So here we have a sequel to "Best Friend". But you can read it as a stand alone, though it probably won't make as much sense.
Hope you like it.
Long blonde hair fell in soft ringlets past the girl's shoulders and down her back. She had a smile plastered on her face which seemed to be contagious, for everyone she had passed would smile back. Her eyes seemed to radiate her happiness and it was almost as if there was a skip in her step. But this happiness wasn't just a one off thing, no, this girl was always happy. She had a great school life, great friends and most importantly a great family. She looked up and saw that yet more grey clouds were covering the sky and it threatened to rain again, but it didn't matter she had her umbrella in her school bag. She looked around and noticed she was passing the cemetery. Then she noticed a familiar figure crouching near a headstone. She diverted from her route home on the footpath and headed into the cemetery. As she got closer to the man crouched down a frown of concern crossed her face. It looked almost as if he was shaking, as if he was...Crying. As she looked around she noted that she didn't know anybody in this part of the cemetery.
"Dad?" she asked as she came up behind the man. He quickly tried to wipe away his tears and turned around.
"Danny," he said.
"What's wrong?" Danny asked.
"Oh, nothing, I'm just been silly," he replied. Danny looked around her father and at the headstone.
Daniel Alan David Jones
1986-2011
In loving memory of a son, lover and friend.
Bury me with my guitar and all the way to Hell I'll play.
Danny read the engraving before looking to her father. It had been 12 years since that day he'd started that story.
"You never did finish that story..." Danny said. "Nor did you tell me what actually happened,"
"No...I didn't..." he replied. "Let's go home and I'll tell you,"
"Ok," Danny smiled and held out her arms. "But first I need a hug,"
"Yes you do," he grinned and took his daughter into a warm hug. They walked home talking about Danny's day at school. They smiled and laughed, and sometimes would fall into a deep discussion. But she did not forget that her father was going to finish the story. Finally they arrived home. Unlocking the front door they walked inside. After Danny had put her school bag in her bedroom she walked downstairs to find her Dad sitting in the living room. She sat beside him, a smile on her face.
"So...Let's hear the rest of this story," Danny said.
"You know, your mother will kill me if she finds out I told you," he said, trying to avoid it.
"But she won't find out, so it's ok," Danny smiled.
"Of course...Ok, well...You know that I used to be in a band with Uncle Harry and Uncle Dougie, and that there used to be another guy as well, named Danny," he started.
"Yep," Danny nodded. "And all you ever told me was that some bad men sent him to Heaven,"
"You were so young, I couldn't tell you what really happened," he sighed.
"I'm grown up now, so you can," Danny said.
"I guess so..." he thought for a moment. Looking into his daughter's eyes Tom realised that maybe it was time to tell her, even if it meant getting himself upset like he had 12 years ago.
"Dad?" Danny said. "How'd he die?"
"We were walking back to our hotel after playing a few songs at a venue...And Uncle Dougie and I were mucking around, just looking at pictures on his phone and stuff...Then we stopped at the road and checked for traffic..."
"Oh God...He wasn't hit, was he?" Danny asked, looking worried.
"No," Tom replied. "No...He had already crossed the street; he was waiting for us... And then..."
The noises were loud and it scared Tom. But what was more frightening was seeing Danny fall to the ground. Then he heard and saw four men running in the opposite direction.
"That wasn't him! You shot the wrong guy!" he heard one yell before they disappeared. In a sickening moment he crossed the street in lightening speed. He fell to his knees. Danny was lying on the pavement, the colour drained from his face.
"Tom..." he said, his voice full of sheer terror.
"Danny! Christ! It's gonna be ok," Tom said as he ripped off his jacket and pressed it to Danny's stomach where there were copious amounts of blood. Tom looked up to see Harry and Dougie, both in tears, kneeling next to Danny. Then Harry forced himself to pull out his phone to ring for help. Dougie was sobbing uncontrollably but couldn't do anything else.
"Dougie, your jacket," Tom said as he tried to keep himself together. Dougie quickly shrugged off his jacket and handed it to Tom. Tom took the jacket and folded it up, placing it under Danny's head.
"Tom, don't let me die," Danny said as he reached out to hold Tom's arm.
