"Please Katie, you have to listen to me. I'm telling you this for your own good," said A.J. McLean to his 18 year old best friend, Katie Costen.
"A.J., stay out of my business. I can make my own desions!" cried Katie, turning her back to her best friends.
"But the choise your make is the wrong one!" cried A.J.
Katie turned and looked him in the eye. "Jason loves me. I know he does," she said with surprising softness.
"And is it because he loves you that he hits you?" asked A.J.
Katie sighed. "In a way yes. When I do something wrong, I have to be punished. He's just looking out for me," explained Katie.
"Katie. Open your eyes. He doesn't love you. He just loves to use you as a punching bag. Look at the brusies on your arms and legs. Look at the black eye he gave you. You're saying he's doing this to look out for you?" cried A.J. in disbeief. "You can't move in with him. He'll kill you!!!"
"No he won't! He loves me. He says he does. And I'm moving in with him and there is nothing you can say to change my mind!" yelled Katie. "I though you were my friend, A.J. If you were, you should be happy for me, not jealous."
"Why should I be happy that your centincing yourself to death!" yelled A.J.
"I'm leaving now and don't trying to stop me. Good bye A.J.," said Katie as she stormed out of A.J.'s house.
That was the last time A.J. ever saw her.
A year later, A.J. had all the guys over at his new apartment. They were all just lounging around, enjoying their time off, when the doorbell rang.
"Careful," called Kevin. "Remember the last time you answered the door when we were over?" he asked.
A.J. just smiled and walked over the door. He opened to see an older lady standing in front of him with a sad smile on her face.
"Mrs. Costen?" asked A.J. confused at the site of Katie's mom.
"Hi A.J. Listen, I can't stay long. I just came to tell you....that.....katie died in the hospital a few days ago," chocked Mrs. Costen. "The night before she died, she wrote you this letter and asked me to give it to you." She handed A.J. a letter. She smiled sadly at him again. "I have to go now. I have to arange her funeral." She turned and left.
A.J. stood there, confused.
"What does it say Bone?" asked Nick, coming up from behind him.
"He won't know until he opens it Frack," laguhed Brian. Nick gave him a bad look.
A.J. sat down on the couch and opened the letter. ----->
To A.J.
As I sit here in the hospital, I barely have to strength the write this letter but I need to tel you something before I leave.
You were right. Jason never did love me. I was a fool to believe he did. You tried to warn me, but did I listen? No. I'm so sorry. If I had listened to you, I would not be in this hospital right now. A.J., he hit on the head with a metal pipe. The doctors are telling me to hang in there. I can make it if I try. But you know how I love to look into people's eyes. I can see in their eyes that I won't. I'm so weak and tired. I know I won't make it.
My biggest regret is that I never made peace with you. I left you angry. I only hope that you can forgive me for my fooleshness. I'm so sorry. I don't know if you are still mad at me. I'm not mad at you anymore. I'm mad at myself for not listening to you. I only hope that you can forgive me. That is all I want anymore. I wish I could have seen you one last time before I leave this earth. I never got to say how much you mean to me. I must go now. I'm so tired and I know I won't last much longer. I only want to say one more thing.
Please forgive me.
Always your friend, even in death, Katie
A.J.'s friends looked at him as he read the letter out loud. As he finished the letter, tears were streaming down his face. He closed the letter.
"I forgive you Katie. God knows I do," he whispered.
