And Then He Kissed Me On MTV

Nobody talked at Rachael's funeral. Nobody spoke, not a whisper was heard. I couldn't speak either. I couldn't breathe right, I couldn't move right. Robin sat next to me along with Jenine, Neil, and Dave. Next us were Dallas' band, and Robin's too. Ben, Gina, Westwood High, some of the teachers there, and even Courtney were in the wake. Jason was crying silently with his mother.

I didn't shed one tear.

The night she died, Kristen dropped the gun. She looked at me with a strange face. A face full of regret as she took off running into the shadows. I stayed. I bent over her, I couldn't cry, there was too much shock for that. I pulled her wrist to me, her head, most of it blown away. I embraced her body that was still warm, I felt a weak pulse. Though she was still alive, her brain was dead. Her mind, herself. Dead.

When the ambulance and police came, They had found Kristen dead on the sidewalk, apparently jumped into the rushing ambulance. There was nothing to be said afterward. I had to go to Ben's house. Tell him the news. At first he was angry. Furious. He looked at me with vicious murderous eyes as if it was my fault and then he broke down crying.

The man cried.

And cried.

Gina, the poor women fainted. Jason was fast asleep and didn't find out till he came to the funeral. Dressed up with a smile until he saw his sister's body. Her face concealed by a heavy black veil. He asked if she was sleeping and when she'd wake up.

Nobody could answer as he tried to wake her up for the "party".

"Raycha? Raycha? Wake up!" He said with a small smile. "Pweese?"

The body didn't move, Gina turned away bawling into Ben's chest. Jason continued. "P-Please...." He said in a more pronounced voice. "Please... wake up R-Ray-Rachael."

He didn't understand. And when Rachael didn't get up, he went into a fit of tantrums. Gina had to take him away which was probably for the best since she'd only get hurt by staying at the wake.

Ben looked at his daughter. He didn't dare touch the veil, fear of what lies under. Instead he bend down, and kissed the palm of her hand. He cried a little. Bent over the casket with a pained cry. Everybody stared with sad eyes. They can't imagine his pain.

A woman entered the wake. She had the same raven black hair like Rachael did. Her eyes weren't quite young as her daughters either but they were hers. Her scrawny body slowly walked over. Her eyes hardened. Ben turned around to see her and then turned away.

The woman went to the casket. She stared long and hard. Her hands balled into fists. Ben was ready to stop whatever she may have up her sleeves but suddenly the woman fell to her knees and cried.

"Rachael... My baby.... my baby..." She cried. "Please... Mommy's sorry... come back... Rachael baby... come back..." Rachael's mother begged. She begged so hard and long for her baby to come back but I knew better.

She was dead, and the dead don't come back.

"Oh God Rachael... I'm so sorry... mommy's so sorry."

Rachael's mom was carried away by a couple of the band members from Dallas. Robin approached the casket next. He stood over it for a while. Staring at nothing in particular. His hands reached down and touched hers, he held it for a while. Squeezing it as if she'll jump up alive with her head back, smiling like a beautiful angel.

It didn't happen. Robin let go and he sat back down beside me. Jenine got up next with Neil by her side. She walked over to her dear friend and smiled as she took something from her purse. It was a picture of her baby she got when she was pregnant at six months. She placed the photo inside the casket. She shed a few tears.

"Say hi to Sam... okay?" She whispered. "Tell him... I'm sorry... tell him his mommy says she's sorry and that I'll see him soon."

Neil squeezed her hand and walked her back, she moved slowly but didn't return to her seat, She fled through the doors and that was the last we saw of Jenine at the funeral.

One by one, friends and relatives sent their final love, and farewells. Some giving gifts, others holding her hand, they couldn't even kiss her, where could they without a head?

When the wake was almost over. I got up, I held it in for so long. My eyes were glassy, bloodshot. I felt my palms sweat as I approached Rachael's casket. My hands trembled as they found their way to the edge of the wood. I stared down at her beautiful hands and then reached into my pocket pulling out two gold rings. I took it and placed it on her ring finger and one on mine. I held her hand raising it to my face to kiss it.

"I love you" I said.

And then... the wake was over.
****
When you're gone
The pieces of my heart are missing you
When you're gone
The face I came to know is missing too
When you're gone
The words I need to hear to always get me through the day and make it okay
I miss you...

I've never felt this way before
Everything that I do reminds me of you
And the clothes you left they live on the floor
And they smell just like you, I love the things that you do

When you walk away I count the steps that you take
Do you see how much I need you right now?

-Avril Lavigne "When You're Gone"
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Epilogue
****
"Hey Alex!" I smiled walking Nathan with me, Neil was getting the bottle for him down in the car. Apparently he forgot that Nathan still needed to drink milk from a bottle. Men.

"Jenine..." Alex smiled, not much has changed for Alex in the seven years that passed. Maybe a few age marks but this guy stil held on to his youth like it was his teddy bear. Beside him was his wife. Courtney, her long brown hair and green eyes shined brightly as she greeted me and Nathan. "Hey guys!" She greeted.

I had to be careful hugging her. Didn't want to crush her baby.

That's right. Courtney was pregnant with Alex. The baby was due any minute. I remembered how I used to hate Courtney in highschool, always siding with Kristen. Hurting my best friend. But now, Courtney changed. She and Alex dated for a while two years ago and now they're having a family of their own.

Alex walked over giving me a hug and grinned, "It's a girl."

"Ah, that's what this special get together was for." I laughed. "Where's Keli?"

"Sleeping on the couch, where else." Courtney rolled her eyes as she gestured the leather brown couch in the living room. "He's so silly."

"Weren't you when you were twenty five?" I laughed.

"Yea? Well I'm not I'm twenty eight and Alex here is thirty." Courtney sighed.

"Stop saying that you're making me sound old." Alex complained as he came over giving Courtney a kiss.

Once Dallas, and his band got here we all sat down for dinner and then, cranked the music up for they partay! Of course, the liquor was stashed away, we definitely didn't want Courtney to end up like me.

"So!" I shouted against the music to Alex and Courtney. "What are you guys naming the baby?"

They smiled at each other and then at the same time they both yelled "RACHAEL!"

I felt tears rushing to my eyes as I gave them both a warm smile. Relieved that no one forgot about Rachael because when they yelled her name, everybody stopped dancing and turned to face them with awkward grins. Then the music switched off playing a song that sent us smiling again.

"Grace will fly you home again..."

It was Rachael's song. The song she sang when she was with Dallas.

We all got up and danced slowly to the music.

The opened windows sent warm breezes to us, warming up our skin as we continued to dance. I swear I heard the wind, whimpering the sweet lyrics in our ear.

The party ended at midnight, just like this story.

The story between my two friends.

Alex and Rachael.