I'm Complete

Carson's P.O.V.

Nobody saw it coming. They couldn't believe what had happened. Cory was gone. But he couldn't be. Everyone was just expecting to walk through the door with Lea and say it was all a joke but it never happened. What was worse was that Dare and I were on a date at my place when they called me.

~~Flashback~~

"I love you so much babe. I can't believe a year already!" Darren said excited.

"I know, right! I love you too. So much." I said back.

"Which is why I wanted to ask you-" He was interrupted by my phone ringing.

"It's Ryan. Why would he call so late?" I ask Darren curiously.

"Hello?" I ask. I wasn't prepared for the sob I heard from Ryan. Or the news afterward. "What's wrong, Ryan?"

"It's Cory. He was found dead in his hotel room." He said, forced.

"W-what?! No! That's not possible! He can't be..gone!" I exclaimed back. Darren gave me a confused look from the dinner table we set up.

"I'm sorry. If you're with Darren could you tell him as well? I don't have the heart to tell anyone else." Ryan asked hoarsely.

"Of course, Ry. Don't worry about it. Does Lea know?" I ask. I already knew the answer.

"She was the first one the police told." Ryan said back to me.

"Okay. I'll talk to you later Ryan..." I trailed off. I had to somehow get the courage to tell Darren. Cory was his best friend and mine. I decided to tell him like ripping off a band-aid.

"Darren. Something awful has happened." I said seriously, fighting back tears.

"What's wrong baby?" Darren asked, obviously concerned.

"C-Cory's...d-d-dead..." I said. I couldn't hold it in any longer. I broke out into sobs. The look on Darren's face almost broke me. I suddenly remembered.

"What did you need to ask me, Dare? Before my phone went off?" I said curiously, wiping the tears away from his face that had managed to fall.

"Nothing, baby. It was nothing." Darren said. He looked seriously broken. Something was missing that couldn't be fixed. And it shattered my heart to pieces, knowing he'll never be the same without Cory.

"Okay." I said back to him. The curiosity was killing me but I wasn't going to push him. Not now. Not after the news we were just told.

Suddenly, Lindsay and Aubrey busted through the tiny door. The sight they witnessed was heartbreaking. Darren in my arms, sobbing, as I comforted him, silently crying myself.

"What happened, boo?" Aubrey asked cautiously. I could tell that both of them were concerned.

"It's Cory...he-he's dead..." I said, still not believing a word.

~~Flashback ends~~

It was a beautiful service. It went by like a flash but somehow felt like slow-motion. He was really gone. None of us could believe it. It couldn't happen. Not today. Accepting the fact that Cory was really gone was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. Except that he's not gone. He's still here. In our hearts. Only because you're never really gone. You'll always be in someone's life forever. In their hearts at least.