The Blood Lake

The Wake

I shower and pull my long sleeve black dress out of the closet and slip it on. I haven't worn it since my grandpa died a year ago. The sleeves are a little shorter than I remember but it will do. I check the clock, 10:15. I have to leave in 20 minutes so I put on Mel's Necklace and put on some pink blush for Marcus since I can't wear the sweater. Then I go downstairs to eat something small before we leave. My Mom looks like she has been crying but I try to ignore it and grab a banana out of the fruit bowl. "Hi, Delly belly." My dad says trying to lighten the mood. That was always my job before the trip but I've been anything but light lately. "Hi, Dad."
"If those news people try to talk to you, just walk away. You don't need to give them answers and it wouldn't be wise since you have to talk to the police tomorrow. Ok?"
"Yea Dad, I got it."
"Good, I don't need my little girl getting her Image corrupted by the media."
"It's fine Dad, don't worry." I don't know why He worries so much. I'm not afraid of the paparazzi. "Ok you two enough chit chat, let's get out the door." Mom snips.

We arrive and as soon as I step out of the vehicle all eyes are on me, it's like I have four heads. Everyone turns to the person next to them and starts whispering all while making shameless eye contact with me, and my family like I don't see them or something. "Ignore them Delly, they are only here for the drama. Just focus on saying goodbye" my Dad whispers in my ear. I look at Mom, "What do you think they are saying?" I nervously ask. "Nothing hon, Listen to your father." She replies we walk toward the chairs and claim our seats. They are on Marcus's side which is no surprise since Lottie hates me now. I look over to Mel's side and see her twin brother, Miles, he shoots me a sympathetic glance and a half smile. Suddenly I feel hot and nervous so I look away, I have had a crush on him since I was 10. He has big green eyes and dirty blonde curls like Amelia. He stands at a whopping six feet and has a muscular build, don't even get me started on his dimples. I need to snap out of it, my best friend's wake is not the time to get smitten with her brother. I look forward and turn my attention to the ceremony. I won't go into detail about what the man on the podium said or the eulogies given by Mae and Miles but there were a lot of tears from everyone, especially me.

