"Two years…." he whispered, stricken. I raised my head but didn't turn my view away from Masons grave " They said it would be easier with time passing, but I'm still waiting for that to happen." Eddie laid his hand on my shoulder as a comforting gesture. We stayed like that for a while, next to each other, silent and in thoughts.

Even on the way home neither of us talked. When I walked into the house I let myself down onto the sofa and Eddie went into the kitchen. As he went back in the room, he had an extra large box of ice cream under his arm and picked up my feet to lay them pack on his lap.

We spent the morning like this telling each other stories of Mason, of course both of us knew every single story already. Usually we would have been at school today, but mom told us we didn't have to go. Mason died exactly two years ago, he was my boyfriend and Eddie's best friend.

But well…, he did not just die he was killed in a street fight.

At this time we were all fighting in the streets. It was just a thing that the teens did around here, yet it has never been serious. After the fights there were no enemies, we just fought for fun. But Mase had wanted to take part in the real fights, so we went to the big city nearby and searched for the underground scene. We should have known better…

After this day we never fought again, Eddie still trained in the gym but I couldn't bring myself to it, though I knew he wanted to protect me if there ever came a situation like the one with Mase again.

"I'm home." Mom told us from the door while she entered. It was already noon, so I joined her in the kitchen and helped to unpack the groceries. Mary didn't say anything either, probably because she knew there wouldn't be anything to make this day less painful. Mary is Eddie's mum even though she was like one for me too.

She adopted me right after birth, seeing as my real mum, her sister, didn't consider herself in the right circumstances to care for me. I've never been told why, but I wouldn't ask for her anymore, she probably never wanted a kid. She didn't even bother to contact me once in my entire life, so Mary and Eddie were the best things that could have happened to me. I appreciated them for taking me in and treating me like a daughter and sister, so much that I changed my last name a few years ago.

That was a year after Thomas died, Eddie's dad. He had cancer and it was difficult to watch him two years slowly getting weaker. These incidents were most certainly the reasons why Eddie has been more serious than his peers. Surely I was very taken by his death, too but we were never that close. There was always something between us and I never could put my finger on what that was. For my dad…, well I never heard a single thing about him, neither his name nor anything else.

We were currently eating lunch, Lasagna, one of my favourites, though my appetite wasn't the same as normal, when Mary spoke up "There are letters in the mail for both of you.". I looked up at her and raised my eyebrows in surprise. I can't remember the last time someone wrote me a letter.

I was curious, so I sprang onto my feet and walked to the kitchen counter to go through the mail. A lot of bills, for which mum worked hard and long to pay, Eddie's letter and the last one was mine. I ripped it open:

Dear Rosemarie Castile,

It is a pleasure for me to tell that you qualified yourself for a scholarship at our public high school St. Vladimir. We would appreciate for you to join for your senior year, starting at the 25. august. In case you have any questions please contact me.

If there are none I will be looking forward to meet you.

Sincerely, the Headmistress

Ellen Kirova

I had to reread the letter until I turned to Mary "Did you made an application to this school? Without telling us?" her face changed to one of confusion "What? No, Rose you know I would never do anything without talking to you two before." I leaned over to give Eddie his letter and her mine. They read them in silence until mum spoke again, though it was almost too quiet to notice "Janine…"

"What, why? What does she has to do with it?"

"Her and your father met each other at this school. It's one of the best in the whole country and I'm kind of sure that they're responsible for these scholarships."

"Whatever, I don't care. We stay here!" my voice grew and mum started in a discussing tone

" Rose…" but Eddie interrupted her

"Rose you know that we won't get a chance like this again… and I won't leave without you, you know that, too.".

He looked serious nevertheless I saw the small hopeful glimpse in his eyes. He always wanted to go to college, which we couldn't afford so he needed a scholarship. The chances for a scholarship, with a diploma from such a school, were most definitely higher.

I gazed back to mum and snorted "Let me think about it.", then I walked upstairs into my room.

I've never needed them so why should take upon their offer now? It's not like my grades were responsible for this scholarship. And why the hell now? Why did it take them 17 years to do something for me? 17 years until they cared and I'm just supposed to get in on that. I was getting angrier by every thought, so I prepared myself for a run. Sports are always clearing my head, but today my feet brought me back to Masons grave and I talked to him about it.

If I would have been honest I knew my decision before I even started to ask Mase about it. I had to do it, not for me or my parents but for Ed.