Sunflower Cupcakes
My mother shakes me awake the next morning. I push her hand away at first, still mostly asleep.
“Kyra,” She says gently.
“What?” I mumble, pushing my covers off and stretching.
“Kyra, Bryan’s here to bike with you.”
I shoot up out of my bed and look at the clock on my wall. It’s 6:30. I slept through my alarm.
“Shoot.” I say, getting dressed quickly and walking across the house to the front door.
Bryan’s standing in my doorway, a confused expression on his face. “Hey. What happened?” he asks me once I reach him.
The words echo in my brain, fuzzy. Nothing happened. What's he talking about?
Suddenly, I remember. Aunt Laura is dead, and Charis is going to be soon too. The thought weighs me down so much that I feel like my whole body has turned to lead and for a moment I exit reality, re-living flashbacks of yellow paddle boats on a bright blue lake.
“Kyra?”
I think Bryan has to say my name several times before I snap out of it.
“Sorry.” I say, my head turned away. I don’t want him to see me crying.
I feel him take my hand and lead me outside under the tree in our yard where my bike is waiting. He must have gotten it out for me.
“I can’t… I can’t go.” I tell him, still avoiding his gaze.
Suddenly his arms are around me. It’s nothing like yesterday’s hug, this one is more intense and I immediately cling onto him, as if he’s the only way that I can stay afloat. The whole situation is so unbearable that I break down into uncontrollable sobs and end up hiccupping.
I sound ridiculous, but I keep clinging on, and he holds me even tighter, getting my telepathic message that I need this hug right now. I need it badly. Slowly, the hysterics go away and I'm quietly sobbing into his shoulder. Bryan slacks up on his grip that he has around my waist.
When Bryan lets me out of our embrace, he holds onto my shoulders firmly and looks at me with so much instensity that I know I have to look back at him.
“Life is easier when you smile.” He says.
“I can’t.” I whisper.
“You’re the girl who’s going to run the Ironman, aren’t you?” He asks.
“Yes.” I say sheepishly.
“Good. Because I know you. And I know you’re strong enough to make it through anything.” He tells me.
I half-heartedly smile, then shake my head.
“This is different.” I persist. “This isn’t about how far I can bike, or run, or swim. It’s not about strength… it’s a whole new kind of pain.”
He hesitates for a moment.
“You’ve been through a lot.” He says. “And I wish it weren’t that way… but sometimes life isn’t as fair as it should be.” He stops to look at me and smile. “If you don’t think that you can get through this, then you’re crazy.”
I smile back at him, but I know he’s still concerned because my tears keep falling quickly and steadily. I try and stop them but I know it’s no use.
"Do you want to talk about it?" He asks gently.
I shake my head slightly.
"Is there anything I can do to help?"
YOU ARE READING
Finishing Crazy
Teen FictionKyra and Bryan have known eachother their whole life, but it wasn't until recently that they've become really close. After spending every single morning biking mile after mile with eachother, Kyra confides in Bryan that she wants to race in the Iron...
