GLENN'S EVENT

"Do …..you….. want …..to….. Die?" a voice whispered in my ear.

I looked to the side surprised by the question. It was the same voice that I used to hear in all my dreams. The raspy dark voice that used to calm me down at the worst possible moments of my life was now being heard when I was wide awake.

"What's wrong?"Miranda asked, snapping me out of the trance.

"Uhhh - nothing ,nothing at all i am just distracted- can you hear a voice at all like a lady whispering behind us."I said looking around to see that I was not imagining things.

"No, are you okay I thought the effects of the alcohol had worn off." she said now holding my hand in concern.

I looked down at her warm hand. I felt its comfort and I could feel myself relaxing. My mind was out of it and I could barely keep up with the night.

"I am good," I said, holding her hand in relief."Just a bit jittery, that's all it's been a long night."

"If you say so." she said looking at the stage.

In front of the room on the stage. Glenn stood there with a drink in hand talking to the live band. we both knew that he was making a big announcement to say what the event was all about but the dude was taking his sweet time. I was fed up with myself ruining the entire mission and feeling like an absolute failure the whole time. All I wanted to do was hear what Glenn was up to and maybe I would convince Miranda we would sneak away from the whole thing once everyone looked too intoxicated to care about me and my partner.

The rest of the room looked like they were in their wonderful world where they had no worries about life. After all, most of them got what they wanted and lived easy lives as compared to us. They did not worry about saving the lives of people who belonged to another country, they did not have to think of the government tracking them down and trying to lock them up, they did not have the risk of losing their loved one once again. They did not live with the guilt I had in my heart. It made me bitter to think of the entire situation. To think that there were people who had it so easy in life with no worries in the world. The more I thought of it the more I became envious of all their lives. I was envious of their happiness and peace of mind. I was envious of how they were favored but they did not even know it. As these thoughts crossed my mind I felt like I was getting lost once again and decided to have a glass of water.

"You know that's alcohol."Miranda said after I took a sip.

I took a tissue and tried spitting it out as Miranda laughed at me. I looked at her as she handed me a real glass of water that time round.

"Thank you."I said, eyeing her.

As I drank the water I felt the hard embrace from a gigantic being that almost made me spit out the water that I had just drunk. I looked to my side to see Brandon with a huge stupid smile spread across his face. I wanted to hit him but compared to his gigantic body to my thin stature, he would think a punch from me would be a way for me to be friendly with that ape.

"Aaaaah i lost you the whole night. "He said, still holding onto me.

"Yeah I was busy catching up with everyone.Could you please crush my bones."I said trying to shake him off my body.

"Yeah he is fragile."Miranda said laughing at her small insult.

I looked at her as she giggled. Miranda would never giggle instead she would laugh at your face and shame you to the point that you would question your existence. But since she was pretending to be Jen Blue she took the liberty to do whatever she liked.

"And who is this lovely lady?"Brandon asked.

"Lovely , I would describe myself as more of a goddess who descends on earth to spend time with Cyrus."She said, enjoying herself.

It was hard to tell if Miranda enjoyed acting like Jen Blue in some instances so that she could say whatever she wanted as long as it was classy. Either way, she was still able to maintain her ego whether she was herself or acting a character.

"Oh goddess, I apologize."Brandon said, playing along with Miranda's game.

"Kelly this is Jen Blue, she is my plus o--" just before I could finish I felt Miranda hit my leg.,"She's my beautiful, lovely partner."I said smiling with the pain still surging through my leg.

He looked at both of us and laughed while shaking his head.

"You two look good together."He said, taking a seat next to me."Oh my name is Brandon, some people call me Kelly ,others Brandon but a goddess can call me anything. "He said, making Miranda laugh.

"You do know that I am still here."I said looking at him questioning his motives.

"Relax Mayday no one can compete with you."He said, shaking me.

I looked at both of them and it seemed like I was the one uncomfortable whenever he was around. At the back of my mind, I wondered if Miranda could sense that he may be XR. It would be a monumental moment to have XR, Miranda, and I at one table.

"It seems like the two of you are close, do you have history together?"Miranda asked.

I thought she had met everyone or she had known that I had talked to him. I was not sure what she was thinking but that would not stop her from carrying on interrogation in the middle of a party.

"Cy was--" He stared before being interrupted by the tap of a microphone.

We looked at the stage and Glenn stood at the center with the spotlight on him. It made him shine, it looked like he applied glitter to himself before speaking. I assumed that was the reason why he kept all of us waiting to hear what the whole event was about. He was trying to make himself look like the star of the show. Of course, he would waste time on something so mundane.

All our attention shifted to him as he tapped the microphone. I knew Miranda was irritated that she could not get her answer on time, it was a good thing that I had talked to him in the washroom. As we all looked at Glenn the lights dimmed slowly as he raised his head with the amount the lights dimmer. He was dramatic as ever. When he wanted time to shine he did make it seem special. I respected that aspect of his performances even if sometimes it was irritating.

"To start off i am not going to take long with what i have to say so relax Kat .I see you fidgeting in your chair."He said pointing down making some people smile,"No Kat no hard feelings , so I am glad you all attended this small event made possible by Digicliff.We have not been in the same building since five years ago. I know that is not long but it is long enough for the group chats to die. "He said, waiting for a laugh from the crowd but it was dead silence.

I looked to the side to see Miranda laughing to herself. She would never let him live it down.

"Okay then I see the food has affected your senses of humour."He said adjusting his microphone."Anyway, today is a special day . It is a day I thought should be used well, a day that could be remembered by all. We all know that during our graduation there were three people absent from attendance. Kelly who suffered an injury and could not make it, Miranda who had unfortunately passed away and finally Cyrus who mourned her death longer than any of us. "He said making people look at me.

I hated all of the sudden attention and just awkwardly smiled and Mirana looked down at her hands. I looked back at the stage as Glenn shined looking at us. I could see his eyes directed towards me. I had even forgotten that I had never attended graduation even after Glenn begged me for weeks to attend, claiming that he would be lonely without me.

"Let's not get depressed, it's sad but that's the reason why we are here, giving the two who are still with us the celebration that they missed especially at a time they have overcome their situations and made it through stronger. So without wasting your time talking about how they had overcome their struggles and some bullshit. I want to give a toast to the two of them and Miranda who watches over us. To Cyrus and Kelly."He said, raising his glass,"For finally making it to their graduation party."

The rest of the room held out their glasses. I looked at Glenn smiling and I decided to hold my glass up even if it was plain old water.

"To Cyrus and Kelly."Everyone chanted.

I had a warm feeling in my chest. Glenn did a lot for me and I appreciated him for it. It almost made me feel regretful since I did little to ever help him. I never even asked him about the Christina lady who had been all lovey-dovey with.

"I told you it was a wonderful surprise."Brandon said, shaking me for like the hundredth time in one night.

My normal response would be to politely push him away from me but in this case, I was too distracted by my thoughts about the whole event being a belated graduation party for me. It took me out of my original headspace of negativity and made me think that the night was worth it even if we found XR or not. I looked to the side to see Miranda's reaction to the whole thing since she had been an accomplice of the whole thing that Glenn had been planning. I looked at her and her eyes looked sad. It screamed for longing. A longing for something. It seemed like she longed for that moment. The moment of finishing high school with her peers and sharing joyous memories with everyone she ever loved. That is what it looked like.

"Ar--" I started before deciding to hold her shoulders in comfort.

She looked at me, smiled, and ruffled my hair as if I was her pet. I looked at her and smiled. Amidst all the noise and party music. There was silence between us. A silence that I longed for. A second of peace. A second of assurance. A second of security.