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 ♡ 𝓢𝓾𝓶𝓶𝓮𝓻 𝓕𝓸𝓻𝓭  
𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓔𝔁-𝓖𝓲𝓻𝓵𝓯𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓷𝓭 ♡[/h3] 
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[right] [@h8k8m8] [/right]

Summer’s knees nagged at her as she stood, shoulders hunched against the wind, braids flicking in the breeze all serpentine-like. If anyone noticed, it would be the cool air that she blamed for watery eyes. If anyone noticed, she’d shoot them an easy smile and force a laugh that would seldom convince them. If anyone noticed…

[quote]  "[i]Good... to see you again.[/i]” [/quote] 

Jaxon noticed. He was stood awkwardly as if he wasn’t sure how to hold himself, those soft eyes seemed to focus on the mundane details around them, anything but meeting her sullen gaze. Jaxon waved at her as if it were his first time trying, a meagre lift of his hand, a slight incline of the wrist. Summer’s face felt stiff and she had to consciously force her lips into an upturned attempt at a smile. Her eyes meandered over him as he settled in next to her. The smudges of grease had disappeared from his angular features and the overalls had been swapped out for a fairly fitted suit. 

[quote] "[i]It's a good turnout. It's, uh, nice to see that Austin has impacted so many people,"[/i] the words sounded far away. Distant. Hearing his name spoken by the tongue of another was like a bucket of cold water upturned atop her head. Summer deepened the forced smile and nodded in agreement.[/quote]

She sighed, glancing round at the crowd that had begun to form, a sea of dark attire and polite conversation. Umbrellas gripped in shaky fists, prepared for the emptying of those heavy grey clouds overhead. Slow nods of morbid agreement. Canned laughter erupting from pockets of people who must’ve known Austin, once upon a time. Jaxon was right. There were indeed many faces that littered the Cemetery in Austin’s name. Some recognisable, if altered by time. Others unknown to her. She noticed Cass Warden, as shrewd as ever, chatting to Chris Miller. They lacked the roundness of youth in their faces. They looked different outside of the school corridors. Summer shifted her weight from foot to foot, theatrically shivering as another breeze kicked up. 

[quote] [i][color=f49ac2]”I wonder how many of these people are powered,”[/color][/i]Summer said absently, combing her eyes over the mourners. [i][color=f49ac2]”I wonder if they’re as shocked as I am that someone like Austin just… Isn’t here anymore.”[/color][/i][/quote]

A pair of girls Summer recognises from the school halls breezed by, their gaze averting from the ex-girlfriend of the deceased. Summer offered them a sympathetic smile, nodding in polite greeting. They returned the favour but didn’t stop. She watched their backs as they walked away, tacking on to another group ahead. Turning back to Jaxon, Summer fixed her wayward braids, pulling them into one large twist and resting them like a scarf over her shoulder. 

[quote] [i][color=f49ac2]”Thanks again for the tire change, by the way”[/color][/i] she said, her tone light and melodic, disguising her inner discomfort. [i][color=f49ac2]”Mini runs like a dream now, thanks to you. Though I must admit, I nearly lost my cool when I heard the pop. Nothing like a flat to really epitomise your state of mind, right? If that ain’t a metaphor for all this, I don’t know what is…”[/color][/i][/quote]

Trailing off, a soft laugh huffed from her lips. She glanced at Jaxon briefly before turning her attention back to the crowd.

[quote] [i][color=f49ac2]”I really didn’t expect to be stood here”[/color][/i], her voice was quieter now. [i][color=f49ac2]”A part of me is expecting Austin to pop out from behind a tree or something, killin’ himself laughing, pointing at us all and mocking us for believing he’s gone…”[/color][/i] She chuckled, shaking her head. [i][color=f49ac2]”If he weren’t dead already, I’d kill him for that.”[/color][/i][/quote]