Zander's POV
The rows of white fold up chairs lined the small grass area. The faces of classmates and friends swarmed the area. I walked into area wearing my nice black button up shirt and slacks and found my seat in between Nelson and Kevin. Kacey was wearing a simple black dress with matching shoes and accessories. Nelson and Kevin wore similar clothes to mine. It's not like it mattered; the whole crowd wore black clothes. In the seats in front of us was Stevie's family. Each member was bawling their eyes out. I turned away, not wanting to watch anymore of the unbearable sadness they held for Stevie.
In the front stood a blown up picture of Stevie's school picture. Staring at her picture made me realized how much I wanted Stevie to be here right now. Except that will never happen.
My eyes landed on the heart stopping item in the front: the coffin. It was a simple, black coffin. Inside the coffin was Stevie. I held my breath as I stared at her motionless body. She wore her favorite combat boots and green dress that she wore at a dance. Her hair fell neatly down to her shoulders. She had on a very faint amount of makeup, probably since after the service, it wouldn't matter how much makeup she wore.
The preacher walked up to the podium next to the coffin. The tree in the background swayed to the silence as the preacher began his small speech. "In loving memory of Stevie Baskara…"
Kacey's POV
"…we share remembrance to a lovely girl who changed the lives of others," the preacher said. The preacher continued to talk about the life Stevie had. I drifted off into a daydream of how Stevie changed my life.
It feels as if it was only yesterday that Zander had convinced Gravity 4 to accept me as the new member of the band. They changed the band name to Gravity 5 and made me their lead singer. Everyone in the band had their ups and downs, but we all stuck together. We were like the three musketeers, except five of us. As I grew with the band, I also became best friends with Stevie.
Stevie and I have been through a lot. We've been through boy troubles, band arguments, even sneaking into a Cee Lo Green concert with the rest of the band! All those moments are so special to be, but I broke a friendship over a relationship.
The moment I read the letter, I felt instant guilt wash over me. I blew it. I truly blew it with Stevie. As much as I could apologize, I could never take back the times I ignored her and gave her rude remarks. I can't take back all the words I've said. Everything done stays in place. Everything I did to her was the worst mistake I have ever made. I made her feel horrible about what she did, even though she constantly apologized. The worst mistake I've made was not forgiving her earlier.
That night, I couldn't sleep. Besides that fact that Stevie died in front of my eyes, I couldn't stop thinking about how foolish I was. I was a terrible to her. She didn't to deserve to die like this.
I curled up into my bed and cried myself to sleep. The thoughts kept me awake the whole night. It was like my mind wanted me to remember the stupid things I did to her. Even in my dreams, I was haunted by the memories of me treating her badly, even before I was accepted into Gravity 5.
"Now a few words from her family," ended the preacher. He stepped away from the podium, letting Mr. and Mrs. Baskara have the spotlight. Watching them walk up to the front with pained expressions, the only thing I could think about was that this wasn't fair.
Nelson's POV
Mr. and Mrs. Baskara went to the back of the podium, ready to tell the speech they weren't ready to say. A brief moment of silence covered a vast majority of the distance. Not a single car or leaf was heard. Mr. Baskara took a deep breath and began the speech.
"This isn't supposed to happen. Every parent expects their child to live on while they die. The parents are supposed to die first, then their child when it comes their time. Stevie…if only she had one more chance to live…" Mr. Baskara brushed his hand through his hair. I stared out into the sky. Maybe Stevie was watching us now, just like she was watching over me every day.
Stevie took my hand and led me out of the band room, away from Grace. I stared at her in bewilderment. Stevie had pulled Grace away before she got to kiss me. What is wrong with Stevie today?
"What is wrong with you Stevie? Grace was just about to kiss me!" I yelled. Stevie flinched, but put on her serious face.
"I don't want you to hang out with her. She's bad news." Stevie held onto my arm. Her grip got tighter as she mentioned anything about Grace.
"Would you get over it? Grace quit being a part of the Perfs just to be with me! Why are you so overprotective over me?"
"I know her type. She's going to dump you to the ground just like every other Perf."
"Why don't you understand that she's not part of the Perfs anymore? She quit, Stevie. Grace is just another ordinary girl," I stared at her, waiting for her to answer. She let go of my arm and clenched her fists. I backed away from her, ready for her to blow. Instead, her fists unclenched. Her head fell and her shoulders slumped. This wasn't the Stevie we all knew. This person was someone else, someone weaker. She pivoted and walked away, grumbling under her breath.
Stevie continued to break Grace. She ignored her or dropped little insults. As weeks progressed, Grace began to fear hanging around the band. She would always check to make sure no one was around when we were together. Grace would text me once I texted her that I was alone to make sure Stevie wasn't watching. I tried reasoning with Grace that it was stupid doing this, that we should live our relationship no matter what Stevie says. But Grace, being paranoid and careful, told me it was for the best.
