Hey :) Firstly, not only would I like to thank hdtv, WALIXELA, amaiya, ZaneandRikki4life95, Tinkjuggalette, majobloem & seriously56 for reviewing the last chapter, but I'd like to thank everyone who contributed to my current 106 reviews over the time that I've written this story.
This is the final chapter of Taken Away, but I've got ideas (and inspiration) to make a sequel which would be called 'Taken Away 2; The Long Goodbye.' At the end of the chapter, I would very much appreciate your feedback on whether or not you'd like to read a sequel or not. I'm really pleased with my plans, but I'm not gonna write it if you aren't interested in reading it!
I got heaps of inspiration like parts of Zane's speech and several other snippets from the show Packed to the Rafters so I can't take 100% credit for that. Also, if you know/have any of the songs I quote in here, I reccomend you listen to them while you read this. It would make it much more emotive. Also thanks to rikkilover10 for help
Anyway, enjoy the final chapter & please, please review this chapter which was incredibly hard to write so I would love to hear what you thought of not only this chap, but the overall story and whether there should be a sequel.
Chapter Twenty-Five – Always There
I sat by the windowsill, watching the small droplets of rain cascade down the glass window as I traced my finger gently over the wet trail left behind on the other side. After a short time, I felt the familiar sensation of small tears cascading down my own cheeks, mirroring the rain on the window.
There was a knock at the door and I sniffled, wiped my cheeks and slowly stood up from the window, walking over to the front door.
I was wearing a black skirt, grey top, with a black jacket and black boots; I was wearing basically the total opposite of my normal attire. My blonde locks were straightened and put in a ponytail with a curl at the tips.
I opened the door, revealing my boyfriend, who I was expecting.
Seeing him standing there made me feel even worse. His eyes were red, his expression was sad & upset and seeing that set it all off for me again, making it real again.
We both stood there for a few moments before I raced into my boyfriends arms, while at the exact same time, he opened and wrapped me in them warmly, making me feel just that tiny bit better and more comforted. We stood there together in the embrace for a few minutes before I mumbled through Will's shirt "Do you wanna come in for a bit, or go straight away?"
Somehow he heard me, well I assume he did, and he replied saying "I think we should go and get there earlier."
I nodded and we pulled apart from the embrace, but still firmly clinging onto each other's hands. We stepped out the front door and the freezing wind implanted itself on to my bare parts of skin. Will pulled put the biggest umbrella I've ever seen out and as we walked off, he held the giant contraption over me even though the rain had stopped.
We were going to Rikki's café, for Rikki's funeral.
I was going to my best friend's funeral.
Do you know how much that hurt me inside?
Do you know how heart-wrenching that was?
Do you know how much I wanted & wished to take away the past?
Do you know how much I didn't want Rikki to be in a coffin when I arrived at the cafe?
Fool the person that said 'miracles happen', because trust me, they don't.
We walked past the outdoor tables and counter which were wet from the rain earlier and as we walked through the beaded entrance of the café, it felt like time slowed down.
The first thing I saw was the table by the entry. It had a guestbook, box to hold the cards for her Dad & family and then there was the memory cards.
As Will wrote our names in the guestbook, I picked it up from the table and looked at it painfully.
Rikki Deanna Chadwick
13th of November 1993 – 15th of January 2011
Treasured Daughter.
Loved & Loving Girlfriend.
Loyal friend.
Rikki's name was across the top with a pretty picture of her, which I recognized as one at the cafe which was taken a few days after I met her.
She was smiling happily from the joy of a new café.
The world was her oyster.
That was one year ago. Just one year ago she had everything, now I was at her funeral…
My thoughts were interrupted by a gentle nudge and "Bella, do you want to join the others over there?"
"Yeah" I said as I wiped a single tear that I hadn't realized had fallen from my eyes.
The chairs had somehow been formed into several rows of straight chairs, unlike the sprawled out settings of tables & chairs throughout the café.
The stage I normally sung on had been modified, with a deep red wooded coffin sitting in front of it, with huge bouquets of fresh flowers on top along with a large blown up photo of Rikki that was taken recently, in the last month or so and softly in the background, the song 'Fix You' was playing.
