Life in the Hills 3

Chapter Fifty - Bourne to Fly

Today was the last day of school – the last day of senior year but this year was much different from past years. Sure, the tone around school was odd this time around. Kelly Blank's mind ran with so many different emotions.

So many awkward stares of compassion were present all around her. Her fellow classmates would stop talking as she came by to begin the final day of senior year. The day was bittersweet. A day where she should be rejoicing and celebrating with her friends was spent in mourning. The blotchy eyeliner around her eyes added proof to the tears she had been shedding.

Kelly had lost a piece of her heart just days ago and it was only normal that she acted as if a part of her was gone. The ghost-like expression was sketched on her face as she walked by.

This was not supposed to end like this. Life was not supposed to go this way but then again, life is never the way you plan it. This loss was incredibly heart wrenching. Evan was a person she could honestly say she loved – her first true love. Now, he was gone and here she was to pick up the pieces of her life and try to put it back together somehow.

The television screens that filled the hallway soon all turned on. The news was labeled as a special report and here to report on the news was West Beverly's news reporter Tiffany Terrell. The blonde had looked upset as she began her special report.

"Good morning West Bevers – this is Tiffany Terrell with a special report. A few nights ago the West Beverly community lost a very important member of our student body – Evan Bourne. Evan was unfortunately gunned down on prom night. Principal McMahon and the entire faculty and student body would like to extend our condolences to Evan's family during this difficult time –"

Tiffany took a moment, getting herself together. She was visibly upset. It was difficult to hold back the tears she wanted to let out. Tiffany knew how passionate Evan was for journalism and doing this would make him extremely proud.

"– Evan was a big part of the West Beverly community. Evan ran both the West Beverly newspaper and channel. His input into both organizations has brought the school to new heights. Evan Bourne is also this year's valedictorian as he was the best performing senior. We all here at West Bev will deeply miss the enthusiastic and bright student. This evening, a wake will be held for Evan at the Holden Funeral home from 4 – 6pm and 7 – 10pm and tomorrow morning the funeral will be held at St. Luke's church at 10am. If you have the opportunity, we deeply encourage those who can to attend to do so. In the midst of this tragedy, we would like to warn everyone to be extra careful when outside. Tune in later today for the final report of the school years – until then, take care wildcats."

The screens returned back to the picture of the West Beverly Wildcat and the students of West Beverly returned to their daily routine for the last time this year. Kelly was very pleased with the special news report. She knew Evan would have liked that. As she continued down the hallway, she would be surprised at the sight she would encounter.

Right outside the media room, where the West Beverly Newspaper and Channel would meet was a memorial. A photograph of Evan rested on a school desk that was surrounded by different things. Balloons, candles, a huge wildcat, flowers, little notes and a yearbook rested right beside his photograph. A few of the students would sign it and leave it.

She could feel her heart wrenching at the sight of this all. Approaching the memorial, she noticed more photographs. Photos included her as well with all of her friends. She reached for the photograph of Evan. Her arm was shaking abruptly.

This was going to be a lot harder than she though. She trembled with fear but soon that fear had turned into pain. Her body couldn't support herself any longer and Kelly eventually came crashing to her knees. The entire school witnessed Kelly experience a hysterical nervous breakdown. The tears rolled out as the sobs echoed out of her mouth.

Lucky for her, she had a strong support system that was not too far away. Tiffany appeared from the media room as Eve, Nikki and Maryse came through the hallway to help their fallen friend. The crowds of students watched as Eve and Nikki pulled Kelly help and helped her into the media room that Tiffany had opened up. Maryse quickly placed the picture of Evan back onto the desk and rushed to the media room. She quickly shut the door.

Kelly body's crashed to the floor once again but Nikki and Eve were quick to pull her up onto the couch. The two sat by her side while Tiffany and Maryse sat on the coffee table in front of her.

"Why did this have to happen? I don't understand –"

Maryse spoke first, "Kelly, try to be strong."

"How can I be strong? I have had my entire life just ripped apart into shreds. Now I am a complete mess and I'm all alone."

Eve decided to peak in this time with something to say, "You are not alone. You are far from alone, Kelly. You've got your family and you've got us. We're here for you Kelly."

"We know what your going through is very difficult. None of us can imagine how you are feeling," said Nikki Bella, hoping her words could help mend her wounds. "But know one thing – that we will always be here for you."

"You're our friend," said Tiffany. "We will stick by you through this whole thing."

