Goodbye then.

" Goodbye then " was the last thing Carlson got to mutter before a door slammed in his face. The meeting had been crude with a short and brutal ending. It was like a kick in the face to Carlson. He didn't even bother to get in his car. He sat down on the curb in front of the house and thought to himself. What had he done? Well he didn't know much himself.

Jessica and Carlson were best friends. Since third grade they were very close. Even with different internists and ideas, they listened to each other and had a healthy relationship. They met at lunch in Elementary school when all of Carlton's friends were betting him that he wouldn't dump his chocolate milk on the new girl's head. Cruel; yes. But Carlson submitted to peer pressure pretty easily. His sweaty palms grasped his carton of chocolate milk, and when he thought the cafeteria monitor wan't looking he took his chance. To the amusement of his toxic peers, he drenched the new girl in milk.

He instantly felt bad as he saw her turn around and walk off to the ink area. no reaction from her. No crying or anything. He just saw the disappointment in her eyes like this was an old habit. Like she had done this dozens of times before. He wanted to find her and apologize, but the cafeteria monitor had already beat him to it. Unbeknownst to him, his 'friends' had gotten the attention of the monitor the second he had tilted his drink on her head. they really got a kick out of seeing him get in trouble. They watched as he was brutally yelled at and then sent to the sink area where the new girl resided. She was drying herself off with paper towels and then throwing them like mini basketballs into a trashcan nearby. Cool as a cucumber. She was pretty skeptical of his apology since it was directed by faculty, but she accepted it never the less. He tried to be extra nice to her to balance out all of the hard times his posy had given her since her arrival at the school. As a friendship was beginning to form between them over the year, he cut off from his group of toxic friends. They didn't tease her anymore. They sure did tease Carlson, thought. Her name was Jessica and they were destined to be friends.

So why would such good friends depart with such a crude ending. Well, Jessica did move a lot. Hence the whole 'new girl' thing. She was raised by a single Dad who moved around for his job. Constantly. She never allowed herself to become too friendly with anyone, because she was afraid of making friends and then being crushed by leaving them. She was used to being teased because of her secluded nature. Why was Carlson different? Perhaps she was tired of being so alone. Maybe she needed an ally on the battlefield. She could have just known she would be staying in that town longer than the usual time before moving. Or, she might have seen the genuine apology in his eyes; the situation he was in.

Once Jessica and Carlson had been friends for long enough, Jessica thought to herself that if she told Carlson she moved a lot, that he wouldn't want to stay friends. She dug herself into a hole of irrational thoughts even when she grew older and eventually turned sixteen. When her worst fear manifested itself into reality. She wasn't quite old enough to live on her own, and she loved her Dad dearly. She was torn. She had to say it, but every time she tried the words just couldn't fall out. until the day. She invited Carlson to her home and told him the news. She opened the red stained door into an empty room. More empty rooms. Carlson had a sinking feeling. She finally broke and told him that she was moving. Very far away. Again.

Carlson's disbelief turned to anger. It was completely childish to not tell him sooner. Did she not care about his part of their relationship?! He had a right to know. Fear shouldn't have kept that from him. He left. Jessica reached out her hand, but Carlson slammed the door on her. Leaving her inside. Alone. Like she was destined to be. A couple days later he realized. he needed to get over himself and make their last few days matter. It wasn't the end of the world. They would exchange contact information and they would meet again. One day.

he went back to her house and knocked on the door. It glided open to the contact of his fist. "No." He panicked. It was too late.

It had been years. He finally got all of the information he needed. He was going to see her again. Hopefully she wasn't going to think he was being creepy. He was nervous. Beyond nervous. What was he going to say? "Remember me? Your friend from three years ago who didn't say goodbye to you when you were moving and tracked you down to your house?" No. He stood at what he believed to be his best friend's front door. Memories raced through his head as he walked up the cracked stone stairs to her house. He knocked on her door and then waited. And waited. And waited. He felt a wave of sadness hit him hard. He froze and waited more. He sat down on the steps in anguish and stayed there for hours. He thought about the days at a time in research he would do to try and find her. Contact her. Anything. He looked through every file in the school. Every paper he could get his hands on. He stood up. Just as he turned around a confused looking woman in a waitress outfit walked up to him. Carlson stumbled back. He then smiled "Jessica?!" "No." said the concerned woman. Carlson's vision focused on her face a bit closer. It really wasn't Jessica. It was getting darker and his sleep deprivation was making him hallucinate. Every time his hopes get even the smallest amount up; he is crushed again. He felt his eyes well up with tears and he fell to the ground in depression. He missed her so much. After a few minuets the waitress stepped around Carlson carefully; still afraid of the delusional man. She opened the door to her house and told him to go home. She was obviously tired as well; and feeling in danger wanted to take safety in her house. Carlson stood up and asked the woman what she knew about Jessica. She quickly slammed her door in his face. " Goodbye then. " Carlson uttered. He tried. For three years. He tried so hard to right his wrong. Would he ever see her again?