One
Last Time- One-Shot
"How are we going to get
through this?" whispered Cody.
"I don't
know…but- we will."
After everyone had left the
backcourt bleachers, the few remaining members of Top Gun sat there
deep into the night. Coach Gunnerson had joined them after a heated
discussion with President Bates. Bates had allowed them to stay out
only if Gunns had stayed with them throughout the night. Although it
had been awkward having them there, they soon realized that he was
mourning too.
They sat in complete silence, each
remembering their memories with Sebastien and Megan. They saw them
on the day Sebastien beat Squib for the coveted Room 22. They
remembered how Sebastien had asked Squib to be his roommate, even
after he'd been such an idiot. Then Megan had jumped off the
stands and they'd become Top Gun, as everyone watching rallied
around them. That sunny day contrasted so bleakly to the cold night
that Megan and Sebastien's loss seemed far from real.
The night was cold, and the skies were clear. Tonight, their
greatest wish was that they could have had one, last chance with
them. They huddled together to beat the cold, and to draw some
strength from each other. Even Coach Gunnerson joined in…no one
knew how much he needed that. As they gazed into the sky, a star
dropped from it's heavenly place, and they all made the same wish.
Soft tears dropped from their eyes, and as they pooled on the bench,
they heard a soft rustle behind them.
"Hey, guys?"
They all froze, what they thought it was too unbelievable. Slowly
they turned and what they saw made them hold each other tighter.
"It's okay…you don't need to be scared."
Cody gulped, and gasped out their names. "Megan?
Sebastien?" The people standing behind them seemed so real- it
couldn't have been them. And yet…they nodded.
"We needed to say good-bye. We needed to see you," Megan
whispered.
"We need you! You…you need to stay,"
Adena breathed.
"We can't stay. We don't belong
here anymore." Sebastien passed his hand through part of the
benches. Squib put out his hand, and Sebastien tried to hold onto
it. "It doesn't work that way Squib. We're lucky to even be
here."
"Seb…what am I supposed to do? Alone?"
"You're not alone. You have Cody, and Adena.
And I have Megs…though I'd rather she stayed here." The gang
noticed, for the first time, that his hand was enveloped in Megan's.
"You know I can't stay here, Seb. Look- time is
running out," she said quietly.
"Why is time
always against us? We didn't have enough time together," wished
Cody.
"We have this, now," intoned Gunns.
"He's right. We only have so much time to say
good-bye, to our families," explained Sebastien.
"Why aren't you with them?" asked Adena.
"You
are our family," said Megan. "You were counted as our sisters
and brothers…and adoptive father." She nodded at Coach
Gunnerson.
"Don't…don't forget us. And don't
stop," implored Sebastien.
"Stop what?" Squib
needed to know; he was soaking in every moment.
"Stop
with everything. You're still here, you can still do things. We
can't." Sebastien smiled. "Tennis is heaven is a little
different than it is here."
"We'll always be
there for you when you need us- and when we don't. Life must go
on, despite death," said Megan, in a low voice.
"Our
time is up…" whispered Sebastien.
"No! No,
don't leave us!" Squib was trying violently to hold onto
Sebastien and Megan, to make them stay. They could only gaze sadly
as his hands sank past their phantom bodies, and waved good-bye.
"We love you…we'll never abandon you…" they said,
as they dissolved into the moonlight. Sobbing, those who were left
behind collapsed into each other. Each of them wondered if their
last visit with Megan and Sebastien had been an illusion, if it'd
been something they'd seen in their heads. Maybe they'd never
really been there. Yet, they knew they were real. As the days went
on, they never spoke of that night. Not even Dr. Myer's heard of
how their friend's had come back one last time, to say good-bye.
It was something they'd remember forever, somewhat comforting to
each of them. They knew Megs and Sebastien would always be with
them, no matter what. Even death couldn't separate them.
