Dear Freya,

5

Beep beep beep...

The sweet smell of vanilla fills the air, my favorite scent, and I feel genuinely happy. I take in my surroundings, I'm surrounded by dark oak and blue bonnets. I furrow my brows, "Colton, ready or not hear I come!" I search for Colton who had ran off to hide a minute before. My short chubby legs jiggling as I ran, "Colton!" I yelled out hoping that he would magically appear and I win. That's the thing about me, I'm super competitive. From the corner of my eye I see a movement in the tall grass.  I hurriedly run over there, "I found you!!!" I run to the spot and no one's there. Hmmm maybe he ran this way, I jog over to a tree, halfway there, my ankle wobbles and I collapse on top of it, going down with a shrill scream. "Frey!" I hear Colton running up to me. "Are you okay?!" His eyes wide like saucers. I try to stand up but the pain in my ankle prevents me. "I can't get up, it hurts!" Tears already streaming down my cheeks. "I uh, I'll go get my mom." He got up and was about to run away, when I stopped him. "Please don't leave, I'm scared." His worried eyes softened a bit and walked closer to me.

"Okay, I won't leave... I never will" Poor scrawny Colton carries me to his house, a grueling task considering I was only 8 and 100 pounds. "Freya are you okay?" Colton looks at me worried, "Freya?" "Freya wake up, please" That's not Colton's voice.
Huh?

Beep beep beep

I feel my body moving as I pry open my eyes. I am met with Luke's worried eyes on mine and his hands on my shoulders waking me up.  "Freya, good you're awake." I take a look at my surroundings, I'm hooked up to an IV, the sterile white room shows nothing of promise so I focus back on Luke. "So the doctor said you'll be fine but uh he called your parents." Oh. I had mixed emotions towards this, mostly the part where he brought up my parents. I'm guessing they were coming over to give me a lecture and then go home and forget me here. Luke rubbed the back of his neck, "This is kinda awkward," he paused and gave a small awkward cough, "they're not coming." Oh. I guess I was wrong, they don't even care enough to come lecture me. Okay.

"That's fine." I gave Luke my best fake smile I could. He eases from his tense state, but now the room is filled with awkward silence. "Hey if it makes you feel any better, I took that shit." He breaks the silence. I laughed feeling grateful, "Thanks by the way, and I'm sorry about your car." He chuckled, "I think Betsy will be fine." ... did he name his car Betsy? "I was really worried about you." He says under his breath barely audible. I looked down, ashamed of my actions. I mutter another sorry, not knowing how else to reply.

"You know you can tell me anything right?" You should have seen the look he gave me I almost cried right there and then. I nod my head and look him in his dark eyes, "Is there anyway we could keep this a secret from everyone else? I know it's a lot to ask but I don't want to worry everyone." In response he just gave me a painfully awkward smile, "see about that-" The door to my room gets thrown open and a very angry Arizona walks in followed by everyone else. "You little whore." She shouts.

My eyes widened and my heart began to beat faster than ever before. I knew this was the end, at least I was already in a hospital, maybe they'll be able to resuscitate me after Arizona strangles the life out of me. I give her a sheepish smile and shrug a little. "You nearly overdosed and died." She gets dangerously close, "Can you even imagine how worried we were?! The fact that Luke had to call us and tell us you were in the hospital because you almost killed yourself inside of a 7/11!" She was fuming with anger but I could see the slight pink tint to her face and everyone else's. "We were so scared." Wisty's voice cracked as tears rolled down her face. That was the final straw on the camels back. I broke down,  how could I have been so selfish.

Nathan and Gerald had been quiet till this point until they walked up to me and handed me a bouquet of blue bonnets, my favorite. I returned a shy smile. "Please don't ever take your life for granted," Nathan looked down at his shoes, "we care for you"

"Hey guys, where did you get these?" Gerald scratched his head and laughed, "We pulled over to the side of the road and picked them." I laughed. I looked around the room and smiled, there was no time to cry anymore, you are loved. We talked for a while, laughing and joking around. They all stayed with me till I was discharged.

