STRANGERS ♱ yellowjackets

09. the dark day

BUNNY AND TAISSA MADE UP TWO DAYS LATER. The taller girl couldn't stay mad any longer as the team was digging graves for their dead friends. Bunny stands beside Taissa in the circle that surrounds the newly dug graves, holding the girl's hand tightly, like she was going to float away. In the chaos that was the crash and its aftermath, Bunny had completely forgotten what day it was.

"Hey", Taissa whispers softly, brushing her thumb over the girl's knuckles. Bunny looks up at her friend and forces out a small smile, failing miserably.

"Before we took off I heard Rachel say she was going Oasis at the Meadowlands next month", Van says. Bunny swallows hard as she turns to look at the grave Rachel is dug in. Her cold body.

Bunny's grip on her father's hand didn't ease as she, her father, and PJ made their way out of the hospital room. Bunny's eyes were frozen like they were glass. Her chest was so heavy, she could barely breathe.

Taissa shifts uncomfortably in her place, causing Bunny to look at the girl. Her eyes fall to their joined hands and she realizes she's been squeezing Tai's hand a little too hard. She mutters a small sorry, before turning to look at the graves again. She can barely make out anything of what everyone is saying, her mind is clouded. Her eyes were glued to the dirt.

Bunny stares at the grave; a perfectly dug, symmetrical grave. The flowers surrounded the tombstone like a wall, continuing all around the square hole in the ground. Bunny's father was the first one to shovel dirt into the grave, handing the shovel to PJ next. It would be Bunny's turn soon.

"C'mon, let's join hands", Laura-Lee says and puts her hand on Bunny's shoulder, causing the girl to flinch. Taissa looks at Bunny with a concerned face, ready to comfort her, but the blonde only shakes her head. "I'm sorry", she says and turns away from the circle, walking away from the funeral as quickly as she can without any help. It isn't until only trees surround her that she stops and starts sobbing.

The preacher lifted his hand up to Bunny's shoulder in a comforting matter. "His love will stay. It was here before and after us", his voice echoed through Bunny's head, over and over again.

Bunny doesn't know how much time has gone by when she hears a small crack, that causes her to jump in her place. As she turns to look at the intruder, surprise and confusion take over her face. Travis stands awkwardly a few feet away from the rock Bunny is sitting on. He has a candy bar in his hand, half-eaten but still. Bunny eyes the boy up and down suspiciously before cocking her head.

Without a word Travis gives the girl the chocolate bar and takes a seat across from her, keeping a good distance between the two. Bunny eyes the half-eaten bar, before taking a huge bite of it. She's so hungry. A good while goes by before either the two say a word. It is Bunny who breaks the silence. "I'm sorry about your dad", she says, eyeing the boy carefully, unsure of what his response might be. Travis looks up from the ground at the girl and nods in silence. It takes him a moment before he opens his mouth as well, "I'm sorry about your mom."

Bunny mimics his response and nods as well.

Another moment passes. Bunny kicks the ground softly with her heel, digging a small hole in the dirt. "I wish I had like some assuring life advice I could share", she mutters. Travis only shakes his head, rolling his wrist around like it's hurting. He gives the girl a short glance, "And you don't?"

Bunny shrugs and kicks the ground again.

"Do you know where Javi is?", the girl asks, her mind wandering back to her own brother. Travis shrugs, causing Bunny to frown.

"You should find him", Bunny says with a small voice, keeping her eyes on the small hole she dug. "He really needs his brother right now."

"How would you know?", Travis snaps, his voice holding an edge that might hurt someone else, but not Bunny. Bunny turns her head towards the boy, her face bearing the saddest smile Travis has ever seen. Travis nods as his chest is taken over by guilt and sympathy, but he doesn't let it show. He stands up from the ground and walks away without another word, leaving Bunny alone with her thoughts and the small hole she dug.