Mr. Forgettable #Wattys2016

32

Larkin's family didn't go to church very often. They went on the holidays like Christmas and Easter, but regular Sunday attendance had never been something they strived for. 

This week, Larkin found herself in church on a Wednesday. She wore all black and seemed to have a box of tissues glued to her hand. She had arrived around eight in the morning, taking a day off of school. The funeral was to start at nine.

Larkin had not attended many funerals before. There was her grandfather's, seven years ago, but Larkin had been young at the time and didn't really remember anything. She had to say that, as far as funerals go, it certainly could have been worse.

She rather enjoyed the singing. 

The burial took place in the town cemetery. The cemetery was a large expanse of green dotted with tombstones, located near the center of town. Rain started to pour down from inky clouds during the middle of the service, but Larkin was dry underneath the tent that had been set up for the family.

And afterward, when it was just her and her mother sitting at their dining room table, biting their lips to hold back tears while eating the many casseroles and desserts brought to them, Larkin was grateful to have company. She couldn't say she had the closest relationship with her mother, but hopefully it would get better.

Aunt Libby came over after dinner, with her was a man that Larkin found vaguely familiar, but she wasn't exactly in a state to examine the newcomer. In fact, all she really wanted was a nice long sleep, one of the dreamless ones. She didn't care what news Aunt Libby had to share with her mother. 

Larkin trudged up the stairs to her room at eight o'clock, ready to turn in for the night. She had briefly said hello to Aunt Libby, blatantly ignoring the man, before exiting the living room. As she set foot on the fifth step, a voice from below called out for her to stop.

"Larkin."

She turned around, gripping the smooth wood of the stair railing. She blinked in confusion. It was the man. The familiar looking one with the peppered hair and smile lines around his eyes. He was about Aunt Libby's age. 

"I'm sorry. I really tried to warn you," said the man. Despite the friendly wrinkles around his eyes, he wasn't smiling. He was somber, mourning the loss of a brother-in-law.

Larkin gained an Uncle that weekend.

()()()

Jacob never thought he would attend Mr. Knolls's funeral. For one, he didn't expect the man to die. Even after his multiple failed attempts to kill Mr. Knolls, Jacob didn't think he would actually die.

He thought Larkin would get her happy ending. 

Jacob sat in the back of the chapel during the funeral service. It was a somber occasion of black dresses contrasting with white tissues, crumpled and discarded on the pews after the service. The vast number of people crammed into the small space overwhelmed Jacob, and he left before the burial. 

Jacob walked down the empty street, only a couple minutes from home. He did not mind going home; his father had been carted off to jail after the death of Mr. Knolls when an anonymous source had revealed the identity of the Imposter. Jacob was free.

And so was the girl he saw sitting against the fence in front of his house. 

"Magnolia," said Jacob. 

She looked up, broken from her reverie, before glancing back down at her suede boots. "I'll be leaving town. Just thought I would tell someone, in case anyone asked."

Jacob walked over to her and sat, leaning his back against the wooden fence. He rubbed his eyes, tired. "Where will you go?" 

She gave Jacob a noncommittal shrug. "Far, far away. This place holds too much grief for me."

Jacob nodded, understanding a little what she meant,almost wishing he could do the same. He couldn't though; he would never leave his mother. 

He had questions that he wanted to ask Magnolia, like, how did she end up in the service of a man such as George Fredericks? How did she  survive the Newman murders? Why did no one know? But Jacob kept his mouth shut. Today was not the day to reopen old wounds.

()()()

Larkin didn't go to school for a few days after the funeral. It had been on a Wednesday, and she didn't return until Friday. Things would get better with time. She had to believe it.

Days turned into weeks, weeks into a month, and before Larkin knew it, it was October. The leaves on the trees had begun to turn yellow and red, showing off the vibrant colors of fall.

As Larkin walked home from school on a crisp autumn evening, she reveled in the coolness of the breeze brushing her face and the gentle sunlight emanating from behind a veil of clouds. The day was the epitome of perfection.

Greta had stayed after school to help out with one of the multiple clubs she was a part of, so Larkin walked the peaceful sidewalks alone. She had no complaints.

After dropping  her school bag at her house, Larkin left again after changing into her super suit. Her mother had not yet arrived at home, so she was free to do as she wished, and Larkin decided it would be a wonderful day for a walk.

They were calm and crime free, exactly the way she liked them. Larkin strolled through the emptier streets of Markusville, hoping to avoid the majority of people and enjoy the beautiful day.

Larkin walked on the sidewalk on the nicer side of town, thinking, listening, waiting for something to happen. 

She stood, scuffed her sandal against the ground, rubbed her eyes, and continued to wait for something. Leaves fluttered to the ground, twirling in the breeze. A grey squirrel scampered across the sidewalk, making Larkin jump, but that was not what she was waiting for.

The sun began to set. The dusk was free of mosquitos, and for that, Larkin was grateful. Larkin knew her mother would probably be home already, but Mrs. Knolls had stopped paying attention to where she went after school. Larkin would go home when she was ready.

She started to walk again. This time, Larkin went towards the wooded park that housed Black Lightning's hideout. He would probably be there. Usually, they would meet up earlier than this, but Finn must have been caught up with a crime somewhere else.

For the past month or so, things had been going well. There was no more death, no more threats. There was only the pain of what Larkin had been unable to prevent. And even that had dwindled.

Larkin had more distracting things on her mind. Like Finn. She saw him sitting with his back against a tree dressed in his supersuit. 

"Where were you?" asked Larkin. "I waited at our usual spot for a good fifteen minutes."

Startled, Finn turned to face Larkin. "Sorry. There was an incident with a bridge and a car that I had to resolve."

"You should've told me and I would've came to help."

Finn took off his mask with a small smile. "You would've complained about me making you work on Friday."

With a roll of her eyes and a shake of her head, Larkin sat down next to Finn. "You don't know me." 

Finn poked her on the shoulder. "That's not true."

They lapsed into silence the way that good friends could. Larkin felt the cold of the grass seeping through her jeans as the very last of the sunlight disappeared. The moon had yet to come out.

Finn's voice broke the silence. He was hesitant. "Will you go on a date with me?"

Larkin hated to admit it, but her stomach fluttered a bit before she said yes.

()()()

Idk how I feel about this. Tell me what you think.

There is still one more chapter, and I will be posting a collab between PSMalcolm and me featuring both of our books' characters.

-anna