AN: Thank you all for your reviews, and someone asked me if I was ever going to thank my reviewers. Yes, I will do that at the end of the story. And, just so all of you know, I'm trying very hard to end this story and I think I'm writing it really badly, so I'm sorry.

Chapter 13: My World is Ending

Within the next year, everything fell apart. Zigzag's AIDS were getting worse. He didn't go to college because he had to take care of Arielle and he had to go for almost daily check ups. Arielle had been cleared of AIDS, which was lucky.

Kristi had her kids, and neither she nor Magnet went to college either. They'd had boy and girl twins and named them Mark and Tiffany after Kristi's parents who'd died in a car crash when she was five.

A few months after that, Carmen went missing again. She had been gone ever since. The police had ruled her as dead, though they never found a body. X-Ray had been so upset that he ran away, and they haven't seen him since, and he had been ruled out as dead as well.

It was graduation again. Armpit, Squid and Squid's new girlfriend, Kaely, were graduating. Kaely had their graduation speech, and after the ceremony was over, the gang hung out in the back.

Arielle was sucking on her fingers in Zigzag's lap, and whenever someone looked or spoke to her, she wrapped her arms around Zigzag's neck.

"She's adorable..." Jessie said softly. She then looked up at Zigzag. "How's your... um... sickness doing?"

Zigzag didn't answer immediatley. "It's getting worse and the doctors aren't promising me much time..." He looked down at Arielle tearfully. Arielle hugged him.

"Who's going to look after her?" Kayla whispered.

Zigzag took a breath. "Well... you guys don't know this, but I appointed Caveman his godfather."

"Me!?" Caveman widened his eyes.

Zigzag nodded. "You're the only one I could trust."

Normally, an argument would have broken out at this, but since it was a grave situation, no one spoke.

"And Kayla is godmother. She's like my sister, and I think I could trust you with her. Plus," He added. "Arielle likes you the most."

Kayla smiled.

A few months later, Squid received a phone call from the hospital.

"Hello, is this Mr. Alan Smith?" said a woman's voice.

"Yes, who is this?" Squid asked.

"I'm a receptionist at Sutter Health," said the woman. "A Mr. Ricky Kasch has requested to see you."

Squid instantly took off to the hospital, calling the rest of the gang as he went. He didn't know how, but he knew something was wrong.

He arrived there last of them all, having lived the farthest from the hospital. They were all waiting in the lobby, Squid said a quick hi, asked the receptionist where Zigzag's room was, and hurriedly entered.

Zigzag looked a mess. He was very thin and had tubes connected to his nose. He had an IV in his wrist.

"Hey Squid," He smiled weakly.

"Zig... what happened?" Squid asked.

"My AIDS... they're getting worse. They don't think I'm gonna live much longer..." He coughed. "They don't think I'm gonna live much longer..." He repeated, closing his eyes and coughing again.

"Don't worry Zig, you're gonna get through this," Squid told him hoarsely, though not believe it himself. "Where's Arielle?"

"Kayla," Zigzag whispered, eyes still closed.

"Zig, open your eyes," Squid suddenly told him.

Zigzag stayed silent.

"Zig... seriously, this isn't funny. Just open your eyes!" Squid half shouted. Zigzag still didn't move.

A steady beep started coming from one of the machines, and Zigzag's chest stopped moving. Squid panicked.

"ZIG! ZIG, OPEN YOUR EYES!" He screamed.

A couple of doctors rushed in, saw the machine, and ushered Squid out of the room.

Squid stared at the closed door. He couldn't believe it... his best friend from Camp Green Lake... was... he couldn't even think it...

Everything had been going downhill since Marissa dumped Zigzag... Carmen and X-Ray were supposedly dead... none of them had gone to college yet... and now Zigzag was dying... and his daughter would be an orphan as age one.

He punched the wall and ignored the throbbing pain now in his fist. Why did all this have to happen...?

My world is ending...thought Squid, and as he stood there, his best friend was losing his life. There's nothing I can do...

The doctors emerged from Zigzag's room about ten minutes later, looking grave. One of them said to Squid, "I'm sorry."

Squid went into the lobby, pale. Everyone got up and started asking him what happened. When he didn't answer, they all got the gist. They knew what happened.

The funeral took place three days later. Zigzag's friends were the ones who paid for it, and no family was invited, as they didn't care. But all of his friends were there, and then some.

A couple of people spoke about him, but Squid barely heard. He couldn't stand it.

When people went to view the body, Kayla took Arielle. Kayla's eyes filled with tears as Arielle made a move to go to her father. Kayla held her back and carried the screaming Arielle away from him.

He was buried in an almost empty graveyard. There was a tombstone for Carmen Sanchez and Rex Jefferson, though there was no body. Squid looked around the graveyard and thought to himself, This is our graveyard.