A/N: Hey, everyone! So, here it is. The last chapter…DUN DUN DUUUN….. haha Anywho, It has been such an amazing ride writing this story for you all, so I really hope you've all enjoyed it And since it's the last chapter I would really appreciate some reviews ;)…Because I honestly worked my butt off on this :P

PS: sorry that this chapter starts off kind of odd/dull/cheesy…because, sadly, I'm pretty sure it can be classified as all three.

Disclaimer: Wow, I've just realized, I don't think I've ever written a disclaimer for this story!...Hm, well…If you haven't guessed already…I DON'T OWN NUFFIN'…o.o

Read:')

Clare, Drew, Bianca and Adam all walked through the desolate graveyard. Drew and Clare walked hand in hand as the soft wind blew Clare's long frilly black skirt. Bianca smiled weakly at Adam as he held her close with his left arm wrapped around her. For the most part, the four were pretty silent. The most that could be heard from them was the sound of leaves being crushed beneath their feet.

Their walking pace slowed as they approached a particular tombstone that they had all come to visit together. Clare sighed sadly as she looked at the spot her best friend had been buried. Drew noticed this and squeezed her hand comfortingly as if to say "It's okay. I'm here"

She looked up at him and smiled sadly. Clare let go of his hand and approached the stone on her own; the remaining three friends stood and watched her every move. She softly fingered the engraved writing on the stone. It read:

Allia Bhandari

Beloved Daughter, Sister, & Friend

Novermber 17 1994 – September 27 2011

Clare breathed in deeply. Bianca just stood there clinging to Adam, not sure of what Clare would do next. Would she fall to her knees and break down crying? Or would she just stand there, devastatedly staring at Alli's gravestone?

Drew, on the other hand, slowly began walking toward his cinnamon haired girlfriend. Before he could reach to wrap his arms around her small frame, she began saying something in her soft, pleasant voice.

"Alli", she began.

Drew decided to just stand beside her and listen to what she had to say.

After a short silence, she continued. "I miss you so much. And, I'd give anything to bring you back"

The three looked at their friend with compassion when they heard her voice break as she swallowed back tears. "But, I can't. And, I guess I'll have to live with that for a really long time…Forever, probably. I remember in grade eight; we had to get with a partner, read an Edgar Allan Poe poem and write about what we thought it meant exactly.

"You and I were partners. And, we chose to read Annabelle Lee. I remember how we didn't understand some of the old English and we asked the teacher what one of the lines meant. She told us that Poe was saying that when his girlfriend died, he slept every night next to her grave by the sea. You and I looked at each other like 'What the hell?'…But, now I understand how the guy felt. When Anabelle died…He couldn't let go. It was almost like…She wasn't dead to him. He was always longing for her… hoping that one day; she'd rise out of her grave and be alive again."

Drew could feel himself tearing up as she spoke. Bianca pushed her wind-blown curls out of her face as Adam just looked down at the ground feeling very out of place. He had barely known Alli and didn't know how to react to this emotional moment. He looked over at Bianca who stood beside him. Her expression was bold and hard to read. Adam wasn't sure if she looked angry or upset. In truth, she was both. She was angry with herself for being so unkind to Alli when she was alive. Adam didn't know what to do, so he just reached for her hand in an attempt to give her some source of comfort.

Drew stood frozen next to Clare as she continued to speak to her deceased friend. "And as much as it hurts, Alli, I need to let go…Of you. I love you so much and I still would do anything to be able to talk to face-to-face once again. But, pining over my guilt, and you being…dead; I know it isn't what you'd want for me." Clare reached into her long, black coat and pulled out a white carnation. "So, this is me letting go. I just hope you forgive me… for everything."

Clare kneeled down and placed the carnation before the gravestone. She then rose back up, not breaking her gaze with the stone. Drew smiled at how brave Clare was being about this. He then decided it was suitable timing to wrap a comforting arm around the girl. She finally turned to face him and gave him a weak smile as a few stray tears escaped her shining orbs. Drew leaned in to kiss her forehead. Clare hugged his torso as she buried her head in his chest.

Suddenly, Bianca's voice filled the air. Adam looked at her face that still held that bold expression as she continued holding her gaze with the dirt ground. "I wasn't ever very nice to you…" Everyone looked up hearing the shakiness in Bianca's voice.

She continued speaking. "But, it was only because I was jealous. You had it all; the great boyfriend, nice friends, a personality that everyone loved… And what did I have? The number one position as the school slut" Clare stared at the curly haired girl who almost never showed much emotion around anyone.

