Chapter 4

This time, I only shook my head, my gaze determined.

“I know, but I don’t want to die in the hospital. I have somewhere I want to go.”

In the end, Lucian could not talk me out of it. He helped me with the discharge papers and brought me in my wheelchair back to the high school I graduated from ages ago.

It was the summer holidays, so the campus was empty. The only noise came from the insects in the trees, making the place seem even quieter.

Lucian pushed me all around the place.

We visited the classroom buildings, the field, the library…

Every single place was a backdrop for my memories with Sherry that were so ingrained in my mind.

Before I got too far, my phone suddenly rang.

It was Sherry calling.

Thinking about it, about three weeks had already passed.

I ignored the call and rejected it.

This was the last moment of my life, and I did not want to waste any time on meaningless arguments.

“Lucian, push me over there,” I said, pointing at one of the buildings nearby.

My classrooms were all in that building during our senior year.

I had Lucian wait outside as I rolled myself to the last row of one of the classrooms, to a seat by the window.

This was where I had sat once. Sherry used to take that seat too.

With some hope in my heart, I looked at the surface of the desk. As expected, there were crooked words engraved into it: Don’t leave me behind.

Sherry had engraved those words herself.

Back then, the whole school had been abuzz because of her breakup with Norbert, causing him to change schools. Sherry had faced all sorts of slander and rumors, and she was always alone.

I had become her only friend.

I was with her when she played hooky, when she read, when she wanted to do anything.

Gradually, I managed to get past the walls she had built up. She started to smile more.

Once, to protect her, I got into a fight with some of the other boys in class. I was nearly expelled because of it.

It was because of this that she had engraved those words on my desk.

[Don’t leave me behind.]

I used to think naively that we would never split apart as long as I always kept that promise.

It was a shame that I forgot that an agreement required the participation of two people.

In the end, Sherry could not forget Norbert, even though he was already dead.

My heart squeezed, and tears gathered in my eyes.

The heartache came with a bout of violent coughing. My vision went dark, and I could taste salt on my tongue.

Weakly, I leaned into the back of the wheelchair. I could feel my life trickling away bit by bit.

Just then, the door of the classroom slammed open.

“You really are here, Mason!”

Sherry ran in in a panic. She grabbed my hand and said in a shaky voice, “Why didn’t you answer my phone call? I was worried sick!”

I looked at the woman before me, who I had once loved so deeply and who had nevertheless hurt me so much. I could not help the mire of emotions I felt for her.

There was too much that I wanted to say. Yet, when I tried, they evaporated and only came out as a soundless sigh.

I was too tired.

When I did not speak, Sherry looked over to the words carved on the desk. All of a sudden, her eyes were red-rimmed and tearful. She held my hand and forced a smile.

“I’m here to keep my promise.”

Sherry must have said something, but I could not hear her well.

In the end, as my vision went dark, all I could hear was panicked crying.

“Mason? Don’t scare me!”