Crash ~Justin Bieber~

Chapter 41 ~ Rachel Wants An Army

(Rachel's POV)

Bonnie woke me from my sleep at three am. She was jumping on her bed and hissing like a cat. Seeing as I was the closest to her bed the sound woke only me.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Power sleeping"

My throat felt dry and sore so I decided to go downstairs and get a glass of water.

I didn't see him sitting there on the way down to the kitchen. I walked right past him. But on the way back he was there, sitting on the edge of the top step, his head in his hands, crying.

"Oliver?"

He stared back at me, his shadow turning in the dark, "Hi..."

"What's wrong?"

He didn't answer me so I guessed.

"Is your dad okay?"

"He's okay... he's fine..."

"Oh... good"

It took a moment but he spoke again.

"Rachel..."

"Yes?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Um," I paused, "Sure"

I nervously moved up two stairs and sat down beside him.

"What day is the worst..." he asked.

"The worst?'

""Is it the day they die. Or is it the day after?"

I could tell instantly that Oliver was readying himself for his own loss and his own sad days to come.

He was asking for preparation.

"No. The day after isn't the worst part..."

"So it's the day it happens..."

"No"

Nervously I crossed my arms so that I wasn't cold.

"The worst part is probably the week after they're gone..."

"Why?" he asked.

"It becomes more real then. Before that you're still kind of in..."

"Shock?"

It was either shock or denial. I couldn't choose one over the other.

"Yes... It's just a big blur at first. Then it starts to sink in"

The week after William had died my mother accidently set the dinner table for five instead of four. That's when it set in for me. That's when I knew that he wasn't coming back. The unnecessary china plate made it much more real. It made the message clearer then the coffin ever had.

We would all miss William's laughter at the dinner table.

"You're dads a good man Rachel... And he's a great doctor"

"Thank you,"

Oliver sounded grateful when he spoke of my father and I wondered if Justin had been wrong. Maybe Oliver did understand gratitude.

"And your dad seems really nice" I smiled back.

"He's the best... Why is it that we always lose the best people?"

"He's not gone yet Oliver. He could beat it"

"I know..." he exhaled loudly.

I stayed with him for a while longer, sitting stilll and silently.