Losing Oliver

Chapter 1

My hands shook in fear.

They were burying Oliver in the ground, and I would never see his face again. His sweet, innocent eyes and sculpted nose.. They would be kept hidden under the dirt. There would be no laughter, not even a breath of air, leaving his lips anymore.

The cold Minnesota air wrapped around me and seeped through the holes in my sweater. It picked up the ends of my hair and twisted my messy curls in the wind. They brushed against my damp face while I stood motionless in the crowd.

I was a wreck, and it was obvious to everyone at the funeral.

My eyes were bloodshot from all the tears that now ran down my cheeks. The tip of my nose was red, both from the cold air and my constant sniffling. Sobs sounded from all around, but they were mostly coming from me.

A hand held my shoulder in comfort, yet I didn't look back to see its owner. Grief struck my heart a million times over and over again, making it ache with sorrow so great that it seemed unbearable.

"It's okay, Lucy. Let it out." I heard the gentle voice coo. It wasn't my mom but Emmy. Her big doe eyes were finely done with makeup, though a big percentage of it ran down her cheeks. Resentment filled my heart as I pulled my shoulder away from her. She instantly let go and pressed her hand against her chest. She had everything I wanted, and she let it slip right through her fingers.

Oliver's mom looked back at us from near the casket, nodding at Emmy and walking up to me.

"Hello, Darlings," Mrs. Franklin murmured in her hoarse voice. Her eyes were red and the sides of her lips kept turning downward as she tried to prevent herself from crying. She tousled my badly curled hair and took one of my hands then one of Emmy's.

"It's time to pay homage to Ollie, so I assumed there's no one who knew him better than the two of his closest friends."

"Of course, Evelyn." Emmy replied quietly with a nod. Her poise astounded me, even with so much pain in her eyes. I suppose that's why Oliver liked her so much. She was beautiful, even at her worst.

I felt my throat close up in nervousness but nodded as well. I swallowed, "Anything you need, Mrs. Franklin."

A frail smile crossed her face at my words. "That's my girl." She said softly with a small but empty laugh. The memory of Oliver saying those same words flashed in my mind, making me laugh as well.

The reference was lost on Emmy, but she gave a quick laugh. "Shall we?" She gestured and both Mrs. Franklin and I agreed. She took my arm gently, giving me a sympathetic look. I made a pact with myself at that moment: I would refrain from showing spite toward Emmy for now. We were in the same boat when it came to grief.

I hadn't gotten to spend much time with Emmy. I had avoided her for the first few months that Oliver dated her. I closed myself off for a few days when he told me about her. I didn't talk to anyone for a week. I was being such a drama queen; I should've gotten over it. Precious time was lost because I was jealous and spiteful toward a girl I didn't know. How stupid it seemed now.

Emmy stepped toward the coffin and gently placed her hand on it. I saw her eyes taking the whole scene in. She took a deep breath before beginning her speech:

"Hello, I am Emmy and I am- uh, was- Oliver's girlfriend." She took a moment and gazed down at the coffin before her.

"Oliver Franklin was the bravest guy I knew. He never complained through his sickness, not once. He just kept on smilin' throughout the whole thing. Though that brain tumor seemed to drain him of all his energy, he never lost that spark he had. His humor never faded, nor did his hopefulness. That's why he's my hero. He was the ray of sunshine on a rainy day. I will miss the boy that I loved."