As the girls gave Kelly more strength, the door to the media room creaked open. Principal Stephanie McMahon was beside the door, looking down at the students. Stephanie spotted the distraught blonde, "hello girls. I don't meant to interrupt anything but I was hoping I could speak to Kelly for a moment. You girls can stay – what I have to tell her doesn't require privacy."

The girls made room for their principal. Tiffany and Maryse stood up, allowing Principal McMahon to sit beside them and speak, "Kelly, I just want to extend my condolences to you. Evan was such a bright and pleasant student. He is definitely going to be missed around here. I can't even imagine what you are going through."

Kelly found it hard to look up and face her principal but as she went on, Kelly's head bounced back and she had direct eye contact with her principal, "I came in to talk to you about something. It's a question I would like to ask you."

"What do you have to ask me?"

Stephanie McMahon had quiet a proposition for Kelly and in light of the disaster that had occurred, she believed her proposal would be kindly accepted.

"As you know, Evan was scheduled to be our valedictorian for the graduating class. He truly deserved that honor and the day before he passed, he had sent me a copy of his speech. It is a beautiful speech by the way. So what I was proposing was that maybe you should be the one to recite the speech? I know you and Evan were very close and I could not think of a better person to hold this honor – so what do you say, Kelly? Will you do it?"

That was an honor. For Principal McMahon to ask her something like that was truly special. Kelly knew how much that speech meant to Evan. He had spent so many sleepless nights trying to put it together.

But then it also did not feel right to go and do something like that. It meant no disrespect to Evan but that was his speech. He put in the time to writing it out. She thought that maybe it felt wrong to go and do something like that.

This was a difficult answer to give during such a difficult time. It was best that she just sit on it for a little. Kelly wiped away a tear that was falling and turned to her principal for an answer, "honestly, I think I'll need some time to make a decision if that is okay?"

Principal McMahon offered a reassuring smile, "yes, take all the time you need. Graduation isn't until next weekend."

This was a huge decision and could possibly be the proper way to truly honor Evan.


She tightly held the West Beverly yearbook in her hands as she walked through the hallways. After just receiving it, Eve was eager to get someone to sign it. She tried her uttermost hardest to cope with Evan's death so she wanted to distract herself and focus on other things.

Evan was such a good friend to Eve and losing him was extremely difficult. She remembered sitting in her living room when she got the frantic phone call from Maryse about what had happened. As she sat there, she could only shed tears over the death of her good friend. Despite the pain, Eve wanted to somehow overcome it. She had to find the brighter things in life to think about but it was hard.

Keeping a straight face, she continued down the hallway dressed in her white sundress and could see the faces of happiness and had to focus on that. She lost her focus as she got to the end of the hallway and she found someone looking at the memorial that was in place for Evan – It was Cody.

Despite the tragic events, Eve did not forget what had happen between her and Cody on prom night. Cody's confession and the kiss they shared lingered in her mind. All this time, Cody still had feelings for her and the kiss proved it. The kiss also proved something else – that she may possibly still have feelings for Cody as well. The feelings she once had may still remain. But the situation was far more complex than that – Alex Riley was in the picture as well.

She heart was divided into two. Half of it belonged to Alex while the other half belonged to Cody. She had to give hundred percent to one of them but she did not know who to give it too.

Alex and her had developed a strong bond over the last few months but Cody and her had something so much different. They had a deep-rooted history. Since that kiss, she could not but help and question her relationship with Alex. Maybe she wasn't meant to be with him?

The Latina continued to watch Cody. The hurt was present. Words could not describe what he was going through and Eve saw it all by taking a simple look at him. He slowly turned his body around and he came face to face with Eve as they stood at the opposite ends of the hallway. The moment of awkwardness was quickly broken when Eve had a visitor.

"Eve, babe – I'm here."

Through the hallway came Eve's boyfriend came through and greeted the beautiful Latina with a sweet kiss. The moment after the kiss, Eve watched as Cody slowly disappeared from her sight. Surely the sight of the two of them was something he was not interested in staring at.

Eve then decided to place her attention onto Alex who put his arm over her shoulder, walking toward the courtyard full of students, "so, how does it feel? Your last day of high school – ever."

"Yeah, it feels alright."

The college student took notice of her behavior and felt guilty over what he asked knowing she was going through something hard, "oh, sorry babe. Evan is still on your mind, right? Sorry I was acting so cheerful."

"No – don't apologize. Yeah, Evan's on my mind but I should be happy right. I need to get my mind off of sad things."

Alex believed that maybe now was the right time to share some news with Eve. The news would certainly cheer her up, "I got something that might cheer you up. It's pretty huge news and I think you may really like it – that's if you want to hear it?"

