Obsessed

Chapter 3

After fainting, Lewis found me and rushed me to hospital. But that was a week ago. Now I'm at my father's funeral.

Mum hasn't stopped crying since he left. Lewis cries silently every night in bed. I can hear him. His muffled sobs into the blanket. He's trying to be strong for mum. He's trying to be strong for me.

We had to dress mum today, pull her out of bed and push her to come. She hasn't been anywhere or done anything this whole week. We can't even get her to eat. Mum's fragile body goes limp next to mine. She has no energy, even to hold herself up. Lewis catches her before she has the chance to collapse onto the floor and sob.

At the graveyard, Lewis becomes so impatient that he tosses Mum over his shoulder because she can't walk on the grass or rocks. She's too unstable. What else could you expect?

I remember watching movies and reading books where people say they feel numb. I think I'm the only one who has succumb to the numbness. Mum and Lewis are too feeling.

The service ends and Lewis, Mum and I are the only ones left. We sit at his stone silently. Not even a bird dares to chirp. The air is sharp like a blade. No one speaks.

I see someone walk across the grass. They have flowers and put it on a grave. I stand up and walk over to the familiar figure.

It's Kyle.

"Kyle?" I say.

"Oh. Hey Kristen. What are you doing here?" The numbness is gone and all of the sudden a wave of pain rushes through me and I'm on my knees sobbing into my palms. "Hey, hey, hey." He says comfortingly. He warily puts his arms around me, probably not knowing what to do.

He pulls me into his chest as he kneels in front of me. Then I stop crying. What am I doing? How could I be so weak in front him? I flick my head up and see him looking down on me.

He slowly lets go and offers me a hand once he's up. I don't take it and stand up myself. Even though Dad passed, I kept going to school, and I realised he's a jerk. An arrogant, self-centred jerk.

I look at the floor. "You ok?" He says briefly.

"Peachy." I say and walk back to Lewis and Mum.

Now that I've had my turn to cry, I can support them. I demand that we go back home. After ten minutes of coaxing mum to stand up, we finally get out of the most depressing place I've ever been.

***

Lewis is upset. He has been since Mum has been. But instead of getting better, they are both getting worse. And I'm the one looking after them. So I decided to pay for a therapist to visit them every day. Since they can't get out of the house, she has to come to them.

And I have to take the bus to school. Because no one can drive me.

Bridget and Harmony have been very empathetic. They always talk to me in hushed, lullaby voices. But I'm sick of it. I'm sick of everyone treating me like a porcelain doll.

I'm about to tell Bridget and Harmony this, in fact I'm walking to our meeting spot right now.

Unfortunately I run into someone. Umph!

"Sorry, Krissy." Chase says.

"Uh no that was me." I say clumsily.

"I heard about your dad. I'm really sorry." I smile up at him and see his sparkling blue eyes.

"It's alright. It's all going to be alright." I say more to myself.

"See ya." He says and walks off.