Stolen Secrets

Stolen Secrets- Chapter 1

~Natalie~

Everyone around me stood up. I followed their lead and stood up as well. The last couple of days had passed me by while I stood in the background and watched numbly from the sidelines. She was gone, I still wasn’t able to comprehend that.

I followed the people to the front of the church where she could almost pass for sleeping in the padded bed of the dead.

People bowed their head in respect as I passed and allowed me to the front of the line to see the sleeping beauty.

I barely noticed the people on either side of me though. All I could see was the cherry wood where she would rest forever. That was all I could focus on. The strangers I had just met this morning didn’t matter to me. Only she did.

I silently came to a stop next to my father at her side. He gave me weak smile then returned his attention to her. He stroked her empty hand lovingly.

I laid my hand over her cheek, her cold, lifeless, perfect cheek. If only I could be as pretty as her. She was tiny with the prefect curves, a great bikini body, shiny brown hair that fell in soft waves past her shoulders that she had always worn up in a tight bun when working, or let if hung loose whenever she was at home.

Another thing I envied about her was she had perfect skin, no blemishes and never any of the bruises or scrapes I had miraculously appearing on my legs each day.

Someone had dressed her in her favourite royal blue dress that fitted her perfectly. Even gone from this world, she was still more gorgeous than I could ever dream to be. In comparison I was just the bland little kid playing dress up.

I was tall and uber skinny, but I had barely any curves to speak of. My hair fell in lopsided waves to my shoulders, but unlike her hair, mine was a bright red.  

I always had a couple pimples, completely noticeable even under the layers of makeup I piled on top of them. I would never be beautiful, I wasn’t even pretty.

I felt a tug on my hand. My boyfriend Shawn appeared at my elbow, his fingers laced into mine. He was a year older than me, and I honestly had no idea why he was with me. At the end of this year he would be graduating and I would still be in high school.

“Take me home,” I whispered.

“But the reception,” Shawn said nodding to the door that lead to the room filled with food, all supplied by the guests.

I shook my head. “I can’t- I cant do it. Take me home,” I said more forcefully. I could feel Shawn’s gaze penetrating into me. So I just stared down at her to avoid his eyes.

“Okay,” he said slowly. “I’ll take you home.” He nodded to my father and I leaned down to kiss her cheek. It was stone cold beneath my lips.

Dad nodded, barely able to process to the fact that I was leaving when she was laying right there. Shawn stepped back and waited for me.

“Goodbye Mommy,” I said looking down at my mother one last time. I turned and ran out the doors of the church leaving Shawn to follow.

The tears that had refused to be shed, now spilled over quickly as I sat in Shawn’s car trembling. The gray February showers outside the window resembled my mood perfectly.  

“Shh, it’s okay,” Shawn said patting my knee awkwardly as he drove to my house. He wasn’t used to seeing me cry, hell I wasn’t even used to the sticky droplets destroying my carefully done makeup.

When we got to my house, Shawn helped me out of the car since I was crying too hard to see properly. He lead me up to my house and I managed to unlock the door with numb fingers.