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bloom

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You were a splash of color, dancing across the pages of our lives. Everyday with you was cheerful, you'd smile and laugh and tell jokes, and somehow never get in trouble with anyone: not the teachers or the bullies. Vanitas never even gave you that much trouble! You were radiant, with an inner fire and passion could never be put out.

I remember when you told me that you were ridden with cancer in your leg, and that you'd be leaving school soon.

I remember how you were red-eyed and chuckled softly as you repeated the exact diagnosis to me.

I remember how you left school after the semester for treatment and surgeries.

I remember loving you, even when you were gone.

.

We talked a lot then, over our video cameras. You'd continue on and on, blabbing about how happy you were to see all of your friends sometimes, about how amazingly boring it was to sit a hospital room all day or read the same book over and over. But there was something dark in your eyes, something that had lost it's spark, like an ember stomped out.

But for some strange reason, we all thought you'd come back. Riku, Roxas, Naminé, Xion, even Vanitas. All of us did. We all thought you'd return, and that this was just a temporary excursion. You'd smile and laugh, we'd joke around, and we'd would all be friends again.

We didn't know that you might not be coming back to us as soon as we thought you would.

We continued to talk, and you never showed signs on your worsening conditions. Your shiny red hair would be brushed to perfection, as if the chemo wasn't taking any hair out. You talked energetically, as if the medications you were taking didn't give you serious headaches.

You would pretend for us that everything was alright.

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We talked about your dream once. To become a bakery or cafe owner. I joked about how expensive all the goods would be, since you're such a good baker. You frowned, but I knew you were flattered. You told me that you'd like for it to be in the central plaza of Radiant Garden, where you'd get the most business.

You told me you'd name the cafe Iris.

I laughed at the name a little, asking you why you'd name the place after a flower.

You only answered with a smile.

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note:

for iris