"So, I tried to take it all away from you. I wanted what you had so badly that I stole your boyfriend" Bianca spoke these last three words dripping with shame. "And then I actually had the nerve to fight you when you sent those pictures of me out to everyone. You were just trying to get even. But I got mad and fought you over it anyway. And I can't help but feel that…with every punch, or pull of your hair… I was the cause of your death"

Clare gasped while Drew looked to Bianca sadly. Adam looked at his girlfriend with compassion. "B-"

Bianca shrugged off the hand Adam had placed on her shoulder. She shook her head as tears began streaming down her cheeks. She stormed off away from the trio before they could see her tears.

Adam, of course, trailed after her. Clare released Drew from their embrace, about to go after Bianca also, but Drew stopped her. "Hun, Adam's got her. She'll be fine" Clare looked back at Adam running after Bianca and then back at her boyfriend; she nodded acceptingly.

A&B A&B A&B A&B A&B A&B A&B A&B A&B A&B A&B A&B A&B A&B

Bianca trudged toward Drew's Jeep they had arrived there in. Realizing the doors were locked, not allowing her to sit inside, she heaved a frustrated sigh and leaned her head on the window of the car; her hands gripping her own hair in despair.

"Bianca" She heard Adam's voice call after her for just about the millionth time.

"B" he called again, now standing a few feet away from her. Yet, she refused to look up.

She didn't need people telling her not to feel guilty, 'it's not your fault', blah blah blah. She heard the same things said to her over and over, usually from Clare. And if everything really wasn't her fault, why did she still feel guilty?

"B, it's not your fault" Adam said, gently placing his hand on the small of her back.

She groaned. Adam just stared at the back of her head in confusion.

After a moment of silence, Bianca finally stood upright, facing Adam. "Please, stop" She said simply.

"Stop, what?" Adam asked.

"Please…just please stop telling me not to feel guilty and that I didn't do anything, because that doesn't help. Your telling me not to feel guilty just makes me wonder even more if I am guilty. Just let me feel…however I'm feeling. Okay?"

"Okay… I'm sorry. I'll back off." Adam began to walk away from the

Jeep. Bianca grabbed his hand. "No. I don't want you to back off" she tugged on his hand bringing him closer to her. "I need you. I need you when I'm feeling like this"

Adam smile softly at her before pulling her into a warm embrace. Bianca held onto him, her arms wrapped around him tightly. More tears began flowing freely from her eyes now. And she didn't care that she was crying with Adam as a witness. He was exactly what she needed right now. Adam kissed her temple chastely while gently rubbing circles on her back. This somehow made Bianca cry even more, knowing she finally had someone to be there for her when she got like this.

"I love you", she whispered in a shaky voice.

Adam smiled and spoke into her thick brown curls. "I love you, too"

D&C D&C D&C D&C D&C D&C D&C D&C D&C D&C D&C D&C D&C D&C

Drew and Clare continued to stand there, admiring the grave that held their dear friend. To Clare's surprise, Drew began to speak to the deceased girl, also.

"I wasn't very good to you, Alli, was I?… You weren't like many girls I'd dated. You were different; a good kind of different. And what we had was nice… But I threw that all away. And sometimes, I feel guilty for the way I treated you. I…cheated. With

Bianca. And sometimes, I feel guilty that she and I are friends now. Meanwhile, your not even alive"

Clare could see a few stray tears streaming down his face. But he ignored the tears as he continued to speak.

"But, like Clare said… We have to let go. Because guilt is not a way we should live our lives. And we know you wouldn't want us pining over it all, wasting out lives away. So, this is me saying…I'm sorry." Clare tapped him, handing him a second carnation she had brought. He accepted it, and knelt down before the grave stone. "And this is me, letting go" Drew gently placed the flower down on the ground, and rose back up to Clare's level. As a slight breeze came flowing past them, Drew finally noticed the tears streaming down his face. He looked at Clare and chuckled as he wiped away the tears and sniffled. Clare smile at him and hooked her left arm with his right. "Let's go"

He nodded his head in agreement and they both began walking through the wooded graveyard, with the Jeep as their destination. After a few calm moments of walking, Drew felt Clare clinging tightly to his arm. He knew she usually did this when she was scared or nervous. He stopped in his tracks and she followed, doing the same. Drew took a moment to look at her and noticed she was crying once again. Drew suddenly realized why she would be nervous or scared.

"Clare, I just want you to know how proud I am of you"

"For what?" she asked sadly.

"For letting go."

Clare looked down in shame. "That's just it, Drew. I… am terrified. Letting go of her is the scariest thing I have ever done. What if letting go is the exact opposite of what we should be doing?"

"Why would that be?" Drew questioned knowingly. He knew the only reason letting go would be a bad thing is if Alli dying was really their fault.

