"Why are people always leaving?" - bby scogen
It was the first thing he'd said to her all day, instead opting for silence as they all went through the motions in their black clothing. He hadn't said a word, seeming to just take it all in, let the grief turn him black and blue. And all she could do was stand helplessly at his side and hold his hand.
So Imogen was surprised when he spoke. She was also completely heartbroken by the question. They were too young for this, too young to be dealing with parents who screamed and hit, and parents who died.
Her best friend was orphaned and there was nothing she could do.
She wanted to say something, anything. She could assure him that she would never leave, that no matter what she'd be his best friend. She could tell him no matter what he'd still have his brothers.
There were a lot of things she could say but none of it would matter because his parents would still be dead.
So instead she held his hand a little tighter and pulled his head gently to rest on her shoulder, feeling the weight of his grief and the feel of his anguish in their interlocked fingers.