“Fade”

Fade

A Creative Short Story by Madison Stewart

 

9:00PM

I sat on the edge of my best friends bed, her name was Magnolia but I called her Mag. I have known her all my life – literally and it just hit me that today may be the last day I spend with her, forever. I felt a cold chill across my back as I thought about it. I knew I wasn’t real or seen by anybody but Mag.

I was different, my skin was violet, my eyes a bright aqua blue and my long hair, curly and light pink. My body was plump and I wore the same clothes every day, a patchwork dress with faded colours, and different shapes scattered about. I’d like to think I represented Mag in a way, she loved everything colourful, bright and was always such a happy child. Although over the years she has deteriorated, gone sadder, less outgoing and never talked to me anymore. It’s like she’s ashamed of me.

Magnolia was a chubby girl, she was made fun of yet she embraced it. She was gorgeous, she had short blond hair and bright brown eyes. She stayed the same her whole life, which she hated. She never really got much taller and stayed a little overweight, but to me, she was so perfect. Her mom claims this is the reason for her beginning depression. I hated seeing her this way, sad, crying and never talking to me. She avoided me, whenever friends came over I hid in her closet so I couldn’t interrupt instead of her trying to introduce me, like she used to try, even though her friends could never see me, I missed when she tried.

9:30PM

I noticed a tear drop onto the palm of my hands as I came out of my thoughts and back to reality as I looked down. Moments later I heard the door creak open. Magnolia walked in. As she looked toward me I noticed her face drop even more than what from what it was.

“Hi!” I said in a cheerful voice trying my best to cheer her up. I hated seeing her like this.

“Hey” she replied simply.

She walked in and immediately plopped on her bed, propped a pillow up on her headboard and grabbed her phone from the side table to her left. I looked over my shoulder and saw the glow of the phone lighting up her face, her fingers moving at rapid speed as she was typing.

I didn’t know if I should say much to her, I knew she was getting over me, each day passes and she starts to become so unattached and it feels so horribly distant. I miss the days when we would play together, draw and dance, now she rarely wants to talk to me, in fear of looking weird in the case there are bystanders. But I have to understand there is no way around this, I will be leaving her soon.

10:00PM

I finally decided to talk to her, I needed to.

“Want to dance? Like we used to!” I asked, ignoring all the sad thoughts that cramped my mind.

“I’m good” She replied

“I’m tired”.

“But do you know what tomorrow is?” I said, holding tears back from my now dark eyes.

“Yes, my 13th birthday, I know Hazel” “Can we stop talking about it?”

That was the first I’ve mentioned of it.

“Don’t you know what that means Mag?” I replied shakily.  

“This will be the last time we see each other, before midnight and it’s already 10. ”

I saw Mag look up from her phone, her eyes glossy.

“All these years of having fun, hanging out and being best friends, and you don’t even want to play a final game, do a final dance together?” I started tearing up again and I stumbled on my words as I spoke.

“I’m growing up, H. Nobody ever believed me that you were real. I looked insane trying to go outside or introduce you to people, I got over it and I am becoming a teen. I don’t need to dance or play anymore, nor do I want to. I need to grow up, get a job and focus on school and that means I can’t give you all the attention you need. You are disappearing on my first birthday of becoming a teen for a reason” Magnolia said strictly.

My eyes filled with tears, my heart full of anger, how could she be so rude? I knew she was going through a lot but this really upset me. I stayed silent.

11:00PM

“I’m really sorry, H. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. I know what I said was harsh but it is true. I need to grow up at some point.” Magnolia said

“I understand I guess, I just wish we didn’t have to leave like this,” I replied

“Can we please dance together one last time?”

“I-don-” Magnolia hesitated.

I could tell by the look on her face she really didn’t want to, it would probably make her feel like a child again when all she wants is to grow up. But I didn’t care, we were going to leave on a good note, because after I fade away who knows where I’ll end up.”

“P-l-ease” I said shakily.

“Ok, why not,” Magnolia replied, then proceeded to turn off her phone, set it aside on her small, white side table beside a small succulent and slowly stood up.

11:56PM

I grinned as I walked over to her bright pink CD player that doubled as a radio, and began to open the top and insert our favourite song. “I Got a Feeling” By the Black Eyed Peas.

“I gotta feeling…… that tonight’s gonna be a good night

That tonight’s gonna be a good night

That tonight’s gonna be a good, good night”

As the music echoed through the house, we both started jumping as high as we could, singing along the lyrics at the top of our lungs. We held hands and jumped in a circle. Both laughing and so excited. This was the happiest I’d see Mag in years, I never wanted it to end. “Tonight’s the night, let’s live it up

I got my money, let’s spend it up

Go out and smash it like oh my God

Jump off that sofa, let’s get, get off”

As the music continued to play I felt pins and needles everywhere, from the tips of my toes to the centre of my head. I looked towards my feet and saw as they started to disappear, it’s as though they were fading away and it was happening fast. Magnolia looked concerned and sad. She reached to hold me but her hands slipped through mine.

“I know that we’ll have a ball

If we get down and go out and just lose it all

I feel…”

“Thank you for everything Hazel, I’ll never forget you!” Magnolia screamed over the music and through her tears.

I tried to reply but I could not seem to form any words. The music continued to play and I kept seeing less and less until I fully faded away.

12:00AM

“Cause I gotta feeling, woohoo,

That tonight’s gonna be a good night

That tonight’s gonna be a good night

That tonight’s gonna be a good, good night”

Magnolia was in disarray, she ran over to the CD player and slammed the off button. She could not bear to listen to the lyrics “tonight’s gonna be a good night”. Because in fact, it was the worst night of her life so far.  

Magnolia immediately regretted everything she’d said to Hazel, she never truly realized how happy she made her when they danced together. Magnolia had never felt so alone and her room is so quiet. She sobbed into her pillow until she fell asleep, as she awoke the same quote get repeating itself in her mind.

“You never really realize what you have until it’s gone”.