Thanks for the Memories

Shadow Aspect

Camila's POV

The pain of grief was something I wasn't prepared for, having been lucky enough to have never lost someone I was close to. Except my aunt Ethel who died when I was fourteen but nobody really liked her, she was mean and old and kind of a racist.

I was unprepared for how it would feel; I wasn't expecting it to be so...physical. The pain felt like it had come from real wounds. I felt like my heart had been punctured, a deep and pressing cut that bubbled up and dripped blood from my weeping eyes, down my arms and off the ends of my fingertips. A constant pool of blood surrounded me, invisible to most but a constant reminder to me.

I twiddled the orange plastic container around in my hands, the contents rattled with the movement.

The doctor said they would help, but the warning label glared at me. Certain words stood out like they were bolded, words like drowsiness, lethargy, dullness. I shouldn't want to feel dull but right now the idea of dampening down reality felt like a blessing.

The soft sound of Max singing stopped me from popping the cap open. He had been doing that a lot lately, singing.

Something about the lilt in his voice made my ears prick up, the song was familiar but not something I had ever heard him sing before.

I walked into his room where he sat playing on the floor with a Transformer in his hands. The now obvious tune of Hey Jude floated from his young lips. The lyrics were mostly wrong but there was no denying the melody he was singing.

I was perplexed, 'Hey Monkey?'

He looked up and halted his singing.

'Where's you learn that song?' I sat down next to him, he was still in his clothes from school, he looked tired, he looked older.

'At school.' Max answered, fiddling with the Transformer. I swallowed the lump in my throat at the memory of Danny bringing that toy home from work as a surprise.

'Yeah? Well, you're really good at singing little man.' I managed a smile, ruffling his hair.

'That's what Miss Jauregui says.'

It was as if someone had pressed pause on the moment, my whole body froze in reaction to his words. It couldn't be her; there were lots of people with that surname surely?!

'Miss Jauregui?' My voice quivered and rattled its way passed my lips.

'Yeah she's our new music teacher and she lets me hold the shields.' He said proudly. I felt the wound in my heart expand and rip open wider than before.

'Miss Jauregui is she...is she the lady that was at our house that time?'

He nodded and I felt the pure rage, black and thick like tar, seep into the whole in my heart it filled up my veins. I saw red. I bled black. There was no pain anymore, just pure unadulterated anger.

Lauren's POV

I shouldn't be surprised.

I don't know what I was expecting really. Maybe I thought it would be a few weeks, maybe I was hoping she would never find out. Maybe I was being completely unrealistic.

I shouldn't be surprised, but I am. When she storms into the classroom as I'm setting up for the morning lesson I'm completely shocked and unprepared for her anger.

'Really?!' She shouted, 'this is really happening?'

I'm at a loss for words and annoyed that I asked Ally to run out and get some coffees before the lesson started because now I'm alone, with an enraged Camila sporting a murderous look and with absolutely no witnesses.