After the Earthquake

Part 3

The following week, Hazel was in even better condition than before, and she found herself being able to walk long distances again without much difficulty. The stairs were still a struggle, but those were getting easier too. All of the earthquake's rescue operations had finished, and although there were still over a thousand missing people, there was not much hope, and morale was low. Clean-up crews made up largely of volunteers were found all over the city. Dean and Jordan were both involved, and Hazel longed to join them, although she was not yet well enough to help others. In total, 5,392 people had been declared dead from the earthquake, one of which was Hazel's mother. This was only the current number, and was likely to rise. The entire country had been devastated by the event, yet nobody seemed to talk about it. Not many people had recovered from the shock of such a large earthquake in a country which rarely received them. In comparison, Hazel was doing well.

Without her honeymoon, Hazel had found herself at a loss for what to do. She had nothing to plan, and she was still technically supposed to be resting in bed. However, she found she had picked up a new hobby – drawing. Her art skills still needed a lot of work, but she was content with where she was at with it right now. Jordan said she had a natural gift for drawing, whereas Dean criticised everything with great passion. Both seemed to have an extreme opinion, and Hazel concluded that Dean and Jordan were not reliable enough to trust their word, so she simply set her mind on improving.

Jordan suddenly appeared through the door with a great big smile. "Hey there, guess what I got you?" The anticipation on his face caused Hazel to let out a loud laugh.

"I suppose you're going to tell me?"

With a cheeky grin, he pulled out two bags from behind the door, and Hazel gasped at the logo on it. "No way! The Chinese takeaway is still open? I can't believe they have managed to open up so quickly since the earthquake. That's unbelievable, but I'm so grateful for this. Gimme." She opened her mouth wide for her food, but Jordan tutted and went to go set it out on plates first.

"I have another surprise for you, too." He glanced towards the door, and from behind it, two deep blue eyes peeped out. Hazel would never fail to recognise them.

"Lyra! Is it really you?" She chuckled as her best friend in the whole world rushed towards her and gave her a big hug, with a grin to match. Hazel swiped blonde hair from in front of her vision. "Lyra-Rose Cleveland. I didn't think I would see you so soon after the accident! How are your family? Are you all okay?"

"It's so good to see you, Hazel! I have so much to tell you. It's been what, a month? That's far too long! I don't know if I can even call you my best friend anymore." An excited giggle burst from her lips. "My mother and father are fine, and we all escaped from the earthquake with just a few scratches. The house only lost the roof, but the rest stayed intact." Her face suddenly dropped. "Jordan told me about June. I'm so sorry, Hazel. She was much too young. She deserved a better life than that."

Hazel felt tears brimming at the edge of her vision as she thought about her lost mother. "I just wish she could be here, you know? I need her guidance."

"Well, you have me for guidance."

"Trust me, Lyra – I'd rather go to Dean."

"Wow, you're really putting me on par with Dean? That's a low blow." Despite her offended look, Hazel was well aware of the playful glint in her eyes. "What are you drawing?"

Hazel turned the paper to face Lyra-Rose, and the shock was clearly visible in her eyes. "It's... a deer! Wow, it actually looks amazing. I never knew you could draw!"

"Oh, thanks... but I can't draw, really. This is just a little hobby I picked up while I'm on bedrest."

"Trust me; this is not just a little hobby. This is talent." Again, Lyra tended to have a biased opinion, so Hazel decided not to trust her judgment. "Have you shown anyone?"

"Oh, just Jordan and Dean. I told you, it's nothing. Just something I decided to try out."

"Well, okay... but I expect to see all of your drawings! You should make a comic, even." Hazel rolled her eyes, but her mind was racing. What if she made a comic? Would people read it? She could make up her own plotlines. Even better, she could draw out all of the scenes she longed to see with her own eyes. "Think about it, okay?" Hazel nodded slowly.

Jordan cleared his throat to interrupt the two, and Hazel turned to notice Dean making his way into the house. "Hey guys, I'm back. Do I smell Chinese? Is there enough for one more?"

"Of course, Dean. I bought some for you, too." Jordan smiled back at him.

"No, not for me. I brought a friend." A pretty girl with short, light brown hair and light blue eyes slid through the door with a sweet smile. "Sierra, this is my sister, Hazel, her fiancé, Jordan, and – oh, hi, Lyra – her friend, Lyra-Rose. Guys, this is Sierra Baxter. She's been helping with the clean-up crews."

"Hi there, Sierra. It's really nice to meet you. I'm sure Dean and Jordan can share some of their Chinese with you. I don't think I'll have any spare." Sierra let out a polite laugh at her joke. Hazel was the first one to speak, but Jordan walked up to her and shook her hand formally, repeating Hazel's greeting.

Lyra was seemingly the odd one out as she raised her head slightly. "'Sup."

"It's really nice to meet you all. I've been so busy working with the clean-up crews that I haven't had the chance to meet up with anybody since before the earthquake." Awkwardly, she shuffled her way into the room, and it soon became apparent to Hazel that she was very shy.

"You really sound dedicated to helping people. I envy your determination."

"Oh, well, that's because they saved my parents from the wreckage three days in and they are both weak, but alive. Without volunteers, they wouldn't have made it, so I suppose I'm trying to pay God back for what He did for my family." These words filled Hazel with emotion, and she wished she had such motivation in life. "Anyway, thank you for having me here. I'm really grateful for the company and the food, but please let me pay you back for my share."

Everybody in the room raised their voices in indignation, insisting that Sierra was a guest and should not have to pay for their treat. Quietly expressing her gratitude, she took a seat at the table and waited while the boys dished out the meals to suit five of them. Firstly, Dean prepared Sierra's, and walked over to her place to set her meal in front of her. Hazel and Lyra shared a knowing look.

After they had all been prepared meals, Lyra ravenously tore into hers, joined by Dean, although the other people gathered around the table had slightly more polite manners as they used their knives and forks to delicately eat their food. Sierra had still not started, and Hazel frowned. "Are you not hungry, Sierra?"

"Oh, no, it's not that. Just that in my house, Father usually begins his meal first before we do. It's an old family tradition. I suppose old habits die hard." With this, she began to eat. Hazel slowly nodded with understanding and continued the meal. After having only her, Dean and Jordan for so long, it was nice to have a meal with such a large amount of people. Her heart felt full with warmth, and she looked around at the people on the table. Little did she know that these people would become her true family in time.

Well – all but one.