The Cold Hard Truth

Chapter 5

"Mia, you need to calm down" I distantly hear Tyler say urgently

"I... Can't" I choke out, barely able to breathe. My dad had told me that my grandfather, my only living grandparent, had a heart attack, and had just died.

"Yes you can Mee" Tyler says, cupping my face in his hands "Look at me Mia"

I look up at him, my eyes shining with tears and probably very red and swollen
"Everything's going to be okay. You'll get through this" he says, pulling me into I hug. I hold onto him for dear life, not going to let go anytime soon, but if he minds, he doesn't say anything. We just stand there like that until my tears run dry. I finally pull back, looking down at the floor.

"How the heck am I supposed to go to his funeral?" I ask, my voice shaking "I can't do this"

"You can Mee" Tyler said gently, "I'll be there with you I promise"

I look up at him, my eyesight still blurry with the remaining unshed tears
"Really?"  I say "Are you sure"

"Of course I am" he tells me "you're my best friend. I'll always be here"

At those words I give him a tiny smile. He reminds me time and time again why I like him, this being another time

"Thank you" I whisper

"Always Mee, always"
I put my head on his shoulder and we sit there for minutes, or maybe hours, and I'm happy that he's here with me.

-------------------------------------------------------

I'm sitting in my room, by myself right now. Staring at the wall. Since yesterday when I found out about my grandpa, I've done two things, cry, and then stop and go numb for a few hours. Then the cycle restarts again. Right now, I'm in the numb stage. I'm so detached from the rest of the world that I don't even realize that there are people in my house until they come into my room. The first one that I see is Amanda, who immediately walks over to me and hugs me. The rest of them, Mark, Isabella, Liam, and Tyler, of course, join her until it's a big group hug.

"Tyler told us" Amanda explains to me "I'm so sorry Mia".

At her words I break down again. You'd think I would've run out of tears by now, but apparently not. It takes me a little while to finally stop crying enough to be able to actually focus on what they're saying.

"We brought ice cream" Isabella says "Your favourite kind"

I give her a weak smile, then look around at the rest of them, and see the concern etched on their faces.
"Thanks guys" I say, my voice shaky "You all are the best"

"We'll all be there for you at the funeral" Mark promises me "Every single one of us"

"But you guys will miss school" I protest

"Mia it's alright" Liam says to me "We've all agreed, we're all gonna come and be there for you"

"Thank you" I say, grateful "So much"

I shoot Tyler a smile, with a look that I know he knows is a thank you. He nods at me, smiling softly. He always knows exactly what I need. The six of us hang out up in my room, eating cookie dough ice cream and talking. Not about my grandfather, they know that I won't want to, so instead we talk about how Liam has a new job, or a stupid assignment that Isabella and Amanda have in their Cosmo class. And in that moment, those couple hours with my friends, everything is alright, even just for a small amount of time.

-------------------------------------------------------

Today's the day. I have to go to my grandfather's funeral. I woke up multiple times last night, with the fear of what I have to do today. I've been up and unable to fall back asleep since around 4 in the morning. The funeral is at 1:00, it's around 9 now. I've been lying here in my bed refusing to get up. Maybe if I just lay here all day my dad will forget that I have to come with him and then I won't have to go. But this plan is ruined when I hear Tyler's voice coming from downstairs, talking to my dad.