Loving Him

Chapter One

||Loving Him||

Chapter One

April 2008

As I walked into the chapel, the gloomy atmosphere threw me off guard. I guess I should have expected this. It is a funeral after all. The family members of the deceased, Jane Tucker, all sported red-rimmed eyes with blotchy faces.

I spotted my friends, Samantha Ross and Linette Barbier. Sam’s brothers, Daniel Ross and Kendall Mercer were also there. I greeted them with smiles. Kendall’s relationship with the Ross-es were complicated but if you were to put it simply, they were siblings with different parents. I know that does not make any sense but it will be clarified in time.

We took our seats at one of the middle rows together. I saw Adam Black, Jane’s boyfriend at the front row along with his parents and Jane’s parents.

Adam and Jane had been best friends for years before that friendship turned into something so much more. When they were together, it was like they had an enchanted invicible bubble around themselves to separate them from the outside world.

The ceremony started and I tuned out because I was here to pay my last respects to Jane. Though I did not get the chance to know her that well, I still considered her as a dear friend. She was the first friend I had when I first moved here a year ago.

She was my guide around school for a whole week thanks to my no-sense-of-direction and the humongous size of the school. I was so thankful of her and she even included me into her circle of friends but I guess I kind of clicked better with Sam than her. Besides, she was constantly with Adam, literally, twenty-four-seven. They were neighbours and it wasn’t a secret that they spent the night with each other. (not really implying anything)

Francis, Jane's eldest brother started his speech at the front. It was hard seeing him stutter like that because when I usually see him at school, he is the jock who can never stop making cheesy jokes and lame taglines yet everyone loved him. His eyes were watery and he took deep breaths occassionally.

"My sister Jane, or as I called her, J-J, was someone who everyone loved. She was someone who never gave up. When I taught her basketball, she sucked, big time. She couldn't even shoot properly but then, after practising every day, after school with us, she gradually got better. I guess she didn't really like basketball. It was just a sport she could play with us. She preferred soccer. That was obvious judging by her track record. She was the only freshman who became team captain in the history of our school.

Though she loved soccer and didn't mind getting dirty in the mud if it rained, she still loved doing what girls love most-shopping. God, she was a shopaholic. Thanks to that, I now know the difference between turqoise and blue. She would drag me to go shopping with her just so I could carry her bags with her." he chuckled humorlessly.

Then started with a more serious tone "I love her with all my heart. She is my only sister and I will remember her forever. We shouldn't blame ourselves for this tragedy. Especially, you, Adam. You couldn't have done anything at the time." he looked straight at Adam with empathy.

It was too emotional that even I was affected and couldn't hold back my tears any longer.

The service was followed by a few more eulogies and then we all got into our cars, our destination: the graveyard. The graveyard was a place I have never been to before. Only to pass by it while driving and such. 

I couldn't get out of my car because I couldn't bear to see someone I knew, was friends with, and talked with in the last 72 hours, buried under six feet of soil and dirt. It was so heart wrenching I coundn't understand how Adam could stand the sight of it.

After giving myself a very long pep-talk, I finally managed to get my shaky legs out of the car and joined the people that was also at the church earlier. I smiled at those who offered their handkerchiefs to me but declined. 

Jane's casket was already being lowered in the ground and I couldn't help but imagine that she was being swallowed by the ground. I shuddered, regretting my thoughts when I was so embarassed of menial things until I wished the ground would just swallow me whole. I made a promise to myself to never wish of that ever again.

After the burial was completed, people started going home, one by one until only a handful including me were left. I approached Adam and gave him a hug. His tears still flowing endlessly. I can't even imagine what he was feeling at that moment. The heartbreak, the guilt and the anger.

He took a deep breath and suddenly stiffened. 

"Jane?" he croaked out. His eyes were closed. He relaxed a little bit into my embrace yet I was still ruminating in shock because he called me Jane. Why? Jane was the black haired beauty in school while I was the suppossedly blonde haired bimbo who was a cheerleader. The difference was obvious even to a blind man. How could he think I was Jane?

"Adam?" I called.

That seemed to snap him out of his trance. He looked at me, my arms and shrugged my hands off him. I was mildly hurt by that but I realized that he just lost his girlfriend who was now six feet under.

"Thanks for the hug, Eva. I really needed it." he said.

I looked at him properly and saw that he wasn't like the usual happy-go-lucky yet prim and proper guy he usually was. His hair was messy and ruffled, his shirt was slightly crinkled which usually, he would flip when so much as a single crease appered on his shirt. There were dark circles under his eyes which suggested he hadn't a good night's sleep in a while.

I bade him goodbye and offered the usual "see you later". 

Little did I know that was the last time in a long time I would see him as the 'Adam' I knew.

**********

Hellooooooooooo

Yay for school holidayssss

So how was it?

Was it sad/depressing/stressing?

Was it any good?

FYI, the chapter was roughly 1040 words... man that was looong!

Well, here's a plus!

We now know Adam's name!

Oh and what do you think about Eva?

As usual, of there are any typos, please do point them out.

So, originally Loving Her was just a second's impulse but then, a friend of mine. A wattpad friend encouraged me to make a story based on Loving Her. So here we are. Loving Him.

By the way, this chapter is dedicated to @EccentricAngels

virtual hugs and kisses,

anmiii