The Starting Line

Chapter 20

[TW/DISCLAIMER]

[ELEANORA WILL GO THROUGH A SERIOUS DEPRESSIVE EPISODE IN THIS CHAPTER, AND WILL CONTINUE IN THE FOLLOWING CHAPTERS AS WELL. IT WON'T BE AS PROMINENT AFTER THIS, BUT IT WILL STILL BE THERE]

[IF THIS MAKES YOU FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE OR MAY BE TRIGGERING, PLEASE SKIP THIS CHAPTER. I DON'T WANT ANYONE TO GET HURT WHILE READING MY BOOKS, BUT I ALSO KNOW I NEED TO DO THIS FOR MY CHARACTER AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PLOT]

[I LOVE YOU ALL, AND IF YOU EVER NEED HELP, PLEASE CONTACT SOMEONE YOU TRUST OR A HOTLINE💖]

National Suicide Prevention Hotline [1-888-628-9454]

Eleanora hated funerals.

She had been to a handful in her life, being her grandparents and her father's older brother. Those hurt, of course, because she loved her family and hated the thought of them leaving.

Then there was this one.

She had gotten ready in an instant, slowly putting on a black dress and flats, the exhaustion of the past few days finally catching up to her. She had stayed at the hotel, the house she used to share with George and her other friends made her heart burst with pain.

Mark watched her with worried eyes as she got ready, almost like she was just going through the motions, but... not really. He kept one hand on her back or one arm wrapped around her all day, too afraid that if he let go, she would fall in to a deep end.

Standing in the cemetery, Eleanora grabbed Mark's hand that was resting on her waist tightly. Her face was emotionless, her eyes only burned holes in the coffin that held the body of her best friend. Lexie is standing on the other side of her, Max holding her hand as she whimpers. Everyone around her is silent, listening as the priest speaks.

"There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every matter under the heavens." A sob breaks the silence, Eleanora's eyes slowly drift away from the coffin towards the woman George saved. She was sobbing loudly, even louder than George's own mother. Anger boiled in Eleanora's stomach, but she remained silent, moving her head to look forward again.

Eleanora is too focused on the coffin, her head swimming with thoughts and the voice of her now dead best friend, to notice Izzie running away. Cristina gives Eleanora a worried look, but Mark simply nods at her, indicating that he had her.

Once the priest finished, most of the people who attended left. The only people who stayed were his and Eleanora's family. She didn't think she could stand there and watch as they lowered his body two meters below her, but she had one thing to do.

Eleanora wiped under her eyes; a few stray tears had fallen. She unhooks Mark's arm from around her and takes a step towards the coffin. She takes a shaky breath, digging through the bag that was in her hands.

"I promised you I'd get you one." She whispered softly, placing the object in one of the flower bouquets. She rested her hand on the coffin, wishing once again that she could hold his hand or just touch it. Look at him, alive and well.

"I'll see you around, Georgie." Her voice cracked a little, her shoulders shaking with a silent sob. "Tell your dad I said hi, okay?"

Then Eleanora turned and wiped her eyes again. She gave Mrs. O'Malley a small, soft smile, but it wasn't one that fit her face. Eleanora took her boyfriend's hand again, the two returning to the car.

As George's coffin was lowered into the ground, the green gem on the pin identical to Eleanora's sparkled in the sunlight.