Stranded (GirlXGirl)

Chp. 14

I woke up to Claire's face and voice, "Hey, we're home."

I sat up, looking out the window, seeing a familiar airport, the one we had departed out of in the first place. I stood, feeling a little weak and excited as I exited the plane, feeling the familiar aura of my hometown wrap me up.

We walked to the office of the airport, no one knew what to expect, a crowd waiting for us or absolutely nothing, I was just ready to see my family. I was given a phone call, which I chose to call my mom, letting her know where I was and that I had landed, and I would wait patiently at the airport for her to come get me.

I was sitting in a waiting room, being offered food and water but I refused, to sad to accept anything before I knew if my best friend was alive or not.

I was just praying for the best.

My parents soon walked through the glass, sliding doors, seeing me and running to me as I was embraced in a suffocating hug. I wrapped them both in my arms, feeling the pain and sadness wash over me, crying into their bodies.

"Mom, Dad..."

My dad gripped my face in his hand, stroking my cheek, "Alex... God we've been worried sick since..."

I nodded, "I know..."

I was embraced once more, seeing Claire and her family over my mom's shoulder, and her smile plastered across her face. She looked happy, and excited, and when she glanced over at me, something in her shifted.

I saw sadness, and regret, which I figured she saw in me because of what we had done. I buried my face in my mom's shoulder, hugging her one last time, "Were there any other survivors?"

They knew what I was really asking, and their faces changed, "Yes, a few, two girls and a boy, not including you, Claire, Hunter and Tyler."

My heart lifted, maybe Mallory was alive!

I smiled, "Did Mallory get rescued? Is she at home?"

My mom's face changed in agony, and I knew what was coming, I just didn't want to accept it. I gripped Mallory's shirt hard, hugging it to my chest as I embraced the dying pain. I fell to a seat, feeling the pain wrap around me and strangle me, I couldn't breathe, I couldn't see as the tears crippled my sight. I couldn't believe this, I didn't believe I was awake, I believed I was dreaming...

My mom hugged me, "Mallory's body was found Alex..."

I cried harder, knowing this wasn't going to stop right away. I wouldn't be able to get over this, I wouldn't be able to recover...

She held me as I sobbed, my dad stroking my back as I buried my face in my lap and cried. I had lost my best friend, she was gone, and I was never going to see her again.

How was I going to go to her funeral? Or had it already passed?

The only person who cared about me unconditionally was gone.

~ ~ ~ ~

A few days passed, it was mostly a blur to me as I barely ate anything and constantly lied awake in my bed. I couldn't stop crying, I couldn't stop thinking about Mallory and Claire, wondering why this had happened to me. What had I done to deserve this kind of pain?

Mallory's funeral was today, something I wasn't looking forward to. I didn't know who was going to be there, I didn't know if I was going to be able to keep it together.