I Fell in Love with Hope - Lancali

Coeur had a choice. He could walk into the overtly suspicious scene
and grab Neo by the arm. He could tear him away from the danger
his classmates posed or even just ask his friends what they were
doing. He could’ve done any number of things. But Coeur always
had an affinity for ignoring decisions.
“Don’t let it shake you up,” his teacher said, but Coeur was already
lost replaying the scene over and over again as if thinking of the past
would
somehow change it. “Why don’t you go visit him? I’m sure he’d
appreciate seeing a friend.”
Coeur nodded and left, the guilt spreading through his body like a
virus. It ate at him for the following weeks until the hollowness Neo
had filled became a cave with raw, wounded walls.
Coeur cried silently the first night. He felt bad, yes, but more so, he
missed Neo. Although that wasn’t entirely correct either.
In French, you do not say you miss someone. You say they are
missing from you.
Tu me manques, Coeur said, inside his head, mouthing it, as if Neo
could hear.
Every night Coeur wrote Neo letters till he was surrounded by
thousands of them. Everynight, Coeur repeated the same line over
and over again, Tu me manques tellement que même mon coeur
souffre, until little by little, his heart adopted the words as its own.
Waking up in the hospital was a stroke of fate. Coeur was sure of it.
His parents were up to their necks in worry not knowing what was
wrong with their child.
Coeur didn’t care.