Love Me Tender

[Loreigh’s POV]
I stepped into the machine slowly, looking behind myself to smile at the man I loved. I knew that leaving was the best thing to do, but I wish I didn’t have to do it so soon. I wish I’d had more time with him, but as soon as I remembered the fact that he’s supposed to get married and have a child, I knew I needed to leave as soon as possible.

Tears streaming down my face, I followed the instructions Frandy had given me months ago, and I pushed the button and said,

“Frandy. October 2012.”

As the lights started blinking, I sank to my knees and sobbed. The pain in my chest so great, I thought it might kill me. I wrapped my arms around my torso because I was afraid that if I didn’t, my chest might open up and spill my heart onto the floor. It felt as if it already had.

I heard the door to the machine open, I looked up to see who had opened it. Frandy looked down at me, concern on her face, “What happened to you? Why are you crying?” she asked me, her voice taking on the tone of a concerned mother.

“I can’t. I can’t talk about it. Not yet.” I stood up and left the machine. Walking outside with Frandy trailing behind me, I looked around. Everything was as I left it. My car was in the same spot, and Frandy was wearing the same clothes. “Why are you wearing the same clothes as when I left? WHEN am I?” I asked, confused.

I had been gone for months, why weren’t there people here waiting for me?

“Lor, you just left a few seconds ago. The machine was gone for maybe four or five seconds before it appeared again.”

“I was gone for months, Frandy. Months.”

“But you came back to the same time you left. It was seconds you
were gone, not months.”

“Oh,” I said, feeling stupid, “of course.”

“Please tell me what happened,“ Frandy pleaded as she walked over to me.

“I fell in love.”

I made my way inside the house, Frandy hot on my heels, “You WHAT?” she demanded excitedly, “with whom?!”

I avoided the question, “Do you have anything to drink?” I asked her.

She looked puzzled, “Since when do you ask for things? You know you can get whatever you want, whenever you want.”

“Right,” I agreed, walking over to the cabinet that housed the glasses, “I guess I forgot.” I opened the refrigerator, and searched the inside with my eyes. My heart sank when I saw the orange juice. That’s what we always drank together. I sighed sadly, and
I picked up the carton and poured the contents into my glass.
I slurped down the entire glass on one breath, and then refilled the cup. “This isn’t doing it for me,” I declared, and walked over to Frandy’s parents’ liquor cabinet. I grabbed the first bottle I saw, it didn’t matter to me what kind of liquor it was, I just needed something to numb these feelings.

“What are you doing?” Frandy shot at me, “That’s my dad’s.”
She ran over to me and took the bottle from my hand before I was able to drink any, and she put it back where I had gotten it from, “besides, we’re underage, remember?”

“So what, Frandy? Learn to live a little.” I scowled at her.
She stared back at me with a shocked look on her face.

“I’m sorry,” I said, “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. Maybe I should go.”

Before Frandy had a chance to reply, I’d already grabbed my car keys from the counter and was headed for the door.

“When will you talk to me?” Frandy asked.

“I don’t know. I- I’ll call you.” I lied, “bye.”

I opened the front door, and accidentally slammed it on my way out. I scrambled into my car, and I finally got it cranked after trying three times to get the key in the ignition. I backed out of the driveway, tears spilling over my cheeks and blurring my vision.

I began searching the car for a tissue to wipe my eyes. I opened the glove compartment and shuffled things around with no luck of finding a tissue. I looked back up at the road, and through the blur, I could make out the shape of a car in my line of sight. That’s strange, I thought, why is there a car in my lane?

“SHIT!” I screamed, realizing that I was the one in the wrong lane. I had drifted while looking for a tissue. I turned the steering wheel as hard as I could, trying to get out of the way.

I didn’t.

The world around me went dark, and I couldn’t see anything. A moment ago, my vision was blurred with tears, and now I couldn’t see at all. My consciousness also began to falter, and slowly it began to fade away.