At the front I saw Cleo, Lewis & Emma all sitting down next to each other and together, holding each other's hands, Will & I walked over to them.
"Hi" we quietly said as Cleo & Emma each hugged me and Will & Lewis greeted each other.
"I can't believe we're here" Emma said solemnly, taking a deep breath at the end.
"Have any of you talked to Zane?" I asked.
"Briefly. We just said hi to him… we weren't sure what else to say. He looks like a mess."
I turned around to see an unshaven, messy-haired, dark eyed and totally shattered-looking Zane wearing a neat black suit that looked as if it had been just thrown on.
He was standing next to a dark haired, middle-aged guy who I guessed to be his Dad, along with Rikki's Dad, Terry who I'd met just once.
"Yeah I feel like I should go up and say something, but I don't know what to say to him. What can I say?" I said, turning back to the others.
"I know that's what we weren't sure about" Lewis said as he rubbed Cleo's back.
"How long before it starts?" Will asked.
"15 minutes." Emma answered as I looked around the room.
The cafe had been very well decorated and you wouldn't have thought that one week ago Cleo & I were in here sipping a juice, discussing where Rikki might have been, since she wasn't answering her phone.
10 minutes passed by and throughout that time, a flow of people had walked through the door and were either standing up the back talking or had found a seat and by now the café was becoming quite full.
I saw Cleo's family, some of our former teachers, classmates and the café workers. I noticed Sophie was here too, but hadn't been up the front or talked to Zane, Will or I and stayed right up the back, not making a scene. Maybe the girl does have a heart… Give it a week.
It was about to start and we all sat down. Zane, the man I thought was Zane's father and Rikki's Dad sat on the very front row, with Cleo, Lewis, Emma, Will & myself on the next row back.
In a whispered voice that was close, I heard an unfamiliar male say "Is this seat spare?"
I turned around and realized I didn't know the guy with short dark hair that was about our age, but I take it Emma did as she exclaimed "Ash!" and they wrapped each other in a hug, which turned into a kiss.
Will & I looked strangely at each other, trying to piece things together, and after their kiss I assumed that 'Ash' was Emma's boyfriend.
Once their embrace finished, Emma introduced 'Ash' to us, us being Will & I. "Will, Bella, this is my boyfriend Ash. He used to live here when I did, but moved to Brisbane while I was travelling. Ash, this is Bella & Will, they're friends of the others.
"Hi Ash, nice to meet you" Will & I greeted him softly, before he took a seat and all of us settled down, waiting for it to start.
So many tears were shed in the service part of the funeral just from me alone. It was so hard hearing about Rikki's life, and how, for her, it's the end.
Her life was over.
That's what it came to, black and white.
Rikki's Dad had just walked off the stage after giving his speech, farewelling his only daughter and I felt so sorry for him. He would be living in loneliness now and I can only imagine that it would be the hardest thing as a parent, having to say goodbye to your child, knowing you were never going to see them again.
After a gentle shoulder pat prompt from Zane's Dad, Zane moped onto the stage, carrying a scuffled up white sheet of paper.
"I spent all of last night thinking about what to say, how to talk about Rikki and how there's just no-one else like her. When I met Rikki for the first time, even though she seemed to hate me already, standing there, next to her, all I could think was…" Zane said, freezing completely as 'was' flowed out of his mouth.
After 10 seconds, he hadn't moved nor spoken and I looked at Will next to me and he looked at me before turning to Lewis. Seconds later the two were getting out of their seats and walking towards Zane on the stage. Gently moving him to the side of the podium, Lewis put his hand on Zane's shoulder, and even though Will and Lewis wouldn't necessarily call Zane 'a mate' they were there for him, connecting over their shared loss.
Will took the sheet of paper from Zane who was still frozen there and continued reading from it.
"And all I could think was 'Wow.' Maybe that's the only word you need for Rikki, maybe that says it all. She was stubborn beyond belief, but also passionate, unique, beautiful & loyal. Rikki was my best friend and the only person who understands me, and no matter what, that's never going to change."
