Let Me Open Your Eyes

Chapter 2- The Boy With Blue Eyes

{"I know I should crumble for better reasons

               but have you seen that boy? He brings the sun to its knees every night"}

Eddie's parents decided to have the funeral fall on the date that would have been his twelve birthday. I had already planned my outfit, brought the flowers and perfected my sympathetic smile to send at my Auntie Rachel and Uncle Ted. But I still didn't feel ready. I guess no one is ever ready for a funeral no matter how much they prepare for it.

I had texted Megan before school to let her know that I was going to be leaving early. Megan was my first friend at school that took me under her wing when everybody else turned away from me. I was grateful that she put up with my lack of input and was always pushing me to be a better friend so that everyone would like me better.

The next day when Megan and some of others took me to the bathroom for one of their daily make up checks, I pointed to the door and waved goodbye to Megan quickly. Before I could make a dash for the door, one of my other friends, Veronica, wrapped her hand around my arm and pulled me back.

"Where are you going?" she asked with her perfect teeth and perfect smile.

I looked at Megan and she fluffed her hair in the mirror before putting her hands on her hips, jutting one out tiredly. She turned to Veronica and sighed.

"Paise, has a funeral today. Her poor little cousin...Eddie, right?" Megan looked at me with raised eyebrows and I nodded, looking down at the floor. After my nod of confirmation, she continued, "...passed away last week. Poor little guy. So she's leaving now, right Paise?"

I sent her a tight smile and nodded at Veronica. Veronica pushed her dark red curls out of her eyes before pulling me in for a quick hug, her manicured fingernails digging into my shoulders. I stiffened slightly with the affection and she then pulled away.

"I hope it goes okay" she smiled sadly and tilted her head to the side, twirling a lock of hair around her finger. I smiled back at her quickly before making my way out of the door. My mother was waiting for me in the family car outside the gates. When I approached the car, she smiled at me, tapping the steering wheel to add to her performance.

"Hey sweetie, you feeling okay?"

I nodded and pulled my seatbelt over my chest, looking out of the window.

"I know this might be hard for you, but you know I'm always here for you to talk to."

Her performance was award-winning.

We took a quick drive back to our house for me to get changed into a black dress for the funeral itself. My house looked the same as it always did but something felt different. Lately everything felt different, like the air was shifting and changing around me. Or maybe it was me who was changing whilst the world around me remained the same.

I had lived there throughout my whole life and it hadn't changed one bit. My bedroom walls were still the same light blue from when my parents were expecting a boy. When I was eleven, I wanted to change it to another colour but stopped talking shortly after my twelve birthday.

They forgot to change it.

They were always too busy trying to find out what was wrong with me.

...

For the funeral I changed into a plain black dress buried in the back of my wardrobe that my Mum got me years ago, clinching in at my waist before flaring out at my hips. The funeral was set to be in a normal boring church which I'm sure Eddie would have hated. He hated anything that was boring; a lot of people do.