Hailey Thomas.
Wednesday comes a lot quicker than I anticipated. And I find myself staring into my mirror at 8:30 am on Wednesday morning, listening to my mum on the phone to the school, explaining that I wouldn't be there today due to personal reasons. But I'm pretty sure the school knows why I won't be there.
"Are you ready, Hails?" Dad asks, peeking his head around my bedroom door.
I let out a small, shaky breath. "I'm ready."
My dad's footsteps are the only thing I can hear as he walks down the hall and down the stairs where my mum is waiting.
I take one more glance in the mirror, my bare face looks drained, probably because I couldn't sleep last night. My hair is pulled into a messy ponytail and I'm wearing a black dress with long, lace sleeves. It comes down just past my collarbones, and the top is tight until it reaches my waist, and then it flows down, reaching just above my knees. And although I resisted at first, I'm wearing black heels that my mum insisted on and some black tights.
This is my first funeral, and I feel sick. My heart feels heavy and I feel like my stomach is going to fall out my ass.
"Hailey!" Mum shouts from downstairs. "We need to get going if we want to be at Maria's on time!"
On my way out, I grab my black purse, which is holding my phone, some tissues, some watermelon scented lip balm, and some chewing gum.
I make my way downstairs, returning my mum's small smile with my own small smile. She looks just as tired as I do.
"Come on," Mum says, wrapping her arm around my shoulders as she leads me out the front door and toward dad's car as dad locks the front door behind us.
The three of us get into the car in silence, then we make the five-minute drive to Maria's in silence, and then we get out of the car in damn silence. You get the picture, right? It was pretty fucking silent.
"Hailey, darling!" Maria exclaims, pulling me into her as soon as I step foot into her house. She hugs me tightly, strokes my hair and asks, "How have you been?"
"I could be better," I admit, looking up at her as she pulls away, holding me at arm's length.
"You look so grown up. It's been so long since you've been over here," She says, giving me one last hug before she moves on to my parents.
I look around, walking a little further down the hall until I see Ethan, Elle's fourteen-year-old brother, sitting in the living room by himself while everyone, including my parents, is in the kitchen.
"Hey, kid," I say, sitting down beside him on the couch, putting my arm around him to give him a hug.
"Hi," He mumbles, slumping into my side as my arm remains around him, just trying to comfort him the best I can.
Ethan is a lot like Elle. He's stubborn and often has a hard time expressing his feelings. And right now, I can just see in his eyes how broken he is, but his facial expression is blank and his body is slumped as if he's just tired.
I don't bother to ask how he's doing because by the looks of it, and by the obvious circumstances, I'd have to say he's doing pretty shitty. So we simply sit in silence, my arm around him and his head resting on my arm.
☟
The funeral was awful.
Everyone was cry; my mum, my dad, Ethan, Maria, Chris, and me. Especially me. I'm almost one hundred percent sure that even the cat Elle's cousin brought shed a few tears.
"That was fucking depressing," Ethan says to me as we walk towards the family car to head back to Maria's.
"Ethan!" I hiss, "Language!"
"I'm fourteen, Hailey," He says, rolling his eyes. "I'm not a baby."
"That doesn't mean you can swear! Your mum would wash your mouth out with soap!" I say. Although, if I'm being honest, I'm trying not to laugh as I say this.
I put my arm around him again, letting out a laugh as I ruffle his hair, letting him get into the car first before I slide in after him.
As we drive in silence, my phone buzzes in my purse, and I slide my phone out, seeing a text from Aiden.
Aiden: Come over ASAP.
Me: I'm on my way back to Maria's. What's up?
Aiden: I have a lead.
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Kaya Scodelario as Elle Patterson. Gif above!
I know she isn't actually in the story as of right now, but there will possibly be flashbacks and she's still a major part of the story.
Kisses,
Mel.
YOU ARE READING
Deadly Beautiful | ✓
Mystery / ThrillerWhen seventeen-year-old Elle Patterson, 6th Year at River Falls High School, is found dead, her friends and her family are devastated. Her death was ruled an accident, but her old best friend, Hailey Thomas, isn't so sure. Even though she and Elle...
