𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐬━𝙖𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙣 𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙡

Ⅶ

REAGAN WOKE UP THE NEXT MORNING ON THE COUCH OF THE RUSSELL'S HOUSE, she rubbed her eyes as the sun shined in on her. "Shit." She mumbled as she looked out the window. Reagan wanted to get up, but she didn't want to bother anyone else, as they were still sleeping. She got up and began on the way down the hallway. Reagan was looking for the bathroom, when she got sidetracked by her name being called.

She stopped at the door where her name was called. "I'm sorry, did I wake you?" She asked as she walked into the room. The boy shook his head and moved over to make room for her to sit on his bed with him. He patted the spot in a childish manner, which made Reagan smile and sit next to him.

"Arvin, I know how it feels to loose someone you loved. Believe me." She told him, leaning her head on his shoulder. "What do you mean?"

Reagan sighed. "My daddy's bones were found a few miles from where his car broke down. Shot through the head. That's why I was there that day when Lenora was gettin' picked on. When you were gettin' beat up. I was going to tell my mama that they found him. Fifteen years, Arvin. Fifteen years he was missin'. Nobody saw anything. All of a sudden they found his bones. It's quite strange."

She thought for a moment before looking up to him. "I don't think she did it on purpose, Arvin." He looked down to the girl. "You think she was murdered?"

Reagan shook her head. "No, I think she was goin' to and then remembered you...and your grandma...and your Uncle Earskell...and me. She didn't want to leave behind the people she loved the most. She was probably tryin' to get down, slipped, and it killed her."

Reagan sighed as she looked back down. "Aren't there just days where you just want to lay in bed and never move? Like the entire world freezes and you just wanna stay in bed?" She heard the boy let out a huge gust of air. "Yeah."

"We have to get ready to go. I have a change of clothes in my car, I'll run out and get 'em and I will see you in a minute."

She knew what his question was before he even asked it. "Come on. You really think I would stay the night at my best friend's house without clothes? Come on, Arvin. You know better." Reagan smiled lightly as she walked out of his room. She went out to her car to grab the bag. On the way out, she saw the shed door open, which made her freeze. She walked over to the shed and stood there.

"Why couldn't you just have stayed in bed like I asked you? Huh, Lenora?" Reagan asked as she sat down on the bucket that sat on the floor. "I was goin' to help you. I can't now. Do me a favor though. Say hi to your mama for me."

Reagan got up off the bucket and walked out. She went over and grabbed her clothes before heading in to change. She changed quickly, trying not to think about what she was changing for. Reagan walked out, placing the bag that she had on the couch. She sat down for a minute, trying not to cry about her friend.

"Are you gonna do somethin' for your daddy?" Arvin asked as he walked into the room. Reagan looked up. "No. Mama doesn't want to. She thinks it'll make everythin' true. Mama doesn't want to believe that he's gone." She told her friend. He nodded and sat down next to her on the couch.

"I know how it feels, Ray. I buried my mama and lost my daddy on the same day." He mumbled. Reagan nodded. She laid her head on his shoulder again. "I'm not ready to say goodbye yet. To her. To my daddy. I mean, she was like your sister. You must be feeling ten times worse."

The boy didn't speak, but his knee began bouncing up and down like he was upset. The two sat there in silence for a moment before his grandma came out of the back, dressed in all black. Reagan looked over at her and nodded. It was time for them to say goodbye to the dear sweet Lenora.

Nobody would know that she wasn't a suicide and that in the end, she was alright with her maker. Reagan rode in the back of the car with Arvin. The two were quiet. She couldn't express how sad she was. She couldn't show how upset she was. Reagan was one of the few ones that cried in the town.

Soon, they stood in front of her casket, getting prepared to lower into the ground. Reagan stood next to Arvin. He was just like her. He didn't want to cry either. Not in front of his grandma, that is. Emma began to sob as she looked down at the casket. "Oh lord...there's just some things we can't understand." She sniffed, "But you take her into your arms.."

Reagan's heart broke a little as she watched Emma lean down to her granddaughter's casket. "Uh...ain't somebody sayin' prayers or..." Earskell said, wiping his face. Reagan looked at Arvin, who was glancing over at his uncle. Reagan pulled on the sleeve of his shirt a little and pointed at his grandma. He went over and helped her up and pulled her into a hug.

They finished the service and headed back to the car. The entire car ride was quiet. It was visible that Arvin was upset with his uncle and that he tried to hide his pain and his anger. Reagan tried to talk to him during the car ride, but he never spoke back.

When they arrived at Arvin's home, his grandmother and uncle were the first two out of the car. Before Reagan or Arvin got out of the car, they began speaking again. "We did it. We said goodbye."

"Yes we did."

"Arvin, I have to go home. But, you know where my house is and if you need anything, you come and find me. Mama always knows where I am, and so, if I'm not home ask her where I am and come and get me."

He nodded. Reagan hugged him from the side one last time and got out of the car. She quickly ran inside and got her things before running back to her car and driving home. That was when she let loose. Reagan cried about her father. About Lenora. About the hurt she saw in her best friend's eyes. She just cried. She looked in the rear view mirror, looking at her face, making sure she looked okay before she walked inside her home.

She pulled into the driveway and sat there for a minute, calming down. Her mother was home, probably inside making lunch. She wasn't hungry. She just wanted to go inside and lay down. Except, when she got inside of her house and saw her mother standing there, Reagan let loose and began crying once more.