The Remnance of Michael McCormack

I have so many words, but I'm flustered beyond belief when I sit down to write this note. Who was Michael McCormack? Some would say he was the best friend nobody knew they had, some would say he was excellent in school, his friends and family would claim he was a special talent taken too soon.

I was blessed to know Michael McCormack at the young age of eight. He found me lying in the grass one morning, looking at a spider another little boy had brought me in an old Arrowhead water bottle. We didn't become friends until I was an adult, however.

Well into college, I met this man, a wonderful human soul, with ambition and attitude. He had with him, a laptop, a funky green sweater, and cute little bottle glasses that always fell down the bridge of his nose when he was dozing off between classes.

He was always nose deep in a good book, a new book every week it seemed, I don't know if he borrowed these books or if he had a secret library hidden in a closet in his dorm room somewhere, but I swear it was like that kid was on a new adventure kick every time I saw him.

I loved him, and I never got to tell him that... I miss him, and I'll never get to tell him why... but this man changed my entire world.

The sun was at its highest when the funeral gave way. Ashleigh sighed against the heat; her black dress felt like it was on fire as the sun beat down on it. There were a few people still dabbing at their makeup and wiping snot off their faces when her Uber pulled up to the curb.

"Ashleigh!" Ash heard from behind her, she turned, letting go of the 2023 model Tesla door handle as she did. "Ashleigh! Hey." It was Brent, her buddy from Film class. "That was nice what you said about Mike." He continued. "I know you're getting in your Uber now to go home, but I really wish you'd stay for the toast we're having after the burial." He drowned on. I could feel my sweat starting to form under my nose as he talked. The driver was kind enough to stall as he spoke. Ashleigh placed her hand over her stomach absently, she hadn't told anyone yet that she was pregnant with Michael's baby, it would be soon though. It'd have to be, she was starting to show. Ashleigh sighed before wiping the sweat off her lip.

"I have work in like an hour, Brent. I can't stay." Ashleigh said soft, addressing the Tesla behind her.

"Oh..." Brent hushed. "...Well, maybe the gang and we-"

"What Gang, Brent? We're a couple of doped up losers that smoke behind the library at school. If we knew one day it'd kill one of us, would we all still be friends? Let alone a gang? I gotta go, Brent." Ashleigh said before pulling on the handle of the Tesla and sliding in. "Don't drink too much, okay?" She said to Brent before closing the door hard.

Brent watched in disappointment as the Tesla pulled away from the curb and sped away. Inside the Tesla, Ashleigh sat before reaching over her right shoulder and tugging on the seatbelt. The world began to spin at her feet as the car sped down Orange Avenue to Wardlow Road just past the residential Cal Heights district in Long Beach, California. The playlist was blasting through an amplified speaker behind her head when she felt the nerve to cry.

"Fuck." Ashleigh said, pushing the word out from deep inside of her diaphragm up into her throat as she choked back tears that were starting to fall freely from her eyes. She did not want to go to work. "...Fuck..." Ashleigh said again, softer, looking down at her hands.