It's been a week since I was at the hospital, my parents haven't said a word to me till today."Your father is going to be saying the eulogy today." My mother informed me as I walked downstairs. I nodded my head grabbed a banana and went back upstairs to get ready for my grandma's funeral. My phone vibrated and I went to pick it up, an unknown number texted me that they were going to be coming to the funeral. Probably one of my grandmothers lovers. What a wild woman.

I picked up the phone and replied to the text, "Thank you, I'm sure that would have meant a lot to her." The doorbell rang down stairs, knowing who it was, I sprinted down the stairs jumping over a few steps. I swing that door open and smile at the people facing me, "Hey hey!" Wisteria gave a me a warm smile and wrapped me up in a big hug. "How are you?" My now almost boyfriend Luke kissed my cheek. " I'm doing alright, better now that y'all are here." I give them a smile while we walk into my room.

"So dad's giving the eulogy," I rolled my eyes, "so I guess that means I just have to get ready." "Okay, Arizona is gonna meet us there, I think she has some family issues right now." Luke informs me. I frown, Arizona has had a bad family background for years, her mother was an alcoholic and her father would always come and go bringing the occasional whore to their home when her mom was out at bars. Poor Arizona is always put in the middle of it.

Wisteria was raiding my closet for a black dress while I put on my makeup. My mom had already bought me a floor length dress to wear to it, so I let wisteria wear the one I had laying around. Meanwhile, Luke was scrolling through my instagram while his phone charged. "Hey Frey, someone just texted you." I finished putting on false lashes, "Who and what did they say?" "Um I don't know and they said 'I would hope so, she was like a grandmother to me too." I furrowed my brown and shrugged "Oh it must have been that person who texted me." We resumed doing what we were doing.

We were now driving to the funeral in my car (poor Gerald who had to go find it at 7/11 after my little stunt), my parents insisted that we go by ourselves and they take their own car. The closer I got to the place the more sad I felt, it made things feel more final. My hands gripped the steering wheel tighter till my knuckles were a paler white than usual. "It'll be alright." Luke's hand squeezes my thigh as he gives me a worried look. My grip on the steering wheel relaxed and I smiled gratefully. "These damn straight people." I hear Wisteria mutter in the back seat, causing me to burst out laughing.

When we arrive there was a somber feeling in the air. Everything around me felt muffled, just by walking into the funeral I've already received several "I'm sorry for your loss." And I would reply with my rehearsed phrase of, "Thank you, it would have meant a lot to her that you showed up." Bless Luke for staying by me the entire time, the rest of my friends were there too but they gave me some space, well all but Arizona who hadn't even shown up yet.

It was over. My grandmother was now buried, I got to see her one last time, it gave me a bit of closure. I looked over to my parents and to my surprise he's crying, pain strikes my heart and I feel terrible. Here I was thinking the worst of him and maybe just maybe he'll prove me wrong.

Picking up my phone I call Arizona who said she was on her way and stuck in traffic but I still heard screaming in the background. I nodded although I knew she couldn't see me and I hung up the phone. I ran my hands through my hair stressed. Chewing my lip I dialed Arizona again, I waited for her to pick up. Luke pointed over to our friends signaling that he was going to walk over there.

I was alone now, impatiently waiting for Ari to pick up. Finally after the tenth ring she did, "yo yo yo." I could hear Justin Bieber playing faintly in the background. Good she was in the car. "Hey it' just ended... just meet us at my house." "Kk" she said sweetly followed by a, "Watch it asshole!" Obviously directed to someone who cut her off. Laughing I hung up.

"Freya?" Still with a smile on my face I turned to meet the unfamiliar voice.

My smile dropped, along with my heart, and my phone.

"Been a while, bud." His stupid, perfect teeth shined through his smile, and his green eyes shined at me. I'm sure my blue ones were dull and full of pain. "Colton."