Some good news would be a blessing to hear right about now and it may help Eve get her mind off of things, "what do you have to tell me?"

"Unfortunately, I will not be here this summer. I got accepted into this study abroad program and I'll be spending my summer studying in Barcelona but hold on, there's a lot more to it. The program also takes incoming college freshmen and the program is still taking applicants so I was thinking why don't you apply and come spend the summer with me in Barcelona?" The idea was a bit drastic but Alex was beyond serious, "I know it sounds crazy but think about it."

The offer was certainly one that was once in a lifetime. The opportunity to study in Barcelona is astonishing, especially when you are with someone really special. It may be the perfect thing to do to get her mind off of everything that has happened and put her onto a brighter pathway.

Alex's expression said a thousand things but he obviously wanted her to come along on the journey with him. It would be to difficult to just see him get her so she had to accept the offer, "I am going to do it."

"Wait, your not kidding right? This is actually happening. You just said yes to spending the entire summer with me in Spain?"

She giggled, "yes, I will be spending the entire summer with you in Spain."

To celebrate, he immediately pulled her into a kiss to show his appreciation, "you don't know how happy you just made me. You and I are going to have the best summer of our lives. Sign up today because we are set to leave really soon."

"I'll do that just as I get home. I'm sure my parents will be pretty excited for me. They went to Spain and absolutely loved it," Eve came closer to Alex. "And we are going to make this the best summer of our lives, right?"

"You betcha."

Eve pulled out her yearbook from her hands and handed it to Alex, "and you must sign my yearbook. No one has gotten the chance to do so and I think you should be the first one."


"Of all pictures, did they have to put this one? My hair is a mess – I look like scary spice."

Mouthing off as usual, Maryse certainly had a few words for the yearbook. She made her way through the pages to find that the yearbook committee placed an embarrassing photo of herself. Maryse Ouellet did not approve. As the crowds of students were filling the entrance of the school, the French Canadian focused her attention toward Ted who was looking rather somber while sitting on a picnic table.

Maryse placed down her yearbook and took a hold of Ted's hand, "babe, is there something wrong?"

"It is just – I cannot believe it, Maryse. How did all of this just happen? How can someone allow this to happen? This is not right. Evan did not have to suffer. Why is life so cruel?"

Ted was still suffering from Evan's loss as it had a tremendous affect on his life. Evan and him were close. It was just this feeling he was having. He kept on questioning everything now – including life itself.

"Evan – he was just a kid and he gets his life taken away. Why is life so unfair?"

Maryse was unaware of how she could handle this situation but she had to be truthful to her boyfriend. "I don't know what I could tell you but the truth. Sometime life is unfair but then you have to think about some of the things that are fair and make you lucky."

"But he was young."

"He was young and deserved to live a long life. But I don't want you to think that life is always unfair when it is not. Be happy that you have good health, great friends, a house to live in because there are people who don't even have that," admitted the French Canadian. "I don't even know where I could begin with this all."

"I understand but why do they have to take away people who are good? Why not those who kill? Why do they deserve to live?"

She could see the trembling in his lip and could not believe the tears he began to shed, "Evan was one of my great friends. He was a guy I knew that would always be by my side through everything. He should have not been taken away like this. I am going to miss that kid."

In a natural reaction, Maryse wrapped her arm around Ted and wanted to support him, "I am going to miss him so much too. I don't know why he had to go and I don't think any of us will have an answer to that. He was such a great guy but you know he may not still physically with us but he his here in spirit and is going to watch over all of us. I can guarantee you that."

"Your definitely right," admitted the football star. He pulled himself up and faced his girlfriend with his eyes a little puffy. "I look like a wimp, don't I?"

"You are not a wimp. Ted, you lost a good friend. No one thinks you're a wimp. I don't think you're a wimp. If you ask me, your one of the bravest people I know. You're a strong person and shedding a few tears does not make you any less of a man."

He smiled back at the blonde who provided him with some reassuring news that explained to him that everything would be okay, "I still think tonight and tomorrow is going to be hard but I am going to get through it."

"We all are," said Maryse as she took her yearbook and handed to him. "You did not sign this yet and I think now would be a good time."


" – And beginning this fall, West Beverly will be serving lattes and cappuccinos in the cafeteria so we have something to look forward to when we come back after the summer."

As Tiffany was concluding her final West Beverly Channel news report, she could feel that overwhelming feeling come over her. Was it really all coming to an end? The camera crew signaled toward Tiffany to wrap up the show but despite the notions, she could only imagine that it was Evan standing right before her.

