The last one to get it

The five friends sat around the room in silence, they were like a lost flock of sheep. A letter slipped from one of the youths hands and gently floated to the ground. All the eyes in the room followed its course but none had the strength to move, all their energy was focused on comprehending what was written on it. In their eyes the black writing seemed harsh against the stark white paper.

When I come to the end of the road

And the sun has set on me,

I want no rites in a gloom filled room,

(Lita)

I remember the day I met her, it was my first day at crossroad junior high. Her happiness seemed to radiate off her; her smile, her big blue eyes and her golden hair, it always looked silky smooth. She was the picture of joy; she welcomed me over to her group and treated me like she'd known me her whole life. She was always like that, accepting anyone and showing him or her so much joy and happiness, the same as what she always seemed to be bursting with. How can that have disappeared so quickly or was it never really there. Did I truly know her at all?

Why cry for a soul set free.

Miss me a little – but not too long,

(Mina)

I feel numb. The part of me that was, happy and carefree seems to have drained out of me. My whole existence seems minute now that she's gone. We were the fun loving, ditzy blondes; the two who were the last to get jokes, but the first to laugh. We failed most of our classes but we always celebrated. I thought that was the whole of her being, but now I'm thinking that it was probably only just the surface of a vast chasm of intelligence and emotion, which was her true self. I'm saddened that we never got to explore and see the wonders of that chasm and see her true self. Just because we were so damn naïve and didn't take her seriously.

And not with your head bowed low,

Remember the love we will always share,

Miss me – but let me go.

(Amy)

I recall how she would seem to light up the room with her happiness. She was always fiddling, she could just not sit still she just had so much energy. I can't imagine where all that energy could have gone, how she could have given up, how she could be lying so still when she was always bouncing around, ready for anything. How long has she been feeling like that, all the years I've known her or just recently. It doesn't matter really; we still should have noticed something was wrong. How didn't we see that her smile didn't reach her eyes or that her laughter was strained, that she was really hurting inside. How could we have been so stupid, so distracted with the stupid little things in our own lives to notice that our friend was in pain?

For this is a journey that we all must take,

And each must go alone.

It is part of the Master's plan,

A step on the road home.

(Raye)

I was such a loner until she came into my life and introduced me to my now close friends. I was happy to stay in the temple and not go out, stay away from people, or shrug them off when they tried to talk to me. I didn't think anyone could understand me or accept me, but she had such a welcoming smile I was unable to resist getting close to her. I should have seen that she wasn't happy; I was like that when she pulled me out of my loneliness. I should have helped her like she helped me but now that I was happy in myself I didn't look at the sad part of the world much. If only I had taken just a peak of the blackness, maybe I could have helped.

When you are lonely and sick of heart,

Go to the friends we know,

(Darien)

We had joked about how dying young would be cool, how we would be forever young. But I never imagined her to be seriously thinking about it, I just thought it was a bit of fun. She always had a smile or laugh when we discussed it, it often ended with, maybe a vampire will come and turn us and we will roam the streets at night for the rest of our lives and as she was under eighteen she'd never be allowed in bars. It never crossed my mind that she would have those types of deep and meaningful thoughts. She was such a bimbo and so ditzy all the time, so full of life and laughter. But maybe she was just trying to live up to the expectations society puts on blondes to be the happy, fun loving ditz. And we didn't think any different because that's how blondes act, right. Yeah right, I wish I'd thought of that before. I just don't understand how she could have done this. But I forgive her but I'll never understand.

And bury your sorrows in doing good deeds,

Miss me- but let me go.

Serena