Aftermath | ✓

I

"It is with a heavy heart that I must inform you all that one of our students is no longer with us."

Lachlan grabs Oakley's hand, stilling its movement. Miles glances over at Porter. Scott digs his nails into his palms.

"Kieran Smith committed suicide late last night. If you were a friend of his and need someone to talk to, our counselor's office is just down the hall from the front office."

There's a click as the announcement ends. Kieran's friends look at each other.

"This is a joke." A smile seconds away from slipping into a grimace crosses Porter's face. "Kieran's going to walk through that door with a smile on his face and tell some stupid dad joke and we're gonna groan and hit him.

"He's gonna show up," Scott agrees half-heartedly, slowly unclenching his hands. "This is just another one of his dick-move jokes."

Oakley and Miles nod in agreement.

"He'll show up," Lachlan says at the beginning of second period.

"He's going to come." Miles's eyes stay trained on the door for the entirety of third period.

"He's not gone," Oakley whispers, continuously glancing up at the empty chair in the middle of the trombone section during fourth period.

Scott watches the parking lot without a word throughout fifth period.

None of them touch their food, opting to keep their gazes trained on the cafeteria entrance during lunch.

Porter grabs Scott's hand to keep him from drawing blood while they look out the window at the empty spot where Kieran's car should be during sixth period.

Oakley and Miles keep the spot between them open, managing to keep their eyes away from the door during seventh period.

Lachlan traces the single carving Kieran ever did in eighth period.

All five of them leave the school in silence, tears staining their eyes pink. Scott bites on his lower lip so hard he draws blood. Porter gets in his car and starts screaming, banging on his steering wheel. Miles pulls over three blocks from Kieran's house and breaks down completely. Oakley sinks to his knees next to his car, hands covering his mouth and muffling his cries. Sobs tear from Lachlan's throat as he walks home, hands swiping at his eyes every few seconds.