A/N: I can see you're upset, but luckily you understand where I'm coming from, so thank you all very very much. I'm trying to turn this into a somewhat happy ending still, although it wouldn't be as happy as if he were still alive.
So, I think I'm going to formally dedicate this story to the real life Donyel, who's Princess Pirates here on There's one chapter left and then we can move on to bigger and just-as-good projects.
This title is by The Killers, and I'd recommend listening to it, even if it doesn't really suit the story.
Chapter Ten: Andy You're A Star
Leave your number on the locker and I'll give you a call
Hey shut up, hey shut up, yeah
Leave your legacy in gold on the plaques that line the hall
Hey shut up, hey shut up, yeah
I heard nurses and doctors yelling as soon as we'd gotten inside; Edward had called and given them advanced notice. They came running towards us in the parking lot, as we hurried to get Andy out of the car. They loaded his still and bloody form onto the stretcher and carried him inside, swiftly into emergency.
I fell to my knees in the parking lot. I pulled the stupid golden robe over my head and stared at the blood – his blood – covering my hands and the fabric. My shoulders were shaking with the silent sobs that could never be released. Edward knelt down and pulled me into a warm and soothing hug, kissing my head gently and whispering to me.
A car pulled in near us. Its engine had a familiar sound. I looked up dazedly to see Carlisle stepping outside of his now antiqued Mercedes.
"Ah, it's good to be back," he said, taking in a deep breath of the damp air. "What's wrong?" he asked gently when he saw me staring. "Where's your brother? Let me take a look at him, I think there's something I can do for his cancer!"
My throat closed in on a sob and I leaned forward to put pressure on my stomach to stop the pain. Edward whispered to Carlisle about what had happened and without another word he ran inside, thinking up an excuse that he was another one of Andy's doctors.
I wanted to scream because I couldn't understand how this could happen. Edward was still holding me tightly, his hands rubbing my arm. He rested his cheek in my hair and took a deep breath. I could feel his body barely shaking, but I knew that he too was crying.
I tried to stand up, Edward and I helped one another and then we walked slowly into the hospital, hand in hand. I could see the rest of the family pulling up, looking at us curiously. I ignored them and walked into the hospital, not taking in the burning chemical smell or the glaring white lights.
I sat down in the waiting room and Edward went to talk to the nurse at reception. The others came in and I could barely hear Edward explaining what had happened. Obviously he didn't want me more upset than I already was. For that, I was thankful.
I just kept staring at a pamphlet I had picked up that I was twirling in my fingers, I didn't wait anxiously or in fear, because I knew he was gone already. I just waited for them to come out and confirm what I knew. Carlisle wanted to help as much as he could, but he must've known there was nothing he could have done.
I felt four pairs of strong arms wrap around me at once and I let out a small grunt of surprise. The pamphlet was immediately dropped and I smiled widely as I felt my brothers and sisters shaking from crying and whispering how sorry they were. I couldn't even cry anymore. I just smiled and held my family, glad that they cared so much for me.
I felt my phone vibrating against my legs and the other backed off so that I could pick it up. I didn't look at the screen when I flicked it open. Everyone I loved was here with me, there were a very few other people it could have been.
"Bella?" I heard Esme's voice call into the phone. "I'm at the school honey, are you and Edward alright? They're cancelling graduation for a later date." I felt my chest give a sickening twist.
"We're alright, Esme. Victoria came, and she killed my brother." I heard her gasp.
"Oh no… Bella honey, I am so so sorry dear." I could hear the sadness in her voice. She was such a good mother to me.
"I know. I wish you could have met him. We're all at the hospital now." She said a few more things and then I hung up. I heard the door to the emergency room open with a great cry as Donyel came running in as fast as she could, her robe clutched in her hand and the skirts of her white dress tangling around her knees.
"Bella!" she nearly screamed when she saw me. I stood up, now I needed to cry again. She flung herself into my arms and we sobbed into each other heavily. Edward came up and rubbed both of our backs and we pulled him into the hug as well. Our brothers and sisters watched on sadly.
