Spring came around and Cerise was fully healed from the rat/Skinner's attack. As punishment, the five kids dropped out of the talent show. They didn't mind, it gave them less stress, but they performed for their parents and on the street a few times. One time, Gemini and Cerise danced with the music to try and compete with a local mime. Let's just say he was not happy to be outdone by two teenage girls.
Cerise wanted to do something because she still felt the pain of being on the bridge her father passed away on and the death of her mother. She couldn't sleep on Sunday. The winds were pretty low and the night was chilly but it couldn't compete with the bright lights of Paris.
Cerise stared out of the window for a little longer until she sat up in her bed and when into her small dresser and pulled out the locket and ring that her mother gave her before her demise. She opened the locket and took out the picture of her and Rosaline and replaced it with a picture of her and the twins.
She snuck into the twins' room. Both of them were soundly asleep. Auggie sucked his thumb and Renee was on top and softly snoring. Cerise climbed to Renee's bunk and wrapped the locket around her neck and gently pulled out Auggie's thumb from his mouth and exited the room.
She quietly got dressed in a sweatshirt and jeans. She sat on her bed and looked at the picture and the ring in her pale hands and She exhaled nervously and wrapped her hands around them and sniffled.
"Cece...Are you okay?" With a light startle, she turned to face her twin siblings in their pajamas peeking from the door.
"I didn't mean to wake you guys I'm sorry…" Cerise whispered
"You-you gave me a locket…" Renee whispered
"My real mother gave it to me...I...I don't need it anymore…" the twins approached their big sister and wrapped their arms around her. They looked at the small picture of Cerise and her real mother and a diamond ring
"Is the ring your mother's too?" Auggie asked. Cerise turned to him and nodded her head. Then She trekked toward her dresser near her door and took the box that tony gave her the necklace. She pulled out the necklace and placed it on her and she placed her picture and ring in the box and grabbed her sneakers and went downstairs.
"Where are you going?" Auggie asked. The twins followed her downstairs
"Let us help you…" Renee added.
"It's okay...I don't need help…" then the twins wrapped their arms around her legs
"Please don't go…" They cry. Cerise hushed them gently, wiping any incoming tears
"I won't be long…" then Alfredo and Colette went down to see Cerise dressed
"Where are you going…" Colette asked her
"What are you doing awake?" Alfredo added.
"There's-There's something I have to take care of…" The parents glanced at each other and Cerise opened the small box, showing them.
"Are you sure Cerise?" Alfredo asked. Cerise looked at the box, took a deep breath, and looked up at them and she nodded her head.
"I'm sure we'll deal with it in the morning...We should all be in bed…" Colette said strictly.
Cerise carried her yawning brother and Linguini carried his daughter back into their room and Cerise departed to her room. She changed by into her pajamas and went back to sleep
Cerise found herself in a garden. Beautiful flowers grew all around this strange place. As she walked around, Cerise felt something familiar was near...There was a trail of cherry trees and it led to the country house. It was built beautifully and the exterior was painted beautiful mint green with a bit of cherry blossom red.
It was confusing to her that something so beautiful led her here. Then she heard a rustle nearby. She turned around and saw a woman in a white dress. She tread just to get a closer look at the woman. But then the woman turned and saw Cerise coming towards her and Cerise stopped.
Everything was silent around them and the girls just stared at each other, but then the woman slowly walked towards Cerise. As Cerise took a closer look, the woman's hair was red like hers and it was long, luscious, and curly. Then the woman stopped and looked at Cerise and a smile slowly made its way on her face
"Ma Cheri…" then Cerise was in complete shock, and she recognized the woman now
"MAMA…" Cerise spoke and wrapped her arms viciously around Rosaline, sobbing in her mother's arms.
"Cheri...How much you've grown…"
"Mama...My name is Cerise now…"
"Cerise...Like cherries...I love it...I love it a lot…" Cerise cried.
"SO you've found yourself a lover...make sure he treats you right…."
"He will mama...He's like you...He'll protect me…" Rosaline smiled. Then Cerise fully sobbed once more
"I'm so sorry for 4 years ago…." Rosaline frowned and wraps her arms around her daughter
"Don't you dare be sorry Cerise...It was your father's doing...and none of this is your fault
"It is...I felt like I failed to protect you...I let you die…."
