From me to you

Four

    It was finally lunch! As I walked in the cafeteria I saw Mary, Audrey and Katy sitting at a table. When I arrived there I saw them sitting with Nick, Austin and two other boys that I didn't know.

"Hey Chloe!" Audrey said trying to speak louder than the cafeteria.

    I sat down next to Nick and Katy. We were having a peaceful conversation until the principal made a announcement.

"Chloe Davis and Nick Armstrong to the secretary, Chloe Davis and Nick Armstrong to the secretary please."

    Nick and I rushed to the secretary since the principal said her announcement in a nervous yet saddened tone of voice. When we got there, I saw a women in tears. I didn't know her but she looked a little familiar for some odd reason.

"Oh my god son you are never going to believe this!" She said going in for a hug with Nick. She spoke with a very precise southern accent.

"Your aunt and uncle sadly passed away in a car accident. The hospital did everything they could. Your uncle died on the scene which made your aunt have a heart attack, I'm so sorry." Nick mother's said in tears.

    I awkwardly stood there as they hugged each other. I was sad for Nick but I also really wanted to know how this news included me and why I was asked to come down to the secretary. I coughed a little letting them know that I was still there.

"Oh right!" The lady said, adjusting her beige shirt.

"Hum Chloe, this might come as a shock to you so I want you to breath and remember that everything is going to get better." She said taking my hands.

    I didn't know what to do since this lady was a total stranger, but I trusted her, for whatever reason. She had a sympathetic look in her honey eyes and her brown, almost red, hair was really inviting and calming

"Now, your parents never wanted you to find out this way, or for you to find out at all. I am your aunt and Nick is your cousin which means that, I'm sorry to tell you this but your parents sadly passed away today in the crash." She said embracing me in her loving arms.

"But I- how? What? Your my aunt? And your my cousin? What?" I said, feeling the tears in my eyes. Not comprehending anything. I was hoping that this was all a bad dream and that I was gonna wake up soon.

"Dear, I know this is a lot to take in right now. You and Nick can take as much time out of school as you need." The principal said trying to break the uncomfortable silence in the room. "You may return to your dorm and rest." She added.

    Nick and I walked in silence the whole way up to our dorm. We walked in and we both didn't know what to do. Do we talk about the crash? Do we just ignore the fact that we're cousin? Do we stay there?

"Do you want to talk about it?" He ask, obviously uncomfortable.

    I didn't even let him finish his sentence, I walked straight to my room. A part of me didn't want to talk about anything with anyone and the other half just needed a hug. I just lost the two most important persons in my life. My grandparents died before I was even born and, well I thought I didn't have any aunt or cousins so there was only my parents left. There gone now, forever.

~two days later~

    I didn't talk to anyone, I didn't sleep, I didn't eat, I never came out of my room since the news. All I did was cry. It was now Wednesday and everyone was in school except for Nick and I. After a long time in my room, I finally decided to come out of my room thinking that I was gonna be alone, but obviously Nick was on the couch eating a bowl of fruits. He looked like nothing happened, he looked better than ever. Which made me realize that he was not really close with my parents and I. My aunt, Nick's mother, said that my parents never wanted me to find out I had a aunt, let alone a cousin. That got me thinking about how we missed out on everything; the holidays, the big family with more than one kid at the table, the birthdays, everything! The more I thought about it the more it makes me cry. I fell to my knees and sobbed into my hands. Nick rushed over to me and hugged me. We were both on the floor hugging each other. We stayed there for what seemed like hours.

    When I finally stopped crying Nick just looked at me.

"Are you ready to talk about it? It's gonna make you feel better." He said in a calm, reassuring voice.

I simply nodded a yes and we got up and sat on the couch.

"Why did my parents and your mother never told us we had a cousin?" I asked him still in a bit of tears.

"Actually I knew. I knew that I had a cousin and I knew that it was you but I never had the chance to meet you."

"What, why?!" I said in shock.

"I don't know if I'm aloud to tell you this but you have the right to know. When our grandparents died my dad, your mother's brother, went crazy, now I don't know all the details since we weren't even born but I know that he join a street group. He then died a couple of months afterwards. My mom was pregnant with me and yours with you. A couple years later on my fifth birthday your mom couldn't handle is anymore. She thought I looked to much like her brother and couldn't even look at me without crying. She ended all sorts of communication with my aunt. After a full year we finally got a letter from your dad saying that they were sorry and it was all for the best." He explained.

    I just sat there and looked at him in shock. So it was all my mother's fault?