My Friend

This is the first chapter that introduces Jayden and some other characters.

 

Chapter 1

My Friend

 

 

Logan was my best friend and the first boy I ever kissed.  I was about to say goodbye to him forever.  Logan died today while swimming at our favorite lake.  It’s still hard for me to understand what is happening, one minute he’s knocking on my door asking if I want to go swim and the next minute he’s gone.  I was supposed to be swimming with him when it happened, but I had to finish up with some last minute college details.  When I arrived at the lake, I could hear the commotion, it was like I was at the wrong lake.  People were everywhere, ambulances, fire trucks, the police, and on the lake I could see rescue boats with divers.  I asked someone what was happening, and all they could say it that a boy drowned.  My heart felt like it was pounding on the outside of my chest.  I ran down the beach to where Logan and I use to swim, screaming Logan’s name.  His towel was next to the tree we once carved our names in, but no Logan. 

“Jayden, honey I’m sorry, but they think Logan drowned.” Grace sobbed.  She was standing behind me watching the divers thoroughly searching the waters.

“What!  Logan couldn’t have drowned.  He’s one of the best swimmers.  Why do they think it was Logan?” I said hysterically.

“Someone….saw Lo.Logan swim out to the dock, dive under and not come back up.” Mona said with tears pouring out her eyes. Mona is Logan’s mom.

“That can’t be, I was supposed to meet him here, I saw him earlier, what..he’s….no, they must have made a mistake.” I said with certainty.

Mona and I sat on Logan’s towel holding each other, waiting to see if they would find his body.  I was in complete shock-I wasn’t sure what to do.  I wanted to swim out to the dock and look with the divers, but I was frozen.  Not sure what exactly was happening.  I couldn’t cry because to me it wasn’t true. 

Logan is tall and lean but has some muscle definition.  His hair is a golden blond with curls that round his face like he had just stepped out of a salon.  I love to stare into his eyes, they were the color of jade. All the girls in school would stare and whisper whenever we would walk by.  I didn’t see what they saw; to me he was my best friend.  Logan and I had known each other since school began, he and I were inseparable.  To think that Logan was dead was not something that I could wrap my mind around. 

            It was close to midnight before the rescuers gave up for the day.  Mona tried to get me to come to her house with her, but I wouldn’t leave.  I knew that there had to be some explanation for Logan’s disappearance.  I needed him to be alive, what I do without my best friend.  I don’t remember falling asleep, but I woke up with something wet on my face. 

“Ewe, what is that.” I looked up and saw a dog staring at me, it had been licking my face. I must have slept here all night.  I wasn’t sure what time it was, but I knew that if I ran home that Logan would still be alive.  This must have been a dream.  I started running home.  Half way home I realized that this dog was still with me.

“Go on, go home” I said sternly.  The dog wouldn’t budge, he just stared at me.  “I have to go, you go home before you get hit by a car.”

 The dog just sat looking at me with its tongue hanging out.  I continued to run home not caring if the dog was following me or not.  I had to make sure that Logan was ok.  I ran to my front door and stopped for a minute to realize that my dad was going to be furious with me that I didn’t come home.  I composed myself and walked through the door.  In the living room that was off to the left I saw, Mona, and my dad, Paul, sitting on the living room couch.

“Hi Jayden, are you ok?.” Mona asked as she stood up.  “Can I get you some ice-tea?”

“No, I’m not thirty.  Where’s Logan?” I asked as I looked from my Dad to Logan’s mom. 

“Mona, isn’t Logan with you, he did come home last night, didn’t he?” 

“No honey he didn’t.” Mona said this with great remorse on her face. 

“You feel asleep last night while we were sitting on the beach, waiting to hear any news.  I tried to wake you, but you were insistent on staying at the lake.” Mona came to me to hug me.

I hugged her like I would never see her again.

  “I just can’t believe he’s gone, my son.  It just doesn’t seem real.”

