jaws » zayn malik

six

 

i watched as the waves rushed onto the shore, the water brushing my toes. i grabbed my surfboard and headed out to the sea. the cool breeze blew through my body causing me to shiver. i paddled closer to the deeper part, standing on the board with confidence.

i guess you could say that zayn's death was the thing that finally triggered the barrier between surfing and my fear of death. 

everyone was worried, worried that i'd finally break down. first with the leg, and then with the death of my close acquaintance, and the pity looks were worse. i don't think anyone expected me to go back to the sea, but i did. no one praised me, but i could tell my dad was happy. happy that i was finally happy because he knew the sea was what made me happy. 

"honey, time to get ready!" as if on cue, my dad's voice rang in my ear.

i paddled back to the shore and jogged back to our house. i didn't know if i was ready for this, but i knew i couldn't back down. everyone expected me to give a speech. i threw on a simple, black lace dress and untangled my hair. i decided to leave it straight. 

the car ride was unusually awkward. i guess my dad wanted me to practice my speech, or he just didn't want to upset me with whatever he was thinking. when we arrived at the ceremony, few people were gathered. only close relatives were invited, besides my dad and me. 

i smiled weakly at tricia, knowing how hard it was for her, especially because she never had closure. the body was gone, torn up. 

the place was gloom. people dressed in black, decorations were black, and a coffin was placed on a platform, ready to be placed into the ground. although, there was no body, they still wanted to have a grave. they put some of zayn's favorite things in the casket in honor of him. when it was my turn to speak, i approached the platform silently, tears already welling up in my eyes.

"i remember the first day i met zayn. he came into the shop and asked for a cup of decaf coffee, and i spaced out, completely ignoring him. zayn was so kind. people often took his mysterious aura as frightening and never got to know him, but zayn was genuine. he got me back on my feet after two years of crawling in my own fear, and he died happy, and for that, i'm thankful. he was brave, so brave, and he deserved the best."

omf, it's done