I Wish We Met Sooner (BoyxBoy)

Chapter 34

DANIEL

FORGIVE ME FOR ATTENDING Ollie's funeral and not yours, gramps.

When you left the world, I still had a small glimpse of hope that I could save myself or at least find a purpose to continue surviving. Hence, I stayed hidden from the crowd to avoid getting caught, shall there be anyone suspicious.

But now, I can't find a suitable reason to live anymore. The only people I know... your son, my dad, I killed him. You're gone, the entire country—or the entire world—wants me dead, my inner demons got the best of me, and now, Ollie too. Probably the only person aside from you who loved me. The only person worth waking up to carry on the same daily cycle. And now he's gone.

He is a good person, and I hope he's with you now, gramps. I hope you can see how beautiful he looks in white, and perhaps with a pair of full feathered wings.

I wish I could.

Since that dreadful day, Ollie's family had been grieving just as I was. I can still hear the cries of his parents when they arrived at the hospital, only to find their son in the ICU room, lying dead on a gurney. The way his parents stood on the opposite sides of the gurney, hugging him, reminded me that he's done the same to me when he found me after three months. I finally understood his innocence. It all came from his household.

It felt like a small sign of hope when his heart was beating on the heart rate monitor. Unfortunately, after a few minutes, it stopped, and I had to leave the room. It's like watching him die again, and I just couldn't stay. The further I walked, the lesser I could hear his parents sobbing loudly.

I accompanied Emily, who was crying at the corner of a fake plant in the waiting area, where people could quickly look past her, given that she's also wearing green. I assumed she would've been scared of strangers, but surprisingly, she remained seated even after I sat next to her and introduced myself. Her big brown eyes searched me like I was hiding something. But I'm guessing it's because of the surgical mask I'm wearing.

It was the same day his family and I got acquainted for the first time, and probably the last time.

They grieved for days, but they wasted no time setting up his funeral. At first, they wanted to bury his body, but Ollie's last wish was to be cremated, and that's what he got.

While we waited for the people to deliver his ashes, I tagged along with his family to buy the supplies needed for the funeral. Though there wasn't much to prepare when one is being cremated, Ollie's parents went grocery shopping to prepare a feast for after the ceremony was concluded.

Given that they invited only a handful of people, such as his friends and close family members, they held the funeral at his house. Apparently, there will be a eulogy session, and I'll be the last to present a speech. Or rather, the truth about us.

There were less than fifteen people gathered in the hall. His parents kept them company, trying not to break down by having small talks. The majority were dressed formally in a suit or a dress, while some came with dark, casual clothing. His friends, Victor, Adriana, and I, were one of them. I've never worn formal clothing because I don't like it. I showed up with a pair of black jeans and a turtleneck. And, of course, my surgical mask.

The room was getting a little crowded, to which I invited myself upstairs to his room. The door to his room was the only one left open while the rest were shut, and judging by the skateboard nailed against the wall and the many trophies earned from high school, this was indeed his room.

His room smelled like him, and I began seeing the times I had spent with him in my mind. I can't help but crack a smile even though I was already tearing up, strolling by his bookshelf, seeing the many fantasy fictions he had. There's a picture of him and a girl I've recalled seeing downstairs. Though, I do not know who she is.