Risky Business

Marissa had sat in front of his grave for what seemed like years, but was really only a couple of hours. The tears had finally stopped coming, and her breathing was back to normal, but the ache in her heart hadn't dulled one bit. Her best friend was gone, never to be seen or heard from again. He had left her here alone without so much as a goodbye or an apology.

Marissa was angry. She was angry that Brett had abandoned her. She was angry that she was weak to accept it. She was angry that she manifested a version of him so she wouldn't be alone. But what she was most angry about was that she never got to tell him she loved him. Even his ghost self had disappeared before she got to say the words.

Marissa growled in frustration. She began hitting the ground and his headstone with all of her might, bruising her hands. She yelled out in anger, sobbing when she lost her voice. Everything was so messed up right now and she had no idea how to fix any of it.

Brett was always the one who got her out of trouble. He was the one who made everything better. But now he was gone and Marissa was on her own. Marissa reached a shaking hand out to trace the outline of his face that was drawn onto the stone. She closed her eyes and whispered the words that she so desperately wished she could've said months earlier. “I love you.”

~

A voice behind her startled Marissa and she dropped her hand. Brett's mother stepped out from behind a tree and kneeled beside Marissa. The two held onto each other for a minute, not knowing quite what to say. Laura had lost her son and Marissa lost her true love, and while the lose was different, it was also the same. They had both lost someone they loved, and no words could fix that.

“Do you remember the time you and Brett were almost arrested?” Laura asked, breaking the silence. Marissa pulled away and glanced at the older woman. Why she was bringing that up now, Marissa didn't know, but she recalled the memory anyway.

The pair had snuck out of their houses and met at the pier one summer night. Brett had told Marissa that they were going to a party, but once Marissa saw him, she knew he had a completely different intention. Brett had formed a plan where they would break into one of the clothing shops and steal a dress as revenge for them firing Marissa.

Marissa had pleaded with Brett not to do it, but he ignored her and broke in anyways. Not wanting to seem like a cowardly best friend, Marissa went in after him and got them both caught. She had triggered an alarm that had been recently installed and seconds later the police were outside. Brett had gotten them both out of it by coming up with an excuse about how they had seen someone walk inside and were trying to follow them. While the police didn't want to buy the excuse, they eventually had to as there were signs of an actual intruder.

Later, Brett had explained how he had set the store up hours earlier to seem like an actual break-in had happened in case they were caught, and as it turned out, it was a pretty good idea.

Marissa looked back at Laura and asked, “What does that have to do with anything?”

Laura smiled slightly and said, “He never actually planned to steal that dress, ya know? Brett had a totally different agenda.” Marissa's face scrunched up in confusion, so she continued. “He had actually broken into the jewelery store down the street.” Marissa gasped at that, wondering why Brett had never told her. “He never planned on telling you,” Laura said, as if guessing Marissa's thoughts. “He only told me about it a couple of weeks before the accident.”

“Why?” Marissa breathed, shocked at her best friend's actions.

“He was planning on proposing to you, dear, after graduation.”

~

“Wha-what?” Marissa stammered. She must not have heard Laura correctly. There was no way Brett had been planning to propose. Not to her at least. Laura must have confused what he said with something else.

“He didn't want anyone to know that he bought a ring,” Laura said. “So, he broke in, took it, and left some cash on the counter.” Marissa was shaking her head. Brett had never seemed remotely interested in Marissa, let alone have strong enough feelings to want to get married. “I saw the ring, Riss. It's still in his room actually. He wanted to marry you. He loved you.” Laura stared at her son's grave, as if somehow he would rise up and confirm what she was saying.

Marissa just kept shaking her head. This was too much for one night, she couldn't handle anything else. She started to stand up but hesitated, knowing that there was one question she had to ask before she left. “How did he die?”

Laura wasn't shocked that Marissa couldn't remember what happened, or at least she didn't act like it. “He – he was driving home from a weekend with his cousin,” she started. “There had been a college party that Caleb invited him too, and as graduation was only a couple of days away, it seemed fair to let him go. I told him to just stay there and I'd come pick him up, but he insisted on driving even after he'd been drinking.”

Tears came to Laura's eyes and her voice started to shake, but she continued. “He wasn't paying attention and drifted off into the other lane, a-and-and he-he was hit head on.” Tears were openly falling down Laura's cheeks and she couldn't seem to stop the sobs that overtook her. “He was dead before the ambulance got there,” she added when she had controlled herself.

She glanced up at Marissa but Marissa was staring at Brett's picture. She couldn't remember any of that, and she didn't understand why. “The doctors said you must have blocked out the memory because it was too difficult to deal with,” Laura said in a comforting voice. She grabbed Marissa's hand and squeezed. “You were sedated after awhile, because you kept freaking out.”

Marissa let out a deep breath and sniffed. “I hate that I can't remember any of this,” she said. Laura nodded in agreement. “I – I miss him so much.” Marissa leaned into Laura's arms and let herself be wrapped into a hug. She cried some more, before finally going back home and passing out in exhaustion.

~

Marissa awoke to someone brushing their hand through her hair. She groggily opened her eyes and saw a blurry Brett sitting beside her. For a moment she smiled, but then the realization of his death entered her brain and she jerked back.

“Ho-how are you here?” she asked. Marissa knew he was a figment of her imagination, but willing him away didn't seem to work. In all honesty, she didn't really want him to go away.

“I've come to say goodbye,” he said in a quiet voice. “Last night, you came to terms with my death and now I have to also.” Brett reached his hand out and gently brushed it across Marissa's forehead. “I wanted to tell you something before I left.” Marissa nodded and waited for him to continue. After a moment he said, “What my mom told you last night was true. I did plan on proposing to you, I just never got the chance. I still have the ring in my dresser drawer, actually,” he laughed a little. Marissa swallowed the lump in her throat and held back her tears. “But I do love you, Riss, I do. I always have and I always will. No matter what.”

Brett smiled down at her and Marissa let the tears fall. She would miss the boy who always got her into trouble, who made her laugh even when she wanted to cry, who was the only one who could cheer her up. Marissa would miss the boy she had fallen in love with.

Watching as sunlight filtered through the room and seemed to pierce right through Brett. She whispered, “I love you” as his ghost shimmered and disappeared.