She visualized him standing right before the camera, smiling away as yet another report was coming to an end. He lived and breathed journalism and she only wish he could be sitting next to him while she broadcasted the final report.

"And that my fellow Wildcats will wrap up our last report for the year. For our seniors, you will be greatly missed and for our returning students, we look forward to seeing you again. This is Tiffany Terrell, signing off one last time. Have a great summer, Wildcats."

As the camera cut, the crew and Tiffany had cheered in happiness over the success of their final report. As they began to fan out quickly, Jack made his way into the room to surprise Tiffany.

"Hey! Did you catch the last report?" asked Tiffany when she greeted Jack with a kiss.

"It was great. I think Evan would have been so proud of you," he coiled his lips into a smile. "He is smiling right now."

"I was imagining him in the room with me. Anytime I would do the report, he would stand right before the camera and I looked at that very spot he would always stand at and imagined he was right there."

With everything that happened, Tiffany could never accept that Evan was gone. In their history class, she turned around expecting to see him but only saw an empty desk. During their third period break; she would always see him at the lockers. They were right next to each other. Today, she expected to see him but that didn't happen.

And now she was during the final report and just expected to see him when she came into the room however she was in for a sad awakening.

"Jack, it's just something I cannot process yet. I cannot process in my mind that he is actually gone," there was that somber tone that accompanied her words. "You just think he is going to come right through the door or be sitting right behind you but he's not."

Tiffany took a seat at the nearest available desk and Jack came forth to comfort his girlfriend. He held both of her hands and told her, "I don't think none of us are going to accept that he is actually gone. All we got now is each other and the good times we had with him."

"Just, life can be so cruel sometimes."

"Nobody wants to admit it but it is true. Life can be cruel. But I know Evan would not want us to act like this. He would want us to be happy and remember those good memories we had with him."

Jack was definitely right. In this dark time in their lives, they had to look past the negative and reflect on the positives. They had to remember Evan as the person he was. He was kind, funny, respectful, sweet, charming – the list can go on and on.

Jack was going to remember Evan for his determination and as Tiffany gazed around the room, she had chosen to remember Evan as the passionate guy she always known him to be.


Picking out room colors was supposed to be an easy task that did not require much thought but when you don't know if your having a boy or a girl because your husband insists it be a surprise, the task just got a lot harder.

A six-month pregnant Torrie was out on the patio, enjoying a light snack and staring at a few paint samples that have got her mind in a twist. Her mind told her to listen to John but next time that will not be the case. Torrie was enjoying the peaceful afternoon as both Nathan and Ella we're spending some quality time with John's parents, which left her free as a bird.

That suddenly changed as she could hear the sliding doors from the living room being opened. John would grace her presence. John had completed his final day of West Beverly for the school year and had the entire summer to himself, Torrie and his family.

"You're still trying to pick a color? I told you why not go for green? Green is a pretty neutral color," insisted John as he came and pulled a seat beside his wife.

"This is not an easy decision. How could I let you talk me into keeping the baby's sex a mystery? We didn't do that with Nathan or Ella," complained Torrie. She could only express the disapproval over the decision she had made.

"But don't you want to be surprised when it happens? All this anticipation will pay off once you see the baby."

"Your right," the reluctant Torrie managed to agree. "Anyways, how was work? Today was the last day. I wish I could be there but I am officially on maternity leave and someone else has taken over. The seniors must have been really happy."

He scratched his head as he leaned back in his seat, "They might have been happy. Everyone was a little off today since Evan's passing. They have this really nice memorial for him in the hallway too."

"It is so bittersweet."

"But I have some other news that is pretty bittersweet too."

Her brow shot up, "bittersweet news?" What could John possibly be talking about? She could only hope the news is not as devastating.

"I had a quick meeting with the J.V football team about the summer tryouts and after I had the talk, I got approached by someone. His name was Derrick Lancer and he was a recruiter. He was a recruiter for Santa Barbara University and he asked me if I would be interested in the head coach position for their football team."

"What?!"

Torrie was absolutely shocked by the news John was giving her at the moment. This was undeniably amazing. Torrie understood John's passion for football and knew he was excited. The smile was giving away everything. John was honored to have received an offer like this. There was nothing more in the world that he wanted and this was finally his chance. After all the hard work, everything was beginning to get paid off.

"Yeah, he told me that the team was scouting for a new coach after they fired the last one. Derrick told me he was impressed with my ability to handle a team and he wants me to know if I was interested in the position," and this is where it got difficult.

