Daniel's heart sank as he watched David hand Sophie the orange juice. The sight of her smiling at David and taking the glass from his hand felt like a punch to the gut. The world around him faded into a blur as he struggled to keep himself from breaking down.
The pain in his chest was all-consuming, and he knew that he would never be able to look at Sophie the same way again. His heart was shattered, and he felt as if he would never be able to put the pieces back together.
Sophie's laughter echoed through the room as she accepted the orange juice from David. Daniel felt a pang in his chest as he watched her leave their corner of the room, already preparing to say goodbye to her family. He tried to convince himself that her declaration of ending their friendship shouldn't affect him, but his heart told him otherwise.
"Daniel, is everything okay?"
As Sophie's mother's concerned voice interrupted his thoughts, Daniel struggled to keep his composure. He didn't want to show weakness in front of the family, but his emotions were too much to bear. He couldn't understand why he was so affected by Sophie's actions. Was it because he secretly held feelings for her, or was it the fear of losing the only person he considered a friend?
Before he could answer any of his questions, tears began to stream down his face, betraying his attempt at stoicism. The family's stares felt like daggers as David's mocking tone rang in his ears.
"Then why are you crying?"
Daniel felt embarrassed and exposed, but most of all, he felt the weight of his emotions crushing him.
Daniel's heart sank deeper as he realized that Sophie didn't even bother to glance back at him. He had always thought their friendship meant something, but now it was painfully clear that he had been nothing more than a disposable accessory in her life.
"I'm not. Something entered my eye" was the best excuse he could come up with. "Oh, well okay then", Sophie's mother still stared at him skeptically but decided to let the matter drop.
For the first time in a long time, Daniel felt humbled.
* * * * * * * * * *
As she typed, Sophie couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt in her chest. She knew that her reasons for ending things with Daniel were valid, but seeing him so heartbroken made her wonder if there was a better way to handle the situation.
But then again, she reminded herself, it wasn't fair to lead him on when she knew deep down that they were not compatible as friends.
Sophie's phone beeped, indicating that Katie had replied. She opened the message and smiled, grateful for the distraction from her conflicted thoughts. Maybe, just maybe, with time, Daniel would understand and they could both move on.
Sophie's attempts to shake off the thoughts in her head failed. To distract herself, she reached for her phone and messaged Katie.
She was online.
Sophie couldn't help but frown a little. It's already past nine. What was she still doing awake?
"Kat, get back to sleep!! You should be taking rest", she sent the message and turned off her screen.
Seconds later, Sophie's mother's phone rang.
"Hello?... Hold on please slow down.... what are you.... What?!"
The sudden scream startled Sophie.
"What is it honey?"
"What is it mom"
Both Sophie's dad and her asked her with confusion. Sophie's mom slowly turned to face her, bringing the phone down from her left ear.
"It's Katie", she said almost softly. "What happened too..." Sophie immediately caught on, and before her mother could say 'I'm sorry', Sophie screamed at the top of her lungs and fainted, falling leftwards on the seat.
* * * * * * * * * *
James regretted to do this, but while he was still connected to Sophie's mother's iPhone, AI somehow acessed her microphone, and he could hear anything.
He wanted to stop the stream, but the next sentence that was said stopped him off his track.
"I'm sorry, but Katie didn't make it. She died in her sleep at 08:47pm. We tried to rejeuvenate her, but it was hopeless".
James was stunned. Katie died?! Just then, he heard a ear piercing scream, followed by a soft thud. He doesn't need a mind reader to know it was Sophie.
Without thinking, he grabbed his laptop and left his room.
* * * * * * * * * *
Saturday, 06:10am.
The atmosphere was depressing. Sobs could be heard from here and there. Some people were gathered around a middle-aged woman, who seemed to be Katie's mother.
In the sitting room, Katie's childhood and her most recent pictures were arranged on top of a table. A three-and-half feet white closed coffin was placed in the middle of the room.
James wore the tuxedo Maribel bought for him, looking sharp. But here wasn't a fashion parade house. The atmosphere was very suffocating.
Sophie wasn't here yet. He saw Jessica, who sat at the very corner of the room, sobbing hard. Although her Matt, her senior brother and her father was consoling her, they weren't doing a good job.
James saw Daniel walked in, wearing similar black tuxedo. James was genuinely surprised that he, of all people came to his classmate's burial.
For reasons he couldn't fathom, he seemed to be depressed. If it was about Katie or not, James couldn't decipher. Not that his mind reading was working anyway.
Fifty minutes passed, and everyone was in the large sitting room except for Sophia and her parents. James was getting worried. He took out his phone to message her, but immediately changed his mind.
Only if he could just bring Katie back to life. It really wasn't a crazy idea, since so much crazy has happened in his life.
News flash, he was hunted down by a business tycoon in need of a chip that was still inside of his head, a future Sophie saved his life once, he was maltreated by two families, and he died, kind of.
For a guy of sixteen and a half, he should be traumatized. But here he was, living a normal life again. All these events seemed like a long time ago.
Now that he remembered, he wondered how Amy was doing. Honestly, he has no idea if she was even alive. He felt terrible that he was just remembering her now.
"Today, we gather to honor the life and mourn the passing of a beloved daughter, sister, and friend. At the tender age of 16, Katie left us too soon, leaving behind a legacy of love, kindness, and beauty."
The pastor on the elevated podium began. The already silent room got even quieter.
James had to respectfully put away his phone and bowed his head down. With his eyes peeled on the door, he waited for Sophie to walk in.
Where was she?