It was hot rainy day in Seattle Washington, I was just getting out of my gym class when I met up with my girlfriend Rayne (with her 5'6 frame, ice blue eyes, and black hair with pink highlights she was definitely one of the prettiest girls here at school), "So you still comin over my house later?" She asked, "Of course, I have never not came over have I?" "Right... We still for the movies?" "Yeah I want to see Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close." "Ooh I do too!" We walked off to English class.
The rain fell and didn't lighten up at all as the day progressed. Finally the bell rang and I bolted out of my chemistry class, Rayne was waiting by her blue Mercedes S55 AMG for me, "Sorry I made you wait in the rain for me." "Oh Jason, I'll wait for you no matter what the weather is like." She gave me a kiss and I got into the passenger side of the car. I sat on her bed when we got home, "Where's your family?" "Out... I really don't know." We cuddled on her bed and watched tv until 6:30, "Come on, we better go if we want to catch the movie at 7." I said getting up. She grabbed her purse and keys and we left. The rain was still falling hard outside, "Man, I don't think we'll get to the 7:00 showing, I can't see two feet in front of me!" She said squinting out the window, "It's ok we can see another movie if we don't make it." We pulled up to a stop light. "Wow I'm surprised we haven't flooded with all this rain." She said, "It's green now." I said looking up at the light. She gained speed then suddenly there was defining sound and we were rolling across oncoming traffic. There were squealing sounds and everything was a blur, "Rayne!" I shouted over the sound of crunching car, "RAYNE!" The car rolled to a stop, I unbuckled my seatbelt, "Rayne?" I looked over to the drivers side, she wasn't there. I started to crawl but I was too weak and I layed there and blacked out.
Faint sounds of people talking and blurred vision I remembered next, "This boys injured he's in critical condition!" "Where's the driver of the vehicle?" I remember blurry white lights and blurry people. Sirens filled the air, I was in an ambulance, "Rayne." I mumbled, "Rayne." "He's responding." "Leave him until we get to the hospital." Paramedics were gathering around me, I slipped back into sleep.
Beep, beep, beep, is what I heard when I woke up in the hospital. My mom, dad, and older sister was there, and so was Rayne's family, they were so upset, "What happened?" "Oh Jay, you were in a rollover accident. Another car blew a red light and hit your car." My mom said, Rayne's parents walked out of the room, "Where is Rayne?" The room fell silent, "Jay, Rayne is dead." "What? No she's fine, she's ok..." I couldn't believe it, she didn't die, "Jason, they found her body in a ditch a couple of feet away from the car, she's dead! Get it through your thick skull!" My sister Rachel said.
When I was allowed to go home a few days later I felt like I lost my will to live anymore, I didn't want to go home I just wanted to die in my hospital bed, "Jason!" "What?" "What is your problem?" My friend Sage, who has brown hair green eyes and is 6 foot, asked, "What's the point of living without a little Rayne in your life?" "You're upset about no rain? Dude we're in flood warning... I could do without rain." "No not rain, Rayne... My girlfriend... Or she was." "Dude you need to get your mind off her, come on, we need to get to english before we're late." "English was Rayne's favorite class." I sighed and headed to class.
There was no escaping her, everywhere I went I thought of her, school, home, Sage's house, she was there. I laid face down on my bed, "Jay, Rayne's parents called, the funeral is Thursday, and the showing is Wednesday." Rachel said, "I know." I said, "Yeah they're cancelling school those days." I mumbled in the blankets, "Ok, I know you're upset but get over it... Rayne would want you to." "You don't know what Rayne would want." "Maybe I don't but I do know she would want you to remember her as she was." "Happy, outgoing, lovable, family-oriented, smart, pretty, caring, not self centered, and she always saw the best in people, and never had enemies." I felt tears falling from my eyes. Rachel left the room, I didn't want to go to school the rest of my life without Rayne, she was everything to me. It didn t help that every time I walked into the school people kept telling me how sorry they were about Rayne... I was the most miserable person in the school, Hey Jason. Leslie said from across the hall... She was Rayne s best friend, she was just as upset as I was, Hey Leslie. You know Rayne always told me that if she died she would want to die with you. Well she got her wish... kinda. Leslie hugged me, I miss her a lot too, we can get through this together, for Rayne. For Rayne. I said.
Wednesday came and my parents took me to the showing, when we got there I wanted to stay in the car. Rayne s parents were there... the school hasn t arrived yet, Come on Jay let s go. my sister said, Ok. I got out of the car. Rain was still falling from the sky again so we hurried inside, her parents were in the entryway. I felt bad for her mom she was crying really hard... I had to stop myself from doing the same, Oh thank you guys for coming, Rayne would appreciate it. her dad said to my parents and sister, Jay are you gonna come inside? No, I m waiting for a friend. I said. Mine and Rayne s parents left the room, I waited for Leslie because I knew her parents were bringing her too. Leslie s car pulled up about half an hour later and she hurried in, Hey Jay. Hey... where are your parents? Oh they re coming. Did you go in yet? No I was waiting for you, our parents were in there I don t know if they still are. Come on let s go. we started walking together. Leslie signed the guest book and we proceeded walking in, "Leslie, I- I don't want to go-" "Come on." She pulled me by the arm into the room.