She could notice his sudden pause and knew what this was about. He wanted an approval before he could go ahead, "and this is the part where you need some authorization from me right?"

"I didn't tell him anything yet. I told him I would give a decision by tomorrow after I discussed it with you," John revealed more details. "I really would like this Tor. Sure, this would have to mean that we would have to move and you would have to quit your job but this is a huge opportunity. I am coaching my own team – a college football team."

"I understand John –"

"The season only lasts half a year so the other half I will be able to spend time with you and the kids. Derrick said he would also help us find a perfect house for us and did I mention the pay? I am talking a six figure salary here with full benefits for you, me and the kids – come on Tor, what do you say?"

His hands rested on the table and soon Torrie would join in and place her hands on top of his. She could see the look in his eyes and know that he really wanted this. How could she take this way from him?

"Remember when I opened my store in New York and you came with me. You realized how important it was to me and you came along on the adventure. I look into your eyes and can see that this means a lot to you and now it is my turn to do something for you. Take the job."

"Wait, are you serious?"

She nodded with a laugh, "yes! I am serious – call him up and tell him you will be taking that job."

It was about time they had received some good news despite the recent events.

He could not contain the excitement and proceed to press his lips against Torrie's as a signal of celebration. As he pulled way, he told her, "you don't know how happy you have made me. You, Nathan, Ella, the new baby and I are going to be beyond happy when we move to Santa Barbara. Thank you for doing this Tor."

"Your welcome."

The feeling was bittersweet. Los Angeles had been her home for so long and leaving it would be difficult but then again, she would be starting fresh in another city that is just as beautiful as Beverly Hills. There are countless memories here that she'll cherish forever but it was time to make some new ones.

"I have got to call Derrick right now and tell him the great news. Then I've got to call my parents and Randy too! Randy is going to kill me when he hears the news –"

With John getting a bit carried away, Torrie had the duty to remind him that he had to call Derrick before any of those people, "call Derrick first before anyone else. Then we can do all the celebrating."

John smirked before pulling out his cell phone and heading back inside the house. Torrie sat in her backyard enjoying the late afternoon, as she wouldn't be in this backyard for much longer.


Some of the toughest days of her life were lying right before her and she had just completed one – probably one of the hardest ones.

Following Evan's wake, Kelly had returned home with her family as well as Eve. Since the horrible night, one of the girls has stayed with Kelly and tonight it was Eve's turn. The pair were headed up the stairs – Kelly in front – and headed straight for Kelly's room. Kelly's parents, step-mom, Torrie and John all remained downstairs as they watched the two ladies head up.

Once in Kelly's room, Kelly had quickly sat on her bed. Her eyes were in a puffy red state. The tears rolling down her face were on a constant repeat for the evening when she was greeted by Evan's relatives and her friends. There was a tremendous out pour of support during the difficult time.

She could remember all the people coming to her and Evan's parents with condolences over the tragic loss. She was surprised by some of the support – to see people she thought she had differences with but yet they arrived. She was also incredibly lucky to have such a great support system. All of her friends had been right by her side during the difficult time and she could not have been happier.

Even with the tremendous amount of support, there was an empty place in her heart that was only getting larger. Despite the strong support system, she couldn't help but feel weak and vulnerable.

As Eve shut the door to her bedroom, she pulled up beside Kelly and took the empty spot beside her. Both ladies were in simple black dresses as a sign of respect. Eve could see the smudged make up over her eyes and offered her a tissue, "take this. Might want to wipe some of that makeup off."

"Thanks," she barely took the tissue and dapped her cheeks with the dry tissue and took off some of the mascara.

"I want to ask you something but I'm afraid you may get upset."

Kelly nodded, "ask me. I'll answer it."

Eve was just curious so she decided to ask, "how did it feel? You know, when those people come to you telling you're their condolences. Was it hard to hear it?"

Thinking of the question, she wanted to give an honest answer that her friend deserved, "I felt as if I was important – like I made a difference in someone's life. I felt needed and appreciated. Sure, it was not easy to hear but people were trying to be nice. I mean, what else are you supposed to say?"

"But you seemed to be pretty composed tonight as well."

"I'm starting to think that maybe I went through the hardest part and that I will be okay tomorrow. I might really be okay."

Eve could only compliment her friend, "you're a really tough person, you know that?"

But Kelly could not agree with Eve on that point. She was not strong. She was just like any other person who was dealing with a loss, "I am not as strong as I may let on."

