Silence.

Silence seemed to be an overused word, but it was the only one that I can use to describe the ambience. There were no living beings in the cemetery other than us, so the gloomy air was overly thick and overwhelming. My skin could even sense it draping over my body like curtains.

Neither of my friends dared to open their mouths to speak, or make their first move. They were too focused on recalling all the good memories that they had with Lynn, based on their darkening, downcast eyes: Seb, Alyssa and even Rena.

On the other hand, I didn't want to go anywhere near them. I had one too many times, hell, I had them almost everyday while they were having their good times. Suppressing all of them was the only effective route I could think off, as any other options ruled out. I decided to wait in my place until someone decided that it's the time to leave.

Out of the blue, my ears caught the grasses rustling and crunching under someone's weight. This indicated that a person had just recently entered this place, probably for a visit too. In intuition, I searched for the source of the noise, and found out almost instantly.

It was Asher, one of the most prominent members of my school's basketball team.

He was distinguishable from his dyed orange hair, and the cross earrings on the lobes of his ears. He was facing at the other side of the gravesite, so he haven't noticed either me or Seb. From afar, I slowly watched as he, with roses on his hands, stalked towards a particular grave. He carefully squatted down, smiling as he muttered out something, gently placing the flowers on it.

A year ago, Asher used to ignore me whenever we met. He brusquely gave out answers whenever I asked him a question. He had treated me like I ceased to exist, but I didn't give a shit about it and normally continued my days.

That's only when I was in the basketball team.

After I quitted, I always thought Asher will start despising me more. It probably worsened when the team was struck with a news that Lynn... passed away.

However, after Rena confronted him and the team, he developed a soft side, apologizing to me continuously. He tried to recruit me back, but I had denied the offer. I had no intentions of going back, because I didn't feel like it, even when those stupid seniors were finally gone. Back at school, he, regardless of my refusal, had hinted me incessantly that he wanted me back to the team.

I tried my best not to look at him for so long, but I kept on merely stealing glances. Inside, one big question swirled and stamped inside my mind: why did he visit the cemetery?

"That's Asher right? What's he doing there?" Seb pointed out, looking at the same direction I was facing. I didn't answer him orally, because nodding already sufficed as an answer. Both Rena and Alyssa curiously followed our gazes, gradually meeting up with Asher.

As soon as he was done with his memorial, he regained his composure as he stood up. The least I had expected was for him to discover that we were at the same location. The most I anticipated from him was that he will leave the cemetery, oblivious of the fact that we were here. Regardless of everything, his eyes trailed towards us.

When he was able to perceive who we were, his straight lips streched into a broad smile, his face brightened up a bit. From a distance, he nodded his head upward as a greeting, so Seb and I acknowledged back. He kept his hopeful face intact commenced his approach to the four of us.

"Are you guys visiting Lynn?" Asher questioned, as he brushed some parts of his bangs.

"Yep. It's been some time since we last did." Seb was the one who responded before I could. Not that I wanted to reply to him, though. "How about you?"

"Just dropping by my grandmother's grave. My father asked me to do so." He said, referring back to the same spot that he was earlier. He quietly bowed his head so that his dark brown eyes weren't that visible to us.

"She died barely a week ago, before the last day of school. Apparently, she suffered from..." Asher paused on the middle of his sentence, but he managed to resume. "...from some complications after she accidentally slipped down the stairs."

"I'm sorry to hear that." I breathed. I was careful not to step on the gifts we had placed as I approached him.

"Wow, dude, you don't have to be so empathic." He laughed softly, giving me an assuring grin, showing off his white, sets of teeth. He was trying to be as faint as possible, despite the fact that we were the only group in the graveyard. "Yeah, it was all of the sudden, but I'm fine now. After all, it's just the past."

It's just the past...

It's just the past...

At that one haunting statement in my head, my heart throbbed. Its wavering pain pounded against my body, affecting me both psychologically and physically. Something was definitely piling up inside my pharynx, possibly interfering with my vocal chords. My stomach stirred in agitation, resulting in a wavering nausea that I must restrain back.

I heard from Seb that Asher was really close to his grandmother, so I pondered about how he was able to move on from the loss. How the fuck was he able to continue with his daily life without thinking about one's death. How the fuck did he manage to get through all of that without the emptiness inside his heart. Like what he had said, he seemed fine and alright.

On the other side, I rigidly stood here, still remembering about the past events that had occured a long time before. If he was able to recover for a week, why can't I...?

Swallowing my breaths, I gave him a bob of head, before stepping back behind the group, contemplating about life.

In a faze, I discovered that Rena had been watching me the entire time. She seemed to be more than just concerned. I could see from her eyes that she wanted to talk to me, but was restrained back by something else. I slightly raised my hand, indicating that I am fine and there's nothing to be worried about.

"I'm planning on giving Lynn something too." He added, casting his gaze to the grave and then to the headstone. I noticed that on his hands, small flowers were held tight.

He hunkered down and gingerly positioned them beside my buoquet. He folded his hands and shut his eyes, inaudibly citing a prayer. After some time, he returned back towards us.