Over at the other side of the room was the casket, I held my breath and walked over. There were poster boards of pictures lined up by the casket, some with me and RUayne, when she was on the cheer team,and pictures of her and her friends at the beach. Her parents also put pictures of her when she was younger, but the pictures that made my want to leave were all the pictures of me and Rayne together, at junior prom, the beach, her house, my house, and just hanging out... All those good memories, all those fun times, a distant past. "Oh Rayne." My concentration was broken by Leslie's voice. She was standing in front of the casket, I gathered up the courage to walk over next to Leslie and I looked up. There laid Rayne, as pale as a ghost but still as beautiful as ever. She was dressed in a black sequin dress and red lipstick, "Jason." Her mom walked up behind me, "I thought she might want to be buried in this." She held up a necklace with a locket on the end. On the inside was a picture of me on one half and a picture of her on the other, "I'll put it on her." And I did so leaving it opened up, "I love you." I said clasping the necklace.
Everyone told me they were sorry for my loss, I wanted to avoid as many people as I could. The longer I stayed the more I wanted to leave, Leslie and I kept going outside because we couldn't handle it inside, "I heard it's supposed to be sunny tomorrow." She said, "Yeah, Rayne loved the sun, she wanted the rain to go away " "Yeah she told me." I stared out in the distance at the rain. The showing ended and we left the funeral home, when I got home I went straight to my bedroom. I took off my clothes and put on a pair of shorts then went to bed, that night I dreamed of Rayne, she was alive, and she was in a beautiful white dress. We were at junior prom again but I didn't know anyone there, they were all dressed in white too and there were people of all different ages dancing from babies to elders. She reached out her hand to me and I grabbed it she pulled me into the middle of the dance floor, she leaned in to kiss me then a loud noise woke me.
I shot straight up out of bed, it was Thursday morning and Rayne has been dead for 16 days. There were more loud noises coming from the kitchen, I figured it was mt mom making breakfast so I got up and walked out of my bedroom. Sure enough my mom was making eggs and bacon, "Mom? What are you doing?" "Oh Jay, you're up, I was just making breakfast." "At six in the morning." "Yeah,the funeral starts at nine..." "Thats three hours away." "Oh Jay, you're probably tired, why don't you go back to bed?" "Ok." I went to my bedroom, my mom was upset, usually she cleans or cooks when she's upset. I laid my head down on my pillow and went back to sleep, Rayne wasn't there but Leslie was, Leslie was crying and I didn't know why, I kept asking and asking but she didn't respond she just kept crying.
My mom woke me up at 8, "Jay, time to get up." She put her hand on my shoulder, "I'll be down in a minute." I said not opening my eyes. She left the room then my cell phone rang, "Hello?" "Yeah Jay it's Leslie." "What's wrong?" "I don't want to go to the funeral..." "You have to Ray was your best friend." "I can't believe we get to sit in the front row with her family." "Yeah... I'll see you then okay, I gotta eat n' stuff." "Ok, bye Jay." "Bye." I hung up the phone. The house smelled of bacon and eggs still, my dad and sister were the kitchen when I sat down, "... So then I told him that I wasn't interested and blah blah blah..." My sister was telling my dad, I was tuning her out as much as my dad was. No one ever cared about her problems but she had the need to go and tell someone anyway, I sat down and grabbed some bacon and eggs, "... And she had the nerve to tell me he didn't want to date me..." My sister continued. I looked up at my dad who looked at me... We both rolled our eyes, I finished my breakfast then went back into my bedroom to change.
The worst part about being in the front row was sitting next to her parents... Don't get me wrong I love her parents, but its hard trying to be strong when they are crying themselves... Leslie and I didn't last long. We went to the cemetery after the service, Raynes brothers Mike and Daniel, cousin Brad, and I carried the casket out of the hearse and to the burial sight.
The pastor did another service at the sight. Leslie was standing next to me, "For all these years I never knew thought what it would be like to lose a close friend." She said trying not to cry, "I miss her a lot." I said. After the final service Leslie and I stayed to watch them put the casket into the ground, "Rayne you'll be missed, I love you." I said, "Best friends forever." Leslie cried, "Let's go Leslie." We walked away letting Rayne out of our lives for good...