 Logan was Mona’s only child; I can’t imagine how she must be feeling.  He was my best friend, but for Mona, Logan was her life.  I couldn’t stand to stare at my Dad and Mona any longer.

“I really need to be alone; I’ll be up in my room.” I started to walk towards the stairs.

“Jayden, do you want to talk about it, I really think you shouldn’t be alone.” Paul said with concern.

“Dad, I’ll be alright.  I just need some time to myself.” I sounded firm.  I don’t remember even walking up the stairs; I was in such a daze.  Time just seemed to stand still, but I do remember my opening my door and offering me dinner which I turned town, so he left it on my night stand.  I think I heard my cell phone ring a few times, but I couldn’t get myself off my bed, I didn’t even change my clothes.  I do remember dreaming a few times, about Logan and I swimming at the Lake.  The Lake was our favorite place to go, besides camping or hiking.  In my dreams Logan and I were racing each other to the dock about 100 yards out from shore.  Logan was always competitive with me, always in fun, but he always seemed to push me to my limits, especially during swim practice, and in track.  I remember seeing Logan’s smiling face when he beat me.  He’d chuckle to himself and tell me “Next time little one.” He always called me little one, I always thought it was strange, but he always seemed to be a little out of the ordinary. 

I don’t know how much time passed, maybe a day or two, when I woke up to someone stroking my hair.  I really wished my mother was still alive, its times like this that I miss her the most.

“Was it just a bad nightmare, or is Logan really dead?  I said with my face buried in the pillow.  I could tell who it was sitting on the bed next to me without looking at her, she smelled of lavender.

“It wasn’t a dream, they still haven’t found his body.” Sully said with the softness that I needed.

Sully is a close friend of mine, maybe a little too crazy at times, but still a friend.  She didn’t hang out with us a much because we weren’t as extreme as she was, and frankly we bored her most of the time.  Sully was most comfortable when she is risking her life by bunji jumping, hang gliding, or the occasional drunken brawl with a biker.  I met Sully when she joined our swim team our sophomore year, she had transferred from some private school in New York.  We had always attributed her dress style to the high fashions of New York.  She wasn’t popular at school, but I knew that didn’t bother her and if you asked her about it, well she’d give you a piece of her mind.  I loved the way she doesn’t care what anyone thinks and seems to be laid back when it comes to Logan and I.

I wonder what color her hair is today, I wanted to look but I didn’t want her to see me so messed up.  Sully isn’t big on expressing emotions unless it’s anger.

“So, when did you get a dog?” Sully asked

“Dog, what dog, I…Oh there was this dog.” I started to sit up.

The dog leaped from the floor onto the bed right onto my lap and shoved me over.

“Get off me!” I yelled.

“I had no idea you were such an animal lover.” Sully was giggling to herself.

“I don’t mind dogs, I had one once with I was 7, but this dog just won’t let up.”  I said.

Jayden, they three of us were supposed to have a practice swim  tonight, I know that you probably aren’t up for going so I thought we could skip it and I would take you out on the town, see if we can find some trouble.  I still have that fake ID that you used last summer, at Jasper’s.  I still can’t believe that we made it home with amount of electric ice teas that you sucked down.  I think you proposed to a few bikers that night.” She winked at me.

“I don’t think so; I just want to be alone. But thanks for coming; I know that you cared for Logan too.” 
Yeah, he was an ok guy, not tough enough for my taste but nice enough.  I will miss him, but having my folks die when just out of diapers, just made me move on and push those feelings aside, they don’t do you any good anyway, they just make you feel s****y.  I’m sorry but if you don’t get up and change your pathetic clothes I’m going to have to march downstairs and tell your Dad about your hidden ladder in your closet and how you like to use it on a regular basis.  That isn’t the only secret that he would be happy to find out.” Sully got up and went t my closet and started to pick me out something to wear.

“It looks like you shop at the Mary Popins store for the gifted.”  Sully said as she inspected my clothes.