"Don't be stupid! You're not going to die!" Tom scolded. "It's just a bit of light bleeding,"
"Tom...I'm the one bleeding, I know it's not light," Danny said, trying to lighten the mood. Then he started to cough. Tom reached out to wipe away something from the corner of Danny's mouth and was horrified to find it was blood. And when he looked again at Danny's face he'd closed his eyes.
"No! No! Danny! Open your eyes!" Tom demanded, giving Danny's cheek a little slap. Danny opened his eyes. "Don't close your eyes, stay awake!"
"Tom...I'm cold...Can you hold me?" Danny asked weakly. Tom scrambled and was soon holding Danny in his arms. "Remember all those good times we had?"
"Don't be like that, you're going to be fine," Tom said.
"Well, just in case I don't see you again..." Danny murmured. "Don't ever forget me,"
"I won't because you aren't going anywhere," Tom cried.
"When someone asks...I was just a goofy, stupid guitar player," Danny whispered.
"No! Because you were never stupid! Goofy, I'll admit," Tom said, tears running hot and fast down his cheeks.
"Tell Georgia I love her so damn much," Danny said as a tear escaped and fled down his cheek. "And the same to everyone else,"
"You tell her yourself," Tom replied.
"We both know how this is going to end," Danny said and then started to cough. When he recovered he looked even weaker than before. "But please Tom...I'm begging you...Don't let me die,"
"I won't," Tom cried as he heard the panic in Danny's voice. He felt Danny clutch onto him for, literally, dear life. And then slowly Danny's chest rose and fell, rose and fell, rose and fell...
"No! No! No! Danny! Wake up! No! Please! Don't go! Danny!" Tom screamed. As he screamed for Danny to come back he saw Dougie and Harry from the corner of his eye. They were both hysterical and couldn't bring themselves to do anything except hold each other and cry. Seconds later the ambulance arrived, along with the police, but it was too late. And everybody watched as Tom sat on the cold pavement holding Danny's lifeless body, screaming and begging him to come back.
"Daddy..." Danny whimpered and reached out to take her father's hand. Both blonde's had tears streaming down their faces. Tom pulled his daughter close and held her as he cried. He cried for the friend he's lost, the friend who's died in his arms.
"Ok you two go up and get changed so we can go for afternoon tea," Tom and Danny wiped their faces quickly as they heard Giovanna's voice. Then two sets of footsteps running upstairs. Giovanna walked into the living room, smiling after her two sons that she had just sent upstairs, their excited attitude radiating. With alarm she noted that both her husband and daughter had been crying and asked "What's wrong?"
"Dad..." Danny stopped. She took a deep breath and looked from her mother to her father.
"I told her Gi," Tom admitted.
"Oh God," Gi gasped and quickly sat on the couch. She cuddled her daughter and reached out to hold Tom's hand. "Danny, go and wash your face and get changed...We are going to go for afternoon tea,"
"Ok," Danny said as she wiped her face and left the room.
"She found me at the cemetery...I was visiting Dan, having a cry like I do...And she just walked up...I didn't have time to hide my tears..." Tom said, angrily wiping a tear away. He was angry that he'd made his daughter cry. "And now I've gone and made her upset. God! I'm so bloody stupid!"
"You're not stupid," Gi said, rubbing Tom's arm.
"Yes I am! Why would I do that to my daughter?" Tom cursed himself. "I always fuck it up! And then...Christ! I let Danny die! I promised him I wouldn't!"
"Thomas Michael Fletcher!" Gi growled. "You swore to me, and a lot of other people, on our wedding day, that you would never blame yourself again for what happened...It took almost two years to finally make you believe that it wasn't your fault, so don't start blaming yourself again,"
"I'm sorry," Tom whispered and fell into his wife's embrace. They sat there for a while, enjoying each other's company. Finally Gi pulled back.
"Go and get yourself cleaned up," she said.
"Ok," he nodded and accepted a loving kiss before walking off. After getting himself cleaned up and looking respectable he walked downstairs. He smiled at Giovanna who was waiting at the front door. He looked outside to see their three beautiful children running around in the front yard. Losing Danny was one of the hardest things he had ever been through. He wished that Danny could see his children. He would have been so proud to be called Uncle Danny. Then Tom looked up at the sky and saw a break in the clouds. The blue sky shining through reminded him of Danny's blue eyes and a smile graced his lips. Then Tom knew Danny was up there, and he was looking down and smiling that big goofy grin. He was watching over Tom's family.