Bereaved || COMPLETED SHORT STORY

Chapter 1

Sirens.

That was the only sound I could hear. Just that. That annoying sound would probably scar me for the rest of my life. Then it stopped and the ringing in my ear started before everything became quiet. My eyes were heavy, and it took a great effort for me to pry them open.

A hospital.

That was the first thing I noticed about the place, I was strapped up to a machine and smelled it. I hated the smell, the antibiotics and cleaning detergents so strongly I could taste it.

My mom was beside me in seconds, and my father followed behind her, panic expressions on their faces, I could hear my little sister crying in the far distance, but all I could say was a name, a name that belonged to the face I wanted to see there.

"Ben, " it was like I received air in my lungs, "Ben.Ben.Where is he? Where is Ben?"

My parents shook their heads with sullen expressions, my mother bursting into tears and my dad holding my hand.

"Honey, Ben's gone."

-

I jerked up from my bed, gasping for air. This was the third night in a row and I still hadn't gotten used to that ending, that stupid ending.

Someone sat up beside me, a worried expression etched in their familiar features, "is something wrong?"

Just that dream again."

Are you okay?"His familiar warm hand held mine as he pulled me closer to him.

"Yeah. I'm fine, I'm just glad you're here."

"I'm always here when you need me, you know that Jade."

I inhaled the deep scent of strawberries from the gum he always chewed, and that stupid AX body spray he had been using since he reached puberty. I never wanted to forget this, the scent of comfort he always had, the scent that kept me at ease.

"I know, Ben. I know."

-

I jerked up from my bed, gasping for air. This was the third night in a row and I still hadn't gotten used to that ending, that stupid ending.

Someone sat up beside me, a worried expression etched over their familiar features, "is something wrong?"

"Just that dream, again."

"Are you okay?" His familiar warm hand held mine as he pulled me closer to him.

"Yeah. I'm fine, I'm just glad you're here."

"I'm always here when you need me, you know that Jade."

I inhaled the deep scent of strawberries from the gum he always chewed, and that stupid AXE body spray he had been using since he reached puberty. I never wanted to forget this, this scent of comfort he always had, the scent that kept me at ease.

"I know, Ben. I know."

THEN

"Okay, that's it!" before he could register what was going on I jumped on his back and reached for the cupcake.

"That's cheating! Get off me," he struggled to get me off him but my grip on him was strong as I stretched for the cupcake.

"All's fair is food and cupcakes!"

"You're a crazy lady!"

"You're friends with a crazy lady, what does that make you, Benjamin?" I whispered in his ear making him lose focus for a moment, when he got distracted by my use of his full name I reached for the cupcake and stuffed it in my mouth, then gracefully slid down his back.

"You cheated." He chastised me, crossing his big muscular arms to intimidate me, I almost laughed.

I mumbled some incoherent words while trying to chew and swallow the cupcake, causing him to look away in disgust. I smirked in accomplishment and swallowed.

"You're disgusting."

"Thank you. Oh, and that cupcake was delicious, red velvet is my favourite."

"It's my favourite too, you could have just shared," I waved my hand in his face as a dismissal and made my way to his couch.

"Carbs aren't good for you,"

"And they are good for you?"

"Exactly young one." He scoffed before taking a seat beside me.

"Well, this is the last time I'm ordering cupcakes."

"You know you're still going to. Anyways, what are we watching? I'm thinking more of a thriller, sounds good?" The guilty expression on his face made it obvious we weren't going to watch anything.

"Where does your royal entourage need you now?"

"A party, it's in the next town with a bunch of their players, and we need to scope out the competition for Friday's game."

"Oh,"

"Don't give me that Oh,"

"What Oh?"

"The 'I'm disappointed but I won't say it out loud' Oh."

"Well, what do you want from me? We've barely hung out this past week-"

"Maybe if you would just follow me to my events-" he countered.

"You know I wouldn't be caught dead at your meet and greets or whatever the heck it is you do-"

"They're called parties and hangouts with people our age- Jade, it's not that hard you just-"

"No."

Ben sighed and shook his head. "What do you want from me, Jade?"

"Nothing okay? Just go and have fun. I'm alright over here, you know... alone."

"Just once, I'll make sure you feel included, I promise."

It's not as if I hadn't tried to follow Ben, a popular jock, to party or hang out with his popular friends, I just didn't feel included, like I belonged there. His friends were always trying their best to include me, well some of them, but it was always a bit awkward, Ben doesn't know this but I heard some of his popular friends gossiping about me in the toilet, saying how awkward it was for them to try and include me every single time just because they didn't want him to feel bad. Since then, I stopped trying to include myself in his popular stuff.

"I'm not sure you should make promises you can't keep, Ben."

"Just once,"

"I'm sorry, but no."

"Okay, how about this, why don't we go on a trip just us, after my game? My dad's cabin up in the woods has been vacant since last year. How about just me, you and hot cocoa?"

"Yeah, it's been long..." I trailed off and he looked at me expectantly. "Would you be able to drive, won't you be tired from the game? You know I don't have my license yet."

"You mean you don't plan on having them?"

"I thought you were begging me to join you on a trip."

His face scrunched up, "I wouldn't say begging..."

"Do you want me to say yes or not?"

Ben rolled his eyes, "I know you're going to say yes, you're just making me beg for it."

"You're right. So no Ben Kellen after-game fan club?"

"Nope, I'll take a shower and run towards my car see you there?" I nodded and he pulled me in for a hug.

"I've missed you, Benny."

He chuckled, this chest vibrating. "I'm sure you did." I hit his chest and he laughed again. "I've missed you too." He said quietly.