“Hey hey..it's going to be alright..” A mysterious voice said behind me 

“I..I hope so..” I said in response as a warm embrace surrounded me. 

 

Everyone paid their respects and cried like normal, something was different about me i thought, now that the crying was over i felt even worse than before. Thinking of all the times I've said rude and mean things to several of my friends due to anger and lashing out. I wanted to say sorry to everyone who I've lashed out on and hurt severely. So that's what I'm going to do, This is the day that changed everything.

It broke his heart when she dumped him but she would later regret it. A week after Miss Popularity dumped him, he struck gold. He graduated with honors, walking on stage with his dark blue cap and gown grinning as if to say “ I told you so” to those who doubted. Soon after he graduated he was accepted into a prestigious college, and worked part time at a newly founded  company that was just getting started.  During that time he used what he learned at school and applied it to the company,  causing it to grow. Now he is the CEO of a multi billion dollar company, and although he is doing well he hasn't turned cold. In fact his blue eyes still gleam with kindness, the same kindness he showed to me when he said “Sorry, my bad”.  I didn't just like him because of his eyes, it was the way that he owned up to his mistakes and apologized.This isn't a story about how I got the guy, it's about how some people are going to see you. Some like Miss Popularity will judge you because of looks and obedience, others like me will look deeper to see the beauty in personality.  Take a chance on those people, they are the good ones.

“Oh Suzie…” I whimper while throwing a nice allium on her casket. I could feel even more hot tears stream down my cold face. I didn't feel like she was dead. But I knew she was gone because I could see her right in front of me, laying there, cold… and dead.

The ladies wore purple dresses and blouses and skirts, while the men wore purple ties and suits. The whole room was filled with purple. There were lavenders and other purple flowers spread all around the room, and on tables, and on her casket. Suzie was a very positive person, and hated being around negative people. She had asked, that even though it was a funeral people made it happy, and a fun time remembering all the memories they had with her. 

The room was filled with a chorus of laughter and talking. Walking around the room you could hear people telling wonderful stories about her, there were happy tears as they remembered the little things about her, and there were sad tears knowing she is now gone. Once the ceremony started everyone took their seats and listened. There were sniffs here and there all through the room. ONce the ceremony was over everyone headed over to the buffet in the other room which was filled with susie's favorite food.

 “Hi, I'm John”, he said as he gave me the book.  

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Her funeral was very

Her funeral was very different from any funeral I’d ever been to. It was odd, I wasn't a funeral expert but all funerals I went too weren't like this. It was off. I couldn't even explain it, it was like it wasn't real. I was awake, but not. There, but at home. I couldn't even stand. I sat down the lot of it, my legs were too weak. My face was wet with hot tears, and my eyes were dry from releasing so much liquid. It was cold.. dreadful.. 

“Oh Suzie…” I whimper while throwing a nice allium on her casket. I could feel even more hot tears stream down my cold face. I didn't feel like she was dead. But I knew she was gone because I could see her right in front of me, laying there, cold… and dead.

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Her funeral was very

Her funeral was very different from any funeral I’d ever been to. Everyone that knew her had shown up. Normally people who go to funerals dress in all black. BUt this funeral was different. She has requested that everyone who went to her funeral wore her favorite color. Purple. 

The ladies wore purple dresses and blouses and skirts, while the men wore purple ties and suits. The whole room was filled with purple. There were lavenders and other purple flowers spread all around the room, and on tables, and on her casket. Suzie was a very positive person, and hated being around negative people. She had asked, that even though it was a funeral people made it happy, and a fun time remembering all the memories they had with her. 

The room was filled with a chorus of laughter and talking. Walking around the room you could hear people telling wonderful stories about her, there were happy tears as they remembered the little things about her, and there were sad tears knowing she is now gone. Once the ceremony started everyone took their seats and listened. There were sniffs here and there all through the room. ONce the ceremony was over everyone headed over to the buffet in the other room which was filled with susie's favorite food.

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After the heartbreak

After the heartbreak was washed over them the next 3 weeks were chaos. Tons of people were excited about the two hottest people now being on the market. I tried to build up the courage to ask Blue Eyes out but everytime another girl swooped in flirting with him and clinging to his side.

“You should take me to the movies.” One girl said, grabbing his arm. “No you should take me.” The other girl said taking his other arm.I felt sick when I saw him feed into every second of it. He smirked as he watched the girls obsess over him. I’d seen him go out with 9 different girls in the span of 6 days. I realized I did not want to be one of those girls, blind to see how terribly he was treating them. As I looked at him in disgust my emotions for him were left behind.

“You should take me to the movies.” One girl said, grabbing his arm. “No you should take me.” The other girl said taking his other arm. I felt sick when I saw him feed into every second of it. He smirked as he watched the girls obsess over him. I’d seen him go out with 9 different girls in the span of 6 days. I realized I did not want to be one of those girls, blind to see how terribly he was treating them. As I looked at him in disgust my emotions for him were left behind.

I’ve never experienced a game played for so long in my life. 

I was sitting at lunch one Wednesday, at a small table in the corner of the lunch room, with the aroma of chicken nuggets dancing around me. There was so much noise but yet all I could hear were whispers of the surrounding conversations as my mind was at it once again. Until suddenly, even the whispers stopped. The hairs on the back of my neck straightened themselves, and the table and seat became cold and shivered up my arms all the way to my spine. Blue Eyes was coming toward me. 

