Better Hollow {Finished}

Chapter 2:

Chapter 2:

Three weeks had gone by and it was now a sunday. Ramona was lying peacefully in bed when her phone buzzed. It was a text from James, "Wanna come over and swim? It's finally warm enough," it read. Ramona quickly sat up and began typing a reply.

"I'd love to, it just has to be later on. I'm going to go visit Daniel," she said before setting her phone back down.

"Okay, just text me whenever you're ready to come over," James replied.

Ramona stood up and got dressed. She walked downstairs, skipping breakfast and heading out the door. She rode her bike five streets over into the cemetery. She parked her bike and walked through the narrow path to the grave labelled Daniel Simmons. "Brother, Son, & Friend" read the headstone. She brushed off the stone and sat down next to her brother. She'd been biking over to her brother's grave for five years. She quit going to Sunday service and instead rode her bike over to his grave every sunday. She'd fix up the flowers, teddy bears, and other gifts placed on his grave and then stay for an hour or two. Sometimes she'd chat with him, half heartedly hoping for an answer, but most times she just sat in silence. Five years ago he'd walked into her room and given her his favorite sweatshirt, she'd held it close that night being ever so grateful for his kindness. But the next morning when she went to thank him, it soon became apparent that he'd given it to her to ease the pain of his death. She screamed at the sight of him and alerted her parents who cut him down from the ceiling and began CPR as they waited for an ambulance. "I'm sorry Daniel," she said as she rested her head on his headstone, holding the sweatshirt he'd given her all those years ago, closely. She'd grown accustomed to the graveyard, it almost felt like a second home. She sat there listening to the sounds of the birds chirping, letting herself drift off into a light slumber.

She woke up an hour later, her neck stiff from the way her head had been laying. She kissed the headstone goodbye and stood up, leaving her brother's grave and heading back to her bike. She texted James to say that she'd be there within the hour. She loved the feeling of the wind blowing through her hair as she biked back home.

She bursted into her house and quickly got ready. She ran down the stairs and gave a quick shout to let her parents know that she was going to James' house. She hiked through the yard and over to his house where she knocked on the door.  Kayla opened the door and flung her arms around Ramona, "James she's here," she called. James came running down the stairs in his swimming trunks. He waved them over and they all walked outside and onto the patio. Kayla let go of Ramona and ran off into the pool.

"Is it cold?" Ramona asked. It was very hot, the sun was directly overhead and the humidity made Ramona's braided hair frizzy. She watched Kayla fling water about, clearly trying to splash Ramona.

"Mmmm no," she said with obvious mischief in mind. Ramona climbed down the stairs of the pool and stepped into the water. Kayla had obviously lied as the water was freezing. She tiptoed around the pool letting her lower half get used to the water before going the whole way under. James got into the pool and didn't seem as phased by the temperature.

"Liar, this water is freezing," Ramona said as she splashed Kayla, completely soaking her. Kayla wiped her eyes, looking shocked and then splashed Ramona back, making Ramona shiver. James leaned back against the wall of the pool watching Ramona and Kayla play around. Ramona noticed him watching, smiling as he stood there. She grabbed him by the arm and pulled him into the warzone of her and Kayla's madness. She let go of him and whipped around to face him, throwing water onto him, getting his hair wet.

"That was a mistake," he huffed before scooping Ramona up into his arms and then plunging her into the frigid waters. She popped back up out of the water and landed a hard smack on his arm. "Ouch, jerk," he said, clutching his arm as a red mark formed under his hand.