Losing Abi

Chapter 4

Dedication: fandomsfangurlll for being awesome :)

This time when I opened my eyes, it was because my mom was shaking me awake. "Mark, there's been an accident," she said, and I immediately thought I was in the present, that she was about to tell me what happened to Abi, that Abi was gone.

But no, it was another memory.

"Mark, it's Abi's father. He was hit by a car early this morning and is in critical condition." My first thought was, Serves him right, but then I felt guilty. He was my best friends dad, after all.

"Are we going to the hospital, then?" I asked. My mom shook her head.

"Cordelia doesn't know how long they'll have to be at the hospital, so she's having Abi stay here for a bit. She said she would call if anything happened."

"When's Abi getting here?" I asked, sitting up and rubbing my eyes.

"I'm right here," Abi said quietly as she walked through the door. Her long auburn hair was in a messy bun on the top of her head, and she had on sweatpants and a sweatshirt. My mom gave her a sympathetic look.

"I'll leave you too alone," she said, then walked out of my room, closing the door silently behind her.

"You okay?" I asked, then cringed--no, of course she wasn't okay. Her dad was in the hospital. Abi sighed as she sat next to me, and I wrapped my arm around her shoulders, hoping it wasn't awkward. Apparently it wasn't, since Abi laid her head on my shoulder and moved a little closer.

"I've been better," she murmured sleepily. "But in a way, I kinda hope he'll be gone for good, you know?" I was silent for a minute, thinking.

"Yeah," I said finally. "Yeah, I do know." We sat there quietly for a minute, and then I said, "Hey, wanna go to the tree house?" When I didn't get an answer, I looked down at Abi, who had fallen asleep against my shoulder. I smiled slightly and pulled my arm tighter around her, laying my head on her shoulder.

***

Well...that was awkward...

I ended up falling asleep next to Abi, and when my mom came in about an hour later, Abi and I were both sleeping with our arms around each other. After she woke me up, my mom pulled me into the hall and raised her eyebrows at me.

"Mark, is there anything you'd like to tell me about you and Abi?"

"N-no," I replied, blushing. "We're just friends, really." She narrowed her eyes at me.

"Mhmm...sure. But you'll tell me if anything...else happens?" I open my mouth to reply, but just then, the phone rings. My mom's head jerks up.

"Mark, that's probably Cordelia. I need you to stay with Abi, okay?" I nodded and slipped back into my room as she rushed down the hall.

"Hey," Abi said, smiling blearily as I sat down next to her.

"Hey back," I replied.

"Where'd your mom go?"

"She went to get the phone."

"Oh."

"Yeah." Abi and I never had awkward silences like this. I was thinking desperately for something--anything--to say, and then my mom came back in. I was grateful for only a moment, but then I saw the expression on her face and I was filled with a sense of dread.

"Abi..." Abi was shaking her head. She knew, too. I reached out and took her hand. She gently squeezed my hand as she stared at the wall blankly.

***

The funeral was a week later.

Abi was wearing a black dress, and I was in a suit. I hadn't seen Abi wear a dress since first grade, and she hadn't seen me in a suit since...well, ever.

Neither of us spoke, but our hands found each others as we stood together.

The ceremony was over quickly, as was the burial. Afterwards, Abi and I sat together at the low table in the tree house, still in our funeral attire.

"You know...I would sometimes come up with scenarios where he would be gone," Abi said quietly, "but never, ever in a million years would I have wanted him dead." I wasn't sure what to say, so I just nodded.

"It's really weird that he's gone now...I keep thinking that he's going to, like, come in here and hit me for talking like this." I immediately sat up straighter and blinked at Abi. We hadn't ever talked about her dad abusing her--not even after I saw him hit her. Abi stares back at me.

"I'm sorry that I never talked to you about it before now," she said. "I knew that you knew, obviously, but I didn't want to drag you into it. I really am sorry." A tear makes its way down her cheek. I wipe it away without thinking and pull Abi into a hug.

"No, it's fine, it's fine, I understand. You don't need to apologize. I would have down the same thing." Abi smiles at me, then pulls me back into a hug.

"Thank you," she murmurs quietly. "Thank you."