Eve honestly thought that maybe Kelly was going to be okay after this all but she could not predict the future. Eve rose from her seat when she remembered something, "I left my things in the car. I am going to run down and get them and maybe you and I can make some tea or something – get us nice and relaxed."

Eve perked up from the bed and left the room. She went down the same stairs and out the front door to find her car. As she scrambled through the car, she found her bag and could see her phone had a message waiting for her. It was a text message from her mother. She opened the message. You may still be at the funeral home so I did not want to call. Just wanted to let you know that we got off the phone with CU just a moment ago. Everything is set – your going to Barcelona! We could not hold back the news and had to tell you. I'll start looking at flights but we'll see you at the funeral tomorrow. Love you.

As she shut her phone, her jaw had literally dropped. This could not really be happening. The opportunity of a lifetime had arrived and she could not turn away the prospect. Spending her summer in Barcelona – one of the most breathtaking cities on this planet? It was a dream come true.

But when one dream is moments away from happening, there may be something in the way from stopping it. Eve shut the door to her car, grabbing her bag and as turned around she caught the glimpse of someone she was not expecting.

"Cody…"

There they were. The two of them were standing right before each other and in the middle of a stare down. Still clothed in a black suit and tie, Cody was making her descent down Kelly's driveway and toward Eve. Surely this moment was going to be awkward. The two had barely made any sort of contact since prom night.

With everything that has happened, there was never a chance to discuss what had happened. Eve thought there was nothing to talk about this but every time she saw him, she some sort of desire arise. What did it mean? She did not know.

Cody was certainly surprised to find Eve standing in the driveway and decided it was best to respond, "Hey Eve."

"What are you doing here?"

"Kelly left this," Cody raised his hand to reveal a shawl that he found at the funeral home. "I was driving home and I thought I would stop by and drop this off."

Cody came forward and handed the shawl over to Eve. She accepted the shawl and Cody could feel his heart racing just as he was getting close to her. There unfinished business was killing him slowly. It drove him crazy knowing that he could not be with her but he felt relieved when he was finally able to admit it to her. The little thing going on between them was certainly far from over.

"Thanks for dropping it by."

Cody nodded and said, "no problem." He bit gently down on his lip before speaking yet again. "So you're staying with Kelly tonight? That is really nice of you girls to be doing this for her. She is lucky to have you as friends. How is she doing?"

"Kelly is my friend and I am going to be there for her no matter what. As of now, she is holding up pretty well. She told me before that she might really be ready for tomorrow but regardless it is going to be a tough day for everyone."

"Yeah –"

Eve knew how close Evan and Cody were despite what had happened between the two of them and could sense he was suffering from the pain of losing Evan. Deciding it was a good idea, she wanted to know how he was doing, "but how is everything with you? Are you handling it well?"

Losing one of your best friends was far from easy. Cody thought this was a good time to get out his feelings. After all, holding in how you feel is never a good idea.

"It's difficult – I am not going to lie. I never had to deal with losing someone really close to me ever and the first person I ever lose is my best friend. I am eighteen years old and I never had to deal with death but this is a part of life. You live and then you die – I just didn't think it would happen this soon for Evan."

"Your right."

Cody quickly ended the conversation and decided it was best to head home to prepare himself for the long day ahead, "I am going to head home. Tomorrow is not going to be an easy day so I need some rest. Will you give Kelly my best?"

She responded with a nod, "yes, I'll pass the message along to her. Have a good night and I will see you tomorrow."

Eve began to journey toward the front door as Cody remained standing as still as a statue in the midst of Kelly's driveway. Eve opened the door before taking one last long stare at Cody. The two had their eyes locked to one another. An expression of sadness laid upon their faces until Eve ultimately shut the door and left Cody only.

Cody was alone. With his hands in his pocket, he started down the driveway and into the darkness. He could feel he was losing touch with her. He already lost his friend and now he may be losing the love of his life.


Nikki Bella did not like funeral homes. It carried some painful memories but in the end of the day, she managed to get through it and when the evening's events concluded, she was walking back to her car.

She only knew Evan for only a year but she always knew he was a very special person. She always found him to be a smart, respectful and charming individual. She just felt bad that she did not know him longer. Whatever time she spent with Evan was always a rewarding experience. He sense of humor kept her laughing while his dedication kept her motivated when he helped tutor for some classes.

Nikki was certainly going to miss him.

Losing Evan was not the only thing that disrupted her life but was someone else's betrayal. Since prom night, Nikki cannot remove the image of Brie and Dolph in bed with one another. Questions rushed through her mind as she wondered why Dolph would do that? And how could her sister Brie betray her after there heartfelt reunion?