I was walking toward the refreshment table when I saw the news Van and a man who looked to be about five foot nine with a camera and a bunch of interns swarmed me. "Dellah Everdeen! What happened at the lake that night? What did it feel like to murder a man with his own chainsaw? Is it true you pushed him into the lake with your bare hands? Give us the details." I stared at him as he spoke a mile a minute, I understood nothing of what he was saying but anxiety swarmed in my gut and I thought I might puke he stepped forward getting a little too close for comfort and before I could respond somebody stepped in front of me, It was Miles, he towered over him and the reporter went quiet. "Get your ass back in the Van before you get punched in the face you heartless bastard, people are grieving." He stated gravely that they were going to end up in a casket along with the very teens they are so intrigued by. They scattered back to the van and drove off, that easy. I felt weak. I could've scared them off on my own but It's easier to let him take control. It's not easy to argue with Miles Hart but I'm going to try anyway. "You didn't have to pull a Superman you know." I snip
"Well, you looked like a deer in headlights and a sad puppy had a sweet twisted love child." He laughed at his own stupid joke, I find myself turning red and hoping he doesn't notice.
"Thank you."
"Any time Delly '' he uses my silly little nickname and I can't help but get flustered. Hardly anyone my age uses that name for me, but ever since the trip I feel like I've been hearing all the childish nicknames under the sun before my own name. I don't correct him though his charm makes it sound sweet and endearing, I let it slide.
"So.." I say breaking the silence. "How are you holding up?"
"As good as you can hold up when the person you shared a womb with just up and leaves." He tries to keep it light but I'm not sure that's possible with the circumstance.
"I'm so sorry I know how close you two were." I try to sympathize with him but it's hard when his emerald eyes are doing that broken thing they used to do when we were kids and Charlotte told him he couldn't have a second cookie.
"No Dellah I know how close you guys were as well, and no matter what my Mom says, none of this was your fault." His voice is so comforting I shed a tear before I could catch me.
"Aw don't cry." He says as he wiped my cheek with his thumb, he lifted my chin forcing me to face him. "Tears will fix nothing, you just have to try to smile and move along. The ache will subside, can you smile for me?" He says lovingly or at least I think it was lovingly, I'm not even sure this is happening right now. I force an uneasy smile as instructed.
"There, feel better." I nod.
"Good." He drops his hand from my face and checks his watch. "Wanna get out of here?" I text my mom saying I'm going on a walk with Miles, after the trip, she wouldn't want me going alone. She likes Miles just fine, so she says to have fun instead of protesting.
"Wouldn't love anything more."
"I know a place." We walk down a trail about five yards from the cemetery where we reach a giant rock and sit down.
"I hate funerals." I blurt it out without thinking.
"Me too, everyone is crying and I am awful with emotions." We sit in silence for a good few minutes, I am cold and I start to shake. It is summer but the rain and the wind tell me otherwise.
"Are you ok?" He asks
"Yep, just chilly." I almost didn't tell him because I know what he was about to do, Miles is the president of the Chivalry is not dead movement.
"Here, take my blazer." Bingo. I take it and slip it on, I'm swimming in it which isn't a shock since I'm barely five foot four, and one hundred and twenty pounds. He stands at six feet and 200 pounds. This is so cliche.
"Thank you," I say trying not to be awkward.
"You know Mel was obsessed with you." He says
"How so," I respond
"She admired your family...how perfect it seemed, and how you could roll out of bed without a care in the world, so secure of yourself." "She got frustrated that your hair just fell perfectly and your eyelashes are naturally long and full, and the way you have never had a pimple in your life." I find myself puzzled at how he knows this. Mel had to have told him, but how did he remember? The whole thing is so girly, but I listen.
"She hated how likable you were without effort, and how witty you are." "You don't have to try to come up with the perfect response to anything, you're just unapologetically you and if somebody doesn't like it you don't care." He stops
"I thought you should know she loved you, Dell." He waits for a response but I don't know what to say.
"I needed that," I reply.
" I can't say I don't feel the same." He spits it out like he's been holding it in for years. Did he just admit to loving me? Romantically?! I don't know what to say, why does he have that effect on me?
"What does that mean Mr. Hart?" I say trying to be light
"I have feelings for you Dellah..." He doesn't make eye contact so I know he's not joking. Of course, I would love to be with him but I don't want to betray Mel, she just died.
"What about Mel?" I ask.
"I thought about that and she never really said that she was indifferent to us dating. There was no rule she made to prevent it." I pondered this for a minute, he was right but it just always felt wrong, maybe I am overthinking
"What about your Mom, she hates me"
"Dellah she will get over it, and we are going to be graduating next summer so it really doesn't matter what she has to say about it."
"I don't know my mind is a total mess with all this chaos."
"Well let me persuade you.."
"Persuade me how-." Before I could even finish my sentence his lips were on mine, what an arrogant thing to do. I love it. It's like the world is on fire and we are the only two people in it. Our kiss is broken up by the buzz of my phone, it's my Mom
"Sorry, my mom just texted me that I need to meet her at the car we are going home."
"Oh, ok I'll walk you up." He says with a tinge of disappointment lining his voice
"Hey.." I say as we stand up and get situated, "I'll think about it and shoot you a message, okay?"
"Okay." I can hear the smirk in his voice like he knows he has a hold on me and he is absolutely and entirely correct. We walk up and just before I reach my car he leans in and says, "I hope you make up your mind soon Dellah Everdeen, take care." He opens up the door for me and greets my parents.
"Such a nice boy with such a bitter mother." Mom states disapprovingly
"Tell me about it," I say in response though she has no clue what I'm referring to. I just can't wait to be home.