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Exes and Oh's: Part 1

Serena & Marley Series

By Sharlene AlbaPublished 6 years ago Updated 2 years ago 5 min read
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Photo by Nicholas Gercken on Unsplash

MARLEY

Reunions always made me uncomfortable. Too many fake smiles. Too many people trying to pretend they were fine. I would've never agreed to attend this one had I not known the idiot lying in the casket in front of me.

The idiot in question was named Gabriel Montez and I loved him once. Or at least the questionable kind of love one could feel at 17. We hadn't spoken in years and it was sort of tragic, no pun intended, how it took someone dying to reunite a group of friends who swore they'd conquer the world together, and ended up going their separate ways despite the bond they shared.

It would've been easy to blame school and work for the partition of our crew. But the truth was, there was too much bad blood, too many lies that were said and truths that were kept hidden. Still, that damn dimple of his sure did make my knees go weak ten years ago. Had he not been such a man-whore, maybe things would've been different. Maybe he wouldn't have been added to the long list of men and their constant need to disappoint me.

I could hear his wife sniffling as she thanked her guests for coming to Gabriel's funeral at the entrance of the funeral home. I had an inkling she had no idea who I really was, or she might not have been so nice to me when we exchanged small smiles and tears earlier. I turned my attention back to Gabe and tried not to picture the way the paramedics might've found him in that car wreck by route eighty. Possibly with a blonde who wasn't his wife, who was more than likely blowing him while he went above the speed limit. I would've asked his sister Jen, but that would've been inappropriate at a time like this. I did know someone else who could give me the gory details.

The shithead was nowhere to be found in the room and it made me nervous. Daniel Carter, Gabriel's best friend and the person responsible for my own best friend's downward spiral at 17, was either drinking himself to death in his car, or doing something else equally reckless. Danny had done good for himself, despite everyone else's doubts. Got himself a good job in town in the welding business and even bought a house with a farm full of chickens, which was hilarious when you think about it. Animals in general always hated him.

I tried to keep myself from laughing as I pictured a grumpy Gabe chasing after chickens who were pecking away at Danny as he ran through the corn fields, yelling for help. But it was useless. The irony in that scenario was too good to ignore.

"I know he looks like roadkill, but is this really the time to be laughing?" my best friend, Serena Vazques, whose dark humor made my day a heck of a lot better, asked and I turned to nudge her ribs as I controlled my laughter.

"We should go. I'm starving and there's only bad catered food here to munch on," I claimed as I rubbed my stomach and she rolled her eyes, hooking my arm in hers.

"Guess who I spotted with a box full of firecrackers heading towards the water tower?" Serena dished as we made our condolences known to Rita, Gabe's grieving widow once again as we exited the church. I was afraid of even asking who it was she was talking about. Judging from the look on her amused face, I didn't really have to.

"Don't tell me it's Danny!" I exclaimed, covering my mouth as I feigned shock. I knew that little asshole like I knew the back of my hand. Trouble always followed Danny around like a plague, so this firecracker situation didn't surprise me.

"I saw your other two lovely ex-boyfriends, Freddy and Michael running after him a few minutes ago. What do you say we watch this shit show then go for What-a-burger after? My treat," she offered and there was pretty much no way I was going to turn down that offer, so I nodded as we hurried towards the back of the church.

Just as I suspected, the idiots Michael Lopez and Freddy Alvarez, two more disappointments on my list, were arguing over who was going to climb the ladder up towards the water tower behind the church after Danny. The sight was utterly ridiculous and immature in nature but I expected nothing less from them. Or myself when I stepped in between them and looked up towards Danny, who was holding some fireworks in his hands while he was lighting a match.

"Danny! You better get your ass down here right now!" I ordered loudly, while Serena chuckled in the back and Michael and Freddy were now arguing about who was going to call the fire department.

"He wouldn't have wanted this shit and you know it!" Danny shouted back from above and his statement made us all quiet down for a bit. It was true. Gabe wouldn't have wanted this boring funeral which inadvertently turned out to be all about Rita's grief and not Gabe's life. I felt myself shiver as my 17-years-old-self remembered all the times Danny had gotten in trouble and I had to help him out of it. We were all adults now. We had to be accountable for our actions. This wasn't my job anymore, looking out for all of them. Still, it hurt to see all of us scattered about around Texas yet still too stubborn to fix what had inevitably caused us to fall apart.

"Are you not going up there either?" I heard Michael ask, and turned to see who he was talking to. I followed his gaze to Serena, who had more than an annoyed look on her face as she turned away. She still cared. Everyone including herself could see that. But she wouldn't allow herself to go down that road again. I didn't blame her. It was easy for them to get back into old habits. Or bedsheets.

"Let's go," I told Serena, glancing back up towards Danny one last time before I turned and walked way.

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About the Creator

Sharlene Alba

Full of raw and unfiltered fluid poems, short stories and prompts on love, sex, relationships and life. I also review haircare, skincare and other beauty products. Instagram: grungefirepoetry MissBeautyBargain Facebook: grungefirepoetry

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