I heard more quickened footsteps and when we looked up we saw Andy's mother, completely distressed. She looked at Donyel's red, tear stained face and I saw her knees begin to buckle.
"Where is my son?" she called to us frantically.
The entire room was deathly silent. The other patients stared at us in horror. They knew that their problems were nothing compared to this. The nurses at the reception area were even crying, watching us.
It was that point that Carlisle came back out, looking at all of us sadly. He stepped forward, Andy's mother, Donyel, Edward and myself moved up closer to him, all expecting the news he came to give.
"I'm sorry," he said. I thought I heard Donyel's throat close in, she began sobbing in my arms immediately. "He was gone before he got here. There was nothing we could do." Andy's mother was horror stricken as Edward and I stared blankly at the floor in front of us.
"What happened to him?" she asked, her voice cracking.
"Shot," Carlisle supplied. It was probably the only thing that the surgeons could conclude. Andy's mother didn't scream. Her eyes watered and I heard her sob quietly, but it was an ugly sound. Donyel turned around to face her and this time; Donyel was the one to hold the victim. I'd never seen anyone so defeated.
"I'm sorry ma'am," I said to her. "I know I've never really known you that well, but I loved your son. He was a brother to me." She looked at me curiously, still crying. I knew that she knew who I was, but I don't think she wanted to believe. I turned with my husband's hand securely in mine. I faced my family, giving them a small smile and together we walked out of the hospital.
Andy was buried three days later. It was a cloudy day, with a slight drizzle. I think he would have like it. This way, I got to send him off, down into the ground next to my grave, and our father. I wore a veil. Edward stood next to me, a stone statue. Our family was behind us, and Donyel and her family stood right next to us. Andy's mother smiled sadly at the headstones of the two men she loved the most.
Two days after that was our graduation. It was a bright, but cloudy day, as was expected, so I thankfully was allowed to attend that as well.
Before the ceremony was over, they surprised me by having a special service in memory of my brother. They had a blown up picture of him in his striking tuxedo, and Donyel in her breathtaking dress. It was the handsomest picture of him I'd seen. He was smiling brightly at Donyel who had her arms wrapped around him and was looking up at him. My lip quivered slightly, but I told myself not to cry again. It'd do no good.
I looked at Edward who smiled at me lovingly and rubbed my shoulder. He pulled me closer and pressed a kiss against my hair. I listened as Andy's teachers said a few words about him, listing out some of their fondest memories of the smart young boy.
The principal spoke, revealing, probably for the first time to everyone that he even had cancer. A few of his classmates looked even more depressed, but I could see that the teachers obviously admire him for being such a strong boy.
The last person to speak was Donyel. I was so happy to see her up and about, smiling as brightly as she did everyday.
"I'd never really know how to start this," she said, "If it weren't for Andy. Aside from being the greatest friend I've ever known, Andy was also, the greatest tutor." There were a few chuckles, which I'm sure is exactly what she would have wanted.
Despite his fear and sadness towards his disease, Andy wouldn't want so many people sad about him.
"I never knew about his leukemia until a few weeks ago. I had always known that he was a bit sicklier than average, but a lot of people are like that nowadays. Andy was always so full of life, he was the smartest kid I knew, he was always ready to do anything, and you'd never believe he had so much to worry about.
"I don't think that I can be sad about Andy for an excruciating length of time. I mean, sure, whenever I think of him, I'm going to miss him. The thing is, I know that wherever he is now, he's so happy.
"Yeah, that sounds a little cheesy, even clichéd, but now, Andy doesn't have to worry about all these different treatments that don't work, all the tests and needles, the hospital rooms. Andy is somewhere white and fluffy, maybe, somewhere where that junk doesn't matter because he's healed. Right now, Andy's probably watching us and laughing because we're all so choked up about missing him."
