The last official chapter guys. Wow, 21 chapters & this is my best and most viewed story so far. Thank y'all so much for the support and reviews (:
One year later
Eighteen year old Jazmine soon to be Freeman Dubois carried in her arms a small child; a little girl with fair skin and a large, dark afro. Her eyes, a hazel color, were closed. She slept contently on her mother's chest. Next to Jazmine was Cindy McPhearson, now seventeen, who carried a large pink purse that was actually the child's diaper bag.
They strolled down a sidewalk, talking on about their own lives and all the problems that came with it. Cindy talked of how Riley Freeman was applying for jobs now that he was sixteen. She spoke of how her parents finally got divorced and what it felt like. Jazmine spoke of Huey Freeman, who was now her fiancée, and how he had just applied for college and was aspiring to be a politician, perhaps.
They went on as if nothing had happened the year previous.
Just over a year ago, they had lost two close friends; Hiro and Ming. They even lost their greatest enemy, Ava Taylor.
But what happened in the aftermath?
Romero and his men were charged with kidnapping and murder, Romero was also charged with the attempted rape of Cindy. They were all sentenced to do some time in prison. Ming and Hiro's family mourned, and still mourned to the day over their lost children, but they grew closer as a whole. There was a memorial at the high school for them, although no one really knew how either of them died, since that was kept secret. All they were told was that they died in an accident, a horrible accident, and that was enough to silence the crowd.
Mae had to return to Chicago eventually, and they had not seen her since. They knew of how much she blamed herself for Ming and Hiro's death, and Jazmine felt sorry for her. Mae would probably feel that way for the rest of her life. Although, Jazmine had heard that Mae had gotten out of the gang life and was now working somewhere small in the outskirts of Chicago. She had also heard that Mae had been admitted into a mental institution for a while after the incident, but she was supposedly getting better with the help of a newfound friend.
Ava's funeral was apparently short and uneventful. Ava didn't have that much family, and since her mother was dead and her father was behind bars, only a second aunt and a cousin attended. Jazmine felt sorry for Ava, too, even if Ava tried to kill her over Huey. Ava's body had been the worse of the three; apparently her whole body had been almost torn apart, according to medics at the scene. She was missing an arm and a leg, which was also scavenged from the wreck, and her neck was broken, which is what killed her. Hiro had died from drowning and loss of blood. His body was found in one piece, but he had a large hole in his chest and several cuts along his arms and legs. Ming's death was caused by the fatal blow to her back.
Cindy had to go into therapy because the traumatic experience with Romero left her scarred, and it took months for her to finally overcome it. Riley, being the good boyfriend he could be, stuck by her the entire time and helped her get passed the past. Cindy now wasn't afraid, and she didn't go to sleep with nightmares every night.
Caesar stayed in Woodcrest and lived with the Freemans. He had been hurt severely in the leg and was now having to walk with a cane for probably the rest of his life, but he was alive and well. He currently had a girlfriend and they had been together for a few months.
Slickback went back to being a pimp with his main bitch, Cristal, who loved to come over and see them every once in a while, when work permitted it. Ed and Rummy returned to being Woodcrest's notorious thugs who went around trying to rob gas stations and what not, but they always ended in a big bust. Thugnificent went back to rapping and wrote a song in tribute to Hiro and Ming, called "Eternal Love".
Mr. and Mrs. Dubois worked together and eventually stopped fighting. Their daughter's pregnancy didn't really faze them in the long run, and they supported her and their granddaughter as much as they could.
And yes, the baby.
Jazmine and Huey found out that the baby was a girl a few months after the incident and they were ecstatic. When she was born, she was born heathy and a normal weight of 6 pounds and 20 ounces. Her name was Delayza Ming Freeman-Dubois. Yes, they gave her the middle name of Ming, after their dear friend who hadn't made it that fateful day. Delayza was the cutest mixed baby you ever saw; she had her mother's fair skin and light eyes, but her father's dark afro and quizzical expression. She was beautiful and full of happiness.