I had finished my lunch but at that moment my stomach was empty, an empty pit. He sat down next to me, and looked right at my pale face and blank eyes with a game of tug of war in my mind that just stopped, the rope was dropped.  

“Hi,” he said as simply as you could, but it sounded more uplifting and powerful than you could ever imagine. 

“I’ve seen you around the school, you’re really smart, and nice, would you like to go out sometime?” 

I didn't know what to say, until one side of the rope yanked its way. 

“Sorry, but no,”  

From then on out Miss Popularity and I had never been closer friends, and we were forever on.

And in our last week of school, I gathered up all of my courage (Which wasn’t very much) and stomped right up to him in the lunchroom.

He looked up at me, and I started rambling on, about the locker accident, about Miss Popularity, so on and so forth. He looked at me with those shining blue eyes. I was pretty much yelling by now.

The bell rang. Right before I asked for his number.

Then he stuck a little slip of paper into my hand, and walked out of the lunchroom to go to his class.

My sweat came down like waterfalls as I slowly unfurled the delicate scrap of paper.

And I let out a cry of relief when it was a phone number. I stuck it straight into my pocket, and skipped away to class, humming. That’s also why I failed my test in French - I was too busy thinking about him.

I tested out his name again: Max.

And we parted ways after High School.

I still called him every other night, just to check up on him, see how he was doing. All perfectly normal, not creepy things. My voice wavered every time we said goodbye and hung up.

And now, holding the black card in my ever-shaking hands, I burst into tears.

My hands felt cold - then they felt hot. Cold. Hot. Cold. Hot. Cold again.

It was an invitation to his daughter’s funeral. I had met his daughter once before - her name was Suzie or something like that. She apparently had some rare disease that killed her eventually - and I was to attend. Even though Max and I had stopped talking years ago. And I knew this was hard for him, his wife had died about six years ago. 

I didn’t hesitate. Would his phone number still work?

I dialed.

And a man answered, speaking Spanish.

“Uh… I…”

The man continued, murmuring gibberish.

I hung up the phone, and looked over the invitation for the millionth time. Confusion, fear, and sadness was slashing at me, even worse that when I was so desperate for Max. I glared at the card, and with a jump of hope, noticed her had given me the address. 

The funeral was in two days.

TWO.

DAYS.

And the next couple days were probably the longest and most annoying days of my life. They dragged on endlessly, like I was stuck inside of some weird time warp that stopped my clock.

Finally, the time came, and I roared down the road at top speed, and got pulled over by an officer. I thrust some cash into his hands, shouting that I was not to be late, and this would pay for my ticket.

And I drove off again, faster.

And pulled straight into the cemetery. I climbed out of my car, feeling the ground crunch as I stepped forward.

And there was Max.

He looked just like before, only a bit taller, and with a sad look in his eyes.

I had never seen Max sad.

It was like he was a can of soda, that was shaken up to the brink of exploding.

Now whether that explosion would be out of pain or anger, I had no idea.

I strolled up to him, wondering if I looked good. Or if I looked like a floundering duck trying to be a swan.

As the ceremony continued, I spotted a little girl sobbing her heart out. This funeral was a little different - everyone threw a shovelful of dirt down to bury poor Suzie. Her hands were shaking as she did her part, and she retreated to cry into her father’s shoulder.

I felt terrible. I felt worse than terrible. Max was hurt. His daughter is dead. The black shirt he was wearing was soaked in tears.

But maybe I can help heal him throughout all of this pain.

Maybe his sad, now stormy eyes will return back to their vibrant, happy blue. Maybe he’ll start smiling again. 

All he needs is time, and maybe someone to cry on.

“Of course, Suzie.” I replied “if that’s what you want I promise you we will do that for you. It’s your funeral so I suppose you should be the one to decide.” I remember how tears began dancing around in my eyes. My vision was blurry and they began to fall like rain at the thought of her death. But, I made no sounds of crying at all, I stayed silent because I didn’t want to upset her and I found it embarrassing that I was crying. 

Then, after my little flashback, I snapped back into reality and began to party away with my family and her dad. We were all sad but this was for Suzie. I promised her this. I noticed Max and my dad dancing together to Taylor Swift songs, Suzie’s favorites. As much as I hated Taylor Swift’s music along with her ear bleeding voice that punched my ears harshly, but I didn’t care, this was for Suzie, not me. Everyone else was either just hanging around talking or dancing to the music as well. You could tell many people were crying but they were as well happy that Suzie no longer had to suffer. After the music stopped, we all gathered around a large round wooden table, All the decor was black for the funeral as well as the silverware, plates, and even the cake we were about to eat  was covered in a black fondant. The cake was strawberry shortcake, again Suzie’s favorite. We all took a good slice of cake as there were not many of us since Suzie’s family and mine were pretty small. The cake tasted so light and delicious. I felt like I was in heaven. The strawberry, cream, and vanilla cake all went so good together. We all enjoyed our last bites of cake and finished conversations that slowly faded into goodbyes. Everyone left with some tears, but also happiness that Suzie was finally at peace. 

 

“Hey, you okay?” He said with a whimper in his deep tone. Echoing through my thoughts. 

 

I said “yes” even though I wasn't. How would anyone be okay after their best friend died? 

 

“It's okay. It's going to be okay.” My dad said, hugging me tightly.

 

“I know, dad. It's just hard to comprehend that this is happening, you know?” I said with a questionable tone, crying into his shoulder. 

 

“I know” As my voice echoed, as I started to get sleepy.