Picking roses and smelling flowers was all Ms .Edna did. She'd never talk, she'd just nod when I greeted her, the corner of her eyes crinkling into a smile.
I could tell she was a stunner in her day. Her skin was golden; never mind the creases and she flaunted the most gorgeous set of green eyes I'd ever seen. She was perfect, exempt for the weight she carried which had no effect on her physical beauty but which weighed heavily on her heart, literally. Ms. Edna died from Obesity, her arteries clogged and she was hit unexpectedly by a stroke.
I stared at the obituary looking at her pretty smile at the front of the program. I wasn't remotely close to her but you feel some pain when the lady whose lived across from you for the last six years kicks the bucket.
"You knew her?" At the sound of the gruff voice, I hurriedly rose off my black dress that was bundled beneath me on the pavement, exposing the holes in my stocking on my upper thigh. I turned to see a pale boy dressed in all black. his blonde hair falling into his eyes. I recognized him. He had sung at the funeral with the most angelic voice I'd ever heard, but he was stoic. He did it with no emotion whatsoever. Blank. Hollow. Like he didn't care.
"Uh. Kind off?" He replied after a moment of delay, forcing my eyes away from his golden hair in the sun that caused my sight to glare.
" How do you kind of know someone?" He'd taken a seat beside me on the pavement. It was the driveway of the abandoned house right behind Ms. Edna's house. I was always here. I'd gotten a better view of his face this time. Chiseled jaw lines, high cheekbones, plump lips the norm. Nothing fascinating.
"I've seen her around from time to time. Said Hi. She'd smile but never speak. Which meant I only knew of her, not about her. So yeah. I kinda knew her." I was concerned as to why he was randomly questioning me or what had drawn him to the old house. I felt oddly comfortable in this strangers presence.
" Interesting." He nodded, retrieving a cigar from behind his ear, then placing it in his mouth. He glanced at me questioningly before flicking a lighter from his Jacket. " Do you mind?"
" Not at all." He proceeded to light the cigar before taking a huge pull, his cheeks sinking in as he did. Watching the smoke let loose into the air I began to hack violently, hitting my chest dramatically as I did so.
" Are you serious? I barely took a pull?" He looked at me with slight humor in his grey eyes and I grabbed the stick and stopped it out.
"Its crazy how we just attended a funeral and you're trying to kill me by giving me second hand lung cancer."
" I asked!"
" You're not suppose to smoke around people, even if they give you permission to." He smiled at me. And i mean a really pretty smile. Not a blindingly white smile but a cute, slightly imperfect, cream colored teeth smile that made me want to full on grin.
"Who are you?" His eyes twinkled at me, the smile refusing to leave.
"Nina. Nina Willer."
"So Colson do you normally sing void of emotion at funerals?"
He grinned. " That usually only happens when I despise the person whose funeral I was forced to sing at, but also not really caring if they're dead or alive. Even if that person happens to be my Grandmother. "