I Was Already Gone

I had always been half a beat too slow. My childhood friend, Alexa Collins, and my best friend, Zane Sterling, were the exact opposite. They moved through life as if everything were urgent.

When we ate together, I would still be halfway through my meal while the two of them had already finished. Then they would urge each other to hurry to the internet cafe next door, leaving me alone at the table.

When we went swimming, I once cramped up halfway through and called for help, only to realize they had already climbed out of the pool and disappeared without a trace.