We were probably five weeks into our quiet relationship. Grace began to distant from the band, including me. We barely talked to each other every week, much less see each other. Grace hung out with new friends, avoiding the band and the Perfs while I was with Kevin and my Furious Pidgins game. Stevie continued to be very vigilant when I was around Grace. She kept her eyes on me like a hungry pack of wolves. At the end of the week, Grace asked me to come to her house for a talk.
I biked to Grace's house after band practice. Stevie rode with Zander home so I knew I was alone. I parked my bike next to her garage and rang the doorbell. Grace peeked open the door and let me in. I slipped inside her warm house. Grace's grey tabby cat, Fluffy, jumped off the couch and landed safely on the ground. She walked up to me with her kind green eyes and flaunted her tail. I leaned down to pet her soft coat of fur.
Grace laid her delicate hand on my shoulder. I shot up from the cat and stared at her. Grace opened her mouth to speak, but immediately closed it as if what she was about to say would hurt me. Her eyes were filled with a mix of fear and sadness. She didn't need to say anything; her expressions showed everything.
"A few weeks ago, I was proud to call you my boyfriend. I gave up being a Perf for you. Unfortunately, there has been one little problem," She began. "You know what the problem is."
"I know and I'm sorry. I told her to quit being so overprotective over me, but she won't listen. I've tried everything!" My voice began to falter. Was I really trying everything to keep her away from our relationship?
"I'm sorry Nelson. These five weeks have been great but—"
"Grace, please don't do this. Please don't do thing Grace," I implored, trying to change her mind.
Grace raised her hand to her mouth, letting her sleeves cover her beautiful lips. "Nelson…we're done." I stood in front of her with ragged breaths. My world spun upside down. The moment I feared would happen happened. Grace opened the door and led me out of her house for the last time.
It was a couple weeks later when Grace and I finally hung out together as friends. It broke my heart hanging out with her and knowing I'm not hers. I couldn't get over her. I tried finding new girls to date (with the obvious notation that those girls were out of my league). No one could compare to the beauty and kindness Grace has shown towards me.
The night I read the letter Stevie wrote, my mind immediately flashed back to those days. All night, I sat on my desk and thought about what she'd done. Am I supposed to forgive her or am I supposed to hold the grudge? I slid out a piece of binder paper and wrote down everything I was thinking. I wrote about Stevie intervening with my new relationship. I wrote about the break up and Grace friendzoning me. But as hours passed, I realized I had to forgive her. I looked up at the dark sky through my window. I forgive you Stevie.
"Nelson, do you have my notecards for my speech?" Kacey asked. I snapped out of my haze and reached into my pocket and slipped out her notecards. Kacey took the cards and got ready to go up and talk next.
Grace's POV
Mr. and Mrs. Baskara walked away from the podium, both in tears. The family waited for them to sit down so they can pile them with sympathetic hugs. I gripped my black Gucci purse as I watched Kacey walk to the podium notecards in hand. A tiny smile crept upon my face. Even in the middle of a funeral, she manages to make herself look good.
Kacey took a deep breath and began, "Stevie Baskara was known to be the strongest girl in school. Not only was the only one who could take a punch in the face, but she was also the girl who never cried in front of people. She never let her guard down. This girl was more to me than the girl in my band. She's more to me than the girl I got mad at over a stupid relationship. Stevie was my best friend."
There was something about Stevie that I never really got. Stevie had been constantly insulted. She's been told almost anything creatively horrible any bully can come up with, but she never cried. She never showed a tinge of hurt, not even when she was shoved to the ground. Her face showed annoyance, sometimes even anger, but never a hurt expression.
Despite her anger towards me, I always admired her. She was the girl I wanted to be. She was the girl who could take hits without giving up. Stevie was as tough as steel and as beautiful as a teen model off of the cover of a magazine. While I have to spend an hour to look my best as a Perf, Stevie only has to take five or ten minutes to look good. Most of all, I admired Stevie for her kindness. There was the one moment before Nelson and I dated when Stevie showed her softer side.
It was a nice sunny Tuesday afternoon. Molly and I were eating at our usual table with the rest of the Perfs. Of course, I was looking picture perfect while Molly looked unbelievably gorgeous. Molly barked orders to the rest of the Perfs about our next performance. I sat quietly, staring at the back of Nelson's head.
"Grace, what are you doing?" Molly asked as she got up from her seat.
"Oh nothing," I replied. Maybe Molly hadn't noticed me staring at Nelson.
I was wrong. "Grace, stop staring at Nelson. Remember you are a Perf, not a geek like him. He is not worth your time. Now get up. It's time to go to the bathroom." I shook my head in refusal. If Molly won't accept that I like Nelson, I won't do anything with her.
"Grace, get up now," Molly stipulated. There was a nuance in the tone of her voice that was something I only heard her use on Kacey. The bitterness, anger, and disappointment in her voice almost made me fall back on my knees for her approval. Almost. I remained seated. Molly wasn't going to accept Nelson; therefore I shouldn't listen to her.
Molly tried pulling me off the seat, but I only squirmed out of her grip and screamed. I was making an embarrassing scene that would headline the school newspaper, but I didn't care. Molly should've seen this coming.
