Shards fell and luckily I was wearing pants, but they fell at my feet. I kicked off the shards and brushed them off as I stood. Looking up I saw Intratcher lying on the ground and rubbing his head. It took me a few seconds to process that my pushing...
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The music and people blared over the pattering rain. It was the day after Victor's funeral and, regretfully, I didn't attend it. At the time I didn't admit he was dead, he was too young, 14 years old. In the past, I had believed death was just another part of life that people needed to normalize. Except as I saw the photos of Victor plastered everywhere, alive and dead, I felt fear. At the pep rallies and the meets, I couldn't escape him. Suddenly everything was in his memory, every step I took and the race I won.
Before, I never went to a party without Victor. It didn't interest me. But everyone moved on before the funeral even happened. There he was in the front seat of his car in the ditch, and jaw stained in blood. It couldn't have been Victor, his natural gaze was peeled away from him and all that was left was a stone-faced mannequin. I wasn't going to sulk over a man of the past if nobody else was. Exhaling, a puff of smoke escaped my jaw and I stumbled onto the group behind me. "Sorry, apologies," I mumbled.
The brunette senior girl from my school whispered to her friend and I knew what she was asking. "Is that Victor's friend?" They'd all question each other. "Poor boy." I glared before shutting my heavy eyes.
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I opened them to find myself on the couch in my bedroom. It was the one my parents got rid of before redesigning the living room a beach vibe, each corner of the couch was tattered. My hand felt the carpet as half of my body was already off the couch. Lazily, I let my body fall from the couch. Slugging up the stairs, I realized I'd had a whole night before I didn't even remember. My entire body felt twitchy.
The bright white lights my mom installed blinded me as I entered the kitchen. I was met with the jingling of my mother's car keys ringing in my ear. "We're going to the grocery store soon, put some clothes on." My mom suggested and I looked down to see I was still in just my striped boxers.
Taking the vibrant cereal box from our pantry, I didn't even feel like looking up at her. "No." I brushed her off.
She frowned a brow at me. "Do you have something to do today? I'm not sure I understand." My mom's voice fell to a whisper as if keeping a secret from me. "Is it about Victor?" Oh yeah, he died. He was officially below ground and in a grave.
"Fuck off." I snarled and her eyes widened. I didn't stay long enough to see her expression soil after that, I stormed down the stairs and pulled out my dresser for clothes. I didn't open the dresser, I meant I ripped out the drawer, clothes falling. Taking a deep breath, I pulled on a T-shirt and baggy shorts from the pile that had fallen on the ground. Nothing felt real.