The true intentions behind her sister's return were made known. It truly made her sick to her stomach on how her sister could have done something like this. Her goal for coming back to Beverly Hills was to create chaos and destruction and she truly succeeded. Dolph and her were no more and the relationship between the two twins had been liquidated.

As for Dolph, there could not be a future between the two of them. It was impossible to repair the damage that was made. Just as she thought she would be putting Dolph behind her, Nikki discovered her ex-boyfriend standing beside her car.

Immediately, she froze but soon began taking steps forward closer to her car and Dolph. Dolph seemed pretty excited to see her. Even on their last day of school, he didn't have a chance to see her and this may be the very first encounter.

Dolph had made a major mistake. Regardless of what Brie had done to him, he was still at fault and had to make amends. How could he be so stupid to have done something like this?

Nikki was not going to allow him to have him say anything. Just as he was going to open his mouth, she stopped him, "don't say anything. There is nothing you can say that can fix anything."

"Nikki, could we just talk about it?" pleaded the blonde.

"There is nothing to talk about. Your actions spoke a hell of a lot louder than your words. We're over, Dolph –"

"But –"

She did not even respond. She walked right passed him and into the car. She could still see him in the rearview window but eventually disappeared. Nikki took a quick look into the mirror as tears began to develop in her eyes. The droplets came rushing down her cheeks and she could no longer compose herself. This was her life crashing down right before her eyes.

As for Dolph, he stuck his hands in his pocket and walked down the parking lot and just like Nikki, he saw someone standing beside his car waiting for him. The girl looked exactly like Nikki but it was not her – it was her sister.

"Hey there Dolph – I've been looking all over for you everywhere."

Brie had the devious expression printed across her face yet again. It was becoming quiet the trademark for her. Dolph did not even respond to that before she went at it once again, "Dolph – aren't you going to say hello?"

Brie came closer and began to play with his jacket a little before saying, "listen – I have been thinking a lot about you lately and I was thinking that maybe you and I should get back to where we left off."

"Where did we leave off?"

"I think you were on top of me, kissing my neck and slowly undoing my bra?" Dolph did not even respond but kept silence. He could not believe the mess he got himself into. He lost Nikki for the stupidest reasons. With no response from Dolph, Brie went on, "so what do you say?"

Dolph had it to about here, "I say you leave me alone. Do you realize what you did? You know, I am at fault just as much as you but you do not feel any sort of remorse for Nikki that you're still hitting on me?"

"Nikki got what she deserved."

He found himself growing angry at Brie over her harsh comments, "How can you say that? You ruined her life and now your beginning to ruin mine. Nikki was all I had going for me and you ruined that."

"You don't mean that Dolph."

"I do mean that. Get the hell away from me. I want nothing to do with you."

This was not part of her plan. After the destruction of Nikki, Dolph was supposed to come running into her arms. They were supposed to be together. Her plan was ultimately breaking apart.

"I'm sorry okay? But can we –"

"You should not be apologizing to me. You do not owe me one but Nikki certainly deserves one instead."

His final words left an everlasting touch on Brie. Dolph directed himself into the car and pulled out of the parking spot. He stopped for a second and took one last look at Brie. He certainly hoped that would be the last time he would see her. He pulled away and left Brie.

Brie stood their, taking note of everything Dolph had to say. The success of her plan was supposed to lead to bliss but it was a complete failure.


Saying goodbye was never easy. As Kelly placed on her black dress, pulled on her flats and brushed her silky blonde hair, she was mentally preparing herself for the day that was on hand. The car was waiting for her downstairs. She grabbed a pack of tissues and slipped it into her purse. They would definitely come in handy.

She pulled open the door to her bedroom before turning back to stare at it. So many memories of Evan were present here. Her eyes slowly scanned the room before the final thing she saw was the picture she had on her dresser of the two of them. They were so happy.

As she shut the door, she followed the stairs down to the main hall to find Eve, her parents, her stepmother, Torrie and John joining her. All of who did not share a single smile but were remorseful. As she came down, they split into two cars. Torrie, John and Christine in one – while Ted, Kendra, Eve and Kelly shared the other.

Kelly had yet to say a word but choose to stare out the window, staring at the houses as they journeyed to the funeral home. She could not help but remember the night it all had occurred.

The lights of the sirens flashed all across the houses on Lexington lane. The siren noises woke some of the residents. Some residents had gotten out of their homes to find their street occupied by ambulances and police cars. As they came out, they were stopped by the yellow tape and an officer explaining to them the situation at hand. The neighbors were shocked to hear that someone had been gunned down on their street.

