It was a warm summer afternoon, and there were no clouds in the sky. The breeze was just sightly present blowing the trees back and forth, and the sun shone brightly in the sky above. Students everywhere were celebrating, and there was a certain feeling in the air. There were no worries in the world because school was out for the year. There was no homework, no tests, and no exams to worry about. Teddy Jensen was thrilled. She was finished with 9th grade and was looking forward to something new in the fall. 

Teddy was beautiful. She had long brown hair, blue eyes, and a sweet personality. Her teachers adored her, her friends loved her and the boys wanted to be with her. She always had the newest clothes and followed all the big trends. To her friends, she was known for the trends.                                                                                                                                                     

Teddy was eager for tenth grade, but she was not thinking about school right now she was putting her blue bathing suit on to go outside and enjoy the three months of freedom she had while it lasted. Teddy and her family were up north at their cabin, on Torch Lake, their cabin looked right out onto the blue glistening water. They were planning on spending the majority of the summer on the beach, by the lake jet skiing, tubing, swimming, and bike riding. You name it, Teddy and her family were going to do it.

Teddy had recently been in a relationship with a boy her age, but she felt she couldn't truly be herself around Jack. She also knew he wasn't trustworthy. But the problem was that he was the person she told everything to. In his past relationships, he had been unfaithful, sneaky and backstabbing- all things Teddy did not like in a boy. Teddy had put up with it for so long and tried to look past it. But enough was enough. She broke the relationship off. Even though it broke her, she was a mess emotionally but she knew it was for the better.   

She knew if they were still dating, the distance would be problematic. That helped her grieving a little bit. But Teddy couldn't stop herself from texting him. Every night, she felt compelled to message him. She would send a “hello” or an “I miss you.” Some parts of her truly missed him, and she wasn't quite ready to give him up all the way. Even though she was very tempted to send those messages, she didn't send them and they just saved as drafts. 

About three weeks into the summer, one afternoon in July, Teddy was asleep on the deck when she heard her cell phone ringing. It was him, Jack, he was calling her. Teddy didn't know what to do many emotions were running through her body it was like time stopped. She froze, her body was numb. The phone rang and rang until it went to voicemail.

Teddy took a deep breath in and let it out. She picked up her phone and clicked play. Her heart was racing. All she could hear was Jack’s voice “Hey Teddy, it’s me, Jack, I’m sure you see that I miss you dearly. I know you needed a break because it didn't feel right but I want to make it right. I have had a lot of time to think and know what I need to work on in a relationship. Give me a call back when you can. I miss you bye. ¨ She didn’t know what to do, if she should call him back or text him back. 

It was two days later Teddy took some time to think about if she should call him back or just leave it. She decided to call him back. The phone rang she was freaking on the inside but on the outside she was calm. Jack answered, there was a moment of silence for a brief second. Then he said “Hi” with his deep voice, Teddy's stomach dropped. In her head, she thought that's the voice that I was in love with. Why did I let him go? That was a mistake. A minute passed Jack said, “Hello Teddy.” She responded, “I’m sorry I missed you. I don’t know why I let you go it was such a mistake.” 

Jack paused then responded “I miss you more I want to see you and make it up to you that I have changed because I really have. I don’t know if you know, but I lost my dad it has been very hard and it made me realize that I need to cherish everything that I love. where are you right now?” Teddy had no idea that he had lost his dad she knew how much his dad meant to Jack. They would do everything together. So Teddy felt awful she wanted to be there for him as much as she could be there. Teddy told Jack when she was going to be home and they made plans to hang out. 

Time passed by it was time for the Jensen family to head home so they all help to clean up and close up the cabin. When they finished that, everyone got in the car and started the 3-hour drive home. She asked herself how she was going to pass the time so Teddy brought her phone out and texted Jack. “Hey, it's me, Teddy, I just wanted to make sure you are up for our plans? I still miss you tons can't wait to see you.” Then she sat there waiting for a response it was taking a while so she shut her eyes and took a nap. Then she woke up looked at her phone they had 20 minutes left till they got home. But she still had no response for Jack. Weird, really weird she thought.

The family got closer into town it was taking forever. There was so much traffic. There was an accident they could see from a distance. When they got closer Teddy thought she realized the car that was in the accident. When they drove by Teddy yelled “STOP” it was Jack’s car so her dad pulled over. Teddy rushed out of the car the police stopped her from running close to the scene she was yelling “What happened where is he?” The police at the scene said, “I am not supposed to tell you much but the two drivers in each vehicle were pronounced dead upon arrival of the scene.” 

Teddy didn't know what to do collapsing to the ground. She felt empty and numb. She couldn't talk and was speechless. It felt like something was just ripped away from her, a piece of her. Teddy thought to herself that it couldn't be real. Her parents had to physically remove Teddy from the ground. She weighed herself down and did not want to leave. Teddy just wanted Jack. She was lost empty. 

When her parents got her into the car, they drove home. There were no words and Teddy did not talk for days. The feeling of regret of breaking things off and losing time with Jack would not go away. She couldn’t shake the thought of not being there for him and everything else that she was regretting.

 It came time for school, but Teddy could not go knowing she lost her best friend. That year Teddy never returned to school. Teddy did online school. She couldn't bring herself to go to school and be in the halls that she and Jack would walk in together. It pained her to be there without him. It took lots of therapy but finally the following year she returned to school for 11th grade. Teddy made lots of new friends who warmed her heart and made her feel loved.