Fake Tales

Chapter 6- Closure and Opening

Chapter 6- Closure and Opening

"I'm thinking about clearing out Greg's room" Mel stated and her eyes carried no sadness. She was completely in control.                   

"Are you sure Mel? You don't have to rush into it you know" I comforted her, following her announcement that she was going to start clearing Greg's room. The memory I had dreamed about last night flashed through my mind, and I hoped my expression didn't falter.            

"Maddy, we can't keep preserving his room like some sort of shrine. It's time." She said sharply and I didn't reply, recognizing the truth of her words.

Maybe it was good she was getting some sort of closure, even if I wasn't. It just didn't seem long enough to be packing away his life as if he had never existed. It seemed only yesterday that I had been lying next to him, staring into those jewel-like blue eyes. He played on my mind all the while. Sometimes I would look up expecting him to walk through the door and everytime my heart would sink to the depths and my throat would thicken. Because he wasn't going to ever walk into the school again. He was never coming back. 

"Will you guys help me?" She said addressing the table, causing my eyebrows to shoot up my forehead.  This surprised me, she never really talked  about Greg with the whole group.

"Yeah, when do you want us Mel?" They chorused without hesitation, I smiled warmly at them. She filled them in on the details as my mind drifted away.

There was a burst of laughter from somwhere unknown in the cafeteria and suddenly Greg felt so present that I was worried I was losing my grip on reality. It had been a long time since I laughed, but then since Greg had died nothing had seemed funny enough. Dom sat down at the table, his expression subdued and apprehensive. I frowned at how unhappy his face looked. 

"Hey Dom, the bell's about to go, we should get going" I coaxed. I tried to maintain a casual tone and was thankful when he didn't seem to cotton on. He stood up immediately and, feeling other eyes on us, I strode for the doors.

"What's up Maddy?" Dom asked wryly, he read me like a book.

"What's up with you Dom?" I asked, enjoying his discomfort.

"What do you mean?" He replied, way too quickly for my liking.

"Come on Dom, this is me you're talking to. Something weird is going on with you and Mel, isn't there?" I said, my voice rising.

"Me and Mel?" He repeated, feigning ignorance.

"Don't play stupid with me, You've barely spent any time together the last couple of weeks" I exclaimed, refusing to let him think I was imagining things.

"I don't know what you're talking about Maddy" Dom countered obstinately.

"She needs us at the moment Dom. I hate seeing her like this, but we've got to not give up hope that she'll get past it" I murmured. 

A strange expression crossed his face that I found hard to identify. It almost looked like guilt. 

"I know she does and I'm trying" He said defensively. 

"Dom, I'm your best friend you can talk to me.... you and Mel haven't been talking to me much either" I muttered, my voice trailing off as the look on his face darkened.                                                    

"Oh so now it's about you?! " he blurted angrily, his eyes unfathomable.                                                

"No! Of course not, I was just worried about you"  I retorted, now equally indignant. My hands clenched in suppressed anger.