I could see it was hard for her to keep going, but she kept that bright face and soldiered on. "Right now, Andy is sitting with his father, and they're talking about how wonderful his big sister is, and how beautiful his mother is. Right now Andy is with his greatest hero, one he hasn't seen in years." She looked right at me and smiled.
"Andy loved his family. He loved his sister, that he barely knew, more than anyone I can even imagine. He loved his parents so much that he called in on time, every time. And, he loved me.
"In the last weeks before his death I saw more life in Andy that I've ever known, and all of this love and happiness spread into me. Those were the happiest weeks of my life.
"Even now, though he's gone, I can still be happy. I know that we've seen the best of him, and that he's not really gone. We can't worry and wonder about him, because he's alright. Because he doesn't have to constantly wonder which day is his last, he's there until we go up to join him, and I'm sure he'll have a great party for us too."
I knew that I'd never see my brother throwing the party in the sky, but I knew that I'd always be invited, whether that took be a hundred years, or a thousand.
"This year, Andy's death will be only one on a list of over a hundred teenage casualties. It's a guarantee. To everyone else, this won't really matter, but to us, to me, this is one of the most important times of my life. I love you, Andy." I saw her look at the picture of them before placing a bouquet of roses on top of the table.
There was a roaring round of applause. I jumped out of my seat to give her the biggest hug I could manage without cracking her limbs.
"I love you, Don," I whispered in her ear. She smiled and giggled, though it sounded like a choked sob.
"I love you too, Bella. Thank you so much for being here." I smiled at her and wiped away those tears that were giving her away. "What are you guys going to do now?"
Edward smiled and wrapped his arm around my waist. "I think we're going to take it easy for a little while," he said. "Maybe we'll go visit Paris… Milan…" I giggled and Donyel smiled at us warmly.
"I wish you guys the best of luck!" she said, hugging me again. "We're going to keep in touch, right?" I nodded.
"Of course we are. You're like my family!" I told her. She laughed and we said our final goodbyes before she headed back to her family. The rest of the Cullen clan came up to Edward and I, smiling happily.
"That was beautiful, Bella," Esme told me. "Your brother seemed like an amazing young man."
"He was," I said with certainty. Edward nodded. We both smiled, thoughts of Andy running through his head. "I wish you guys could have met him."
"He looks so much like you," Rosalie said dreamily, staring at the beautiful picture.
"I was there, for those pictures. Edward and I have more with him; we'll have to look at them when we get home." Esme and Carlisle looked eager to have a look at my biological brother.
I rushed to give Donyel one last goodbye and a swift kiss on the cheek. Who knew when I'd see that awesome girl again?
We all started piling into our respective cars.
"What do we do after this?" Emmett called to us. I shrugged.
"Paris? Milan?" Alice looked eager, Edward merely smiled. I was planning on treating him to some alone time. He deserved it for being simply wonderful.
We drove out of town in a line. In our car, Andy's CD was playing softly, his very favourite song as we drove from Forks, definitely not for the last time.
Cause Andy, you're a star
In nobody's eyes but mine
Andy, you're a star
In nobody's eyes but mine
Andy, you're a star
In nobody's eyes
In nobody's eyes but mine
A/N: HOLY JEEZ. THAT'S IT. Last chapter there, folks. This was supposed to be two chapters, but I figured that after a wait that long I'd just be mean, so I gave you this super fantabulous and sucky ending! I think it's alright.
This is the end to my very first series! Probably my last. If you'll excuse the sequel to Attraction. Which, there will be news up in my livejournal, pronto. Go check it out.
I hoped you liked it as much as I did, and I hope you've stuck with it right to the end! Great big thanks to my special friends: foreverinlove17, saranicole, The Masochistic Lion, Charlotte Cullen.
Extra special thanks to such people as the lovely Emilie Whoa, ebtwisty9, shobbs, smileon, MartaSwan I don't even know who. I love you all. I know I've had several regulars. If I've forgotten you and you reviewed, I'll let you know.
Peace, lovelies.