Reunited

by okayros

*Sequel to Walking on the Tracks* Daniel Taylor is all grown up and so is the rest of the gang and the boys are gonna have a reunion. But it wont be a happy one as something is missing. Its Chris' funeral and Daniel is having a difficult time dealing with his loss, will his old friends help him in his grief?

Today is going to be one of the hardest days of my life.

I have been dreading this date for so long, so much that as I went to bed last night I was hoping that I would awake the next morning to find myself back to the day before so I would never have to deal with what today brings.

One thing I have never been good at is saying goodbye forever, I struggle with the concept of letting go to loved ones and that is what I must do later on. Today I have to say my final goodbye to one of the greatest friends I have ever had. His name was Christopher Chambers and he was a very important part of my adolescence especially when I was twelve and coping with the aftermath of my sister's suicide. Chris was everything a guy needed in a friend, he was supportive, loyal and compassionate and I loved him with all my heart. When we were twelve, Chris and I while accompanied by our three other friends, went on an unforgettable journey to find the dead body of another boy our age as a way of finding fame for our mundane lives. But instead we learnt many important life morals, especially me and these lessons and that trip have shaped me into the person I am today. Chris was the one who gave me one of the most important lessons I have learnt in my life and that was that I could do incredible things with my life, regardless of what others thought of me.

Looking back on it, I realize it was Chris who needed that lesson the most out of all of us, he was the one who people judged and looked down upon as if he were nothing more than dirt. People hated his name so hated him or who they thought he was at least and that thought was someone who was reckless and inconsiderate of others, they thought he was just like his family. He was in fact the complete opposite and was hard working and thoughtful but people didn't care, it was easier to just simply hate a kid because of his family tree than investing time getting to know him, so that's what they did. Did their harsh judgment and ignorance hurt Chris sometimes? Of course it did. Did he let these people get to him and twist his own self perception of himself? Not a chance in hell. Chris proved them all wrong and worked his ass off in school and college, becoming a successful lawyer and spent his time doing something worthwhile in life. This made him an inspiration in my life and even when we drifted apart later in life as happens when you grow older, I always held respect for my friend Chris as well as keeping him in my heart and thoughts.

That's probably why the news of his fate stopped me dead in my tracks when I heard it. I was away in Idaho shooting my upcoming film when the story was printed in the paper, let me tell you something, reading that your childhood best friend has been stabbed in a fast food joint while you're sitting on a set in front of a hundred cameraman and actors is not a pleasant feeling. I have to say that I didn't have a realistic reaction at first. I can just remember re reading the article over, my eyes concentrating on his name so hard that my brain began to hurt and my vision blurred. No I thought no this cannot be MY Chris Chambers. I kept begging and begging that it was some other Christopher Chambers that was also coincidentally a lawyer, instead of the Chris I knew. The Chris with gleaming green eyes and a charming smile that was so sincere that you felt that it was something precious and rare, the one whose arms could feel like a home that you didn't even know you were looking for but you were happy to find it. The wise and authentic Chris Chambers had lost his life to a fatal wound to the throat over something that was none of his concern.

Of course, good ol' Chris simply had to make that fight his concern because that was his natural instinct, to bring peace and calm to everyone and everywhere he could, that's why he passed. He had to die because sometimes people do not want peace and calm so they lash out to fight against it. I think that's what made me deny his death so much.

Eventually I had to come to terms with the truth. That my greatest childhood friend is no longer here and today, today I have to say goodbye for good.