Epilogue
Justin stumbled back. The gunshot rang in his ears so loudly it nearly deafened him. He raised his hands to his face and pulled back his fingertips, finding to his horror that he had been caught in a fan pattern of blood spray. He sat and stared at Kayla, watching as she fell.
Kayla hit the stone rooftop, her eyes wide and glassy. The gun had long since dropped from her hand, but her fingers had curled as though it still sat in her palm.
She lay silent; her eyes traveled her surroundings, unable to see much more than the stars above her, which now shined beautifully as if just for her.
"I can't let you through." Brian muttered. He held Jennifer tighter than he ever figured he'd hold a woman other than Lindsey. Debbie, however, knew that if Justin wasn't dragged away from Kayla now, he'd never let her go. She pushed roughly past Michael, Brian and Jennifer and walked slowly toward Justin.
"C'mere, Sunshine." Debbie called. Justin adamantly shook his head no and took a hold of Kayla's hand. He held it firmly in his own, bringing trembling lips to the palm.
"Wake up..." His chin trembled. "This isn't funny..." He looked her over, his expression that of a child winding up a jack in the box for a second time, knowing it's going to pop, but not when. He waited vigilantly there for her to sit up and wipe away the blood. He waited for some sign of a coy smile, but none came to her now bluish lips.
He straddled her stomach, a hand on each side of her face and looked into her empty, staring eyes. "I know you can see me. Don't play with me like this! It's more than I can take, Kayla... Blink. Do something!" He moved his fingers down over her shoulders, taking a firm grip, and shook her upper body.
He felt a hand on his back. "Get away! I can do this... Just give me some goddamn space!"
Brian's eyes brimmed for the first time in a long time. "Mikey, please keep Jennifer in here." He stepped out of the stairwell and onto the cement rooftop. "Justin?" Brian swallowed hard. For a moment, he stopped and stared at the footprint he had inadvertently made in the puddle of blood now circling Chris' body. He stepped around Kayla. "Justin?"
Justin trembled. He stood, his hands covered in his sister's blood. His mouth hung agape. He walked toward the edge of the rooftop and climbed on.
"Justin, get the fuck off there!" Debbie hollered.
"Which way, Deb? A step to my right, and all the pain will end. A step to my left... a step back into reality..."
Brian took his chance as Justin's head was turned and took him by the waist, pulling him down off of the ledge. He toppled over, Justin landing on him, and he lay there, clinging to the young man as though he was an old toy with sentimental value. "What were you thinking?" He whispered. "Don't ever do that to me again, Justin."
Justin lay trembling atop Brian. The tears dropped from his wide blue eyes and rolled down Brian's cheek as though they were his very own. Jennifer walked downstairs, numb, and cold to the bone. Michael stood in the stairwell alone, he could make the choice to step up and get a better view of the carnage, or go after Jennifer. He began to follow her three steps at a time until he caught up to her.
"Ms. Taylor... Come with me downstairs and we'll call for an ambulance."
Debbie followed close behind, unable to handle anymore. Justin had been properly detained, Brian having dragged him back to the farthest corner of the rooftop, and there he sat, holding Justin, whispering softly to him that things would be okay...
But he wasn't even sure of that himself...
Brian stood at the front right side of the casket, his hand locked tightly around the bar. He looked next to him at Michael who stood on the front left, then behind him at Ted, and to Ted's left at Emmett. They lifted the casket and began to carry it from the church, out the doors and to the hearse. Justin climbed into the back of the hearse despite pleading advice from his mother not to, and stayed with Kayla until they reached the cemetery where she was to be interred.
Brian, Michael, Ted and Emmett went to the interment in Brian's jeep, all of them silent, all of them in tears, one or two of them being Brian's.
Jennifer, Deb and Daphne rode in Jennifer's car, Vic being kind enough to chauffeur the women. Melanie, Lindsay and Gus arrived shortly after the rest of the procession. Cars lined the street for blocks if not miles, the cemetery packed to the gills with Kayla's friends, PFLAG members, family members, supporters of Justin and rivals of Chris Hobbes.
The casket shined silver in the dim, overcast morning light. Emmett held Ted close, as did Michael to Ben who had arrived a little later. Brian stood next to Justin, expressionless, but through his lack of expression showed grief, his eyes red. He made the furious effort to bite back the tears as he watched Justin cling to Molly and Jennifer with every last thread of his sanity.
