The Time Capsule (Harry Styles Fanfic)

Chapter 24

Madden POV
18 YO

   The boys and I swam for hours. And for the first time in 5 days, I laughed. I smiled.

  We splashed and dunked each other like we were all 6 again instead of 18 and 19. And it was the best distraction for all of us.

   For a little while we just got to be young kids again, spending the day with our friends and enjoying each other's company.
  
   But like everything, it had to come to an end. We waddled our way out of the ocean, and attempted to put our clothes back on as best as we could over our wet skin.

   "Well since Madden decided to be Usain Bolt and fucking run the whole way here, we better get to making our way back before it's dark." RJ says.

   "I'm surprised our parents haven't come looking for us yet." Baker adds.

   "They knew we needed this," Harry says and throws his arm around me. "When we all left they probably decided to let us say goodbye to him in our own way."

   And I couldn't have thought of a better way to have done that. I didn't know if heaven and hell were real, I didn't even know if I believed, but I hoped wherever Edge had ended up on the other side, he was able to smile and laugh at the way we spent our day saying our goodbyes to him like he was right there with us.

  •••

  When we finally arrived back to our neighborhood, we all noticed the cars lined up outside of Edge's house and decided that's probably where everyone was.

   We walked inside and were greeted with the smell of food, and I felt my stomach grumble hungrily. I had hardly ate anything in days, and I was famished.

   All conversation stopped when the four of us trekked into view, my hair still dripping wet from the swim.

   "Well," My dad started. "I guess none of us should be surprised that's where you lot ended up at."

   "Hungry?" Edge's mom asked, smiling at the four of us.

   I had to wonder what she saw when she looked at us. Did she see her sons friends? Or the group of kids that weren't enough to stop him from ending his life?

   "Sorry for the mess, Mrs. G." Baker says, seeing the trail of water we're leaving behind us as we walk towards the kitchen where all the food is waiting.

   "That's okay," she says softly. "Wouldn't feel like home if I didn't have you kids coming in and out and leaving sand and water wherever you all go."

   "I know that's right." Harry's mom adds, and all the adults laugh together, even Edges parents.

   It's then that I realize this is their goodbye. Spending the remainder of this horrid day with the only people in this town who probably still love their son and will miss him too.

   I fill my plate with every casserole that's laid out and wonder which church members dropped this off, though I'm glad they did.

   Here in the south, your family always received a shit ton of food and groceries when you lost a loved one. I guess it was our way of saying we have dinner and things covered the next few nights, so you had your appropriate time to grieve without more worry tacked on.

   We sit down and eat, and conversation carries on easily throughout everyone like it always does. But there's an obvious tension and sadness in there air at the vacancy that we all can feel.

   Looking into the living room, there's a picture over the fire place mantle of Edge standing with all of us, he's in the middle and we're celebrating his 13th birthday out in his backyard.