"...so Seb," Asher turned his attention towards my best friend, "are you going to work your ass off this holidays?"

"It's inevitable." Seb shrugged. "Leaving school temporarily means more work is shoved upon my face."

"I feel bad for you."

"Not a burden, though. It's my hobby, anyway. With my skills, I can finish all of them in time." He boasted.

"You're one arrogant asshole!" Asher guffawed hard, slapping Seb's back roughly. While I rolled my eye and Alyssa shrank back, probably in disgust, Rena acted like what every normal person will do: watching them.

My friends then proceeded to leave the cemetery, as they were all heading towards the gate. Before I pursued after them, I took one last glance at Lynn's grave, which now was full of colorful, eye-catching flowers. I recalled her, as child, grinning widely as she fervently shook my hand. I remembered all those memories when we were young, and all the way to when she was last seen alive.

Lynn...

Not time, Edward. Not the fucking time. I cleared my head off these unwanted thoughts, then strode fast to catch up with Rena and the others.

"Anyway," Asher's eyes turned towards me and glinted, "on either late June or early July, our team will be joining a sports competition. We will be competing against Woodlands, just like last year. Interested to come? Oh, for the fact, both of you are invited, too." Asher smiled down at the girls, who appeared to be left out of the conversation. They didn't answer him, but did give him a pointless smile.

"I can't come." Seb thought for a while, before coming up with his answer. "I'm too busy with my job. They're building up, not to mention that it's within the same time as my fashion show."

"Right Seb, I know you have a hella lot of work, bro. Good luck with that. How about you, Ed?" He passed the baton towards me, with his unusual, warm-hearted aura spreading all over his face.

Every head turned on me, each of their expressions were different. I could tell Asher was highly expecting for an agreement. Seb was beaming to no end, and Alyssa was completely apathetic. From a glance, Rena was waiting patiently, but I didn't watch her. She always made me jumpy.

Back to Asher's request, I didn't put too much thought on it. It was an easy answer. Besides, I knew what he was intending when he invited me.

"Not interested." I replied, bluntly. One single word caused the delight on his face to abruptly crack into pieces. "I'm not really into basketball anymore."

"Really? Seb told me that you often played basketball with your sister."

Fucking loudmouth. I threw a brief smoldering look towards my friend. He pretended like nothing happened and quietly whistled a random song.

"I'm just teaching her how to play." I sighed in frustration, then looked at him in the eye. "...If you insist on recruiting me, Ash, it won't work. That's final."

"You got it wrong, man!" He helplessly waved his hands. "I'm just asking whether you wanna watch the competition. Well, okay... honestly, I still want you on the team. You're a really great defender."

I narrowed my eye. "Just over a few months ago you called me a piece of shit. Make up your mind."

Asher's sheepish laughs echoed throughout the area. A hand suddenly hit against my shoulder, and I instinctively recoiled at the blow. "About that... eh, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean it. Besides, it was Alfred and his friends who called you that! They're already gone, though, so you're good for now."

"Speaking of Alfred, I wonder where he is now." Seb joined in the conversation.

"Probably ravaging the dumpster for food because he was too dumb to buy one." Unexpectedly, after a long time of being silent, Alyssa decided to butt in. She was walking just at the back, folding her arms and faced the clear, sunny horizon above her.

"BWAHAHAHA!!!" Asher laughed boisterously, doubling over. "That's a fucking good one!"

"I gotta admit that too, Butty." Seb turned around, inserting his rascal, deceitful expression. Alyssa ignored him, however, acting as if he was never there.

"Well, I never h-heard of him again since then, but people said he's homeschooled." Rena spoke out.

She was right behind me, so I could literally feel her hot breath making a contact through my clothes, racking up against my skin. I stiffened at the sensation, and in reflex, I focused on the lush, greenish yellow fields. Even worse, I felt my own cheeks started heating up, in spite of the weather.

"I heard that from Theo as well," Asher was trying to recover from his horde of laughters, "but others said he was transferred to a public school around the northern area."

"Well, I never really contacted him again." My best friend said, in a condescending tone. "He's a full blown asshat."

"You're seriously one of the biggest hypocrites I've seen and heard in my entire life." Alyssa grumbled, her green eyes shot daggers into his soul.

"Dude, I think I heard someone!" Seb exclaimed, his tone seemed forced and sarcastic. He placed his hand behind his ear, as if he wanted a clearer hearing. "Oh, it's just a drunk gorilla banging her chest off."

"Who are you calling gorilla you bastard?!" Alyssa snapped as she stormed forward and stomped her shoe on Seb's foot, causing him to yelp. At the scene, Asher couldn't stop spilling out all of his laughter, as if it was some sort of a disease. On the other side, Rena and I stayed quiet as we watched the scene.

While I seemed to be neutral, I was starting to get annoyed, especially at how loud they bicker. These two were still on it literally from early in the morning. Then, it persisted during and after the visit to the cemetery, and until now. Seemed like that there will be no peace for me unless they part ways.

"Both of them seriously get along really well!" Rena commented between her giggles. For some reason, hearing her soft, innocent voice was like... a song to my ears. Also, I couldn't help but to gawk at her beautiful-wait, what the fuck am I thinking?!