The rain fell and didn't lighten up at all as the day progressed. Finally the bell rang and I bolted out of my chemistry class, Rayne was waiting by her blue Mercedes S55 AMG for me, "Sorry I made you wait in the rain for me." "Oh Jason, I'll wait for you no matter what the weather is like." She gave me a kiss and I got into the passenger side of the car. I sat on her bed when we got home, "Where's your family?" "Out... I really don't know." We cuddled on her bed and watched tv until 6:30, "Come on, we better go if we want to catch the movie at 7." I said getting up. She grabbed her purse and keys and we left. The rain was still falling hard outside, "Man, I don't think we'll get to the 7:00 showing, I can't see two feet in front of me!" She said squinting out the window, "It's ok we can see another movie if we don't make it." We pulled up to a stop light. "Wow I'm surprised we haven't flooded with all this rain." She said, "It's green now." I said looking up at the light. She gained speed then suddenly there was defining sound and we were rolling across oncoming traffic. There were squealing sounds and everything was a blur, "Rayne!" I shouted over the sound of crunching car, "RAYNE!" The car rolled to a stop, I unbuckled my seatbelt, "Rayne?" I looked over to the drivers side, she wasn't there. I started to crawl but I was too weak and I layed there and blacked out.
Faint sounds of people talking and blurred vision I remembered next, "This boys injured he's in critical condition!" "Where's the driver of the vehicle?" I remember blurry white lights and blurry people. Sirens filled the air, I was in an ambulance, "Rayne." I mumbled, "Rayne." "He's responding." "Leave him until we get to the hospital." Paramedics were gathering around me, I slipped back into sleep.
Beep, beep, beep, is what I heard when I woke up in the hospital. My mom, dad, and older sister was there, and so was Rayne's family, they were so upset, "What happened?" "Oh Jay, you were in a rollover accident. Another car blew a red light and hit your car." My mom said, Rayne's parents walked out of the room, "Where is Rayne?" The room fell silent, "Jay, Rayne is dead." "What? No she's fine, she's ok..." I couldn't believe it, she didn't die, "Jason, they found her body in a ditch a couple of feet away from the car, she's dead! Get it through your thick skull!" My sister Rachel said.
When I was allowed to go home a few days later I felt like I lost my will to live anymore, I didn't want to go home I just wanted to die in my hospital bed, "Jason!" "What?" "What is your problem?" My friend Sage, who has brown hair green eyes and is 6 foot, asked, "What's the point of living without a little Rayne in your life?" "You're upset about no rain? Dude we're in flood warning... I could do without rain." "No not rain, Rayne... My girlfriend... Or she was." "Dude you need to get your mind off her, come on, we need to get to english before we're late." "English was Rayne's favorite class." I sighed and headed to class.
There was no escaping her, everywhere I went I thought of her, school, home, Sage's house, she was there. I laid face down on my bed, "Jay, Rayne's parents called, the funeral is Thursday, and the showing is Wednesday." Rachel said, "I know." I said, "Yeah they're cancelling school those days." I mumbled in the blankets, "Ok, I know you're upset but get over it... Rayne would want you to." "You don't know what Rayne would want." "Maybe I don't but I do know she would want you to remember her as she was." "Happy, outgoing, lovable, family-oriented, smart, pretty, caring, not self centered, and she always saw the best in people, and never had enemies." I felt tears falling from my eyes. Rachel left the room, I didn't want to go to school the rest of my life without Rayne, she was everything to me. It didn t help that every time I walked into the school people kept telling me how sorry they were about Rayne... I was the most miserable person in the school, Hey Jason. Leslie said from across the hall... She was Rayne s best friend, she was just as upset as I was, Hey Leslie. You know Rayne always told me that if she died she would want to die with you. Well she got her wish... kinda. Leslie hugged me, I miss her a lot too, we can get through this together, for Rayne. For Rayne. I said.
Wednesday came and my parents took me to the showing, when we got there I wanted to stay in the car. Rayne s parents were there... the school hasn t arrived yet, Come on Jay let s go. my sister said, Ok. I got out of the car. Rain was still falling from the sky again so we hurried inside, her parents were in the entryway. I felt bad for her mom she was crying really hard... I had to stop myself from doing the same, Oh thank you guys for coming, Rayne would appreciate it. her dad said to my parents and sister, Jay are you gonna come inside? No, I m waiting for a friend. I said. Mine and Rayne s parents left the room, I waited for Leslie because I knew her parents were bringing her too. Leslie s car pulled up about half an hour later and she hurried in, Hey Jay. Hey... where are your parents? Oh they re coming. Did you go in yet? No I was waiting for you, our parents were in there I don t know if they still are. Come on let s go. we started walking together. Leslie signed the guest book and we proceeded walking in, "Leslie, I- I don't want to go-" "Come on." She pulled me by the arm into the room.
