Fresh from a Funeral

Chapter 1

Looking into the mirror, she stared into the eyes reflected but didn't recognize them. Her eyes wandered over to the rest of the reflection, the girl before her doesn't seem like anybody she knew.

With chapped lips and badly covered up bags under her eyes, she looked tired, worn out, like she had barely gotten any sleep. Staring intently at the image before her, she noticed how her hair was still wet but already tied back, how her black dress fitted her perfectly but was crumpled at the edges- as if that part had been forgotten while ironing or someone had been constantly gripping at it as an action of coping with unease.

A knock echoes around the room from the closed door, it takes her a while to recognize the sound and turn to it as it opens slowly, a form slipping through. A pale face greets her with a sad smile as she walks over and envelopes the taller girl in a hug, a hug she doesn't register.

She pulls away from her friend and stares into her eyes, her lips quiver as she tries to keep on the smile as she realizes how out of it her former teammates really is.

"Bei?"

The girl, at the sound of her name, gives the only other person in the room her attention but doesn't reply.

"Mads! Have you gotten Bea yet?"

A voice from the hallway is heard before another black clad girl walks in, her eyes soften at the sight of the two, "Bei," she walks closer to the pair and fixes the collar of Bea's dress.

"Let's go?"

"Are you su-"

"Maddie"

The fair skinned girl is silenced by the slight pleading tone in the shorter girl's voice, "I'll..." she paused, thinking of an excuse, "I'll just wait with the others down stairs," Dennise smiles at her, a glint of appreciation in her eyes before turning to the tall girl whose eyes seem to be staring off in the distance.

"Bei?"

"Ate Den, let's go"

Dennise is slightly taken aback but recovers and just nods with pitiful eyes.

Inside, Bea is hesitant to make a move, not sure of how things go anymore. She's afraid of how she'll react when they finally lower her into the pit, not sure what awaits her beyond the door that Maddie had left ajar. Through her hesitancy, she makes a decision.

She walks out the door, feeling pride in her gut for being brave enough to go through with all of this, however that feeling quickly crumbles as she hears Dennise close the door behind her.

'This is the last time I'll ever be able to see her personally. I can handle this. Wait for me, Jho'

---

Numb and barely aware of everyone else, she stares with fists clenched as they close up the hole while the one in her heart is left bleeding.

Not noticing everyone walk away she stares down at her hands as angry tears fill her eyes, she never even told her how she felt.

Lowering her hands, she takes a glance at the sorrowful reminder of her love's passing before looking straight ahead and closing her eyes as the wind blows hair into her face, tears flowing down her cheeks.

Taken by her sorrow, the sound of footsteps on the grass doesn't disturb her until she jolts as someone speaks up next to her.

"Jho was one of a kind"

Bea turns her head to the direction where the voice is coming from, she finds a girl standing next to her with bloodshot eyes. Not recognizing her she simply nods and turns back to the grave, "Yeah, she was"

The volleyball player stares at the girl next to her as she kneels down on the soil and caresses the stone slab, witnessing a smile form on her face and noticing how it shakes as her eyes well up.

"Who were you to Jhoana?"

The smile steadies slightly, "A childhood friend of hers," she gently arranges the flowers on the slab, looking like she was reminiscing.

"You were her teammate, right?" The unknown girl stood up, dusting off her jeans before turning to her with a small smile.

Bea simply nodded as she noticed the signs of lack of sleep under her eyes, her cheeks seemed hollow, and her skin pale. She seemed to be as out of it as her if not more. Despite her desolate features she seemed to have found time to groom herself for this day.

"Bea, right?"

Bea focused her gaze into the downcast eyes before her that the girl seemed to try to hide by smiling. The taller girl nodded, "And you are?"

The mysterious girl smiled as she raised her hand for a shake, her arms seeming tired as if they've been busy with all sorts of activities.

"Danica, Dani is what Jho used to call me"