Sound Effects and Overdramatics

I stared down at the hole in the ground, at the dark and polished casket that held Jimmy’s body. Michelle held onto my arm, keeping me stable more than herself. Matt and Val were on her other side, Zacky and Gena on the other side of me, then Johnny and Lacey next to them. Jimmy’s parents were standing at the head of the line, next to the reverend giving the service.

The sky was pale, almost white. No clouds, no sun. Just an endless sea of grey. The wind blew and I would have put money on the fact that Jimmy was calling us all a bunch of dumbasses for standing in the relative cold to watch his body get buried.

That’s all it was, a body. Jimmy wasn’t in that box, serene and at peace. His soul was free and he was everywhere. I couldn’t do anything without thinking about something he did once or wanting to tell him about it. I lost count of how many times I picked up my phone to call him over for a jam session and realized I couldn’t.

And there was the faint sound of a piano being played anytime I was alone…

The first shovelful of dirt was dumped. Michelle started crying. I pulled her close and rubbed her shoulder, kissing the top of her head. No one said a word; the service itself was just for family and friends. All over the world, people were mourning, holding their own services. Hopefully, more celebratory in nature than depressive.

Something told me to look up, instead of down at the dirt piling up in the giant hole. Leaning against a tree was the same girl from the other day. Curly red hair, a different black dress, same purple jacket, and black boots that laced up to her knees. She was away from the crowd, but watching the service. Somehow, she’d managed to get her hands on an invitation, because it was the only way she could have gotten through the gates of the cemetery.

She smoked, but shed no tears. At least, I didn’t see any. Her answer from the other day rang through my head again.

“Not as well as I should have…”

Who the hell was she?

I nudged Zack. He looked at me and I gestured with a jerk of my chin. He followed the direction and watched the girl as she put her cigarette out and started making her way over to us.

“I don’t recognize her, do you?” I whispered. He shook his head and then grabbed Johnny’s attention. The three of us kept our gaze on her. The girls were shuffling around us.

“Guess we’ll find out.” Johnny muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets.

“Brian, your dad-what the hell are all of you staring at?” Matt interjected.

None of us got a chance to answer. She came around the grave and approached us, trying her best to tuck her unruly hair behind her ears. She had eyes for me and me alone. Figuratively speaking.

“Hey, Brian,” she mumbled, keeping her eyes on the mottled grass.

“Hi?”

“Hey guys.” she greeted as an afterthought. They mumbled their greetings. We stood awkwardly, unsure of what to say to her. She didn’t seem like she had any idea either, but after a minute, she managed to open her mouth.

“Can we talk?”

“Uh...sure.” I stammered. She began walking away and I followed her, giving the guys a shrug as I walked behind her, away from the crowd and the many listening ears and watchful eyes.

I lit two cigarettes and offered her one. This time, her lips were painted a pale lavender color. Rings adorned most of her fingers and she had a cuff wrapped around the cartilage of her ear, with a chain reaching down to the black pearl in her earlobe. In the other ear there was some kind of black stone stud and a blue one above it.

I watched her smoke the cigarette, waiting for her to speak. I had people waiting for me and I didn’t really care to talk to someone I didn’t know but who clearly knew me. She didn’t really come off as a stalker or money hungry, but those kinds of people came in all flavors.

“I’m sorry, Brian.” She told me.

“Okay? Look, I don’t want to be rude, but-”

She cut me off with a kiss. Her lips pressed against mine so surely and so unexpectedly, it took a second for my brain to catch up to what was going on. My first instinct was to push her off, but some other impulse overrode the feeling and I ended up pulling her closer. I dug my fingertips into her sides and pried open her mouth with my tongue, eager to taste more.

Common sense took over. I forced myself to pull away and step back another foot or so. “Who the fuck are you?” I growled, sucking deeply on my cigarette. “You can’t just go around kissing people. Are you insane? My girlfriend-”

“Bri,” she said calmly, staring at me like she knew me. She had kissed me like she knew me, too.

I stopped, took a breath, sucked on my cigarette some more. I looked at her, really looked at her, and exhaled smoke as I spoke. “Laurel?”

She hesitated before nodding, putting her own cigarette back in her mouth.

As soon as I said it, I could see it. I’d spent enough time with Jason the last few days to have her features memorized. The curve of her mouth, the slight uptilt of her nose, the shape of her eyes. They were exact copies and I felt stupid for not noticing sooner.

It had been the colored contacts and the hair that had thrown me off.

“Fuck. What the hell are you doing here? How did you get here? Jesus fucking Christ...I can’t believe this.”

“I wanted to tell you the other day...I just didn’t know how.”

I no longer cared that the guys were watching, or Michelle or Val or anyone else. I pulled her face into my hands and kissed her again, harder and more desperate. She put her arms around my neck, combing my hair back, her fingernails grazing my neck.

My head swam, and it wasn’t from booze. She tasted new and familiar at the same time and I was drunk on it and I wanted more.

Reality hit me. I had to let her go and step back. It wasn’t the time or the place for this, and I really didn’t want to make today worse by fighting with Michelle.

“I should go…”

“Probably. You have people waiting for you.”

My stomach flipped. I half-expected her to ask me to blow them off, or at least offer to come with me.

“Does Jason know you’re back?” I asked, dreading the answer.

Her smile was soft, only lifting up one corner of her mouth, and filled with understanding. She reached her hand up and brushed her thumb over my cheek before her gaze shifted to over my shoulder. I turned and saw Matt, Zack, and Michelle walking towards us.

“Later.” She whispered. She only walked by them, folding her arms over her chest, racing against the wind to get away as fast as possible without running.

“Who was that?” Zack breathed.

I was still staring after her. “A friend.” I answered. I was pretty sure she didn’t want me blabbing to everyone that she was back, especially Michelle, who was now seething.

“Brian.” She muttered through clenched teeth. “Let’s. Go.”

I took her hand and let her lead me to the line of cars that was waiting for us. She wasn’t going to say anything in front of everyone, but I knew she was going to corner me alone and start asking questions.

She had every right to ask them, but I wasn’t sure how to answer or if I would be able to. I shouldn’t have kissed Laurel, or let her kiss me, but she had taken me by surprise and it was like I had gone back in time.

Before I drove off, I pulled my phone out. I had dozens of alerts and messages and I ignored every single one. I pulled up Jason’s number and shot out a rapid fire message.

I can’t believe you didn’t tell me. What the fuck, man?

I followed the direction of cars in front of me, pulling away and turning the wheel with a fresh cigarette between my fingers. Michelle still hadn’t said a word, but I knew it was coming and I didn’t have much time to come up with any answers.

Of all the fucking days.