The reverend stepped forward, a bible held close to his body with his right hand. He looked into the open casket and his eyes dimmed. Numbly, he set the bible down, an altar boy passing him the holy oil, and with a very quiet prayer, he anointed her, put a rosary in her cold, still hands, and closed the lid.
"Today we lay to rest our sister in the Lord, Kayla Anne Taylor. We ask you, Lord to forgive her trespasses, as she knew not, in life, what she had done. We inter her today in faith that she is finally at peace. Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust, Amen."
The casket began to lower, and suddenly Jennifer's eyes grew wide. She tried to move forward, held still by Justin's embrace. She pushed him away and headed for the slowly lowering casket.
"My baby girl! No! Put me in there instead!!"
She fell to her knees, clambering to get to the casket and pull Kayla out, suddenly determined not to lose her. Brian ran ahead, going to his knees as well. He held her, but she pulled away, finding Michael and Ben there, holding her at bay. She struggled and sobbed. "They're taking my baby!" She trembled, dropping her purse, and her fight to get away and leaned back into them, clinging to Brian. Debbie rose from her seat and took Jennifer's hand.
"C'mere, honey. Come and sit with me. It will be okay."
As though the clouds suddenly shattered, the rain began to fall. Two of Kayla's college friends removed the lowering device and began to shovel fresh dirt into the open grave. Justin stepped forward and dropped a rose inside, then walked away carrying Molly who was, at the moment, inconsolable. The procession began to depart, and soon all were gone but Melanie, Lindsay, Gus, Ted, Emmett, Brian, Michael, Ben, Jennifer, Vic and Debbie.
They all watched in disbelief as soon the grave had been filled and leveled, a temporary marker placed...
Liberty Diner: Closed.
Babylon: Closed.
Woody's: Closed.
Brian's loft was alive with chatter, Justin's normally lilting, happy voice not among the others. He went into his bedroom, finding the young man there, sleeping. He sat on the floor, his back against the wall. He held Justin's hand in his own and watched his steady, rhythmic breathing.
"Stick with me kid, and everything will be okay."
Justin stumbled back. The gunshot rang in his ears so loudly it nearly deafened him. He raised his hands to his face and pulled back his fingertips, finding to his horror that he had been caught in a fan pattern of blood spray. He sat and stared at Kayla, watching as she fell.
Kayla hit the stone rooftop, her eyes wide and glassy. The gun had long since dropped from her hand, but her fingers had curled as though it still sat in her palm.
She lay silent; her eyes traveled her surroundings, unable to see much more than the stars above her, which now shined beautifully as if just for her.
"I can't let you through." Brian muttered. He held Jennifer tighter than he ever figured he'd hold a woman other than Lindsey. Debbie, however, knew that if Justin wasn't dragged away from Kayla now, he'd never let her go. She pushed roughly past Michael, Brian and Jennifer and walked slowly toward Justin.
"C'mere, Sunshine." Debbie called. Justin adamantly shook his head no and took a hold of Kayla's hand. He held it firmly in his own, bringing trembling lips to the palm.
"Wake up..." His chin trembled. "This isn't funny..." He looked her over, his expression that of a child winding up a jack in the box for a second time, knowing it's going to pop, but not when. He waited vigilantly there for her to sit up and wipe away the blood. He waited for some sign of a coy smile, but none came to her now bluish lips.
He straddled her stomach, a hand on each side of her face and looked into her empty, staring eyes. "I know you can see me. Don't play with me like this! It's more than I can take, Kayla... Blink. Do something!" He moved his fingers down over her shoulders, taking a firm grip, and shook her upper body.
He felt a hand on his back. "Get away! I can do this... Just give me some goddamn space!"
Brian's eyes brimmed for the first time in a long time. "Mikey, please keep Jennifer in here." He stepped out of the stairwell and onto the cement rooftop. "Justin?" Brian swallowed hard. For a moment, he stopped and stared at the footprint he had inadvertently made in the puddle of blood now circling Chris' body. He stepped around Kayla. "Justin?"
Justin trembled. He stood, his hands covered in his sister's blood. His mouth hung agape. He walked toward the edge of the rooftop and climbed on.
"Justin, get the fuck off there!" Debbie hollered.
