Bubbles into Waves

You Were My Father

Madison stood in her room, staring at herself in the full-length mirror. The black dress she wore clung to her like a shadow, highlighting the hollowness in her eyes. She felt like she was watching herself from outside her own body, disconnected from the girl in the mirror who was supposed to be her.

There was a soft knock at the door, pulling her back to reality. Her mom, London, stepped in quietly. "Madison, how are you feeling?"

Madison's voice was hoarse, barely more than a whisper. "I'm almost ready."

London approached her daughter, her eyes filled with concern. "Take your time, sweetheart. No rush. How are you feeling?"

Madison sighed deeply, turning away from the mirror to face her mom. "I really don't want to talk about that right now, Mom."

London placed a gentle hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Honey, we need to talk about it."

Madison's eyes flashed with anger. "Talk about what? About how I screamed at him the last time we spoke? About how I told him I hated him? I don't want to talk about it, Mom!"

London nodded, her expression one of sorrow and understanding. "I understand, Madison. Just know I'm here when you're ready."

With that, she left the room, leaving Madison alone with her thoughts. Madison wiped away a few stray tears and took a deep breath, trying to steady herself before heading downstairs.

At the funeral, the atmosphere was somber. Friends and family gathered to pay their respects, their whispers and quiet condolences filling the air. Madison stood beside her brothers and mother, feeling numb. She barely registered the words being spoken, lost in her own whirlwind of emotions.

When the time came for her to say a few words, she froze. The weight of everyone's expectations pressed down on her, and she felt like she couldn't breathe. Instead of speaking, she turned and walked out of the funeral home, the cool air outside hitting her like a slap.

Madison stood alone, willing herself not to cry. She felt a mix of anger, sadness, and guilt all bubbling up inside her. She heard footsteps behind her and turned to see Roman approaching.

"Madison," he began, his voice soft, "are you okay?"

She snapped, her anger lashing out. "Do I look okay to you, Roman? Do any of us look okay? He's gone, and it's all my fault."

Roman took a step back, his face a mixture of hurt and understanding. "It's not your fault, Mads. None of this is."

Her powers, triggered by her emotional turmoil, began to manifest. The grass around her feet withered slightly, the moisture sucked out by her uncontrollable magic. Roman quickly stepped forward, blocking the view of anyone who might see.

"Madison, you need to calm down," he said urgently. "We can't let anyone see this."

She clenched her fists, trying to reel in her emotions and the powers that came with them. "I can't control it, Roman. I can't control anything right now."

He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "We'll figure it out together, okay? Just try to breathe."

Madison nodded, taking deep, shaky breaths. They stood there in silence for a few moments before heading back inside.

Throughout the rest of the day, Madison lashed out at anyone who tried to comfort her. When Cleo and Rikki approached her with sympathetic looks, she snapped at them. "I don't need your pity. Just leave me alone."

When Lewis tried to offer some words of wisdom, she cut him off. "You don't know what you're talking about, Lewis. Just stay out of it."

Each time her temper flared, her powers would react, drying out plants or causing water to evaporate from nearby objects. Roman did his best to cover for her, making excuses and trying to distract people from noticing the strange occurrences.

~

Madison lay in her bed, staring at the wall, feeling numb. She hadn't spoken much to anyone since her father's funeral. The world outside her room continued to turn, but she felt stuck, unable to move forward.

A soft knock on her door broke the silence. She didn't respond. The door creaked open, and Zane stepped inside.

"Madison," he said gently. "It's me, Zane."

She didn't move, didn't acknowledge his presence. She lay on her side, facing away from him.

"I know you're hurting," he continued. "But shutting everyone out isn't going to help. We all care about you, and we want to help you through this."

Madison remained silent, her body unmoving. Zane sighed, running a hand through his hair in frustration. He didn't know what to do, how to reach her.

"I brought some reinforcements," he said after a moment, pulling out his phone and sending a quick text. "I hope you don't mind."

Minutes later, the sound of footsteps echoed in the hallway. Emma, Rikki, Cleo, and Lewis appeared at the door, their faces filled with concern.

"Madison," Emma called softly. "It's us."

Still, Madison didn't respond. The four friends exchanged worried glances.

"Maybe we should give her some space," Cleo suggested, but her voice lacked conviction.

"We've given her space," Rikki retorted, her frustration evident. "She needs a wake-up call."

Rikki strode over to Madison's bed, grabbed the blankets, and yanked them off with a forceful tug. "Get up!" she shouted. "Yes, your father is dead, but you need to come back to the world of the living."

"Rikki!" Emma scolded, rushing over to put a hand on Rikki's arm. "That's not helping."

Cleo shook her head, looking disapprovingly at Rikki. "We need to be gentle with her."

Lewis added, "She's been through enough. We shouldn't be making it worse."

Madison slowly turned to look at them, her eyes hollow and red-rimmed from crying. She sat up, her movements sluggish, as if the weight of her grief made it difficult to move.

"That's what I need, huh?" she asked quietly, her voice barely more than a whisper. Then, her voice rose, filled with anger and pain. "My dad is dead! Do you think I don't know that? Do you think I can just get up and move on?"

Tears started to stream down her face as she yelled at them, her emotions finally spilling over. "I hate myself for not talking to him, for pushing him away! I can't just pretend everything's okay! Because it's not okay! and it'll never be okay again! so just shut up and get out of my room!"

Her friends stood in stunned silence, unsure of how to respond. Madison's anger and grief were raw and overwhelming.

"Get out!" she screamed. "All of you, get out!"

They hesitated, looking at each other for guidance. But Madison's eyes were fierce, and her words were laced with a pain they couldn't ignore.

"Madison," Zane started, trying to reach out to her, but she cut him off.

"Get out!" she repeated, her voice breaking. "Please, just leave me alone."

One by one, they turned and left the room, their expressions a mix of sorrow and helplessness. Zane was the last to leave, casting one final, worried glance at Madison before closing the door behind him.

Madison sat back on her bed, pulling her knees to her chest. She felt more alone than ever, her father's death a gaping wound that refused to heal. The anger and guilt were suffocating, but she didn't know how to let them go.

As the hours passed, she remained in her room, staring at nothing, lost in her thoughts. she just kept replaying her mom telling her that her dad was dead over and over. nothing would ever be the same to her again. 

A/N: Sorry this is a sad one and took so long but please be patient with me.