Chapter 2

Starting this story will be hard. Very hard, actually. Because in the beginning of this story, my story, something very bad happened.

My brother had just died.

It was a cruel, inexplicable death that made the daisy's and daffodils weep tears of sorrow.

The news had spread like wildfire. I wasn't surprised. Caleb was more than cherished in our town, with that charming smile of his and welcoming aura that drew the people to him.

That first night of his death, I could hear it. The sobs of my parents, the neighbors, I even heard a couple mournful howls. Everyone was grieving. Except me. Not even a sigh left from my lips. Just hallow air. This concerned people. And when I say concerned, I don't mean the pitying kind, I mean the aggressive kind. The one where everyone glares at you from behind for behind so, "cold hearted," and "emotionless". I couldn't blame them for thinking that of me, because that's exactly what I was. Empty.

But I went on. I graduated two months after Caleb's death. I mean, so did everyone really. All I remembered was the announcer calling my name.

After that I started taking some classes at Pepperdine University, and things were fine. At least I thought things were fine. One evening, we (my father, mother, and I) were in the middle of dinner. I munched quietly on the steamed vegetables, every now and then stealing a glance at the empty chair in front of me. The tension was there, I just didn't feel it.

It was like the bubble had finally bursted. A perfectly ok bubble that I was perfectly ok with.

"Do you even miss him?"

That voice pierced through the deafening silence. It sounded anguished. Hurt. It was my mother's.

I stopped the fork's journey to my mouth.

I stared into her bright blue eyes. I was always so fond of those eyes. They held kindness and sincerity, something I could've never been capable of.

"What?"

I knew exactly what she meant. I was stone cold. I could even hear it in my own voice. Like I didn't even care. I did care.

"Natalie-" my father tried. He held his hand up in a desperate attempt to stop her before she said something he knew she'd regret.

"No, Andrew."

That was all.

She faced me again.

"Do you know what has happened?"

I blanked. Was this really her? Was she actually as mad as she sounded? My mother hadn't had an angry bone in her body, so that couldn't have been true.

"Your brother died just two months ago, Beatrice! And you have nothing to say about that?"

It wasn't a question. It was an accusation, and her words were venom.

"No."

I didn't expect her to do anything. I didn't want her to do anything. She would just continue eating her meal, and she would dismiss me when dinner was finally over. But she didn't do that. No, she did much more.

She stood up from her chair and leaned across the table until she was close. It was all so quick. Like a squirrel, scampering across the lawn after it had just found the acorn it had been searching for.

She slapped me hard across my cheek. Very hard.

I crashed to the ground, my seat tumbling with me.

"How could you! How could you! How could you!" She screamed as she threw fists at my chest.

I would've reached out to stop her, but I could see she was having a moment. Tears streaked her cheeks and her lips were peeled back, wails omitting from her throat. My father's lean arms wrapped around her waist, and she was lifted off of me and carried to bed.

The next morning I woke with a bruised cheek bone and a sore chest.

My parents were more worried for me than I thought.

It was a Saturday afternoon, and they had gone to the grocery store since we were out of milk. I was up in my room, studying for an upcoming English lit. quiz. I was so in tune with the book I was reading, I hadn't realized someone was knocking at the door until a muffled voice traveled through the house.

My feet padded against the tile flooring as I made my way to the front entrance. I opened the door cautiously.

"Hey."

Authors note

Mmmmmmmm...I wonder who that could be (wink, wink). Please tell me what you think of the story so far in the comments. Until next time,

XxX