The sky was almost pitch black the day of Gracie Hollis's funeral. In the six days since her best friend had died. Mica had barely gotten out of bed and she only left her room to use the bathroom. She was glad that she still had a few weeks of summer left because she was dreaded having to go back and see all the things that reminded her of Gracie. They hadn't made the class lists yet but they had hung Gracie's class picture from last year on the memorial wall and the Palmer's had bought a brick for her along the back outside wall. The memorial wall was the partial wall in the auditorium. Before they built the gym the wall had served as a divider but after the renovations they hung pictures of deceased members of the school. It was mostly old principals, teachers, and alumni from the first graduating classes back in the teens. Though there were a few younger students. Kelly was one of them she was in third grade there when she died. Gracie was the third person Mica knew on the wall Kelly was the first and then a boy from her kindergarten who drowned in his neighbors pool labor day weekend of first grade. Gracie was the third she knew of but the first she really knew. The funeral was at eleven but her dad, had told Jimmy he would be there at ten-thirty. So at nine thirty Mica forced herself out of bed and started to get ready. She couldn't bring herself to put on the black dress she had worn to her grandfather and Mrs. Vance's funerals. Instead she put on the purple t-shirt Gracie had brought her from New Orleans and the black slacks she wore to church.
"Mica? Are you ready to go?" Gibbs called.
"Yeah" Mica replied.
"You aren't wearing your dress?" Gibbs asked.
"No, Gracie bought me this shirt when her dad worked with the New Orleans team." Mica replied.
"I guess it must be really special, then." Gibbs replied.
"It is" Mica agreed.
"I am so sorry you have to go through this baby girl." Gibbs replied.
"It's not fair! I never want to leave my room again after the funeral." Mica sobbed.
"I know you do but you can't. You have to start getting out there again. Erica really needs a friend and Shane has been missing you like crazy." Gibbs explained.
"You stayed in bed for weeks after Shannon and Kelly died!" Mica snapped.
"I know I did but the pain I felt after losing them is an unimaginable pain that I pray every day you will never have to feel." Gibbs explained.
"What about Erica? She has been in bed since her mom died? Maybe it isn't close to losing a friend but it is still hard." Mica questioned.
"Erica hasn't been in bed or her room since her mom died. She has been spending time with her dad and siblings and going to a support group at church." Gibbs explained.
"What do I do though? It is just you and me and we haven't been to church in months." Mica asked.
"You right I need to find a support group for you and we do need to start going to church again. I promised your mother that if anything happened to her I would keep taking you every Sunday but after your grandpa died I guess I fell apart." Gibbs explained.
"It's alright I always told her I would make you make me go but I guess I got used to sleeping in, on Sunday mornings." Mica joked.
"Mica" Gibbs whispered.
"What?" Mica asked.
"That is the first time you laughed since Gracie died." Gibbs commented.
"It is, isn't it?" Mica asked.
Mica tried not to look at her best friend's grave. She still wanted this all to be a bad dream and she felt guilty for laughing before she came to the funeral. She could not believe her best friend was dead. Her dad sat beside her, holding onto her. They were in the second row from the front, with Mr. Vance, Erica, Jared, and Kayla. The Palmer's were in the front row. They had invited Mica and her dad to sit in the front row with them but she just couldn't.
"Would anybody like to say a few words about young Gracie?" The minister asked.
"I would" Erica replied.
"OK come up here, sweetie." The preacher called.
"My name is Erica Vance, Gracie and I have been best friends since we were two. Of course she was friends with Mica long before that. A few years ago my dad got hurt really bad on the job. For a long time we didn't know if he would make it or not. Gracie knew how scared I was. So she gave me the worry stone she had gotten after her grandmother died. To this day it is my most prized possession, especially now." Erica spoke.
"That was lovely Erica. Anybody else?" The preacher replied.
"Me" Mica replied.
"OK, come on up." The preacher called.
"My name is Mica Gibbs and Gracie was my best friend in the world. We were born two weeks apart and even shared our birthdays. My mom died when I was four and I always feel really sad when all the other kids make mother's day cards in school. Last year all the second graders went down to the art room to make cards. Gracie saw how upset I was and said she had a stomachache and needed to go to the nurse. She also insisted that I be the one to make sure she arrived OK. She was just the best kind of person. Another time they were repaving the bus area. So we had to walk half a block to school. Gracie saw a homeless lady in the park. Everybody else was scared and ran away but Gracie gave her, her lunch money. That is just two of the many stories I have about how wonderful Gracie was. She was the best kind of person and will never be forgotten." Mica spoke.
"That was lovely, Mica." The preacher replied.
After Mica's speech. Jimmy and Breena led the line to toss dirt on top of the casket. Mica and Erica hung back and tossed theirs together, right on top before they brought in the machine to finish filling in the grave.
"Oh Mica" Abby groaned pulling her into a tight hug.
"I know. I can't believe Gracie is gone." Mica sniffed.
"You did and amazing job. I am proud of you." Abby replied.
"Thank you, did you bring it?" Mica asked.
"Of course I did. Did you bring the CD?" Abby replied.
"Yes" Mica replied.
"Let's do this." Abby replied.
Abby and Mica stepped up to the front. Abby set the CD player on the podium and Mica put the CD inside.
"Excuse me before you go. There is one more thing we have to do. This was Gracie's favorite song and now it is really appropriate." Mica explained. pressing play.
"Shadows are fallin and I'm right out of breath. Keep me in your heart for a while..."
The remaining mourners stopped and listened to the song. Mica walked over and rejoined her dad and the Vance's who were now trying to comfort Jimmy and Breena. The song ended and everybody turned and walked to their cars. Mica and Erica hung back, their dads walked back five or six rows and watched their girls intently. Mica and Erica fell down beside the grave and placed their hand's on the cold stone.
"Goodbye Gracie. You were our best-friend and we will never forget you." Erica and Mica said in unison.
Melinda Grace Hollis-Palmer
September 13th 2006 - July 25th 2014
Always in our hearts
A/N: The song was "Keep Me In Your Heart For A While" by Waren Zevron. Mica has to start after this. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.