Love Letters to Write Before I Die

“Congratulations, Haley. You grew balls,” said Dan Nichols. “But what if he’s suicidal? And upon reading your letter, he’d just spiral more into depression and ends up taking his own life? You’ll be condemned to hell.”

Haley looked up from her meal, twirling the fork between her fingers. “That won’t happen,” she said finally before stabbing a cauliflower with the fork.

“Boy, aren’t you confident.”

“Of course I am,” she said, munching on her vegetables. She set her fork down on the plate and tucked a lock of her black hair behind her ear, her light blue eyes twinkled with amusement and excitement as the next words tumbled out of her mouth.

“He sent me a reply.”

Dan laughed. “That is incredible,” he said, shaking his head whilst wiping a fake tear from the corner of his eye. “What did he have to say?”

Haley silently fished out the letter in her pocket before handing it to her friend.

‘Dear Haley,

How can I enjoy the present when I don’t even have it? My future is ruining my present. It’s really a wonder why I was born into this sick world in the first place when I can’t even enjoy life as it is.

You’re right. You don’t know what I’m going through. You don’t know what it’s like to be in my shoes. Furthermore, you don’t know me. What gives you the right to judge me?

Yours sincerely,
Nate.’

“What gives you the right to judge him anyway?” Dan said, throwing the letter nonchalantly in the middle of the round-shaped table.

“I wasn’t judging,” Haley defended herself as Dan took a sip of his tea.

“True,” Dan answered, nodding slightly. “You were just being Haley i.e. taking blind passion to the next level.”

“It isn’t blind passion!” Haley exclaimed. “Look around you, Dan. Our parents practically live here, with my dad being a surgeon and your parents are doctors. Heck, I met you here. Right here in this cafeteria. Don’t tell me you aren’t sick of all the hopelessness around here? Everywhere I go inside this building, I’m surrounded by…death and hopelessness and…and despair.”

“You can’t make the world a better place, Haley,” Dan said with a pained expression.

Haley frowned.

“Maybe,” she said, resolute. “But hope is an important light to hold for everyone. Even if you’re plagued with a disease. It’s not a good enough reason to have that light fade away.”

With that said, Haley stood up abruptly. In doing so, her chair bumped into someone who was passing by behind her. Haley turned around to apologize to the person while Dan just stared at her amusedly, his arms crossing in front of his chest.

“Sorry,” she muttered, blushing furiously as she swooped down to grab the book that fell on the floor. She then handed the guy his book, smiling a tad guiltily. “This is yours.”

“Thanks,” he said, his brown eyes which were partially hidden by his tousled dirty blond hair showed coldness. “Watch where you’re going next time,” he said coldly.

“Nathan!” Someone called out, grasping the guy’s attention. “Hurry up, I’m hungry!”

Nathan Scott gave a slight nod to Haley Dumont before walking away.