Everyone Cries...

A Chapter by Lyfe

Her name keeps playing on a reel in my head. The whole atmosphere is thick with sorrow. All the pigment seems to be drained from the world around me. Only muted shades of black and gray--or maybe they're grey--remain. Her boyfriend Drake, who, once upon a time, was my best friend, cries crumpled in a pew. Nathan, my replacement, sits by his side being a "supportive friend". Her aunt Shawna is resting a pew ahead of them shaking her 'fresh-from-the-hair-dresser' locks from side to side, in disbelief. Barely filling the space beside Ms. Shawna is Mama Tasha, Maya's mom, eyes unblinking, body unmoving, she is devoid of emotion. Almost as if she is on pause, her face frozen in no particular expression at all. And me? Well I don't deserve to be anywhere near that group, which is why I reside in the very last pew, in the farthest and darkest corner, in the back of the dimly lit church. Everyone else's eyes are down cast as they all mourn a loss they know nothing about. The words I've been dreading, the words I’ve been praying--which is quite bold of me, especially now--wouldn't be said today are carried through the building on a loud baritone. Maya's "Last words" reach my ears, attacking the wall I’d built. The wall between me, my emotions, and the truth.