The Bucket List Part II

The Bucket List Continued



“Do you have a bucket list?” I asked Darcy as we stood by the rain-drenched bench at the bus stop. It had been storming all day and the wintery cold made the sidewalk an icy slick.

            Darcy looked strangely at me, her hazel eyes appearing conflicted as she appraised me. “Maybe.” She ducked her head, letting her hair swing forward to conceal her face in an absolutely attractive way.

            “Tell me?” I queried as I opened one of her books.

            “No way.” She laughed, dipping a hand into her bag and tugging out her wallet.

            “Come on Ducky!” I protested. “We never had secrets before.”

            Darcy merely smiled and then her eyes widened in shock. “No!” she yanked the book in my hands back.

            “What?” I demanded, still holding onto it.

“Give that back!” Darcy exclaimed, pulling harder on the book.

“Ducky…” I tried to placate her.

“Vlad!” Darcy cried, pulling harder.

“Okay, okay!” I let go of the book just as Darcy yanked on it again, the lack of resistance coupled with the slippery sidewalk sent Darcy tumbling into the street. Everything seemed to slow down and stop.

My eyes met Darcy’s as she staggered backwards into the street, the book flying from her fingers. A screech of brakes on an icy road pierced my ears and a car that had been racing down the street started to fishtail wildly as the driver tried to swerve around Darcy. My eyes met the hazel eyes of the bewildered girl standing in the street one last time before there was a heavy thud and Darcy tumbled over the hood of the car like a ragdoll.

“Darcy!” The name was ripped from my lips as I sprinted into the street, slipping once but regaining my balance as I ran towards the car and the limp body lying on the pavement.

****

Pain, all I knew was pain. Then the voice brushed my ear like a whisper from a long forgotten dream. “Darcy.”

I opened my eyes, but blackness was collecting in the edges of my vision and I could not feel my lower body. I couldn’t feel the cold asphalt beneath my body and my body felt weak, so weak. Air seeped from my lungs, but none seemed to come back, I tilted my head towards the sound and a pool of red met my eyes. Suddenly hands wrapped around my body and pulled me up, cradling my head against a Polo Blue cologne scented chest.

“Darcy…” Vladimir’s deep blue eyes were filled with tears. “You’re gonna be okay, you’ll be fine…”

The world was black now; all I could see were Vladimir’s eyes. “Vlad…” The name dropped from my lips like a stone. I stretched out a hand, searching, searching. I couldn’t even see Vladimir’s eyes anymore, the entire world was dark. Finally my hands touched leather binding, cold, damp and splayed on the asphalt. “Page…” I swallowed hard. The number escaped me in a sigh. “Forty three…” Then blackness wrapped its arms around me and I saw no more.

****

Darcy was cold in my arms, and I felt hot blood soaking the front of my shirt as the wounds to the skull of this beautiful girl continued to seep. She reached out with one hand, pale blood-smeared fingers inching over the sidewalk. Her fingers stopped when she touched the spine of the book. The book we had fought over. The book that had left Darcy, my Darcy, lying on the street, bleeding and broken. “Page…” Her voice was weak and raspy, I could barely hear her over the sirens that had begun to wail. “Forty three…” The words slipped between her lips and Darcy Suan went limp in my arms.

“Darce, no!” I cried, clinging onto her body, but to no avail. She was dead; my beautiful best friend, my one true love, dead. I sat unmoving in the street, hearing cars stopping and people shouting, but it all meant nothing to me now.

I reached down and tugged the book out from beneath Darcy’s fingers, trying to ignore the bloodstains on the leather embossed cover. I opened the book and read the first line. Dear Diary, today I went to Vlad’s basketball game. I have no idea what was happening, I just stood when everyone stood and cheered when everyone cheered. I think we won, someone was shouting something about driving and blocking and screening. I had no clue what to do, but I was just glad to get to see Vlad. My head began to pound. I opened the book at random to another page.

Dear Diary, today Vlad and I went on a jog and we were about three miles in when I fell and sprained my ankle. I don’t know what I would have done if Vlad hadn’t been there. He picked me up and carried me all the way home. He made jokes about it, but he wasn’t really upset. Sometimes I wonder how I got so lucky to have someone like Vlad by my side. When we got back to my house, Vlad put me on the couch, got some ice for my foot and then he kissed my forehead before he left. I was so surprised, he had never done anything like that, but then again, I’m sure he felt sorry for me. I could almost hear Darcy speaking in my head and in my mind’s eye I could perfectly remember the moment when we had been running and she had fallen. I would have carried her home even if she had just pulled a muscle. It had a been such a good excuse to get to hold her that way, to pretend she was mine. It was getting hard to breathe; my lungs burned as I turned to another page.

Dear Diary, today Vlad told me that he thought I was an amazing girl. He said he would probably marry me if he hadn’t known me all my life. I guess some things are too good to be true. I wish he knew the effect that those words had on me. But Vlad and I are so different…how could he ever love someone like me? An iron lump filled my throat and throbbed in unison with the agonized organ in my chest. I flipped to page forty three.

Dear Diary, today’s the day! I’m gonna tell Vlad how I feel about him. I know it seems like I’m hoping for too much, but if I never try, how will I ever know? I’m in love with Vlad. I always have been and maybe, just maybe he might feel the same way about me. All I want is for him to be my boyfriend. He’s my best friend and really, I’m not complete without him, somehow I feel like he knows me better than even I do. Wish me luck! J

The book tumbled from my limp fingers and landed on the asphalt, the maroon cover shocking against the black road. Slowly I got to my feet and walked to the bus stop, where our bags were. Slowly, ever so slowly I opened my bag and pulled out the bouquet of sunflowers, her favorite. I was going to give them to her after I told her my bucket list. That I loved her and all I wanted was for her to be my girlfriend. I took the bouquet of golden flowers and placed them on the ground next to Darcy. I sat beside her, and tears burned the back of my eyes before tracing a line of salty warmth down my numb face.