Chapter 6
Kathleen's funeral was the next day. Heather forced herself to go, although she didn't relish being reminded of the fact that her best friend since the days of boyfriends and zits was dead.
After the funeral, Heather walked back to her quarters. Dax and Kira tried to comfort her, but nothing could comfort her. Her best friend was dead. Heather turned to plop on her bed, but was stopped by a large box in front of her bed. Dropping to her knees, Heather examined the box.
It was from Kathleen's parents, who had been like a second of set of parents to Heather when she was a kid. Ripping open the box, Heather discovered a letter lying on top. She picked it up and started to read. It said:
Dear ¾ of the Giggle Girls
We know Kathleen's not going to make it. A mother and a father know these things. We remember the times when the 4 of you were inseparable, and you went through heartache and fun with each other. So we've collected all those photos and videos of the four of you together. Remember, especially you, Heather. Remember those good times.
Love,
Samantha and Chris Marrari
Heather reached down and pulled out the first ancient videotape. It was labeled simply "Baseball." Heather grinned, and popped it in.
There they were, the four of them. They were out in the field, though it looked like everyone was switching sides. John, their coach, looked over at them.
"Hey Giggle Girls!" he shouted. "Get your butts over here! It's time for you to bat." The four girls, giggling as usual, made their way over to the batting line.
It was first young Heather's turn to bat. Because of very poor hand-eye coordination, Heather missed at least two balls before she finally hit one. It didn't go very far, but young Heather was a fast runner. The older Heather stared at the screen as her younger self stole second, third and home plate. God, she'd forgotten how fast she could run the bases when she was thirteen.
The young Heather high-fived with her friends then clambered up on Kathleen's lap. I used to do that a lot, the older Heather remembered, when I'd get tired, I'd climb up on Kathleen's lap. Next it was Bridget's turn. Both the younger and older Heather watched admiringly as Bridget whacked the ball easily and it flew into the next field. Bridget did a victory lap around the bases, and then apparently said something that made them all laugh.
The older Heather watched through the rest of the tape, then pulled out another tape labeled "Camp SFAH". That was the camp for physically challenged kids her and friends had gone to for nearly eight years. It was where she had met Tucker and gotten her first kiss from him...A lot had happened at Camp SFAH.
She popped the tape in and watched as none other than her thirteen year old self appeared on screen. Her younger self was sitting on a bench. It was apparently Visitors Day, since Heather saw both her parents and Kathleen's parents in the background. Kathleen presented a gift to Heather...for my birthday, Heather remembered. The younger Heather ripped open the present and found one of her favorite books inside. As her younger self squealed with joy, the older Heather's eyes began to cloud with tears. We used to have so much fun together, she thought...now all I have are the memories. Kathleen's gone. Really and truly gone. The door buzzer beeped, and Heather looked up. "Come in."
The doors slid open and there stood Maureen, balancing on her crutches. She looked from the screen, to Heather, and back to the screen, and she fought back tears herself. She sat down on the bed.
"Oh, Heather. What are we going to do?" Maureen asked, starting to cry. Heather shook her head helplessly, the tears cascading down her face. But a seed of an idea was starting to grow in her head.
"Moe." she said, using her childhood nickname for Maureen. "I'm going to find them. I'm going to go find those Cardassians that took our Kat away from us. And when I find them, I'm going to get revenge."