there in the hospital bed with stab wounds on her face. She turned to look at me and calls me over to her. I listen to her and walked up to the side of her bed. Seeing her face covered in stab wounds made me sick to my stomach. This would have never happened if I just protected her, I thought to myself. 

“Elizabeth I am sorry. I should have listened to you” Kelly yelped. “It’s not your fault you didn’t know this would happen” I bawled. “I wish I could go back in time and prevent all of this from happening.” Kelly whimpers. I climb into the hospital bed comforting her while she cries. Shortly after Kelly died in my arms and the nurses rushed into the room, carrying her body out of the room. 

I thought about what Kelly had said before she died. The words will always stick in my mind. Kelly was too young to die and there was no way she could have fixed it. God is the only one who can decide that and so he chose to take her now. Not a day goes by that I often think about her, I know her memory will live on forever. 

THE END