Telegraph Ave (Author's Edition)

Chapter 35: Vigorous

Xavier POV

In that small moment of hearing the tragic news, I became perplexed. Confused, flustered, and unwary. Everything tonight was going so well, everything was perfect. From the laughter, music, fireworks, and food-to now the news of death in the family. I can only imagine what's going through her head right now.

Markus speeds down the highway in his Black Altima, adrenaline expands throughout my chest. Everybody in the car is as quiet as a ghost town, but the emotion of grief spoke volume.

Arriving back to our neighborhood, you could no longer hear the backyard speakers, from Claudia's house. Instead there is a small gathering of people in Stacy's front yard. Markus parks his car on side of the road, and all four of us jump out. Through the windows of her home, we could see more people gathered in the den.
I rushed into the house but was welcomed to a once upbeat, now broken ambiance. The rest of the boys walked in behind me, and we were greeted by Mr. Bradford.

"What's happened?" I asked in a quiet tone.

"It's her aunt... she died." He responded.

Markus placed his hand on his forehead, and Jordan just dropped to one knee.

"How?" I'm shocked. "Out of all... what was the cause."

"She had pneumonia, and nobody knew about it. Then she caught leukemia, and it had spread throughout her body... there was nothing they could do." He said that, and it shattered my heart.

"Where are they?" I asked, indicating Stacy and her mom.

"Your mom has been a real help with my wife." Placing both hands in his pockets. "Stacy's been up stairs with the girls."

After he informed me on that, I saw Candace walking down stairs-tears streaming down her face. She hugs her herself, bawling in silence and now into her parents arms. Her cry was muffled by there hug, but you could hear the hurt in her voice. Jessica now makes her way down stairs, wiping both her eyes but then caught my eye.

"X..." She chokes on her words. "She needs you."

Following her back up those zig zag stairs, we approached her room. Walking through the door, Stacy was laid in a fetal position with her face buried in her pillow. Tiffany and Claudia gave her as much comfort as they could, but this was fresh on Stacy's heart-it's too much to bear. Hearing her cry like this broke me. I could feel my heart shredding like bark on a tree, and it intensified by the second.

She was red, sweaty, and shivering as if she was in cold weather.

Claudia sniffles, and she cries with her. "It's okay honey... we here for you."

"We ain't never gonna let you go out alone." Tiffany adds on, wiping the stream of tears down her cheek.

Seeing her sisters cry with her, truly revealed how much of a bond they have with one another. I was not expecting this tonight, not even in ten years. Everybody was broken by this tragic occurrence.
Jellisa has her face covered sitting on the floor crying. Skylar was sitting in the corner of the room, while Candace was still downstairs. It's crazy how life can get in the way.

Tiffany looks and realized that I'm here. Her eyes are red from the excessive flow of tears. "X, is here." She informs Stacy, placing a kiss on her forehead.

She gets up and Stacy reaches for my hand. I grab it and she's as hot as heater. Sitting on the bed, she immediately wraps herself around me-bawling into my chest. I made sure she had my shoulder to cry on, and wanted her to feel that I'm here no matter what. However, I don't even know what to say. It's almost like my thoughts froze in place, and I'm stuck in the painful tempo of her throbbing heart.