"Yeah, apparently." While I was a bit lost with my mind, I immediately agreed with her. Stop acting like an idiot and man the fuck up!

"You know, they r-remind me of fights I often see in TV shows and romance books." Rena further added, her body completely facing me. When her big, blue eyes met with mine, I was almost mesmerized if not for my consciousness. "Usually, in the end, they will love each other and be more than friends."

"Yeah, I've seen that a lot, but it becomes a little bit cliché, don't you think?" I questioned.

"Well, that's true, but I didn't really mind some cliché, you know." Rena smiled. "At least it has a good story, characters and the set of casts."

"I agree." I nodded at her statement, simultaneously concealing my true feelings from being too obvious.

Most of all, I suddenly got a feeling of déjà vu. I had a reminiscence that this particular had conversation ever happened in my life before. After rummaging through lots of memories, one captured my attention and then flashed in front of my sight.

It was that time when I and Rena were in sixth grade.

***

10 June 2008, 10:13 AM

"You liar!" Buttercup yelled, her voice ringing through the playground. She pointed her finger at Seb. "You cheat on the game! I tag you, but you didn't become the 'it', and you just run like nothing happen!"

"When? You don't have anything to prove me wrong." Seb smiled evilly, pulling his brown hat down to his head, and started laughing. "I don't even feel you tagging me anyway! Haha!"

"I was near you the entire time! I clearly tag your clothes, so I, myself, shall be the witness!" She kept on insisting, stomping her foot.

"Can you two just stop fighting? It's just a game!" My other friend, Raphael, tried to stop them, but failed big time. He looked at Seb, then back to Aly with a worried face.

"...but, my mom said to me, one witness means lack of evidence. Your argument is invalid, Buttercup." My best friend further dismissed her, and from here, I could see that Buttercup was losing. Although she seemed to run out of words she didn't put a surrendered face, instead a sulky, annoyed one.

While Seb and Buttercup continued their fights, I and Rena watched them as we sat, covered by the shadows of the trees. It was so hot today, I was sweating so hard and my body felt sticky. Sometimes, sunny days were just too extreme, and it made me want an ice cream.

"B-both of them r-really g-g-got along t-together, eh?" Without any warning, Rena suddenly spoke out, daring herself to look at the surprised me. However, I tried not to be like that and kept my cool.

"Yeah right!" I laughed with my whole heart, putting my arms on my hips. "They're like those clucking chickens that are too damn loud!"

"Um... n-not c-chickens..." She mumbled. "I-I think t-they're like those people on m-movies t-that end up being t-together."

"Oh yeah, true! Seen that a lot of times!" In my mind, I was remembering some past movies I watched with my family. "The boy always fights with the girl, but then in the end, they find true love for each other. Then they kiss and live happily ever after, and boom, a perfect family!"

Even when her face was hidden underneath her large straw hat, I could see that Rena silently giggled. Seeing this I was really glad, because it meant I had successfully made a girl laugh!

Buttercup rarely laughed whenever I joke around, and she always took things too seriously. Whenever I told her that her hair seriously looked like Buttercup's hair from Powerpuff Girls, she got mad, even though it wasn't an insult!

Sometimes, most girls were hard to understand...

"Y-yeah," Rena's shoulder fidgeted. "I've seen t-that as w-well..."

"Don't you think happy endings are too many these days?" I asked. "You know, this seems weird, but I really wanna see what happens if one of them dies."

"Oh um... t-that will b-be a sad ending then..." She said, and I furiously nodded. "I t-think T-Titanic has a sad ending."

"I think it's the only one movie I watched that's really sad." I commented.

"I-I c-cried i-in the end..." Rena admitted.

"Who doesn't? I cried as well! My brother, sister, mom and dad cried too! Those who didn't have no heart!"

"Oh, I-I thought I was t-the only one w-who c-cried..." She then completely gazed at me, and threw me a small but meaningful grin. "G-guess not."

***

At the sight of her once, adorable small grin, my thoughts grew a bit hectic. She had one contagious happiness that was just too difficult for my body to be immune. Therefore, when she did that, I couldn't help but it but to do the same as well. Her smile still largely affected me until now, and I couldn't get enough pondering about it.

Being back the reality, I discovered that Seb and Aly had already stopped with their nonsensical quarrel. They each walked beside Asher, so in other words, he was sandwiched in the middle.

On the other hand, from my peripheral vision, I also noticed that Rena was looking up at me. Her gaze bored down through my skull, so with my utter best, I forced myself to act neutral and indifferent. I securely fastened my jaw, concentrating on my other friends instead.

She was too damn oppressive for both my poor heart and stomach.

***

A/N: Since Wattpad had stopped glitching (well for now, but I hoped they fixed the bugs completely xD), I will be starting to update as usual!

New chapters will be published once a week: Friday night or at Saturday morning, depending where you live. However, there might be times where I update chapters on random days, or even twice a week. In this case, I will definitely alert you :D

Anyway, what are you thoughts about this chapter?

That's it for today, until next week!

~ Tara