"A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." -Proverbs 17:17

Chapter 3: Grief

Graduation was a runner's finishing line and starting gun, a double-barreled paradox of joy and misery.

The world was a place where one must learn that life wasn't easy, it was not as simple as one may have assumed when they thought of the word "easy". It was just not that way. Life was more complicated and Kenzie knew that more than anyone. It's even scarier if you were about to do something you've never done. got Kenzie that because she was going to university. A university filled with people that could possibly ruin her entire life, but at least there was always the possibility of making friends and learning new things. That was all that ever really mattered, right?

But we all knew that this wasn't some teenage coming-of-age television show and none of that was going to be easy. It was going to be way harder than she ever expected, that was unless she had someone to argue her problems to, hang out with at lunch and show her all the cool new hangout spots. The famous best friend, the most overlooked but loveable character in that favourite not-coming-of-age television show, the character that made the show worth watching, if she didn't have someone like that in her life, what was left for her? A series of events she would rather not be a part of but would force herself to painstakingly endure because after all, it was her life.

Luckily, Kenzie had one of those. However, her childhood bestie's mom had passed and she and her younger sister were going away to live with an older sibling in a whole other town four hours away.

Four hours away...

She didn't know if she was ready to think about the latter. It was too depressing. Her thoughts would keep spiralling until her mind couldn't take it anymore and she'd hyperventilate. She hated that her brain was constantly doing that, it was like she became more aware of herself but unaware of everything around her because it was just too much to deal with.

Her mom had insisted Kaia stay with them till after the Summer break but she didn't want to be anywhere near the memories of her late mother. All the places and people she saw were constant reminders Mrs. Valdez wasn't here. The occasional joint Sunday dinners weren't the same without Mrs. Valdez's empanadas or the screaming in Spanish.

What was worse, Kaia was icing her out. She had seen the way Kaia kept glancing at her phone whenever they were together. That, or she'd blankly stare off into the distance when she came over. Her calls would go to voice-mail and when she did see Kaia, they wouldn't really talk. It bothered her. She was trying to be there for her but it felt like Kaia was pushing her away. It wasn't fair. She wanted to be friends again, to hang out with her and get together like they used to. But then again, Kaia didn't seem to care either way.

Kenzie sighed, running her hand through her hair as she looked at the clock hanging above her head. It was late. Almost twelve and she was still up, her brain refusing to go to sleep. She had work tomorrow and she knew she was going to have almost no energy if she kept this up.

She hadn't talked to Kaia in a week and it felt odd. She hadn't seen her at mass either. Her eldest sister, Tony she had seen at the grocery store. Kenzie didn't know Tony well, but she had mustered up the courage to ask about Kaia to which Tony told her that she was doing better. Kenzie pulled her phone from underneath her pillow, opened the chat between her and her best friend, and glanced at the last messages she had sent.

"Hey K, wanna go skip some rocks at the lake? I know your air conditioning is the worst. It'll give you a chance to cool off and yammer on about whatever Kdrama you've been binging."

No reply. She felt her heart dip, her throat lost its moisture and her palms tingled with sweat. She began typing...

"K, you up? I'm just checking if you're okay, I miss you."

She hesitated, staring at the message before sending it. She cleared most of it since sounded too desperate and like she was making it about her. She kept...

"K, you up?"

And sent.

She stuffed the phone under her pillow again and turned onto her side, anticipating the vibration of a reply coming through.

Two minutes.

Kenzie checked her phone. Delivered.

She put it back and waited.

Six minutes.

She checked again.

Disappointment started to set in. She twisted the curly and loose strand of hair at the nape of her neck as she stared up into the ceiling again, gazing at the clock above her head. She was nervous.

This happened before. Not with Kaia but with Kenzie. Two years ago, when Kaia graduated from West Valley High, Kenzie was stuck repeating her junior year. It put her in a dark place. She cried every day and on the days she didn't cry she was just numb but Kaia was there through everything. Every day after school, every meal, every night. She was there. Even if Kaia didn't say anything, Kenzie knew she felt guilty about not coming to see her when she was in the hospital. She didn't feel alone, she wasn't alone. Her hospital room was never really empty, a get better soon card from Kaia, some flowers from her mom's colleagues at the hospital and a single teddy bear from her classmates that they sent her one month ago, and her granny, Carmen who passed shortly after. Like it was said, at the time, Kenzie's hospital room was never really empty.

Eleven minutes.

She grabbed her phone. Read. She shot up in the bed, her heart skipped a beat. Kaia had read her message. Three little bubbles appeared, she peered down at the phone, heavy with anticipation. She twisted the hair at the nape of her neck again. Then the bubbles went away. She sighed, turned off the screen and laid down, then turned away from the phone. They'd talk later. At least that's what Kenzie told herself.

A buzz came ripping through the silent air and she nearly jumped out of her skin. She snatched her phone up immediately, and read the reply.

Kaia: "Yeah."

Just yeah? Kenzie was still tense, maybe now they'd be able to spend some time together. She didn't have to work till nine and she'd already missed her best friend. Salem typed...

Kenzie: "Up for a late-night rendezvous?"

Sent. She watched the bubbles again. They stopped for a moment then started. A minute passed and Salem received Kaia's reply.

There was another pause, followed by the bubble appearing.

Kaia: "Okey, fiesta?"

That was good enough for Kenzie, she felt lighter than air and even though, parties weren't her scene, she would do anything to hang out with her best friend, stealing as much time as she could. Kenzie: "See you in five. Xoxo."

A certain someone was about to discover the zombifying effects of partying the night before work.