That One Game.

a f t e r - a r e l a t i v e

I witnessed the effect Grace has on everybody at her funeral.

Eric is a strong man. He lets nothing break him. He got told his daughter had cancer yet he was still as strong as before. I guess you had to be for your family. He's a great man, Eric. Never done any wrong. Always deserves the best but life shared him something else. But today, stood at the coffin in which is daughter is laid, he is a man broken beyond fixable. With a heart too smashed to be fixed.

Raynee is a lost cause. She is destroyed. Totally insane. There is nothing anybody can do for her. She constantly cries, I'm surprised tears still flow. The lack of sleep she has must be ruining her health. Not to mention the lack of food she consumes.

Matthew, the poor boy. A boy of fourteen with too much weight on his frail shoulders. He had a sister, who is now gone. He's breaking inside but only showing a strong facade. I don't know how he does it.

Her best friends are no better.

Alexa is not who she used to be. I remember her being the lively, outgoing one of them all. That isn't the case now. She doesn't talk, she doesn't do much at all. Her dream of becoming an actress is shattered because of one silly little dare.

David is plagued with guilt, and he will be for the rest of his life. He gave Grace the dare fully knowing she was way past sober. We can't blame him though, he wasn't fully to blame. It was Grace's mistake. She shouldn't have been so stupid and now David has to live with nightmares.

Gabriella is a girl who hides behind her clothes. Her arms, legs and stomach are scarred. She never meant for things to get as bad as they are now but they did. She has no support, no anchor all because she keeps her troubled holed up. Gabriella's luscious locks were cut off with her own pink scissors which was haphazardly done. Her damage is known to the world.

Hunter is a mess. A pure catastrophe. He has bags under his eyes the size of mountains and red eyes from crying. He has double the pressure though. He has his own troubles as well as Ella's. They're good for each other, helping each other survive another day. If it wasn't for him, I'm sure Ella would be in a coffin alongside her best friend. Hunter is still as strong as before, making sure Ella doesn't do anything stupid. And he loves her. From Grace's passing we know time is a bitch and if you need to say something, say it. For all we know you could be gone tomorrow.

Ella is the beautiful disaster out of all of them. Scarred more than you could think possible. Grace was her best friend. She was her whole, her life revolves around Grace. It always had done. Ella has no sleep and if she did, she is plagued with nightmares only Hunter could fix. That's not right for a young girl. And her parents left for a holiday leaving the breaking girl alone.

IT WASN'T JUST GRACE WHO WAS TORMENTED BY THAT NIGHT. IT IS ALL OF THEM.