Chapter One.
Summary: Ricky and April have been friends for as long as they can remember. Both have developed a secret crush on each other throughout their teen years. But then a fallout with their parents has rendered the two children unable to talk to each other. They become acquainted in high school, and then a few years later, they reunite in college; a lot of time has passed. Ricky is studying to become a doctor, and April is studying journalism. Over time, as they hang out and spend more time together, old feelings resurface. They start secretly dating despite what their parents say. What happens when they find out?
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3 hours earlier...
I never liked funerals. Then again, when has anyone ever liked them? They're all sad where stupid strangers people pretend to mourn and give their condolences, and then you never see them again—until the next one. Such a poignant family reunion.
We all grieve differently anyway.
Ugh! This is the fifth time I've changed my outfit. What does it matter anyway? It's not like he will see it. After finally choosing the outfit I wanted to wear, I opened the box and put on the heart-shaped locket. I take my blue journal from my dresser and leave my room. From across the hall, I spot Rosaline fixing her boyfriend's tie. He's in tears. She mumbles something to him, wipes his face, and he embraces her and continues crying on her shoulder.
Yeah, it's a sad day all around.
I wipe my face, sit on the edge of my bed, open my blue journal, and reread my speech. Then I hear a small knock on the door, and look up to see Elliot.
"Hi," He greets me with a smile and leans against the door.
"Hey," I say back to him.
He steps inside my room, sits across from me, and adjusts the glasses on his nose. "How's the eulogy coming along?"
I look down and flip a few pages. "Well, it's...better than the last 7 pages I wrote down...I don't know if I can do this. This shouldn't be happening right now." I ramble.
"You can skip the eulogy and speak from your heart instead," Elliot insists.
I scoff. Yeah, right. As if speaking from the heart will bring my person back—the person I love, or used to, anyway.
Elliot sighs and removes his glasses to clean them before putting them back on. "Look, I know this might be bad advice on my part, but you'll have to find the courage to try. Just say how you feel."
"You should take your own advice," I reply, nodding toward the hallway.
Elliot turns and looks across the hall. Rosaline spots him and gives him a friendly sad smile. His pupils dilate, and he blushes as he straightens his black tie before turning back to me. "I'd rather not. We should get going; the service will be starting soon."
"Right," I pick up my blue journal and walk out of my room, and shut the door. "Time to get this over with." Time to face the music.
Four Months Later....
Rosaline and Elliot show up at my house with a few food trays.
“Your mom stopped by earlier, and she got flowers for you.” Elliot hands the pink roses to me.
“Aww, how sweet. Thank her for me.” I took them and threw them in the trash can beside me.
“Sweetheart, are you ever going to talk to her?” Rosaline asked.
“No,” I sighed and opened the cabinet to look for paper plates. “Why should I when she started this whole mess in the first place?”
Rosaline gently took the paper plates out of my hands and held them. “Did she ever tell you why and what happened?”
''No, and I don't care what she has to say to me now." I sigh and grab my purse and keys that were on the console table. "Make yourselves comfortable; I'll be back in an hour".
I exit the front door of my apartment, get into my car, and exit the driveway. I turn on the radio. Listening to music would help calm my nerves right now.
I turn the dial, and a song starts to play. '...Take me back to the night we met.'
I turned the volume down on the radio and continued driving until I reached the building and parked my car near the gated entrance.
I do my best not to disturb the others who are resting as I make my way to see him. I brush off a few stray grass weeds from a bench and sit down.
Four months and I still can't believe it.
It's never going to get any easier. Delivering a eulogy to a dead person isn’t the worst thing that’s come out of this. I believe that the worst feeling in the world is when you lose someone that you love deeply.
I lost my other half.
My best friend.
My soulmate.
I'm never going to see him again.
But first...let me go back to the beginning...
...
The Night We Met...