"Sweetheart...You defeat your father, you avenged me...All I want you to be is to be happy...This has been bothering you for a long time...It's time to let go now…"
"No...I don't want to let you go...I still have your picture...You're still with me…" Cerise clung to her mother Rosaline and tears streaming down her pale face.
"Cerise...Listen to me...You have to let go of the past to move forward...I'll always be there with you...no matter where you are I'm in your heart...As long as you have my memory and my spirit...Never let anyone keep you silent...You will become a strong person your growing to be…" Rosaline advised her daughter.
Cerise looked up at her mother and wiped away her tears and smiled.
"I'm very proud of you Cheri...and I always will be…" Rosaline gave Cerise a kiss on her forehead.
"Tell your little brother and sister I said Hi…" Rosaline smiled warmly and the girls embrace each other once more
Cerise bolted awake from her sleep. She retrieved the small box on her dresser and took out her and her mother's picture and placed it on the larger frame.
She held it close to her and silently sobbed. The rest of the family watched her. Auggie and Renee went to her bed to comfort their elder sister. Alfredo and Colette joined her and they held her. Suddenly, she embraced all of them, finally letting out the tears she held back 4 years ago and let go of the pain from her past.
The next day after school, Cerise still looked at the small box that contains her mother's ring. She kept thinking to herself what she should do.
"Hey, Cerise…" She looked up and saw tony approaching her and gave her a peck on the lips. She and Tony started dating after the attack.
"Hey, Tony…" Cerise replied despondently. Gemini and Rafael came out in each other's embrace, Gemini was under Rafael's arm. Gemini and Rafael followed Cerise and Tony's example and they started dating.
"Hey, Cece…" Gemini noticed Cerise's gloom. "Hey what's wrong…"
"Yeah, Cerise...Tell me what's bothering you…" Tony clamped his hands onto Cerise's
Cerise sighed. "Can we all talk in the restaurant?"
"Where's Francois," Rafael asked. On cue, Francois came with the brunette girl under his arms
"See ya later Alison" Francois gave her a peck on the cheek
"Bye…" Alison called back
"Hey, Cerise…What's wrong?" Francois noticed Cerise's depressed mood too.
"We're going to go to the restaurant to talk…" Tony informed him.
When they all got there, they found a booth in the corner near the window and sat around Cerise. Alfredo, Colette, the twins, and Anton Ego came over too to listen
"Last night...I had a dream...I was in a country house, surrounded by beautiful flowers and cherry trees all around...and I swear, my...my mother was there…"
"Oh my god…" Gemini covered her mouth.
"She looked as beautiful as ever before...She said that she loved my name...She also said for you to treat me right." She said turning to Tony.
"I will, for you and for your mother...I love you, Cerise…"
"She also said...It was time to let go...and she wanted me to be happy...and that she was very proud of me…" Cerise was crying then. Tony wrapped his arms around her
"Oh, Cerise…" Anton whispered.
"She would be very proud of you right now…" Alfredo wrapped his arm around Colette.
"Alfy's right...especially since you've saved a bunch of people from that wererat…" Colette added
"And the time that you were with us and our ups and downs…" Gemini spoke too
"And she's always going to be in your heart…" Cerise sniffled
"She said that too…" Cerise said. "Auggie, Renee...She told me to tell you hello...I wish you two could've met her...She would loved you guys…" Auggie and Renee sniffled and ran towards their sister and hugged her once more.
"I...I think I can do this now…"
"Do what…" Rafael asked her. Cerise showed them the box and opened it
"This wedding ring belonged to my mother...She married without a choice...I must get rid of it…"
"But where are you going to do it?" Francois asked.
"I know the place…"
Cerise showed them to the bridge and the lake. She held onto the box and sighed through her nose. Then something touched her arm
"Madamoiselle, are you sure you want to do this...once you do this, you can't go back…" Anton Ego asked her.
Cerise exhaled shakily. She wasn't sure if she herself wanted to do this...but she remembered her mother's words and she nodded her head.
