Michelle's Last Breath

The next morning, I arrived in school to pay for the tuition. Second term could not come soon enough.

Amid the long lines of the registrar's office, a familiar face piqued my interest. It was Michelle, of all people.

Even as I tried to ignore her, it was hard to look at a woman whose eyes were as red as a tomato. Her team was on a losing streak and Michelle's once-confident disposition was replaced by one borne of desperation and fear.

This was not the Michelle I once knew and loved. Yet despite Kyla's plea of forgiveness my mind was unsure if I can handle such a request.

Upon paying my tuition fee, something rang on my phone. At the same time, Michelle's phone also vibrated.

We chose to ignore these warnings. Perhaps, this was just another one of Jenny's tricks.

Later that afternoon, however, Michelle and I were walking out of school at almost the same time. What awaited us next was a familiar yet ominous figure lurking across the street.

"Well, what do we have here?" Jenny sarcastically said as she began to clap slowly.

Michelle stopped walking and stared angrily towards her. Seconds later, I paused and looked defiantly towards Jenny.

"What do you want from us?" Michelle screamed.

"Oh nothing," Jenny said with a smirk.

"Nothing?" I yelled in response. "Then explain those texts you sent to us last night and this morning. It must be one of your dirty tricks, isn't it?"

Jenny refused to answer and backed off. Just then, Michelle tackled her from behind and both fell on the hard concrete.

"Jenny, I demand an explanation," she screamed furiously. "Why are you doing this?"

Once again Jenny refused to utter even a single word. As Michelle continued to grab her by the arms security rushed in and broke up the fracas.

Jenny escaped but not after laughing maniacally from a distance. I was about to approach Michelle, only to speed away myself.

"Christine," she called me out. "Wait for me."

The next morning, an unexpected phone call aroused me. I picked up the phone to find out who was calling.

"Christine, you want to hear something familiar?"

Just then, screams of pain and anguish reverberated through my ears. At that point, I realized a familiar voice was in dire need of attention.

"Michelle?" I yelled back.

Jenny responded with a maniacal laugh. Michelle had been kidnapped.

"If you want to see your old friend again, meet me at this warehouse," Jenny called me out. "Don't worry, I won't hurt her as long as you follow my instructions."

Jenny hung up the phone and tears started filling my eyes. Just then, Francesca walked downstairs and quickly peeked at my sad face.

"What's the matter?" she questioned.

"Michelle was kidnapped by Jenny," I answered tearfully. "We better go to that warehouse."

With Francis as the driver Francesca and I ran towards the warehouse. Upon approaching the vicinity, we suddenly heard Michelle's screams of pain and sorrow.

Two men wearing bonnets and guns had tightly tied Michelle on the chair. Her mouth was secured with a bandana and bruises pelted her face.

"I'm glad you can make it," Jenny said with a smirk on her face. "I can't wait to see Michelle die in front of you."

"Please let her go," my frantic response in front of Jenny. "I'm begging you."

Even as I knelt down, Jenny remained defiant. She wanted nothing more than to tear both of us apart because her hatred against Michelle and myself had driven Jenny crazy.

It was clear 20 years of pent-up aggression were culminating in this difficult moment. Jenny was determined to put both of us to hell.

"Christine, your presence sickened me then and still is now," she angrily uttered. "Those spectacles, your short hair, that bloated figure. It disgusts me."

Just then, Jenny's guards forcibly escorted Michelle.

"Here," Jenny presented her in front of me. "Go spent the last day of your life with your so-called 'best friend'. I can't wait to see your friend perish for good."

With blood seeping from her forehead, Michelle stared dejectedly towards me.

"Christine, I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused," she tearfully apologized. "My life hasn't been the same since we separated and all that losing made me feel like a shipwreck."

Michelle bowed down and started crying.

"I'm begging you," she continued. "Please accept me into your life again."

At first, I was hesitant to accept Michelle's apology. But Francesca eventually spurred me to do the right thing.

"Michelle, you know as well as I do that we need each other no matter what," I responded with tears in my eyes. "We sometimes make mistakes, but at the end of the day, friendships never bend nor break. I hereby accept your apology."

Just as Michelle and I were about to embrace, a gunshot was suddenly heard from a distance. Blood poured in from Michelle's shirt and she fell suddenly to the floor.

"Michelle!!!" I yelled frantically. "Please don't die!"

At that moment, police arrived and quickly searched for Jenny and her guards. Meanwhile, an ambulance made its way to the warehouse and doctors rushed Michelle to the hospital.

As Francis, Francesca and myself followed suit, I sent text messages to Karina, Charissa and Kyla to inform them of the incident. Minutes later, we arrived at the hospital where doctors started operating on Michelle.

It was deja vu all over again. Not long after Michelle heroically saved me from Corinna's deadly hands, a bullet once again put her life in doubt.

Thirty minutes into the operation, Karina, Charissa and Kyla stepped inside the hospital and gave me a poignant hug. Just then, however, a doctor came out of the emergency room.

"Any word on Michelle?" Karina tearfully asked him.

"Unfortunately, the news is not good," the doctor responded. "The bullet hit a portion of Michelle's left lung and some arteries were severely damaged. I'm afraid your patient won't be able to live much longer."

We were in disbelief upon hearing this sobering news. And it only got worse from there.

Moments later, something beeped continuously from the emergency room. Doctors frantically rushed to the scene in an attempt to revive someone.

When one of the doctors showed up at the waiting area, we were given the grimmest of news we ever received.

Michelle had died. My best friend in the whole wide world had been taken away by the Lord.