Thursday's Child
topreparefortheworst
She doesn't want to go. She can't get herself to actually dress in the clothes that she has on the bed, and she can't get herself to will up the courage to actually go today. After all, how could she say goodbye? She has a hard time believing that Daniel's actually dead even though she saw his body at the hospital. She had to formally identify it because she was still his next-of-kin, something that he said he was going to change right after they fell out.
The clock reads two minutes past nine and the funeral is at half eleven. She's been awake the entire night just staring at the clothes she laid out the night before. Taylor sleeps on the sofa because he told her to take their room. She doesn't sleep, though. She can't sleep. Her eyes are sunken and red-raw from the constant rubbing she's been doing in the last half an hour or so. It's from the lack of sleep, she knows, but she just doesn't care.
A small knock at the door signals to her that Taylor's awake and dressed. His clothes were in the sitting room, having been laid over the back of the sofa for the night so that they were clean for the morning. He was going with her to the funeral and he wasn't going to say a thing unless it was to encourage her to go. He'd been told by the girl Piper works with that whatever she said about the funeral, that he had to make her go otherwise she would never forgive herself for not going to say goodbye. Even if she begged and cried not to go, he was told to take her because she would be grateful for it. Maybe not in a weeks' time, but after she had been able to properly acknowledge his death and accept it.
Taylor pokes his head into the room and gives a little sigh when he sees Piper sitting in the chair and staring at the clothes. "Piper," he says softly but gains no reply. He opens the door further and steps in. "Piper, you should start getting dressed now."
It seems like she doesn't hear him. She just keeps staring at the clothes even as he approaches her and slowly stands her up. "Do you want me to help?" he offers, being nothing but caring. He wasn't affected by the death because he didn't know Daniel, but he knew that Daniel and Piper had been good friends for so long. They were so close that even though he left school one year before her, they still stayed best friends. Of course no one told him about their problems and their fights because no one saw it as their place to tell, especially to him whom they knew was with Piper. Now no one would ever dare to mention it to even Piper. Not just because he was dead, but because she didn't seem to be taking his death well.
Slowly, Piper shakes her head. "No, no, I can," she says as she trembles. He sighs but leaves her to it, leaving the room and going back into the sitting room much like he knows she wants. It's been hard for him to deal with Piper but he wouldn't ever leave her, especially not now when she needs him the most.
It takes her almost twenty minutes just to strip from her current clothing, and then it takes her ten more minutes to dress in the dress. It was the same dress she had for her year eleven prom. Plain black that came to her knees and had sleeves to the elbow. She was wearing it because Daniel had gone as her date for the prom. She'd wanted him to so he did, even though he knew how shit they were because he'd had his own one the year before.
She sits back down in the chair after dressing and grasps the picture that sits on the desk next to her, bringing it to her chest and just holding it there. It was a picture of them at the prom that was taken at the beginning by the photographers that were there. It cost them both seven pounds to buy it, and although they had complained to each other on the night, she was glad that she'd brought it at least. It was her comfort for the time being, the one thing she found herself holding onto after being told he was dead. She needed it much like she needed Daniel and that was why she was going to be putting it in his coffin with him. If she was able to, of course. But if she wasn't then Taylor would do it for her, she knew that much.
A half an hour later he comes back in the room and coaxes Piper out of the room. They have to get going soon. She puts on her dolly shoes and follows Taylor out of the house, the picture clasped to her chest with one hand and the other holding onto one of Taylor's hands. They don't go by car because Piper just can't get in one any more, and they start their walk. She's out of it for the majority of the journey, just clutching at Taylor and letting him guide her there.
On the whole journey there she was trying to prepare herself for what she'll feel when she gets there, but when she actually arrives there is nothing in the world that could have prepared her for the hurt she feels when it strikes her that he's actually dead and is never coming back.
The clock reads two minutes past nine and the funeral is at half eleven. She's been awake the entire night just staring at the clothes she laid out the night before. Taylor sleeps on the sofa because he told her to take their room. She doesn't sleep, though. She can't sleep. Her eyes are sunken and red-raw from the constant rubbing she's been doing in the last half an hour or so. It's from the lack of sleep, she knows, but she just doesn't care.
A small knock at the door signals to her that Taylor's awake and dressed. His clothes were in the sitting room, having been laid over the back of the sofa for the night so that they were clean for the morning. He was going with her to the funeral and he wasn't going to say a thing unless it was to encourage her to go. He'd been told by the girl Piper works with that whatever she said about the funeral, that he had to make her go otherwise she would never forgive herself for not going to say goodbye. Even if she begged and cried not to go, he was told to take her because she would be grateful for it. Maybe not in a weeks' time, but after she had been able to properly acknowledge his death and accept it.
Taylor pokes his head into the room and gives a little sigh when he sees Piper sitting in the chair and staring at the clothes. "Piper," he says softly but gains no reply. He opens the door further and steps in. "Piper, you should start getting dressed now."
It seems like she doesn't hear him. She just keeps staring at the clothes even as he approaches her and slowly stands her up. "Do you want me to help?" he offers, being nothing but caring. He wasn't affected by the death because he didn't know Daniel, but he knew that Daniel and Piper had been good friends for so long. They were so close that even though he left school one year before her, they still stayed best friends. Of course no one told him about their problems and their fights because no one saw it as their place to tell, especially to him whom they knew was with Piper. Now no one would ever dare to mention it to even Piper. Not just because he was dead, but because she didn't seem to be taking his death well.
Slowly, Piper shakes her head. "No, no, I can," she says as she trembles. He sighs but leaves her to it, leaving the room and going back into the sitting room much like he knows she wants. It's been hard for him to deal with Piper but he wouldn't ever leave her, especially not now when she needs him the most.
It takes her almost twenty minutes just to strip from her current clothing, and then it takes her ten more minutes to dress in the dress. It was the same dress she had for her year eleven prom. Plain black that came to her knees and had sleeves to the elbow. She was wearing it because Daniel had gone as her date for the prom. She'd wanted him to so he did, even though he knew how shit they were because he'd had his own one the year before.
She sits back down in the chair after dressing and grasps the picture that sits on the desk next to her, bringing it to her chest and just holding it there. It was a picture of them at the prom that was taken at the beginning by the photographers that were there. It cost them both seven pounds to buy it, and although they had complained to each other on the night, she was glad that she'd brought it at least. It was her comfort for the time being, the one thing she found herself holding onto after being told he was dead. She needed it much like she needed Daniel and that was why she was going to be putting it in his coffin with him. If she was able to, of course. But if she wasn't then Taylor would do it for her, she knew that much.
A half an hour later he comes back in the room and coaxes Piper out of the room. They have to get going soon. She puts on her dolly shoes and follows Taylor out of the house, the picture clasped to her chest with one hand and the other holding onto one of Taylor's hands. They don't go by car because Piper just can't get in one any more, and they start their walk. She's out of it for the majority of the journey, just clutching at Taylor and letting him guide her there.
On the whole journey there she was trying to prepare herself for what she'll feel when she gets there, but when she actually arrives there is nothing in the world that could have prepared her for the hurt she feels when it strikes her that he's actually dead and is never coming back.