letters to the boy who never cared

t w e n t y - s i x

Grace's living room was a sea of black, as I surveyed the clusters of people from the stairs. Last time it had been so crowded here, it was Grace's party. There had been music vibrating through the floor, the smell of freely-flowing alcohol, and teenagers grinding on each other to the beat of rap music. The mood was a lot more somber today, though.

Two days ago, Grace's dad died. This was the wake.

Our trio of friends huddled around Grace as she cried softly, sitting hunched over on a chair. I had no idea what to say, and I know that's normal, but I still couldn't help wishing I wasn't so bad at making people feel better. According to Matt, my forte was hurting people.

Mrs. Young smiled gently at me, her eyes red-rimmed and tired. This woman used to make Grace and I after school snacks everyday, but now she was reduced to all this misery. I felt a flood of emotion, and hugged her tight. My mom came from behind me and hugged her as well.

"Thanks for coming," Mrs. Young sniffled. "This means so much to us."

"No problem, Anna," my mom replied, her voice soothing. "If there's anything you need..." she trailed off and offered Grace's mom a genuine smile.

"Thank you," Mrs. Young said, her voice cracking. We embraced again, then she hugged Summer and Jen, and then left to talk to the rest of the relatives. My mom squeezed my hand.

"Honey," she said. "Is Reed coming?"

My mom didn't like Reed. If she wasn't out so often for work, I'd probably never get to see him. But, she wanted him to learn to "treat me right".

"I don't know," I admitted. "I told him--"

She hummed in an "I-told-you-so" way. "Alright," she said shortly. She broke away to speak with some adults she knew, and I went back to the girls. This time? I bristled as I came near.

Freaking Arabella Astor.

She offered up at sad smile as I walked over. "I am so sorry for your loss," she said softly.

"Thank you," I replied. I glanced at Matt, and thankfully he was looking off somewhere else.

Grace sniffled again in her chair. Her blonde hair was messy, her blue eyes lined with puffy red. She looked like a shell of herself.

I grabbed her hand. I wasn't sure what else to do. She looked up, and for the first time smiled weakly at me, Summer, Jen, Matt, and more or less Arabella.

"You guys," she began, but her voice caught on tears, so she pulled us down into a big hug. The embrace said everything she couldn't.

Grace sniffed and grimaced. "Reed's not here?"

Shaking my head, I looked at the floor. "I texted him. Sorry."

Jen scrunched up her nose. "He doesn't...he doesn't support you very much, does he?"

Summer and Matt looked at each other.

Something inside me flared up at Reed. "More like never." Then my voice softened as I added, "But I guess he's busy."

There was another glance passed between Summer and Matt, looking a little disappointed,  but I didn't dwell on it. I was too busy convincing myself that somewhere, there was a reason my boyfriend was never around when I needed him.

~

After the relatives left for their hotels to stay until the funeral, Summer, Jen and I sat with Grace and her mom. Even Ellie, usually chatty and vibrant at two years old, was little quieter. I held her in my lap as we talked around the kitchen table.

"Man," Summer said. "I remember when he used to take us out of school for lunch sometimes, that time he got laid off. That was the coolest, you guys remember?" We all nodded. I buried my head in Ellie's wispy blonde curls, and then glanced at her mother. Mrs. Young just stared at the tabletop.

My problems felt a lot more insignificant, lately. I was worried about Marin, while Grace and Ellie had lost their father only two days ago. I felt myself wanting to cry just thinking about it. I didn't know my dad, and the only evidence he existed was child support checks that had recently ceased since I was eighteen, but Grace? She'd been a daddy's girl her whole life. And Ellie, she'd grow up with only threads of memories and pictures to remember him by. The Young family was changed for good now, but I'd been worrying about my stupid, pathetic love life.

Suddenly, everything was in perspective.

A/N wheres reed when u need him?

all up on marins junk thats where

K well vote comment and follow!

Ily guys xx janai