The Heart Of Solitude ✔

Chapter 1

Leighton's POV

My head is spinning, and my eyes are burning with tears as they threaten to fallen down my already stained face.

I stood in the back of the funeral home with my girlfriend, Bexley, standing next to me. Nova's parents stood in the front, gazing into their daughters casket.

Her mom clutched to her dads chest ready to collapse to the ground at any minute at the sight of her daughter dressed in an all white dress, and her skin paler than usual.

My skin crawled at the sounds of her moms wails. Bexley wrapped her arms around me pulling me into her. I rested my head on her shoulder.

I couldn't fathom the thought of Nova being gone. One second she was here, the next she wasn't.

She was the glue to our trio. Nova, Dallas, and me. She was the one that had kept us together for years. But now she was gone.

Looking around the room at all the grieving friends and family members of Nova, I spotted Dallas. She was standing there her face streaked with tears. She turned her head making eye contact with me.

Not turning away, we both kept eye contact. A distant, cold eye contact.

~~~

Sitting in my bed I looked at all the memories that I had sitting in front of me. Our trip was the most adventurous friend group you probably would've seen.

When ever we had the chance we were always exploring the world. We were doing anything we could that would give us that adrenaline rush we thrived for.

Bexley, who sat behind me while I sat in between her legs grabbing one of the pictures I had sitting in front of me.

She held it up. " Where was this?" She asked. I took the picture from her hands, smiling at the picture.

" It was at a fair 2 hours away from here, last year." I said looking into the picture. It was six different pictures from a photo booth that we had taken. They were pictures that defined our friendship. Goofy.

" Your mom let you go to a fair two hours away?" I shook my head. " Nope." I said popping the 'p'. " She absolutely refused for me driving two hours away with them. But Nova came up with a plan to make sure that none of us felt left out. As her saying would go when we were younger, ' No solider left behind.'" I chuckled. " We told my parents I was spending the night at her house, but instead we did exactly what they didn't want me to do."

She chuckled from behind me. I laid down the picture, the sadness I had from earlier rushing back. I leaned back into Bexley while she wrapped her arms around me.

Bexley and me have only been dating for a couple of months now, but before anything we started out as best friends when she moved to my school in 8th grade. She was the person out of my entire friend group at school that I always helped me with my boy problems, or even girl problems, because yes I'm bi meaning I like both females and males and have relationship issues with both.

Outside of Nova and Dallas, Bexley always made sure everything with me was okay. Not that my other friends at school didn't care, it was just that she was a little more invested. Turns out she was invested in me all the time cause she had a giant crush on me, with later I admitted to reciprocating and now we're here.

" You know I love you right?" Bexley said. I looked up at her. " I know. " " You know I'm here for you whenever you need me?" I nodded. " I know that too." She smiled leaning down and laying her soft lips on mine.

There was a knock on my door, and my beautiful mother walking in. She quickly covered her eyes causing us to laugh. " PDA!" She screamed jokingly causing us to laugh.

She smiled, uncovering her eyes. " Bexley, honey, your mom is waiting outside for you." Bexley sighed. " Well I guess that means its time for me to leave." I sat up allowing her out from behind me. She grabbed her phone off the side table. " See you tomorrow babe." She said leaning down giving me a small peck on the lips.

She walked past my mom, and out the door. " Goodbye Lynn. Goodbye Cameron." She yelled to my parents as she walked out the front door.

My mom smiled. " I love her." She said walking over and sitting on the edge of the bed. I nodded. " I know mom. You say every time she's over here." She chuckled.

She looked down at everything that sat in front of me. " How you doing my sweetness?" She asked as she rubbed her hand over my hair. I shrugged. " Honestly I don't know. I think I'm still in shock to the fact that she's actually gone." My mom nodded, picking at the pictures on the bed.

" You three were quite the trio. You three never missed a beat. You were constantly together when you weren't at school, and you guys were constantly on an adventure. Always go somewhere, or exploring something."

I smile sadly. " Now I'm not sure that any of that will exist anymore." My mom raised an eyebrow. " What are you talking about?" I shrugged. " She was the glue." I said pointing to Nova. " We were the papers she was keeping stuck together." I said pointing to Dallas and I.

" Honey you guys have been friends for a while now. Nova wouldn't want you guys to give up on the friendship." I nodded. " Dallas and I haven't talked since we found out. It's like the glue is slowly melting away because she's gone."

My mom placed her hand on my cheek. " You both a mourning, suffering with a loss of someone who played a big part in both of your lives. Talk to her. Remember, communication is key."

I chuckled dryly. " I'm not one of your students at school mom, you can't council me." She smiled. " I know, that's why I'm not. I'm just giving you some advice, like I'm supposed to do."

I nodded. We sat there in silence for a couple of seconds before my mom broke it with a sigh. " I'm going to go finish some paper work, dinners downstairs."

" Im not too hungry. I'm just going to get some rest for school tomorrow." I lied. She nodded her head, fighting the argument that she prepared when I would deny dinner.

" Okay. Sleep tight baby." She said closing my door as she walked out.

Sleep? That hasn't been a thing for me lately.

XOXO PARISBESTIES12