Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before (Girlxgirl)

Chapter # 36

Hannah and I had both hugged Jordan after the service. He had work, so he couldn't come with us to see the casket get lowered into the ground. After he hugged us both, he left and then it was just Hannah, Seth, and I.

We rode to the burial ground in Talia's parent's car. I hadn't wanted to and Seth hadn't wanted to leave his car, but who was really going to argue with two people who had lost their daughter?

We walked to the car sullenly and I looked up just in time to see the two police officers leave the church. The youngest one met my gaze before frowning and looking away, saying something to his partner.

I climbed into the car and buckled in next to Hannah as my brother got in as well. It was a rather large car; a limo. I watched the struggle of helping Talia's mom into the car, with her one leg and all.

Once we were all inside and looking everywhere but each other, the car took off and we were on our way to the cemetery.

The air inside the limo was choking and I didn't want to ask to roll down a window, so I settled for breathing in and out slowly to prevent a panic attack.

I wasn't claustrophobic, but somehow I was stuck in a tiny closet with a locked door and spiked walls. Talia had gotten under my skin and into my veins and I had been addicted to her and being away from her was slowly killing me.

Trying to ignore the awkwardness swirling in the car was useless. It was there, just like the crying baby and the grieving couple and Seth and I and Hannah, who was like the odd one out here because she was the only one who looked okay.

I knew she wasn't, this had just been yet another person to drop out of her life, but she looked the part and for that I was jealous.

I wish I could just turn my feelings off until I needed them. The car stopped and I heard Seth let out a breath before looking towards the door. Talia's family members were the first ones to leave the car and then it was Hannah, then Seth, and then me.

I looked out at the rolling green hills dotted with gravestones and plaques. there was a trail weaving around the rows of gravestones and I braced myself for the feeling of dread I knew was going to encounter.

A shadow moved from behind a tree to my right. I looked to the side and saw a flash of a black peacoat and blue hair.

Blue hair.

"Taylor, you coming?" I turned and nodded. "Yeah, sorry." I took my place beside my best friend and started walking with her to the place of burial.

There was a hole in the ground. Six feet deep. Surrounding the hole was the contraption that would lower the casket in. A huge pot of flowers sat off the the side of it.

We weren't the first ones here. There were about five people, all dressed in black standing around. I noticed the priest from the church, holding his bible to his chest looking grim.

I don't think people gave enough credit to those guys. They dedicated their entire lives to baring the holy crosses and carrying around the weight of peoples sins and pain on their shoulders and never once complained because they knew in their hearts they were doing a service of some sort and they would be rewarded.

I wasn't religious, but damn if it didn't get you thinking. Why woud these people bury our dead, listen to our problems, marry us, and just about everything else if they didn't believe that they were doing the work of God? I had nothing but respect.

We all stood around the hole and waited. I saw the hearse arrive in the distance and again swallowed down the bile that rose. What had Talia done to me? Built me up and then left me alone in a storm to be blown down by high winds?