Butterfly Kisses Read online

  You I have good

  Reason in doing

  So with these letters.

  Intentionally I wasn't

  Going to tell you

  Anything.

  Because I didn't

  Know how to

  Form the words

  In person.

  I'm still having

  Trouble as I write

  These letters.

  I said it before

  And I'll say it

  Again.

  This is the only way

  I can give you

  The answers you

  Need.

  They will upset you,

  Maybe make you

  Angry.

  They are the

  Truth.

  You've gotten this

  Far, so please

  Don't stop now.

  -Michael

  P.S. When you have all the answers, the letters will end.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Since I have no

  Way of knowing

  When you will read

  These, I'm just going

  To give you one

  Clue per letter.

  Start with Finn.

  Ask him about

  The others we

  Hung out with.

  Once you meet

  Them, ask them.

  They might know

  More than they

  Think.

  -Michael

  Chapter Seventeen

  I start placing things

  In the cardboard

  Boxes.

  I don't look

  At them, I just

  Set them in, doing

  This until I've

  Cleared out the

  Closet.

  If I stop, my mind

  Will wander.

  As long as my

  Thoughts are occupied

  With packing his

  Belongings up,

  I won't think

  About the

  Letters, and

  The answers

  That await me.

  Chapter Eighteen

  I've been here

  A week.

  In that week

  I've packed almost everything

  Up, and found the rest

  Of the letters.

  I won't read them

  Out of order.

  I've come too

  Far just to

  Skip to the

  End.

  I found

  Photographs of him

  With his friends.

  And someone

  Who might

  Have been his

  Girlfriend.

  Finn tells me

  About them,

  What Michael

  Was like prior

  To the past

  Six months.

  He sounds

  Like the brother

  I remember

  Growing up.

  People change.

  Chapter Nineteen

  His friends are

  On their way

  Over.

  I'm nervous.

  The doorbell rings

  And Finn jumps

  Up to get it.

  The group files in

  To the room, and I

  Recognize a few

  From the memorial.

  “Hello. I'm Ava.”

  “Hi, I'm John.”

  Offers a tall lanky guy

  With spiky black hair.

  “Charlotte.”

  Says the woman

  Closest to the door.

  Her hair is short

  And a bright

  Orange.

  The rest tell me

  Their names,

  Adam and Jessie.

  The only one I

  Don't meet is

  Diana.

  “She wasn't feeling well today.”

  Charlotte offers.

  I nod.

  We talk for hours,

  Until I finally

  Feel ready to ask

  Them.

  “What changed with my brother?”

  “It seems like it started one night, and kept going. It was slow, but noticeable.”

  Adam murmurs.

  “We encouraged him to talk to someone.”

  Jessie says.

  I stare at the wall,

  Unable to

  Admit how

  I didn't notice

  Until it was

  Bad.

  Chapter Twenty

  Two weeks have

  Passed since we

  Arrived.

  I have seen a

  Lot of Finn's

  Friends, they're

  Kind.

  The only one

  Who refuses to

  Meet with me

  Is Diana.

  I've called the

  Number Jessie

  Gave to me,

  Inviting her over

  To talk.

  But she never calls

  Back.

  It's almost as if

  She's a ghost.

  I found somethings

  Wedged behind the dresser

  This morning.

  I think it's

  A journal.

  With a post it

  Note on it, that

  Says to skip

  To the last page.

  Another hint?

  Chapter Twenty One

  By now you

  Should have met

  The gang.

  They're great

  People once you

  Get to know

  Them.

  Maybe you met

  Diana too.

  I'm sure your

  Wondering where

  She fits in to this

  Puzzle.

  Well sister, we

  Weren't dating.

  I just wasn't

  Interested in

  Her.

  I thought

  She was okay

  With it.

  But she wasn't.

  I left my journal

  For you.

  Go to the last

  Page.

  You'll find what

  You need there.

  -Michael

  Chapter Twenty Two

  I think I might

  Throw up.

  My hands are

  Shaking.

  Finn calls out

  To me, asking if

  I can get the

  Door.

  A short blonde

  Stands in front

  Of the door.

  “Hi. I'm Diana. Sorry ab-”

  She doesn't finish,

  Because I've hit her.

  Things begin to

  Blur and all I can

  See is red, as I

  Scream at her.

  Someone yanks me

  Off her, telling me

  To calm down.

  When I look up

  I see Charlotte

  And Jessie staring

  At me, while Finn

  Holds me back.

  Diana cowers on

  The ground, blood

  All over her face.

  “He was gay.”

  I shout at her.

  “That's why he turned you down.”

  Her face becomes

  A bright red.

  “You took advantage of him.”

  Chapter Twenty Three

  It looks like we're

  At the end Ava.

  Now you know.

  I loved you sis.

  Maybe if things

  Had gone

  Differently, I might

  Still be here.

  We'll never really

  Know, will we?

  Goodbye Ava.

  -Love Michael

  Epilogue

  After the events

  Of that day

  A few months
r />   Ago, things have

  Changed.

  I've made peace

  With my parents.

  I live in Seattle

  Now, with Charlotte

  And Jessie.

  It's different,

  But it's better.

  About Marissa Steidl

  Marissa Steidl currently lives in Minnesota, with her family. She is currently working on her next work. When she's not writing, you can find her curled up with a good book.

   

  Other Works by Marissa Steidl

  Imagination Roams Wild

  The Diary of Desiree

  Dandelion Wishes

  Dear Jay

  Connect with Marissa Steidl

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