Over at the other side of the room was the casket, I held my breath and walked over. There were poster boards of pictures lined up by the casket, some with me and RUayne, when she was on the cheer team,and pictures of her and her friends at the beach. Her parents also put pictures of her when she was younger, but the pictures that made my want to leave were all the pictures of me and Rayne together, at junior prom, the beach, her house, my house, and just hanging out... All those good memories, all those fun times, a distant past. "Oh Rayne." My concentration was broken by Leslie's voice. She was standing in front of the casket, I gathered up the courage to walk over next to Leslie and I looked up. There laid Rayne, as pale as a ghost but still as beautiful as ever. She was dressed in a black sequin dress and red lipstick, "Jason." Her mom walked up behind me, "I thought she might want to be buried in this." She held up a necklace with a locket on the end. On the inside was a picture of me on one half and a picture of her on the other, "I'll put it on her." And I did so leaving it opened up, "I love you." I said clasping the necklace.
Everyone told me they were sorry for my loss, I wanted to avoid as many people as I could. The longer I stayed the more I wanted to leave, Leslie and I kept going outside because we couldn't handle it inside, "I heard it's supposed to be sunny tomorrow." She said, "Yeah, Rayne loved the sun, she wanted the rain to go away " "Yeah she told me." I stared out in the distance at the rain. The showing ended and we left the funeral home, when I got home I went straight to my bedroom. I took off my clothes and put on a pair of shorts then went to bed, that night I dreamed of Rayne, she was alive, and she was in a beautiful white dress. We were at junior prom again but I didn't know anyone there, they were all dressed in white too and there were people of all different ages dancing from babies to elders. She reached out her hand to me and I grabbed it she pulled me into the middle of the dance floor, she leaned in to kiss me then a loud noise woke me.
I shot straight up out of bed, it was Thursday morning and Rayne has been dead for 16 days. There were more loud noises coming from the kitchen, I figured it was mt mom making breakfast so I got up and walked out of my bedroom. Sure enough my mom was making eggs and bacon, "Mom? What are you doing?" "Oh Jay, you're up, I was just making breakfast." "At six in the morning." "Yeah,the funeral starts at nine..." "Thats three hours away." "Oh Jay, you're probably tired, why don't you go back to bed?" "Ok." I went to my bedroom, my mom was upset, usually she cleans or cooks when she's upset. I laid my head down on my pillow and went back to sleep, Rayne wasn't there but Leslie was, Leslie was crying and I didn't know why, I kept asking and asking but she didn't respond she just kept crying.
My mom woke me up at 8, "Jay, time to get up." She put her hand on my shoulder, "I'll be down in a minute." I said not opening my eyes. She left the room then my cell phone rang, "Hello?" "Yeah Jay it's Leslie." "What's wrong?" "I don't want to go to the funeral..." "You have to Ray was your best friend." "I can't believe we get to sit in the front row with her family." "Yeah... I'll see you then okay, I gotta eat n' stuff." "Ok, bye Jay." "Bye." I hung up the phone. The house smelled of bacon and eggs still, my dad and sister were the kitchen when I sat down, "... So then I told him that I wasn't interested and blah blah blah..." My sister was telling my dad, I was tuning her out as much as my dad was. No one ever cared about her problems but she had the need to go and tell someone anyway, I sat down and grabbed some bacon and eggs, "... And she had the nerve to tell me he didn't want to date me..." My sister continued. I looked up at my dad who looked at me... We both rolled our eyes, I finished my breakfast then went back into my bedroom to change.
The worst part about being in the front row was sitting next to her parents... Don't get me wrong I love her parents, but its hard trying to be strong when they are crying themselves... Leslie and I didn't last long. We went to the cemetery after the service, Raynes brothers Mike and Daniel, cousin Brad, and I carried the casket out of the hearse and to the burial sight.
The pastor did another service at the sight. Leslie was standing next to me, "For all these years I never knew thought what it would be like to lose a close friend." She said trying not to cry, "I miss her a lot." I said. After the final service Leslie and I stayed to watch them put the casket into the ground, "Rayne you'll be missed, I love you." I said, "Best friends forever." Leslie cried, "Let's go Leslie." We walked away letting Rayne out of our lives for good...
Its been a year since Rayne died, Leslie and I graduated, and we are about to have a family of our own... In three months actually. Seattle has been dry the whole spring and we barely had snow in the winter, we've been in drought since March but today was abnormally gray. I went to the cemetery where Raynes grave was, the grass was dead on her grave and the dirt wasn't completely settled yet so I packed down some of the dirt and knelt in it. Her picture was on the gravestone next to the words 'Here lays Rayne Jamie Jackson February 15, 1994- May 9, 2012' right above her picture I put a vase of flowers and a picture frame with the last picture we took together at Senior prom, "I haven't forgotten about you Rayne... I'll always love you." I blew a kiss at her picture and got up. Rain drops started falling out of the sky, I looked up in happiness, and for the first time in a long time it was nice to have a little Rayne in my life again.