Chapter Two

I stared at the message and looked at the time it was sent. It was sent at 3:45 p.m. It's 3:55 p.m. now. Crapity crap! She'd be here any moment now.

And just on cue a car pulled up in the driveway of my house. I looked out of the window to see my best friend Hailey coming out of the car. She looked miserable. Her hair was out of the place and just like Aunt Becca her black dress was also creased. I just saw her like yesterday. But I just saw her. She tried talking to me but I shut her out. She wanted to be with me but I ignored her. I needed some time and space to clear out my head. She understood and gave me some space. She knew I needed time and I still did. But she was way too stubborn and to let me mourn alone. I knew she had promised to stay with me forever through thick and thin but sometimes I appreciate a little space, at least when times were miserable. This time it was the worst in the past few years.

I was still over thinking about things that I didn't even realize that Hailey already opened the door and was staring at me through the doorway. I turned around and saw her. The fact that I thought that she looked bad from above here, but I was so wrong. She looked the worst she had throughout her lifetime. Not even when her boyfriend Gavin of one year was caught cheating on her with a whore did she look this miserable. Sure she cried a little but soon was over him. Her blonde hair was tied messily in a weird bun. Her eyes were red and blotchy.

"Are you going to keep on staring me, all day long?" She asked as a traitor tear trickled down her cheeks. And that was all it took me to run to her and wrap my arms around her curvy figure. She hugged me even tightly and we both were silently sobbing in each others arms.

"I..." I started off trying to explain but she hushed me and pulled back.

"Hush. You don't have to explain anything to me. I understand. And I'm so glad that you decided to open your door and let me in to be with you," she said as her eyes glistened with another set of unshed tears.

"I miss her so much already. God, Hailey! It's so hard for me to try to pretend that I'm okay. Because I'm not," I said as my voice croaked at the end.

"I know. I know you're not okay. And probably you won't ever be able to be okay. But later maybe you'll get used to her absence," she said sighing as she held me by my shoulders. Honestly this is the wisest set of words to ever leave her mouth.

"I'll.... I'll try my best Hailey," I said as I tried to put on a small smile on my face but failed miserably and started sobbing. Hailey crushed me in a bear hug and just held me like that for God knows how long. After we were done hugging, Hailey pulled back and looked at me with her amazing grey eyes glistening with tears.

"Come on now. You don't want to be late for your own mother's funeral," she said as she went towards the bed and started examining the black dress kept by my Aunt Becca.

"Go and change,"she said as she handed the dress and pushed me towards the bathroom. I sighed and went inside the bathroom.

Quickly stripping out of my sweatshirt and pjs, I changed into the black dress. It was a simple black dress with mid sleeves and ended on my mid thigh. At the waist was a thin black belt and it looked classy in all. The dress was good but what about my face?

I looked at myself in the mirror of my bathroom. If I said I look horrible it would be the understatement of the century. Oh my! My eyes were red and puffy from the constant crying. My cheeks were pale and didn't have the normal lustre it had. I mean it was not like I normally looked pretty. It was just that I'm somewhere in the middle of pretty and ugly. I washed my face with my lemon scented face wash. And after wiping my face with a napkin, I stepped out and my eyes met-

"Hey," Mark said meekly. And two pairs of strong arms wrapped around me, enveloping me.

Mark was my older brother, my other half. He currently studied in Manchester in a uni, but he came for holidays and weekends (sometimes). I missed him so much all the damn time. We were a huge pain in the arse for our parents. We were like partners in crime until two years ago when he had to leave for college.

I pulled back from Mark and had a good look at him. The last time he visited was almost three weeks ago during weekend. He was almost one foot taller than me. Last time he had his beard shaved clean but now he has grown stubble. His eyes are red as well. And I know that he also has been crying.

"Why didn't you come earlier?" I asked him.

He sighed and said, "Well... My college didn't grant me leave before but after explaining the situation to the authority, they agreed and granted me leave for two days."

"So you are going back tomorrow?" I asked in a mere whisper.

He looked away for second and closed eyes. He looked back at me again with his eyes brimming with tears.

"Unfortunately, yes," he said and a tear trickled down his cheek

Silence.

"Look I want to be here with you, with dad, when you need me the most. Heck! Even I need you people right now. But I can't," he said as he cupped my cheeks.

"The college won't allow me as the semester exams are fast approaching," he explained and I sniffled but nodded stiffly.