Visualizing Death [COMPLETE]

Visualizing Death : 3

Elizabeth drops her jaw, staring at me. I shift my gaze to Alec and see that he's doing the same thing, but he's staring at Josh instead.

"What? Do you two want to catch a bunch of flies?" Josh asks. "No? Then shut 'em because everything we just told you was completely true." He sounded a bit harsh to me, but I'm not focused on him right now.

My best friends close their mouths, but they still don't say anything. I mean, I can't really blame them, can I? Would I believe this if it was happening to Elizabeth or Alec? Probably not. Don't get me wrong, I do trust my friends, but this is a little far-fetched. Okay, a lot far-fectched. But would you believe me? Let me answer that for you: No.

"I don't know, Mia..." Alec finally says.

"Are you serious, Alec? You think that I'd tell you this if it wasn't true? Come on, I'm not that kind of person! I thought you knew that!" I yell, standing from the bench and storming away, my fists clenched tightly.

How dare he say something like that? We've been friends for years, he should know better! We've been through so much, the three of us have, we've trusted each other over our parents for crying out loud! He should be able to trust me in this!

My thoughts consume me and before I know it, I'm leaning against Joshua's car with tears freely flowing down my face. I bury my head in my hands and sink to the ground. "How dare he..." I say, trying to calm myself down. One of the most annyoing things about me is how easily I can change moods. One second I can be screaming and the next I can be bawling, like I am currently. Or maybe I'm as happy as can be, then I'm moping around, not knowing what to do with my life.

And my friends were always there to bring me back to being myself. To calm me down.

They were there.

Through everything.

They still are.

Just as I'm about to stand up and apologize to my friends, someone places their arms around me and whispers comfortingly into my ear.

I start crying again. I mean, everything always comes back to me when people treat me like that. I wrap my arms around their torso and hug them tight, not wanting to let go.

"Mia..." he says, softly stroking my back. "It's okay. You need to give them some time."

"I-I'm sorry, J-Josh. I'm s-sorry I exploded back t-there."

"It's okay." Josh laughs suddenly, "You should have seen Alec after you left. He looked as if you were some kind of bomb that was ready to explode."

He got that right. Except that I did explode. Gosh I'm so unpredictable. Well, sort of. It's predictable that I'm unpredictable, if that made any sense at all.

I don't say anything in response, just burying my head into his neck as he keeps holding me and saying things softly, as if they'd give me any comfort.

And I really wish they would.

•••

I twirl the spaghetti on my fork as my friends are engaged in some discussion that I don't care about. Out of curiosity, I listen in for a second.

"-then Robinson stole the ball and-"

I mute them out again, not wanting to hear about the latest basketball game. What? I'm not a complete sport fanatic.  I know enough to be able to distinguish what sport it is. Besides, that's the only sport they ever talk about, Alec and Elizabeth that is. So, yes, Elizabeth is a sports person. Every now and then, I hear Josh breaking into the conversation, so at least he's not sitting there awkwardly like I am.