As the neighbors gathered, the police had reported to the scene of the crime. Kelly was standing by with Cody, Ted and Maryse. The police officer was taking witness accounts in order to begin an investigation. Kelly had described what had happened and the officer made way with despite the tears and sobs confusing what she was saying.

The police officer had finished up his report and kindly asked Kelly to stay a little while longer. The four friends had stared in disbelief. They watched as the coroner loaded Evan onto the stretcher and proceeded to the ambulance. The tears continued to rush down Kelly's face as she could no longer compose herself.

She rushed to the stretcher and cried out, "Evan – no! You cannot be gone. Evan, please come back to me." The coroner had held her back until Cody came to pull her back as the coroners loaded his body into the vehicle, "You can't leave me like this – please Evan!

Maryse found herself crashing her face into Ted's body, sobbing away and all Ted could do was hold her tightly. Kelly watched as the ambulance drove away but Cody still hung onto her. Her life was crashing right there before her. As the car traveled further, she found herself feeling weak.

Suddenly she found herself running out of Cody's arms and into somebody else's. John and Torrie had arrived at the scene. Torrie could no compose herself, as she knew what had happened. She rushed to her sister's side and quickly held her.

"Kelly, I am so sorry –"

Kelly could no longer hold it in either as she cried out, "He's gone, Torrie. Evan is gone. Why? Why did he have to go?!" she asked questions that Torrie and nobody else could have answers too. No one knows when someone dies or why someone dies. Life can certainly been cruel.

"I don't know what to tell you Kelly."

Maryse came up and entered the hug the Torrie and Kelly were in the midst of. Soon, Ted and Cody had followed and eventually John could no longer hold it in and joined the group in an emotional hug. These next days would be difficult and they needed all the support they could get.

Before she knew it, she found herself at the funeral home. The car had directly pulled up and Kelly could see the turnover was very large. Evan had touched so many lives in the time he had with us all. The funeral home was filling up quickly. Kelly found herself leaving the vehicle first.

With each step she took, she could feel the pain wrenching on her heart. This would be one of the hardest things she has ever done in her life. As the doors opened, she could find herself surrounded by friends.

Eve would trail behind her while Dolph and Cody were standing to her left. Jack, Tiffany and Nikki were on the opposite side while Ted and Maryse were not to far away from them. They all knew what this day would be like.

It was in that moment that Kelly could feel the shakiness in her body. From her head to her toe, Kelly could not handle the grief that today was scheduled to bring. As the doors opened to the room where the funeral would begin, Kelly abruptly stopped in her place and found herself collapsing to her knees. Lucky for her, Eve and Cody were quick to help out her out but that was not before what she had to say.

"I am not ready to do this – I am not," cried out the blonde as she began to pant. The moment she claimed to be ready for was here but she had not filled up the end of her bargain. The crowds of people before her turned back as she continued, "How am I supposed to say goodbye to the one person I have ever loved? No, I can't. Evan – no. I can't do this Evan."

"Kelly, try and stay strong," said her mother Kendra from behind.

But that was a promise that would be difficult to uphold. Kelly hooked arms with both Cody and Eve and kept herself composed. She held back any other sobs but allowed the tears to fall down. They began their descent into the crowd and toward the front where a seat was waiting for Eve. Mr. and Mrs. Bourne were well aware of how special Evan was to her and decided it was best they join her.

With the casket staring right before them, Kelly could see the many flowers that guests had sent in as well as some of his personal things. She saw the enormous collage of Evan – it was beautiful decorated with pictures of Evan and a few of his friends and family. Kelly took a seat and found herself next to Evan's mother who gently grasped her hand, which Kelly had gladly accepted. Her friends and family were seated in the row right behind her as the ceremony was set to begin.

The hardest day of their young lives was set to begin. With the final people filling into the room, the tight knit group of friends prepared themselves to say goodbye to a dear friend who had a significant effect on each and every one of their lives. The emotions were pouring into the room.

Never in her young life would she think she would be saying goodbye to a friend and lover ever so quickly. This was it – the doors had been shut. It's time to say goodbye.


A/N: I hope you all don't still hate me for what I did in the last chapter. Things will get better for the story. I appreciate all of the reviews from everyone. Thanks for being so supportive! Only 5 more chapters to go - you may want to keep those tissues handy for a little while.

Next Chapter - It has been 15 years but some familiar faces return to Beverly Hills..