The bell rang.
It was the first time I was ever late. "My mom's going to kill me!" I ran as fast as I could. A student council rep like me can't afford something like this. It'll ruin me.
"What do you have to say for yourself, Nico Cruz?"
"M-My alarm didn't wake me up! I'm really sorry! It won't happen again!" I kneeled and begged. "Well, as this is the first time you've been late, I won't count it. Go to class now." I looked up and smiled. "T-thank you!" I ran again.
I ran up the stairs, but just then, I fell into a cold and dead abyss.
As I fell, I screamed. I reached for whatever place I fell from, but eventually I forgot what that place was.
"..."
"Is this a dream?" I asked myself. "Or… Am I… dead?" "Ah. That's right. The world ended." I thought to myself,
"Lucio… Reyes…"
As if by calling him, he appeared right next to me. He fell into the abyss, holding my right hand. "Nico." "Ah. Hello, Lucio." "Please. Don't die."
Oh. Right. I fell. "I'm sorry Lucio, but it seems I'm dead."
"Please. Don't die."
He said it again. Huh. Is he a broken record? "Why did I die in the first place anyway?"
"Because you looked at me."
A voice startled me, I heard it on my left as I kept falling. "Th-that voice…" I slowly turned.
A zombie held my left arm.
"You killed me." I pushed him away. "W-who the hell are you?!" "You know who I am."
"A-Andres?"
I closed my eyes.
Then I stopped falling.
I stood up and opened my eyes again. It was still the abyss, yes, but I was at the bottom.
Suddenly, a light was cast on me. Principal Rivera's voice filled my ears. "Everyone! It's Nico Cruz!" People surrounded me and clapped. They were hidden in the darkness, but I could tell from their silhouettes who they were.
Then, silence. A girl stepped forward. "Nico Cruz, you killed my brother. I will kill you next."
"M-Mina?"
"You ran away when you could've saved him but you didn't." I took a step back as she stepped into the light.
Then, a voice from behind me. Lucio's. "Nico Cruz." I turned my head towards his voice. "I am destined to die because you died."
"W-what?"
"You have died a coward, you passed me a responsibility I wasnt ready to accept, and now everyone else in this school will die because of you."
"You're saying… It's all my fault?"
I stepped back, but Mina wrapped her hands around my neck. "It's a shame. I'm not the one to kill you."
They started clapping again.
"Please! Stop! I can't brea-" I wheezed and coughed as I was drained of air. Lucio walked up to me and slapped my face.
"Coward." A slap.
"Coward." Another slap.
"Coward." Another.
I closed my eyes. That word repeated over and over. It etched itself into my ears. I died, and this is purgatory. My life flashed before my eyes. My mom. Teachers. My first student council meeting. My first true friend. My first betrayal. My last betrayal.
"Andres… Delgado…" I said his name.
"I have hope you're alive… So please… If you are… Then… Forgive me…"
Then, it went silent. I opened my eyes and breathed. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew me into the air. "Shit!" I shouted, then I closed my eyes.
"..."
The bell rang.
The second time I was late.
I ran as fast as I could. Another student followed me, who was late too. "Hey, that's rare to see." He said. "What's rare?" I questioned while running. "A student council rep that's late." I looked back and saw him, then I stopped.
Andres.
"Hey, why'd you stop?"
"I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"...I-I killed you."
"..."
My eyes welled up and I kneeled before him. "I'm sorry I ran away. I'm sorry I didn't save you. I'm sorry. It's all my fault. Please forgive me." I begged him. He ran his fingers through my hair. "It's okay. You can cry. The world has ended, after all."
"'It's only fair to cry at times like these'. That's what you said when I cried then, right?"
"Yeah. You remembered, huh?"
"Hey… Do you… Forgive me?" I asked him.
He looked up in thought, "You still have hope that I'm alive, right? Hope that I'm the one who left that ID."
"Y-yeah."
"Then ask me for forgiveness; the real me. Okay?"
I nodded and wiped my tears. "S-sure."
He combed my hair with his fingers again and I looked up at him.
"But first, while you still can't find me,"
He looked at me and smiled. "Please. Forgive yourself."