"Which way, Deb? A step to my right, and all the pain will end. A step to my left... a step back into reality..."
Brian took his chance as Justin's head was turned and took him by the waist, pulling him down off of the ledge. He toppled over, Justin landing on him, and he lay there, clinging to the young man as though he was an old toy with sentimental value. "What were you thinking?" He whispered. "Don't ever do that to me again, Justin."
Justin lay trembling atop Brian. The tears dropped from his wide blue eyes and rolled down Brian's cheek as though they were his very own. Jennifer walked downstairs, numb, and cold to the bone. Michael stood in the stairwell alone, he could make the choice to step up and get a better view of the carnage, or go after Jennifer. He began to follow her three steps at a time until he caught up to her.
"Ms. Taylor... Come with me downstairs and we'll call for an ambulance."
Debbie followed close behind, unable to handle anymore. Justin had been properly detained, Brian having dragged him back to the farthest corner of the rooftop, and there he sat, holding Justin, whispering softly to him that things would be okay...
But he wasn't even sure of that himself...
Brian stood at the front right side of the casket, his hand locked tightly around the bar. He looked next to him at Michael who stood on the front left, then behind him at Ted, and to Ted's left at Emmett. They lifted the casket and began to carry it from the church, out the doors and to the hearse. Justin climbed into the back of the hearse despite pleading advice from his mother not to, and stayed with Kayla until they reached the cemetery where she was to be interred.
Brian, Michael, Ted and Emmett went to the interment in Brian's jeep, all of them silent, all of them in tears, one or two of them being Brian's.
Jennifer, Deb and Daphne rode in Jennifer's car, Vic being kind enough to chauffeur the women. Melanie, Lindsay and Gus arrived shortly after the rest of the procession. Cars lined the street for blocks if not miles, the cemetery packed to the gills with Kayla's friends, PFLAG members, family members, supporters of Justin and rivals of Chris Hobbes.
The casket shined silver in the dim, overcast morning light. Emmett held Ted close, as did Michael to Ben who had arrived a little later. Brian stood next to Justin, expressionless, but through his lack of expression showed grief, his eyes red. He made the furious effort to bite back the tears as he watched Justin cling to Molly and Jennifer with every last thread of his sanity.
The reverend stepped forward, a bible held close to his body with his right hand. He looked into the open casket and his eyes dimmed. Numbly, he set the bible down, an altar boy passing him the holy oil, and with a very quiet prayer, he anointed her, put a rosary in her cold, still hands, and closed the lid.
"Today we lay to rest our sister in the Lord, Kayla Anne Taylor. We ask you, Lord to forgive her trespasses, as she knew not, in life, what she had done. We inter her today in faith that she is finally at peace. Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust, Amen."
The casket began to lower, and suddenly Jennifer's eyes grew wide. She tried to move forward, held still by Justin's embrace. She pushed him away and headed for the slowly lowering casket.
"My baby girl! No! Put me in there instead!!"
She fell to her knees, clambering to get to the casket and pull Kayla out, suddenly determined not to lose her. Brian ran ahead, going to his knees as well. He held her, but she pulled away, finding Michael and Ben there, holding her at bay. She struggled and sobbed. "They're taking my baby!" She trembled, dropping her purse, and her fight to get away and leaned back into them, clinging to Brian. Debbie rose from her seat and took Jennifer's hand.
"C'mere, honey. Come and sit with me. It will be okay."
As though the clouds suddenly shattered, the rain began to fall. Two of Kayla's college friends removed the lowering device and began to shovel fresh dirt into the open grave. Justin stepped forward and dropped a rose inside, then walked away carrying Molly who was, at the moment, inconsolable. The procession began to depart, and soon all were gone but Melanie, Lindsay, Gus, Ted, Emmett, Brian, Michael, Ben, Jennifer, Vic and Debbie.
They all watched in disbelief as soon the grave had been filled and leveled, a temporary marker placed...
Liberty Diner: Closed.
Babylon: Closed.
Woody's: Closed.
Brian's loft was alive with chatter, Justin's normally lilting, happy voice not among the others. He went into his bedroom, finding the young man there, sleeping. He sat on the floor, his back against the wall. He held Justin's hand in his own and watched his steady, rhythmic breathing.
"Stick with me kid, and everything will be okay."