"Hello?"

"Nick? Is it you?"

"Ms. Sue? Hey! How are you?" he asked excited.

"I have some bad news, its Ali."

"Is she okay?"

"They don't know exactly what happened but she was found ten miles from our house washed up on the shore."

"What hospital? I'll be there in five minutes."

"Well, you don't understand. She's at St. John's hospital, but not where you can see her. When Ali was found this morning, she was dead," they were both silent. A million things passed through Nick's mind and tears fell immediately, "I know how close you both were and you are the second to know."

"How can she be...Ms. Sue, can I come over?"

"Yeah, I'll be here." He didn't know what to do. Mandy was home, but being with Ali's mom would be better for him. He walked out to his car. There was huge dent on the front, but right then he didn't care. He sped the whole way. Time seemed to stop. His best friend of 20 years had died. With what he last said to her made him more upset. He didn't get to say sorry, or goodbye.

He stood on Ali's front door step. Where he stood many time waiting for her arrival. It would never be that way ever again. He knocked softly on the door. To Ali's mom Nick was a son and she was his second mom. One look at each other and they both held onto each other for deaf life. They cried together for a few minutes outside.

"Ms. Sue, the last words Ali heard from me were awful. I don't deserve this comfort," he wanted to explain everything from the very beginning.

"Come inside, we'll talk about it over a cup of coffee."

"Okay." Sue got out two mugs and poured the hot black coffee into them. Without looking at what the mug said she handed it to Nick. He stared at it for a second. It had Alison written on it and listed all the great things the name meant. A whole in his heart formed and many tears fell.

"Lets sit in the family room," Sue suggested and led Nick there, "What happened? I'm sure its forgivable."

"Well, when I joined the Backstreet Boys Kevin and Howie were always talking about the funny places to have sex and everything," Sue gave him a weird look, "Don't be alarmed, its just the way the stories go. Well, I was 13 and kinda interested in the subject. So me and Ali made a pact that we would be each others firsts," he took a deep breath in as Sue waited patiently, "This year me and Al were becoming more then friendly so we decided it was a good time. We had waited and were a couple for six months. It wasn't just sex either. It truly was love making if there is such a thing, ya know?" Sue smiled warmly at him. She was pleased he was okay with saying this to her, "Well anyway, things got too hard between us with her schedule and mine so she dumped me. I was completely destroyed for a while and to get back at her I dated a girl who humiliated Ali in ninth grade. Turns out she's a really great person and we're in love and everything, but to make Ali feel worse about dumping me, I got her to move in with me. That ticked Ali off and now we're up to yesterday. She came to my house and told me she was in love with me. Mandy was with us so I had to be Mr. Big Shot and say that I didn't love her back and that when we made the pact about being each others firsts it was all just to use her. I knew what I was saying was awful and killing her and me at the same time, but I did it anyway. Those were my last words to her," he cried, "Are you mad at me?"

"No, I'm glad you're telling me all this and with you two's love lives...I knew about it all, but I'm glad you can admit it to me and fell comfortable with it. I'm sure Ali understood what you were doing. She was a smart girl. And I thank you for waiting until she was ready. She told me everything."

"Everything? I mean, it is kinda personal, ya know? Everything?" he laughed a little.

"She didn't go into great detail if that's what you're worried about."

"Oh...then that's fine," he stayed quiet for a minute, "Could I go up to her room for a while? It might give me some closure."

"You don't have to do this alone. I lost her too."

"Come with me then?"

They walked upstairs hand in hand to support each other.

"Did you love her?"

"With all my heart. If Mandy wasn't around, I would have proposed to her already, but its too late now."

"I would have been proud to call you my son. And trust me, she loved you more than anything."

"She always slept in my sleeping bag whenever we camped out."

"What was the whole deal with being a pig?"

"Oh," Nick laughed slightly at the memory, "I told her having an outtie belly button meant she was part pig."

"She cried about that. She was so upset, that she actually went around snorting for a while."

"Sounds like her."

"She admired you so much. She always said that she didn't want to see a day without you. You are the reason she became a model. She thought she'd get to tour with you."

"I should have put more of an effort out to see her."

"You two saw each other as much as possible, don't worry about it," Sue lifted up the bed mattress and pulled out a book, "Here, take this. It was her diary. You might learn something about yourself from it."

"Thanks."

"Feel free to take anything of hers. She'd want you to have anything you want."

"Okay," he looked around the room,"Do you think she believed what I said? he let more tears fall.

"No, it was just one of the few fights you both had," Sue smiled tearfully.

"I just wish I could talk to her one more time. Tell her I'm sorry," he sat on her bed and covered his face with his hands. The tears wouldn't stop, "Why did she have to leave Ms. Sue? I don't remember one day that I didn't talk to her. And now...she's gone, forever. Its not fair."

"I know, its awful and everyone will miss her. But...oh hell, I don't know what I'll do without her," Sue sat down by him.

"Don't cry Nicky, I know you didn't mean it," Nick heard a faint voice whisper in his ear.

"Ali?" he looked up, "She just talked to me, did you hear it?"

"No, sweety, you must be hearing things," Sue patted his back.

"Could I sleep in her bed tonight? I don't want to leave this room."

"Go ahead. I need to make some phone calls," she patted his knee, "I'll be downstairs if you need me."

"Thank you," he watched Sue walk out of the room. She shut the door behind her.

"Ali? Are you in here?" he asked quietly. Nothing happened, "Ms. Sue was right, I just imagined it. His pager suddenly went off. He took it off and looked at the number, "Mandy," he sighed. He pulled out his cellphone and called her.

"Hello?"

"Its me."

"Where are you Nick? You just up and left."

"Ali's house."

"Why are you there? We discussed this last night Nick."

"Mandy, she's dead," he choked out.

"Oh, you wanna come home so I can hold you?"

"No, I'm fine here. I'll come home tomorrow. I just feel better if I'm here."

"Okay, well, I'm sorry she died," a picture fell off the mantel and cracked.

"What was that noise?"

"A picture fell, that's all. Come home soon, I miss you."

"Miss you too, bye," he hung up.

"Mandy picked up the picture frame and looked at it. 'Murderer' was written over her face in red ink.

"Who's here?" she looked up scared, "Who's here?" she yelled angry. Mandy took the picture and put it in her pocket. Then she threw the frame at the wall. It fell and the wall started bleeding. She walked over and inspected it. Without touching anything, the blood smeared into the word, 'Murderer'.

"Murderer," someone whispered behind her.

"Who the hell is here?" she yelled looking around. She looked back at the wall, it was normal.

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