I grabbed a tissue out of my purse-bag and wiped my eyes, watching as the 3 boys got off the stage, all with a zombie-like stature.
As Will sat down next to me, I stood up and walked towards the stage. Nate, Lewis and the other band members emerged. Nate placed the microphone holder in front of me and grabbed the microphone off the podium. The others set up while I waited and took a deep breath before we started playing the song 'Always There' together.
Why was it you I don't understand
And nothing shows me why
Maybe someday I'll see you again
And tell you how much I've missed you
Things happen and no one knows why
If I'd erased this moment in time
If I'd know I'd be by your side
If I'd known I would of said goodbye
You were always there
Even though it seems your far away
I miss you more than words
I'm missing you more everyday
Where are you in my life
Where's the song in my heart
Where's the peace of my mind
And the strength for me to carry on
We will all move on
And you will always stay in our heart
And any minute that passes by
We wont let the memory fade away
Time will heal a little everyday
You were always there
Even though it seems your far away
I miss you more than words
I'm missing you more everyday
Then the something's fade to nothing
And the reasons gone
Life must go on
Days will pass by
Tears will find happy memories
You were always there
Even though it seems your far away
I miss you more than words
I'm missing you more everyday
By the end of the song I was a bawling mess. The lyrics suited our loss and thoughts to a tee. Even though that's how I felt inside, it was hard to actually bring myself to say them aloud, let alone in front of everyone else too, but in the end, I was glad to be a part of the funeral no matter how hard it was for me.
I sat back down, greeted by Will's hand which wormed itself into my own, joined by a comforting squeeze. "You did great up there."
"You sure? Could you hear me blubbering in the song?"
"Not at all, it was perfect."
Before the official service ended, there was one last thing that had to be done, possibly the hardest thing.
Rikki's Dad stood up, walked to the stage and stood on left-hand side of the front of her coffin, taking the handle. Zane followed, going on the right side at the front. Will got up next to me, Zane's Dad stood up in front of me and Lewis walked past me to the coffin, with Will taking the right hand side of the middle of the coffin, directly behind Zane. Zane's Dad stood across from Will in the middle, behind Rikki's Dad and then Don & Lewis took the remaining two handles at the back.
They each firmly grasped their handle of her coffin and silently they carried my best friend out of the room with the song 'I Go To Sleep' playing softly in the background.
After the wake which was still at the café, Rikki's Dad, Zane, his Dad, Lewis, Cleo, Emma, Ash, Will & I went to the cemetery to say our final goodbyes and watch the burial.
Outside, the sky was grey and overcast, while the wind was cold with a sharp bite. I was hugging Will, standing next to both him & Cleo while shivering from a combination of cold and sadness.
The 9 of us were standing there together in a line, with the coffin in front of us about to be lowered into the ground, before suddenly, Zane stepped out of the line we were standing in and as he moved closer to the coffin, he grabbed something out from his suit pocket.
The box.
The same small box he was originally planning to open to Rikki and say those magic 4 words on the day of the accident.
The same small box we saw on the day Rikki died and we were in the hospital.
I felt a few small tears drip down my cheek as he knelt down and gently placed the box with the ring inside of it on top of the coffin, next to the huge arrangements of flowers.
He stepped back into our line and the coffin was lowered into the ground.
I clung onto Will tightly, not wanting to ever let go as I realized in this moment I had to say goodbye to Rikki.
Whether we liked it or not, she was gone, and we were going to need all our strength to face the new trials and challenges that lie ahead, including getting over Rikki, even though that's impossible.
~~THE END~~
...And that concludes 'Taken Away!' Another huge thanks to everyone that has r&r'ed my story over the time. Hugely appreciated!
What did you think of the ending? Please let me know & also add whether you would like a sequel yes or no. I'm not going to if no-one replies, so let me know! Thanks! If the feedback for a sequel is positive, then I'll put it up with a trailer this weekend.
Thanks again & have a good day :) xxCheddarFetta