The kids at school were rather shocked to find out that Jazmine was pregnant; the little innocent girl who at one time couldn't defend herself. The girls were by far jealous; they hadn't even gotten the chance at Huey to make him theirs. A few had tried to come on to Huey, make him slip up, but Huey was far from childish and warned them to stay away; that his baby mama had some hands they didn't want to catch.
Riley was coming to terms still with the death of Hiro and Ming, but he was getting through it. Huey was also coming to terms with their deaths…and the death of his ex-girlfriend Ava.
"He still goes on about what he could've done to prevent the whole thing from happening, "Jazmine said, "He talks about how if he had stopped her sooner, Ming and Hiro would still be alive, and so would she. "Cindy sighed, "Y'know, somethin' tells me that she probably still would've died, no matter wha' Huey would'a done. "
Jazmine nodded in agreement.
They rounded a corner and entered the cemetery.
They walked passed dozens of gravesites until they reached their gravestones; Ming and Hiro, side by side, forever.
There was a bench situated across the way, so Jazmine sat down, as did Cindy, who placed the bag on the floor. Jazmine sat Delayza in her lap, bouncing her on her legs playfully. Delayza giggled with glee as her mother held onto her small hands.
The day was peaceful and quiet. The sun shone in the sky like a beacon. It was cold. Jazmine wore a pair of dark denim skinny jeans a long sleeved black shirt with a jacket and a pair of Ugg boots. Delayza was dress somewhat like her mother. Cindy wore a pair of light washed skinny jeans with white Nikes and a short sleeved weed shirt underneath a black hoodie. Her hair was tied back into a sleek pony tail.
Jazmine pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, "Do you ever think about what would have happened if none of that had happened? "She asked suddenly. Cindy nodded, "Yeah, you wouldn't have gotten knocked up at seventeen, "Cindy joked. Jazmine rolled her eyes, "Ha, very funny, "She chuckled.
"Seriously though, yeah, I do. I wonder wha' Hiro an' Ming woulda been able to do if they had lived. "She looked down at the grass, "I wonder wha' they would be doin' right now. Would they still be together or nah? "
"I think so, "Jazmine said, "I think they would've gotten married. I think they would've had children of their own, and that they would've been happy with each other for the rest of their lives. "She sighed and smiled sadly. Thinking of them brought tears to her eyes. It made her sad to think of the lives that could've happened, the children that could've been born, but to know that it will never happen. Those lives were stolen at a young age.
"Wha' about Ava? "Cindy asked, "Ya think of her? "
Jazmine took a deep breath, "Yeah, I do. I wonder if she would've been able to seen the truth. She was just a girl who wanted someone to love her, she reached out to Huey for this reason. Then he left. She just wanted him to love her again. I wonder if she could've been reasoned with if we had a little more time to show her…, "Jazmine gripped her daughter's hands tighter, causing her to whimper. She loosened her grip and began to smother her daughter in kisses, earning laughter.
"I just wish it could've ended differently. "Jazmine whispered.
Cindy nodded, "I do to. But that's life, I guess. Not everything gets to end happily ever after. "The realization hurt, but it had to be acknowledged.
And it scared them.
It scared them, all of them, to know that in this world, lives like Hiro's and Ming's can be stolen, are stolen, every day. Lives that could become something great are taken away because of tragedy, because of one's own faults and angers and hatred. In all, it was Ava's hatred that killed her, Ming and Hiro. If Ava hadn't blown up the ship, if she had learned to let go and accept, Ming and Hiro might still be here today. Ava might've gotten help.
If Ava's father had loved her a little more before this even ever happened, maybe Ava wouldn't have gone so insane after Huey left her.
If only the world were perfect, if only the world was filled with good.
But it wasn't, and it was scary.
"Hey girls, "A seductive voice called out.
Cristal approached them, still dressed skimpy, but she didn't seem to mind the cold at all. She sat down on the bench next to them, taking Delayza in her arms and making silly faces at her, "How are y'all? "She asked.
