AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Zoe scoots closer to Gabriella. “I feel like I made this weird,” she says, her voice quieter than before.
“Speak up while you can,” Gabriella says.
“Let’s see what that book is,” Zoe says. She’s curious. “Open it.”
Gabriella hands Zoe the book. “You open it. It’s your . . .”
“It’s my End Day, not my birthday,” Zoe says. “I don’t need a gift and I’m not exactly going to read the book in the next . . .” Zoe checks her watch and feels dizzy. She has at most nine hours left—and she’s a very slow reader. “Consider this gift left behind by someone else my gift to you. Thanks for being my Last Friend.”
The woman across looks up. Her eyes widen. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I’m just really happy to hear you’re Last Friends. I’m happy you found someone on your End Day.” She gestures to Gabriella. “And that you’re helping make days full. It’s beautiful.”
Gabriella wraps an arm around Zoe’s shoulders and pulls her close. The two thank the woman.
Of course Zoe meets the most welcoming New Yorkers on her End Day.
“Let’s open it together,” Gabriella says, returning their attention to the book.
“Deal,” Zoe says.
Zoe hopes Gabriella continues befriending Deckers when she can.
Life isn’t meant to be lived alone. Neither are End Days.
MATEO
3:18 p.m.
Seeing Lidia will be a huge risk, but it’s one I want to take.
The bus pulls up and we allow everyone else to get on first before boarding. I ask the bus driver if he received the alert today and he shakes his head. This ride should be safe. We can still die on the bus, yeah, but the odds of the bus being completely totaled and killing us while leaving everyone else severely injured seem pretty low.
I borrow Rufus’s phone so I can call Lidia. My phone’s battery is dying, down close to thirty percent, and I want to make sure the hospital can reach me in case my dad wakes up. I move to a different seat near the back of the bus and dial Lidia’s number.
Lidia picks up almost instantly, but there’s still this pause before she answers, a lot like in the weeks after Christian died. “Hello?’
“Hi,” I say.
“Mateo!”
“I’m sorry, I—”
“You blocked my number! I taught you how to do that!”
“I had to—”
“How could you not tell me?”
“I—”
“Mateo, I’m your fucking best fucking friend—Penny, don’t listen to Mommy—and you don’t fucking tell me you’re dying?”
“I didn’t want—”
“Shut up. Are you okay? How are you doing?”
I’ve always thought Lidia is like a coin being flipped in the air. Tails is when she’s so pissed it’s like she’s turning her back on you and heads is when she sees you at her clearest. I think we’ve landed on heads, but who knows.
“I’m okay, Lidia. I’m with a friend. A new friend,” I say.
