Silent Emotions

15. Who reads the news anyway?

Terrible things happen all the time. We just don't know why. And we don't get to.

"I don't care," I threw the tray of food at the door most likely startling the nurse. They've kept me locked in here for who knows how long. Saying how I spiraled pretty badly.

It wasn't my fault my fist accidentally met with one of the Basic Bitch's face. How dare they try to say how much they miss Sam? He never even liked them. I loath people who try to shed light onto them when it comes to funerals. It's such disrespect to the dead. If you didn't care about them when they were alive-- honestly go away.

My parents haven't visited either as per doctor's wishes. Dad didn't leave my side until mom convinced him I should be held accountable for my actions. And truth be told, I don't care.

I've lost the ability to. Grief has taken away more than I'd like it to. I haven't been myself at all and I don't mind it.

"Hey," Eric knocks lightly at the already opened door. The nurse rushes past him, mumbling a 'good luck'. He whistled in surprise, "Wow you look like shit."

"Thanks," I sarcastically muttered. He drops down to the side of my bed, twiddling with his thumbs. I already know what he's about to say.

"It's Sam's funeral today," his voice shook making him cough to clear his throat. I nodded knowingly. "Austin was looking for you," he locks eyes with me. Silently pleading for me to open up. To be the old me once again.

It wasn't my parents who locked me away from the world. Sure, I blame them for keeping me here. But I was the one to specifically ask the staff to not let Austin in.

I'm already broken as it is. And right now, meeting him again after where we left off is not good for my mental state.

"You can't keep hiding here," Eric lays his head down on my lap. I gently caress his face, trailing the small scar on his forehead. The day I had to face him to relay the news, he was out in his mother's garden. Building a fire pit in his backyard.

He ended up breaking most of the bricks. Things went flying in different directions. The calm and collected composure Eric always had-- slipped away. I had to tackle him to the ground to avoid making even more of a mess he already did.

"I know," I whispered.

"Austin got his operation done. They wanted to get good publicity by giving the funds to the team of the deceased," he rolled his eyes in disdain. We were all happy for Austin but knew this was all just a publicity stunt. "I'm happy for him at least," I admitted truthfully. He nodded in agreement, sinking even more into my bed.

"This shit is comfy," he mumbles out sleepily. "Why do you think I stayed for so long?" I scoffed a laugh.

"Emma!" A voice boomed through the hallways making both of us jump up. I looked up to see Ken screeching to a halt in front of my room. He clutched a wooden box in his hands, sweat dripping off his forehead.

Something in my gut says this won't be any good.

Ken explained how he immediately took an uber here just to show me this wooden box. I held it in my hand, unknowing of what's to come. It was a literal Pandora's box.

"Grandma said that only you can open this box," he urges me to find a way to pick the lock. It was strange. The key whole was a perfect circle. I grabbed the nearest thing, which was my mom's hand me down ring. It wasn't of any rarity but the jade orb seemed to be the perfect size.

With one click, the wooden box throws back it's lid. I scanned through the contents of said box and found numerous newspaper articles.

Crash on Highway 8

Fatalities from the crash

Family broken by crash

Looking through the pictures I could barely believe it myself. It all made sense now. My whole world, once again, came crashing down.

"Holy shit," I could barely utter out. Ken grabs the papers out of my hands and scanned them. His eyes widened with the same realization. Eric clears his throat, expecting an explanation.

"Wait.. isn't that.. the crash that Austin was in when he was little?" He points out. I looked at him with fear twisting in my gut. My eyes looking down on one news article showcasing a family photo. Austin's family.

"It all makes sense now," my eyes looked at Ken who had the same solemn expression.

"We were all in that same accident years ago," I felt tears threaten to spill. Memories start to resurface.

"Mommy! Mommy!" I screamed, trying to get their attention. Kennedy was being mean. He kept trying to pull my hair. And I didn't like it. No amount of kicking and punching bothered him.

Kennedy's mom unbuckled her seat belt to lean over towards us and give Kennedy a warning. Her striking blue hair was all I remember.

I watch as glass start to shatter around us in that slow moment. Her kind smile slowly pulling away as her whole body was thrown out of the car. Everything around me started to dim as pain starts to sear through me.

"I.. caused that accident," tears burst through my eyes as I look up at Ken. I could barely see him through my foggy vision. "No you didn't," he gritted his teeth.

"It was me remember?" He clenched patches of his hair in his hands as his knees unbuckled. His whole body goes limp as he screamed in agony.

"I killed my own mom!" He kept blaming himself. While I screamed back in retaliation that it was me who caused it. Eric threw pillows at both of us successfully stopping us from having our meltdowns.

"No it wasn't. You idiots. Look at this!" He shoves an article in front of our faces. "Your mom had an obsessed stalker who caused the accident. He's the reason why Ken's mom died and Austin's family went to shit," he calmly explains.

I hugged my knees, already aware of the fact. The only thing left is..

"Austin needs to know," Eric claimed. I looked at him in fear. With a painful gulp, "I need to tell him myself."

I need to tell him of that cursed day. The day lives were taken from us due to some crazy maniac thinking he was entitled to owning my mother. And if everything is correct, I could only assume my parents paid a lot of money to keep it out of people's mouths. Including Austin's father.

Fuck.