I stared at the crystal blue water. It looked so peaceful, like it couldn’t hurt anything.

“It’s your Mom,” I had heard, sitting at home on my couch. It was a normal Friday and I should have stayed that way.

“She’s been in an accident.”

The words echoed through my mind.

A cool breeze made shivers run up my spine. I could see it, her car making a quick sharp turn, her hitting the brake making the tires sliding across the bridge. And I could hear it, the loud splash, her muffled cry for help.

I felt a hand on my shoulder. I already knew who it was, or who they were. Mason and Emily.

“Are you alright?” Emily asked.

I didn’t need this, her hand wrapped tightly in Mason’s, and still she tries to pretend it’s just us. I can’t cry in front of him, I can’t say no.

I just nod my head, keeping my eyes on the small pond below.

Emily sighs, “Ty, it’s. . . It’s just me.”

I quickly glance over to Emily and for the first time in a few months Mason isn’t glued to her side.

“Where’s your other half?” I mumble.

Emily takes her hand off my shoulder and folds her arms, “We broke up.”

I let out a small laugh, “Didn’t see that coming.”

“I came to help you,” Emily steps in front of me, blocking my view from the sparkling blue water. “What have I done to make you act like this?”

Nothing, that’s the problem.

“I just lost my mother,” I say letting my voice rise, “What do you want from me?”

Emily stepped closer to me, a tear escaping her glass blue eyes, “I just lost my best friend.”

“I’m standing right here,” I say.

Emily shakes her head stepping back, “No, your not the Ty I knew.”

Yeah well what do you expect from a boy who lost both his parents before he turned eighteen.

Emily took in a shaky breath, “So this is it. Your gone?”

I don’t know what that means but sure. It was over the day she glued Mason to her side. She was never there for me, I couldn’t tell her anything.

“I’m not gone,” I whisper, “I’ve been here all along. It’s you. . . Emily. Your the one who left.”

She didn’t disagree. That meant two things. Either she agreed but didn’t want to say it or she didn’t have a good enough excuse.

She sighed looking at the bottom of the hardwood bridge.

We were silent for a while, listening to the breeze and the quiet peaceful water as it ran under us.

“I’m sorry,” Emily finally said, her eyes meeting mine. “But that was the past. Can’t we move on?”

You mean forget that for five months we weren’t friends. Never speaking, never laughing. Just me on my own and you with Mason.

“I’m not going to just forgive and forget. I don’t work like that.”

“Then we’ll just talk,” Emily grabbed my arm when I turned to walk away, “I can’t lose you again.”

Her eyes were shining with hope. It had been five months, maybe I had moved on. Changed. Was that so hard for her to wrap her mind around?

“Emily . . . I have to go. Mom’s funeral is tomorrow. I need to get ready.”

Emily let go of my arm, the hope draining out of her eyes.

“Okay,” she said, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

I forced a small smile and walked away.

Leaving the bridge that had changed my life. Leaving the girl that still could, and finding the part of me that was willing to let her back in.