The Dead Kid Returns; Chapter 5: Breaking Hearts

Sorry this chapter is kinda short. It was just too good a spot to make a break to pass up.

Beth was absolutely devastated. Her attempt to help the girl inside the new kid had gone horribly wrong, and now the new kid hated her. She dragged her broken heart to school the day after it happened, and the new kid wouldn’t even look at her, much less talk to her. Beth even tried waiting at their favorite reading spot, but the new kid didn’t show up.

Worse, when Beth tried to see the girl inside the new kids boy body, the pain she felt emanating from that trapped soul was torture to witness.

And every attempt to apologize or even talk to the new kid was met with silence.

Beth couldn’t sleep, couldn’t eat, and couldn’t stop blaming herself for what happened, and finally, her mom noticed.

“Sweetie, maybe you should try praying.”

Beth figured it was worth a shot.

At first, her prayers were rote, and tentative. But after a while, she began just pouring out her heart, weeping and sobbing as she prayed. And then the most amazing thing happened to her.

She felt a response.

As clear as it was in words, she felt the answer.

“Let it go. Give it to me. Let me take care of it....”

“Okay. Its yours” she thought, and then dropped off to sleep.

The sense of peace Beth felt stayed with her the next day, even though nothing had changed outwardly. The situation was exactly the same, but she felt completely different about it.

Sometimes, a change in attitude is all you really need.

The next day, while she walked by the quite place where they first read together, she saw the new kid reading.

“Hi.” she said, trying to keep the conflicting emotions out of her voice.

“Hi.” the new kid said softly.

“Are... are we good?” Beth asked.

In response, the new kid handed her a book.

“Childhood’s end, by Arthur C. Clark.” Beth read from the cover.

She sat down, and flipped through the first couple of pages, and then she said, “We’re good.”

The new kid smiled a soft smile.