"We're good, I guess, "Jazmine replied simply. Cindy nodded, "Better than yesterday, an' th' day before tha', "She said. Cristal nodded, "Yeah, well, the world can be a little cruel, can't it? "
"You can say tha' again, "Cindy mumbled.
Cristal chuckled sadly, "Listen girls, I know that this doesn't seem fair. "She began, "I know that you wish this whole thing would've turned out differently, I do too. But it didn't. Somethings just happen that way. This world wasn't made to be perfect, this world has flaws. This world is dangerous, filled with dangerous, unstable people like Ava. And what's sadder; Ava could have been saved. If Ava hadn't been raised by Romero, if he wasn't her father, she could've turned out differently. She wouldn't have become the insane bitch we all came to know, "She glanced up at the sky, "Hiro and Ming might not be dead. "
"But they are, "Cindy sighed, "They're gone forever. "
"No, they'll never be truly gone, "Cristal said with a glimmer in her eyes, "They loved each other, but they also loved you. Ming went to the ultimate lengths to try and keep y'all safe, even if it didn't work out in the end. She loved all of you, she loved Hiro. "Cristal smiled.
"Think we'll see her again? "Cindy asked. Jazmine took Delayza back into her arms, "Yeah, one day, "Cristal said, "Hopefully not too soon though. "She winked at them before standing, "Well, I was just passing through. I have specials to do girls, "She said with a sly grin. They laughed, "See y'all later, "Cristal said, "Later Cristy, "Cindy called out, "By Cristal, "Jazmine said, waving Delayza's hand. Cristal smiled and waved before disappearing.
They were now alone to contemplate on what Cristal had said.
"For a hoe, she's smart as fuck, "Cindy chuckled. Jazmine nodded in agreement, "Way smart. "
Riley and Huey approached them with Caesar in tow, his cane making a clacking noise on the paved cemented walkway. "C'mon girls, we got shit to do! "Caesar said. Jazmine rolled her eyes, "We're reminiscing over hear, "She shot back. Riley rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah, whatever, "He grinned, "Let's get going guys, "Huey said, "I get really sad every time I'm…here, "He painfully gripped his heart, which ached to see his best friend Hiro.
Jazmine nodded, "Okay, okay, "She leaned up to give him a sweet kiss, "Let's go then, "He took their daughter in his arms, then switched her to only one arm while the other held Jazmine securely. Jazmine had grabbed the large pink bag and pulled it over her shoulders.
Cindy took ahold of Riley's hand. Caesar, his girlfriend not being there, hung out in the back as they approached the car. He hopped into the back with Cindy and Riley and Delayza while Huey took the drivers and Jazmine took the radio. She turned on the radio as the car started up and they drove away from the cemetery, the place they had come to visit almost every other day since that day; the fateful day.
"So let the light guide your way, yeah
Hold every memory as you go,
And every road you take, will always lead you home, home
It's been a long day
Without you my friend, and I'll tell you all about it
When I see you again
We've come a long way
From where we began, oh I'll tell you all about it
When I see you again
When I see you again! "
Jazmine faintly sang along, and soon, all of them, were singing along to Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth's song; See You Again. Even Delayza chimed in, singing only the melody. She would never know her uncle Hero and Aunt Ming, she would never know Ava. But, they were going to tell her. When she got older, of course, the would tell her. They sang, no matter how off key or out of tune, for Hiro and Ming; two lives that never got to live. They even sang for Ava, because she too was a life that was never given a chance to live.
But they were going to live. They were going to live to the fullest, and remember their dear friends until the day they all died.
Goodbyes are not forever, are not the end; it simply means 'I'll miss you' until we meet again.
And that's it for this story guys! Yeah, I used the same song that's in my one shot See You Again, but only because it fit the moment. There's gonna be a little thing, kind of like an extra chapter, about why I chose to do certain things and why things turned out the way they did. Y'all are amazing !
xoxoxo, queen