"I'm….I'm sure…" then they all stepped aside and let Cerise go to the edge of the bridge and she felt her hands shaking, and she looked at the box and looked at the water. She shut her eyes and finally let go of the box, allowing itself to fall into the water and slowly sink deeper into the lake. Then Cerise slowly climbed on the bridge, took off her school jacket and her flats, and took a deep breath
"Cerise, what are you doing?" Alfredo asked. Cerise then let down her long red hair and allowed it to flow in the wind.
"Whatever you're thinking about doing, don't…" then Cerise gently breathed. She closed her eyes and did what no one expected her to, She jumped off of the bridge and into the lake. After that splash, Alfredo, Colette, and Anton Ego went down the stairs from the bridge to try and look for Cerise.
"Cerise...Cerise, can you hear me…" Alfredo called
"Can you believe that?" Francois was shocked
"She just brought us all this way just to kill herself…" Rafael added
"Wait...Look…" Gemini pointed to the water. Then there were bubbles going to the surface and then Cerise came out of the water and began to calmly swim around the water.
Gemini grinned ear to ear. "Alright Cece…" then it was her turn to take off her jacket, her shoes, her sunglasses, and letting down her hair
"Gemini what are you doing?" her concerned boyfriend asked
"If you can't beat em, join em…" Gemini stood on the edge of the bridge. "FLY ME TO THE MOON" Gemini yelled as she went in the water, joining her best friend.
Both of their boyfriends looked at each other and followed their girlfriend's example. "What do we have to lose?" Tony said. Do you guys wanna come too?" He asked the twins
"Won't we get our clothes wet?" Auggie asked.
"That won't matter, as long as we have fun...None of that matters…"
Auggie and Renee excitedly looked at each other and they joined Tony and Rafael
"Auggie Renee...What are you two doing…" Alfredo called
"We're going swimming…" Renee called. Rafael jumped in first and Tony held onto the twins' hands
"Don't be scared, I'll be here the whole time okay…" the kids nodded and Tony jumped in with the twins
"Auggie, Renee…" Cerise cheered happily as her little siblings swam towards her.
"Come in Mommy and Daddy the water's fine…" Auggie called.
"Come on Alfy…" Colette grabbed onto her husband's hand
"I-I don't swim…" Linguini stuttered
"Please…" Renee begged
"Pretty please…" Auggie begged with her.
Then Colette grabbed her husband's hand and joined the kids in the water. Alfredo and Colette then share a kiss
"You guys are nuts…" Francois called out
"You're crazy enough not to join us, Francois…" Gemini told him
"Is that so?" Francois took off his jacket and his shoes and did a flip in the water. Everyone cheered. Everyone except for Ego had a wonderful time in the water, having fun, letting go of worries. The fun was cut short with a honk came in the distance.
"BOAT!" they all scream. The kids and Alfredo and Colette all scrambled out of the water before the boat can go any closer to them. They watched it pass by and everyone stared at them and they all just waved.
"How do you feel Cerise…" Tony asked her.
"Well I'll tell you the truth...I've never been better…" Cerise then gave Tony a passionate kiss
"Well we should get changed and get home," Alfredo announced
"We should do that more often...You know jump off a bridge and into the water." Francois sarcastically said. They all laughed as they walked away from the bridge and back home.
A week came around and things were starting to get better and better. Cerise and Tony started to go on dates, even on triple dates with her friends.
Cerise invited Gemini, Tony, Rafael, and Francois, and even the twins to her room to dance the day away to some music just to shake away the stress that they had.
Then the family watched a movie. Cerise suggested Angels with Filthier faces
"I want you to get on your knees and tell me you love me…" the man on the T.V. said
"I love you…"
"Okay...I'm gonna let you go...I'm gonna give you to the count of three to get out of here...One two…" then gunshots went off, scaring the twins. Cerise gave them comfort and told then the best part was coming
"Merry Christmas you filthy animal...and a happy new year". Cerise and the twins lip-synched
By the time summer came, Cerise was fully given closure from her painful past and she started to live life to the fullest and she had her family and friends beside her and she knew that there was nothing that can stop her from being happy
A/N- That's the end. Check out chapter 10 for a bonus background.