I ran down the street, listening to my music, pushing myself to run faster and harder. I stopped suddenly, seeing Toby Cavanaugh at the end of the street, walking towards me.

A red car drove past. A boy stuck his head out the window, and told him to drop dead.

People avoided him on the street, walking away quickly, whispering.

Two boys were eating ice cream, obviously brothers. Toby smiled at them, and the laughter on their faces disappeared. The older one tugged his brother away. I lost sight of him for a moment, and shook my head, trying to clear it.

I kept running down the street, and paused beside a gate. There, down some stairs, sat Toby, looking up at the sky, crying, leaning against the dusty brick wall. I opened the gate, which let out a loud, crusty groan. His head snapped up, and surprise flickered in his eyes for a moment. Then he went back to studying the sky.

I picked my way across the small area that was the barrier between the two of us, and sat down next to him, the rough bricks digging into my back.

I don't know how long we sat there, not speaking. It could've been five minutes, it could have been an hour.

A sudden gust of wind blew a crumpled piece of paper from the bottom of the stairs onto my lap.

It was a missing person poster. For Ali.

"You didn't kill her," I said, breaking the silence, smoothing the paper out, remembering her.

He looked over at me. "Why do you think so?" He asked, his voice still thick with tears.

I hesitated. "I'm not sure."

He nodded, looking as if he'd expected that answer.

"Do you believe me?" I asked curiously.

He looked over at me. "That seems to be a common question nowadays, doesn't it?"

I opened my mouth to say something.

"Yes," he said. "I believe you."

I smiled softly down at the photo, tears starting to drip down my cheeks.

He wiped away the tears, and I looked over at him, surprised.

He grinned, but not quite a happy one. "Don't cry."

I stood up and nodded. "You're right. That's one too many tears I've shed for Alison." And with that, I let the poster fall to the ground and I started to walk up the stairs. I paused, then picked the paper back up.

Toby watched me curiously.

"I don't think I'll ever be able to really let her go," I said softly. "This photo was taken by me, you know."

He looked surprised.

"It wasn't nice, having to walk down the street, and constantly be surrounded by her ghost. In some ways, we really still are." I held out the poster, more talking to myself now.

"I took this when we were heading over to my house for a sleepover," I said, remembering that day. "We were so happy."

I sighed, folding the paper up and putting it in my pocket.

I looked at Toby. "Are you going to be okay?"

He nodded. I smiled sadly.

"I'll see you around."

We both know it's not true. I never see him. He never sees me. But maybe, somehow, we will keep bumping into each other, like we did to be.

Maybe fate intends it.