I'm Sorry
Chapter Three
Frank stood there in front of Sarah’s casket and body. He was all out of tears by now and could only mourn in silence. Sarah’s mother stood beside him. He looked over at her and gave her a hug. He’d only met her twice, but he knew she had to be hurt. After all, she lost her daughter. He told her everything would get better eventually; he just didn’t know when. Part of him wanted it to be soon so the pain wouldn’t overtake all of his life, but the other part of him never wanted things to get better because if things were better, that meant people were moving on with their lives and accepting their losses. To him, Sarah was a loss that couldn’t be accepted.
-six months later-
Frank was walking down the street to go to the store. He was walking and texting at the same time and not really paying attention to where exactly he was walking. All of a sudden, he looked up and saw a girl with long brown hair. It was too late to stop. They were both on the ground, apologizing and laughing. Frank picked up his phone and picked up the girl’s phone to give to her. He looked up at her and was struck with a wave of memories, pain, and shock.
Sarah? He thought. No. Sarah is dead.
The girl looked so much like Sarah it scared him.
“I’m sorry about that,” the girl apologized again. “I really should text less and pay attention more. My name is Lydia.”
“Frank,” he said, shaking his head, still in shock.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“Yeah, fine. You?”
“Erm, actually. I’d be better if I knew why you were staring at me like that,” she laughed.
“Oh. Sorry. I…erm…I’m sorry, but I need to go.”
“But wait,” she said, catching him before he walked away. “Call me.”
He handed her his phone without a word and she quickly typed her name and number in. When she handed it back to him, smiling, he turned and walked away. Seeing her smile reminded him of Sarah. He didn’t know what he was thinking, letting her put her number in his phone.
Should I call her? God, I don’t want the pain again. He thought later that night, looking at his phone.
“Hey,” Gerard walked in. “What ya doing?”
“Nothing.” He slid the phone behind him before Gerard saw it.
“You want to go out and get some pizza with the guys?” Gerard asked him.
“No. I’ll stay here. I’m not really hungry.”
“Alright then. See ya later.” He turned and walked out.
As soon as he heard the front door close and the car drive off, he picked up the phone.
“Hello?” a groggy-sounding voice said.
“Did I wake you up?”
“Yeah. Who’s this?”
“Oh yeah, sorry,” he laughed. “This is Frank from this afternoon.”
“Oh yeah. I remember. You’re the one who knocked me on the ground and ran away in a hurry,” she said with a sarcastic tone and a laugh.
“I’m sorry about that. I had somewhere I needed to be.”
“No problem.”
They continued to talk for two hours about nothing. They shared stupid stories and laughs. When Frank heard the front door open, he told her to switch to text. They arranged plans to see each other the next day and then stopped talking. Frank didn’t understand why he didn’t want his friends to know about this girl. All he knew is that he didn’t.
“Hey, Gee. I’m going out,” he said the next day.
“See ya.”
They’d arranged to meet at a coffee shop Frank knew none of the guys liked. When he tasted the coffee, he remembered exactly why it was that they didn’t like it.
-six months later-
Frank was walking down the street to go to the store. He was walking and texting at the same time and not really paying attention to where exactly he was walking. All of a sudden, he looked up and saw a girl with long brown hair. It was too late to stop. They were both on the ground, apologizing and laughing. Frank picked up his phone and picked up the girl’s phone to give to her. He looked up at her and was struck with a wave of memories, pain, and shock.
Sarah? He thought. No. Sarah is dead.
The girl looked so much like Sarah it scared him.
“I’m sorry about that,” the girl apologized again. “I really should text less and pay attention more. My name is Lydia.”
“Frank,” he said, shaking his head, still in shock.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“Yeah, fine. You?”
“Erm, actually. I’d be better if I knew why you were staring at me like that,” she laughed.
“Oh. Sorry. I…erm…I’m sorry, but I need to go.”
“But wait,” she said, catching him before he walked away. “Call me.”
He handed her his phone without a word and she quickly typed her name and number in. When she handed it back to him, smiling, he turned and walked away. Seeing her smile reminded him of Sarah. He didn’t know what he was thinking, letting her put her number in his phone.
Should I call her? God, I don’t want the pain again. He thought later that night, looking at his phone.
“Hey,” Gerard walked in. “What ya doing?”
“Nothing.” He slid the phone behind him before Gerard saw it.
“You want to go out and get some pizza with the guys?” Gerard asked him.
“No. I’ll stay here. I’m not really hungry.”
“Alright then. See ya later.” He turned and walked out.
As soon as he heard the front door close and the car drive off, he picked up the phone.
“Hello?” a groggy-sounding voice said.
“Did I wake you up?”
“Yeah. Who’s this?”
“Oh yeah, sorry,” he laughed. “This is Frank from this afternoon.”
“Oh yeah. I remember. You’re the one who knocked me on the ground and ran away in a hurry,” she said with a sarcastic tone and a laugh.
“I’m sorry about that. I had somewhere I needed to be.”
“No problem.”
They continued to talk for two hours about nothing. They shared stupid stories and laughs. When Frank heard the front door open, he told her to switch to text. They arranged plans to see each other the next day and then stopped talking. Frank didn’t understand why he didn’t want his friends to know about this girl. All he knew is that he didn’t.
“Hey, Gee. I’m going out,” he said the next day.
“See ya.”
They’d arranged to meet at a coffee shop Frank knew none of the guys liked. When he tasted the coffee, he remembered exactly why it was that they didn’t like it.