1 Part One

The weeping of family and friends cursed the funeral's walls with a stained sorrow. The walls would be permanently imprinted in the family's memories, while they mourned for their loss daughter. With passionate rage, a father shakes his fist in the air and shrieks,

"God!? Why did she go swimming!!".

He stares at the ceiling, expecting a answer from above. Only to be strangely disappointed when he did not receive any holy meaning behind her death. She had drowned in her own pool. There was no religious meaning behind her tragedy, only another young soul taken too soon.

Amy stares at her hands. They shook with a unquestionable sense of despair and unlawful guiltiness. The desperate wails of the girl's family did not reach her ears. Her inner thoughts were to loud too even understand the outside world. Part of her wanted to join the father and scream at the heavens, but she wasn't religious. She wasn't about to beg to a force, that she didn't believe in.

The death of her best friend. Her only best friend. A part of her felt as if it had drowned with her. Forever at the bottom in that damned pool.

"Amy." A familiar voice snapped Amy out of her depressed thoughts, "Everything is going to be okay. You hear me? We'll get over this together."

The soft voice belonged to Amy's adopted brother, Dustin. She looks up at him with tear filled eyes and tries to speak without allowing more to spill.

"Together?"She replies, her voice weak with misery.

"Yes. We will always fight together."

Dustin affectionately reaches over his pain-stricken sister, and pulls her close to his chest. He rests his chin on top of her head, while she sobbed softly. Her hiccups of restless tears blemishes his shirt, but he happily accepts them. With a smiling face, he rubs her back and allows her to pour herself onto him.

She found a puzzling comfort in Dustin. He was always there for Amy, especially when they were kids. She needed him more than ever now. Her only friend was gone, leaving him to take her deserved spot in Amy's broken heart.

Was it weird? A brother and sister so deeply attached to each other? Was it fate? It always seemed like the universe was pushing Amy closer to her brother. She never questioned her relationship with Dustin, but lately she craved the comfort only he could provide.

The grief from the funeral had lingered and eventually followed them home. Sadly, her own home couldn't heal her shattered spirit. The idea of blankets tightly shielding Amy in her time of heart-ache, almost put her at ease. Her bed was the only safe space and it loudly called to her.

All she had to do is was get past her parents..

Her father stood at the front door, eagerly holding it open. His rugged beard cleverly hid the frown he held. He pretended to act strong in front of his kids, but deep down he was just as hurt as Amy.

"Welcome home." He greets Amy with a powerful hug, before simply nodding at Dustin.

The relationship between the father and Dustin was a shy one. He never hugged his father, and the father never held his adopted son. Amy always figured it was a masculine thing. They both didn't want to appear weak, so naturally they didn't touch each other.

"I don't wanna talk about it," Amy says, as she places her bags on the coffee-table and carelessly sits on the living-room couch.

"Its not good to hold everything back," Dustin replies to her depressed body language, and sits next to her.

"Would it be better if your mother talked to you?" The father tries to give his daughter some comfort, but he knew his son was the only one who could reach out to her.

"No! I just really want to be alone."

Dustin's hand softly rubs Amy's knee, "Please just talk to me. She was my friend too. I'm just as hurt as you."

The affection he was giving her was soft, but unexpectedly powerful. The father understood he had no power here, and lets Dustin take the lead.

"Alright." He scratches his beard defeated, before adding,  "I guess i'll leave you two to talk. Listen to him. He understands what your going through"

The moment he closes the door, the room became tense. Amy tightly squeezes her legs together. It was a habit of hers. It usually triggered when she knew something could become awkward.  

Her cheeks unknowingly glow with a light tint of rosy red, forciblely caused by  Dustin staring at her. He didn't say anything for a few long minutes. The only uncomfortable sound was the busted wooden clock, hanging above their heads.  

"I-I understand" He faintly speaks, "I wish I could do more for you, but I can't.."

Amy looks down at her lap. It was true. Dustin couldn't do much. He only had words to soften the misery. Part of her wished he could do more, but what could have she expected? To pull out magic medicine to cure her torment? He was only human.  She needs to face reality. 

"I know. I just-" Her words break apart quickly, "miss her."

The hand that had been resting on her lap, quickly moves under her chin.  With a light shove, he pushes Amy's face to look up at him. 

"She wouldn't of wanted you to cry over her." His eyes flicker with purposeful encouragement.  

"I can't! I wasn't even there to help her! I could've-" 

Dustin rudely interrupts,  "Remember the last thing she told you?" 

 Just like that, he sparks a precious memory in the back of Amy's absorbed mind.

"To always enjoy life." 

"Yes," Dustin smiles, "So do you really think she would've wanted this?" 

Once again he was right. Amy felt sorta foolish. Her brother had opened her eyes and revisited the past life with her. He knew exactly what to say to his little sister and had pride for that ability. 

"No" She admits, feeling dimwitted.

"Right, so cheer up. I know it's gonna be hard at first, but you always have me." He delicately pats her head, trying to add some comedy. 

Amy is too lost in her head to notice the patting. Could she be cheerful? The death of her best friend was a painful one. She didn't know if she could pretend. The heartache was powerful. Unlike her brother, who held his ground and remains strong for her. 

She was jealous of Dustin. He always sees the lighter side of things and pushes through with a goofy smile. 

She wanted to have his positivity..