Circle of Friends: by AloneCryingInside

"We are gathered here today to pay our respects to a dear friend..."

"Kyle! Hey, over here!" I skip-hopped towards a very good buddy of mine, Kyle Jones. He's honey color hair hung just below his pointed chin. His tall, slim torso hunched over some, talking to some guy that I didn't know. My backpack felt heavy on my shoulders, carrying my lunch so it didn't spill. Kyle looked away from his talk-to friend, and looked at me with a glint in his eye.

"Nattie!" He excused himself from the guy leaning against the wall, and walked towards me with a grace only he could carry.

Metting him in teh middle of the quad, I greeted him with a one-arm hug. "Öffnen Sie, bitte?" I held out my water bottle, cap securely fastened.

He sighed, muttering, "Needs to open her own bottles... stupid girl... can't even open a bottle..."

"I"m right here, Kyle." I playfully smacked him on the side of his head.

"Here." He gave me my bottle, with it half empty. He smiled one of his crooked ones.

I just shook my head.

"Having a loving family, he was always there for them, always caring and giving them the best..."

The preacher droned on about him, not having a actual clue as to who the guy in the coffin was. He was about 5' 9", wearing a pair of grey slacks and a button up white dress shirt. He was fairly young, I'd say about 45. He was wearing reading glasses, the kind that you get from your grocery store. He had grey-blue eyes, with laugh lines around them.

There were a lot of people here. Most of them were sitting on the chairs that were supplied for the "invited guests", some of them, being less fortunate, sat down on the soft green grass; most of them were kids. People all over were crying, bawling, or choking on tears. Old ladies were dabbing on their crinkly eyes, mothers were wiping away their shed tears with their husbands' tissues, and kids looked around, asking their relatives who the guy was and why they had to be there.

Kids will be kids.

The bright sunshine made my dark and dull brown hair glisten, my back bead up with sweat, and the back of my legs warm through my faded jeans. Seeming as how I didn't want to be noticed by anybody, I stood a couple of graves behind, watching from a distance.

"If there is anybody that wishes to come up here and talk about this man, please come up here and speak your peace." The preacher stepped to the side, letting the soft music of Jimi Hendrix flow over the crowd.

"Hey." I greeted Kyle's friend with a fake smile, the one that I normally used when I met new people. I stood very close to Kyle, a little shy to the new person that I shook hands with.

"Nattie, this is Matt. Matt, this is Nattie."

We shook hands.

"Oh, so this is the girl you've been talking about. Nice to finally meet you." He chuckled a bit, while I sent a 'what the hell is he talking about' glare to Kyle. He just looked at me and shrugged.

"So, I'm guessing Nattie is short for your name. Am I correct?"

"Yes, and you will call me Natalie, not Nattie." I stepped next to Kyle, arms crossed, eyeing him.

"Aw, but Nattie..."

I kicked him in the shin. Hard.

Kyle snickered, I glared, and Matt hopped on one foot. "Bitch."

"That's Natalie to you."

"Then it's Matthew to you."

A girl, no more than 11 or 12, shakily went up next to the coffin, shined with wood polish. Her cascading blonde hair went down to her waist, curling at the end. Her eyes were puffy from crying, her voice had sobs in it when she spoke. "My cousin, Matt, was not just my cousin, but my best friend. I knew that I could go to him and tel lhim anything, and he wouldn't tell a soul; living, dead, or living dead. And I know, that even though my family considered me young, he considered me as a growing kid, and never kept secrets from me. He, too, would tell me everything, from how is day went to his most troubling thought, and every where inbetween. We had a special connection only him and I had. I never thought this would happen, so soon."

"Neither did I," I thought.

"Hey Matt! Le's GO!" I swayed slightly, walking towards my mom's car that I borrowed for the night.

"Where's Kyle?" His voice was loud and a little raspy. Probally from yelling over the music.

"Hell if I know, but I gottas takes you a homies. Now get in the damn car!" I opened the passenger seat for him to climb into, but he just stared at me.

"How much have you had to drink?" he questioned.

"Half a beer." I lied. It was more like 2 or 3 beers, but I can hold my liqueur well, including driving skills.

Nodding, he hopped in, closing the door. I raced over to the drivers' side, getting in, and revving to engine.

I pulled out of the drive of my friend Kelly's house, who was having a party for all the graduating class. Pulling onto the freeway, I glanced over to Matt. "Hey man, what's wrong?" The look on his face was of saddness, concern.

"It's my cousin's birthday tomorrow, or rather, today, and I don't have a present for her. And I don't know what to get her." He bent his head. "I haven't seen her for a couple years, though we talk over the phone. She's like my best friend."

"And I'm chopped liver?" I giggled, but his serious face quieted me. "Sorry."

"I'm serious Nat."

"How old is she gonna be?" I could feel my hands shaking. I needed to stop before I caused any damage.

"12, I think."

Slam!

Black, all black.

After a few more people got up and spoke, and leaving flowers, the disperced. I walked up, eyeing the guy that still stood next to the coffin.

"Nattie?"

I touched Kyle's shoulder, letting him know it was me. He looked at me with tears running down his cheeks. God, it killed me to see him like this.

"Please don't say anything, Ky. I just came by to-"

He put a finger to my lips, silencing me. "I'm glad you came. I know Matt would have wanted you here."

"I won't cry," I thought. "I won't cry."

I looked into Kyle's deep green eyes, getting lost in them. I felt tears getting caught in my throat. "It's all my fault, Ky. It's all my-" I broke into a fit of tears, leaning into him, with my arms between me and his abs.

"Shh. It's ok, Nattie." He took my arms and wrapped them around his waist, and then embraced me with his arms around me. I let the tears flow from my sad blue eyes, flashes of the past haunting me. "I shoulda let him drive. I shoulda..."

"Shh, Nattie. Shh."

We rocked to a beat only him and I could hear. One of the digging-the-graves dude coughed loudly, signaling that we needed to leave.

I backed away, taking a folded paper from my jean pocket, and tossing it into the grave with the coffin.

"Friends forever, you and me

You brought a friend

And then we made 3

We started our group

Our circle of friends

And like that circle

No beginning or end."

My hands were laced between one of Kyle's hands, the other Matt's.

"Ready?" I asked.

The nodded, and we walked away, bonding instantly.

A/N

this is a one time thing. i saw a quote and just this image came into my mind and i put it into words. R/R please! thanksx!

..::alonecryinginside::..