“Hey now, I don’t bug you about your clothes that look like there straight out of the twilight zone.” I forced a smile from my face.

“Ok, ok, but I need to take you shopping soon.  Hey what about this top, it reeks fun.”  Sully reached in the back of my closet and pulled out a red sequin top with spaghetti straps.

“Yeah that’s funny.” I glared at her while I got up to look at my face in the mirror of my vanity.  I had been crying for so long that my eyes were puffy enough for someone to think that I got stung by a bee. 

“Hey I found some black leather pants.  This is great, maybe you aren’t such a prude after all.”  She pulled the pants out and threw onto the bed.

“That was a Halloween costume from last year, remember, I was a street walker.”

“Oh, you mean a sex slave.  Yeah that outfit could mean that, but with the right shoes it could turn you into a mean….

“That’s quite enough Sully; I thought you were supposed to be making me feel better.”

Sully went over to the bed to pick up the outfit and the dog growled at her.

“I guess the dog doesn’t like it either.  Ok, how about we compromise, wear the shirt and a pair of jeans and your black boots.  At least you’ll have a little style.”

“Fine, but you have to promise me that you won’t get into any fights with anyone.  I can’t handle anymore stress right now.” I went over to the bed and started to take my shift off, when the dog jumped down and went to the door and whined.

“I guess he has to take a whiz.” Sully said.

“Will you take him outside and let him pee please, while I change.  I’ll meet you outside.”

“Sure, but you better not come down without that outfit on, or I might have to let my lips spill out just a little bit of your not so greatest moments.” Sully gave me a devious smile.

“Yes, I will wear it, but you have to promise me that you won’t bring up Logan at all tonight, I just want to forget about it for tonight.”  I turned and shut my door while Sully took the dog downstairs.  So what is tonight going to entail, will Sully reach her drunken state and start a fight, or will we live to see the sunrise without much turmoil?  Logan was always a great grounder for her, especially when it came to calming her down.  I can’t picture my life without Logan.  We were planning on attending the same University; we had our schedules are planned together.  What will my life be like without him?  Is there a heave, and if there is, is he watching me?  Did he die with pain, or was it quick with no thoughts of panic.

 “Quit it.  Let’s just go and have fun.” I don’t want to think about this right now.

As I reached the bottom of the stairs, I realized that my birthday was today.  Logan and I were going to hike at Mt. Rainier.  I have lived in Washington all my life, but have never been hiking at Mt. Rainier.  Logan was a natural in the woods; he loved the animals, the smell of the Evergreens, and the moister of the mornings that would gather on the outside of the tents.  He always tried to convince me to sleep without the tents, but I would whine a little and he would cave in.  I really miss him, and it’s still doesn’t seem real that he’s gone.

Tears started to swell in my eyes and I quickly took a deep breath and brushed them back.  If I was going to ask my Dad if I could go out with Sully he had to believe that I was ok, and crying wasn’t going to get me the answer that I wanted.  Dad’s been protective of me especially since Mom died.

“Hi honey, are you ok, can I get you something to eat?” My dad walked over to me.  I could tell he was watching sports in the living room.

“No Dad I’m ok, I wanted to go out with Sully. I’ll be home before 2am, I just need to get out and clear my head.” I had my pea coat on and I saw my dad start to eye ball what I was wearing so I snuggled my coat a little tighter. 

“If going out will make you feel better, absolutely, but please try and eat something.  You haven’t eaten much in days.”  He gave me that parental look.

“I’ll stop somewhere and grab a bit.  Thanks Dad.” I gave him a hug.

“I’m always here for you if you want to talk, getting your feelings out is so healthy for the soul, don’t forget that.” My Dad said.

Maybe later Dad, but Sully is waiting for me.” I turned to leave.

“Wait, wait.” He said as he got up.

Great, he isn’t going to let me go, wonderful, I’d have to go back to my room and think about Logan.

“Wait for what dad?”  I turned to look at my Dad.

