The Pain of a Middle Child

XIII

After Liam's death, I became more quiet and more like the old me from elementary.

I gradually grew apart from Liam's friends and often strayed on my own.

That was until Heather came up to me one day and introduced me to her new friends.

There were three; a big girl with a calming smile, a girl with glasses who looked around my height and a small girl with medium length hair and a cute face.

The first girl was named Sarah, the second Yasmine, the last one Savanna. As soon as I talked to each one of them, I knew that we were going to be close friends.

But school didn't want us to get to know each other just yet. The bell rang and we had to part so soon after we'd met.

Even though it had been two and a half weeks since he died, people around me was whispering about me whenever I came into their view.

I always shrunk against the wall or anything that was solid enough to avoid getting my scar deepened.

And every day, I felt it getting reopened by people telling me "I'm sorry for your loss." or "It must be horrible." "I wish I could've known him as much as you did." to help me, but their so-called help was nothing but poison. Every comment, every word dug deeper into my brain and hurt me.

The class ended with our teacher frowning disapproving at us. I layed down on my desk and closed my eyes.

My bliss lasted for barely half a second before Heather pulled Maya and Selly to my desk to usher me to bond with my new friends. I reluctantly obliged and put on a smile that was sure to trick everyone.

Throughout our second meeting, I remained bubbly and 'happy'. Heather was giving me glances while the rest eagerly got to know me.

"Ooh, what's this?" Yasmine said, noticing my key chain. The key chain was specially made by a professional resin artist, who was Liam's cousin sister.

I flinched. I had stripped everything that reminded of Liam into a blue-black box, but had completely forgotten the key chain.

"Just a present I got," I waved the question away, and Yasmine seemed to get what I meant. She patted my head and the bell rang.

"Bye, guys!" I called after the running two. The four of us said goodbye to Savanna, who's class was right next to ours.