"Stop being the stupid and obnoxious Grace people burden and be normal for a change." She stopped abruptly in her pulling. Her mouth began to open, but shut immediately. The whole lunch area was dead silent. I felt light headed from her words. I bristled from the table and left as if nothing had happened, passing through the throng of people crowded to see the spectacle. Molly raced after me, but I continued to pretend like nothing was wrong. I'm fabulous Grace. I'm second in command as a Perf. Having beauty means having to endure the pain. There is no need for tears.
I repeated the same phrases over and over in my head. I wanted to believe that everything will be fine. After outrunning Molly around the school, I stopped into the only bathroom where no one was occupying. I slipped into an empty stall and put on my headphones. I turned on a random sad song to comfort me. The graffiti on the stall began to blur. My tears smeared my mascara. The black makeup ran down my face and onto my sweater (which luckily was black). My blonde, wavy hair drooped down on my shoulders. Nothing seemed right anymore.
I heard the knock knocking of the stall door. I froze in place, hoping that no one would see me like this. The number one Perf rule was to never show anyone you are weak. That means no crying, no breaking down, no freaking out. As a Perf, you can't indicate any signs of being inferior to those who are supposed to be inferior to you.
"Please come out. I won't bite." The voice was vaguely familiar. I've heard her voice before.
"What do you want from me?" I asked through the stall with as much confidence I can stir.
"I saw what happened in the lunch area. Do you want to talk about it?" I thought about it. Did I really want to tell someone I don't know at the moment something as personal and public as this? What if the person told the whole school? The possibilities ran through my mind like a fast forwarding movie. It paused on one simple option that though may be risky; it seemed to be the only easy option.
I opened the stall just a crack. Enough so I could be able to see through it with one eye and the other person would barely notice the crack. The mystery person was…Stevie.
It was now or never. I closed the door again and explained to her everything. I explained to her why I rebelled against Molly. I described to her how I felt when Molly insulted me. In the moment, I told her about how I felt about Molly once I became a Perf. It's amazing how much I spilled to Stevie despite the fact that I barely knew her.
It was that day when I realized how much I admired her. Every day, I'm reminded that Stevie is the girl I wanted to be. I'd rather be like Stevie than the Perf girl I was. The girl Stevie had been was the true Stevie while I'm stuck inside the fake Grace. The Grace that I had been had to put a mask over her true self to become a Perf. It became no surprise when I broke down after Stevie died and reading the letter. Stevie saved my life, and I was never able to tell her that.
Kevin's POV
The world looked so bleak at the moment. Everyone was crying, including me. The rest of Gravity 5 gave their speeches about Stevie. The most touching being Zander's speech.
Kacey walked up to the front again to sing the final song before the final farewell. She walked up with her guitar and sat on a wooden chair. Even in the midst of a funeral, I seem to check out Kacey. It was no wonder she was a Perf!
She strummed on her guitar and began to sing the final song Stevie had sung. My mind flashbacked to the events leading up to her death, letter, and funeral. I was in indescribable pain watching Stevie as she died in front of our undead eyes. The letter brought me to tears.
Stevie and I were on good terms. In fact, I'm pretty sure Zander and I were the only ones on her good side. It was another day I was gazing at Kacey as if she was an angel sent from above. Gravity 5 noticed how much I stared at Kacey day to day.
"Earth to Kevin!" Zander waved his hands over my view. "You should ask Kacey out already."
"I can't ask her out. She's going to reject me. She's beautiful while I'm this." I gestured to my appearance. Zander rolled his eyes.
"Maybe Stevie can do something about that." He looked at Stevie with pleading eyes. Stevie looked at him with a death stare. Both shared a conversation only they would know.
It looked like Zander had won because Stevie said, "I'll put in a good word in for you."
"Do you promise?"
"I promise." I cheered in delight and did a silly dance. From that day on, Stevie tried to get Kacey to go out with me. She complimented me, exaggerating few words to emphasis my accomplishments. Yet Kacey didn't take to account any of the words being said. It was up until the huge argument when Stevie had inadvertently ended her promise. She didn't need to tell me that. The way she's been acting showed it all.
In the end, it didn't matter if Kacey asked me out or not. I didn't expect Kacey to like me back. I was fine daydreaming about Kacey becoming mine. All that mattered now was that Stevie cared about me.
Hey Rockers! Sorry this is updated a month or two later. I've been working on this story for a month and finally finished it! There's one last small chapter to end things.
Anyways, while reediting everything, I came across the biggest conundrums of this story. One fixed, other only fixed on the official edited document I have. First, I did not add the big reactions to the letter. So problem solved it's in this chapter. Second, in one of the chapters, I said Zander rode to the hospital by bike, but in the next chapter he left in a car :O So I fixed in on my word document but left it alone on fanfic.
I promise I'll update the story in a few days. Leave the big suspense. Don't forget to leave a comment that will make me tear up (in a good way of course) :D 3