Clare replied with silence, letting Drew know he was right. He put a supporting finger under her chin, forcing her to meet gazes with him. "We did the right thing today, Clare. You did the right thing"

Clare smiled at him sadly.

Drew continued, realizing she wasn't completely convinced of that. "Honestly, we may have to live with this guilt…for a long time. But if we don't choose to let go, we'll never have the faith to believe that we'll see her again someday. You do still believe we will, don't you?"

Clare looked up at the clouds that were visible past the treetops. She then looked back to her boyfriend, a smile on her face. "Definitely"

Drew smile back at her. He cupped her face with his hands and kissed the topped of her head and then kissed her chastely on the lips. The two then linked arms once again, making their way to the end of the graveyard.

THE END (kind of…)

Epilogue

Drew and Clare made their way through the tight crowd until they'd reached the closest they could get to the stage. The two looked up at the stage anxiously; for, in just moments they'd be a matter of feet away from a truly amazing band. Suddenly, a male voice came booming from the speakers. "Ladies and gentleman; introducing…FIREFLIGHT!"

A young blonde made her way onto the stage as another girl and two good-looking guys followed behind her. "How'r ya'll doing tonight?" The blonde yelled into the mic. The crowed went wild, balloons flew up, confetti came down; it was like a freaking fiesta. The band took a moment to tune their instruments and then began playing. The blonde's strong yet mellow voice began flowing through the speakers. Drew chuckled as his girlfriend went wild, screaming and then singing along to the lyrics of the current song.

A few songs passed, and the crowd's enthusiasm had died down just the slightest bit. When the band began playing a bit of a slower song, yet Drew still had to practically yell in Clare's ear to let her know that he was going to use the bathroom. She nodded her head and planted a kiss on his lips before he walked off to the restroom.

The excitement of the concert had put Clare on a bit of an adrenaline rush. She felt revived, forgetting all her troubles; like she could do anything. She slightly bounced to the beat of the song. It started off with a long, loud note on the singer's part and then transitioned to more of a slowed, sad yet hopeful tune.

This is for those who wait…

Another day, another waiting game

A little different but it's still the same

I am here but where's the one I'm longing for?

I'm having trouble feeling all alone

Will my heart ever find a home?

I want hope but sometimes I just don't know

I know I'm not the only one

Ever since Alli passed, Clare couldn't help but always feel so alone. But now she realized that once she'd met Drew, he'd shown her that you're never alone. Clare had always thought she was the only one feeling the guilt… But she wasn't.

So we sing a lullaby

To all the lonely hearts tonight

Let it set your hearts on fire; let it set you free

Free. That's all Clare wanted to feel. Feeling bitter loneliness and guilt all the time…Wasn't freedom at all. In fact, it was pure bondage. And she could not have that any longer. It was not that she realized that letting go was definitely the right decision.

God, I'm gonna lean to you now

Letting go of all my fear and doubt

I can't do this on my own so I give you control

God. Faith. These were the things she'd been questioning for months now. But now she could be assured… It really was all true. God would always be a part of her life. People really weren't just full of crap when they said God allowed these horrible things to happen for a reason. It's all just a test of faith. It's was a fight. Life's a fight, she was realizing. And full of experiences that you learn and grow from.

And maybe letting go of all the guilt and everything, not really sure if it was the right decision…Maybe it was because sometimes people needed to give all these things up to God and let him handle it and works things out for the good. As Drew had said earlier… Faith is what would allow Clare to see her best friend once again someday.

Clare could feel tears streaming down her face for a third time that day. Only these tears were different. They were a sign of change; a sign of an ending. They were a sign of the end of all her troubles. She just needed to let go. She'd been to busy holding onto guilt and hurt, and letting it all eat away at her… that she never thought of just letting go of it all in order to earn her happiness.

Suddenly, she felt a tap on her shoulder which caused her to jump slightly. She turned to see that it was just Drew returning from the restroom.

He chuckled. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you"

Clare smiled up at him. He, of course, smiled back but gave her a look of worry while wiping a single tear from her cheek. "You okay? Do you want to leave?"

Clare shook her head assuringly. "No. I just want to stay right here" She took his hand, pulling him close to her. He smiled down at her before wrapping his arms around her protectively. They faced the stage and watched the band continue to play while Drew embraced her from behind. He leaned in the kiss her hair and then her temple. A soft breeze began to blow, sending her curls flying. Clare closed her eyes, embracing the moment; the music, the breeze hitting her face and blowing her hair, Drew's arms around her. It was all just so… perfect.

Clare smiled. Maybe it is hard finding yourself…

But it's much easier when you have someone to hold onto.

The End!

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