“I know that it’s a very emotional time for you, but I wanted to give this to you.  Not like this, but I want you to have today, it’s what your mother wanted.”  Dad handed me small velvety box.

“What’s this?”

“Well today is your birthday, August 30^th, right?”  Dad smiled

“What do you mean right, you should know when my….Oh you were kidding. Sorry Dad I’m not as sharp as I normally would be.”

“Your mother wanted you to have this on your 18^th birthday.  There’s a letter too, but since your going out I thought you could read it later.  I’ll leave it on the credenza.”

I opened the box and there was a ring, a ring that looked none that I had ever seen before.  There is a center stone that has sharpest color of amber with four blue stones on either side, with the band being a silver or white gold.

“Dad it’s beautiful.  How come you never told me that she left this for me?” I sounded a little harsh.

“Well she made it very clear to me that she wanted this to be given to you on your 18^th birthday and not a day earlier.  Sorry to keep such a secret, but your Mom would haunt me from her grave if she knew that I went back on my word.” Dad cracked a half smile.  I could see his eyes were glistening a little.  I hate to see my Dad cry, so I grab him and give him the biggest bear hug.

“Thanks Dad, this is wonderful.”

“Your welcome, but thank your mom, and let me know what the letter says, I’m curious.”

“Ok, I will. “

“Hey, I noticed a dog hanging around the house and I think I saw it follow Sully upstairs with you.”  He started to say something else but I interrupted him.

“The dog was there when I woke up on the beach, the day that.., well anyway I’m not sure where he came from or if he’s lost.  But he makes me feel better just to be around him, do you think I could keep him? I gave my dad the look that got me what I wanted.

“Ok, but please call the local pounds tomorrow, just to make sure there isn’t someone looking for him.” My dad put his hand on my shoulder.

“I will first thing tomorrow.  Thanks dad.”

“Happy birthday sweet pea.” My dad took his hand and rubbed my cheek.  Since my mom died, my dad has gotten real sensitive and emotional.  He hugs me at least every day and tells me he loves me.  Losing his soul mate was very hard on him and I still see it in his eyes, it’s like a piece of his soul died when mom died.

“Well I’ll see you later, don’t wait up for me.” I headed towards the door.

“I love you Jayden.”

“I love you too Dad.”

I walked outside to meet with Sully, but I couldn’t stop thinking about this ring that my mom had left for me, and this letter that I still have to read.  Did she know she was going to die?  How could she have written a letter if she hadn’t known she was going to die; what does the letter say.  Leaving that letter in the house was very hard for me, I wanted to cancel plans with Sully just so I could go read this letter.  And this ring, what a beautiful ring, and what importance did this ring have to my mom.  Was in her family and passed down through generations?  With all these questions it’s going to be hard to focus on having a good time tonight. 

 

 

Reviews

[Lorrie]

Very well done. I can't wait to read more. Its so hard losing a best friend to a argument that ends badly let along to death. My son recently lost his best friend to death and I know the affect it had on him. When reading this I got to relive again the pain my son was feeling and how he was acting. Excellent write, keep up the great work.

[moon manmad]

sorry, I messed up and put this review at the end of your third chapter. I deleted that and put it here, where it belongs. lol so here it is:

rusty, this story has a lot of potential. I'm curious to find out what's up with the mysterious dog, and to see how jayden deals with her best friend's death. sully is interesting but she seems kinda pushy to me, or at least she might seem a little more compassionate toward jayden since logan just died. also, the scene where jayden talks with logan's mom for the first time after logan's death could use a little more emotional impact. not a bad start, though, and I'm looking forward to the rest of the story.
p.s. your kids are adorable.

[tayzer--]

This is really great so far.
Some grammer and punctuation errors, but nothing big. The story line is intriguing, and really emotional. Good job so far, let me know when you add more. :)

[1809 Black Plague Decem..]

Gosh, I see the loss in in Jayden and her dad. Its so odd that it begins with a loss, and an image of another past loss. Great write Rusty, ---mishel