Veronica's mind sped up as her car slowed to a stop outside the Neptune Cemetery. She still didn't know why she was even there. She knew all logic told her that she should stay away but there was something deep inside, compelling her to visit. She needed to do it. Putting the car in park, Veronica turned it off and climbed out.
Walking through the cemetery, Veronica couldn't help but glance at the many headstones around her. It was hard to believe there was a person buried beneath each one. And they all had their own stories. Veronica shuddered as she noticed two dates on a headstone were merely weeks apart. Some stories, it seemed weren't given enough time for a happy ending.
Nearing the gravesite she had come to visit, Veronica noticed that there were no flowers or ribbons adorning it-something rare for a newly dug grave. It was almost like all memory of the person in that casket had been forgotten. There was, however, a young girl kneeling before the headstone. Possibly the last person who cared about the person beneath it. She was dressed all in black, her elegant hat failing to conceal her long red hair.
A little surprised, Veronica wasn't sure whether to come back later or simply join the person there. In all honesty, she hadn't really thought there would be anyone there. It just seemed so out of place. Uncomfortable with either option, Veronica cleared her throat to alert the stranger that someone was near.
The girl turned her head slightly to acknowledge Veronica's presence. Then her eyes immediately went back to the plain headstone. After a few seconds of awkward silence, the girl spoke. "He was my cousin." She lifted her hand and brushed her fingers lightly against the carving in the stone. "Cassidy Casablancas….That was his name. But no one will ever remember him as Cassidy. Nope. They'll remember him as "the kid who blew up the bus. As soon as they put him in the ground, he was cursed to anonymity. No one will ever care about Cassidy Casablancas ever again."
Taken aback, Veronica wasn't sure how to respond. She hadn't really been prepared to comfort a mourning cousin. "I'm truly sorry for your loss. I know how it feels to lose a loved one. Really, I do." I've lost more than one. The thought came unexpectedly, like a quick stab to the heart.
Ignoring Veronica's sympathetic gesture, brushed away a few tears. "Do you think it hurt?"
How am I supposed to answer a question like that? Veronica desperately tried to keep her composure as she replied. "Yes, probably. He fell quite a few stories."
"No, no, not that!" The girl waved her hand absently, as though dismissing Veronica's answer. "I know that hurt. I'm not stupid. I meant…his heart." She looked up at Veronica, her eyes desperately pleading with her for an answer. "Do you think it hurt to walk around with a broken heart all those years?"
The girl's words hit Veronica right in the face. She'd never really thought about it before. Was she guilty of writing Cassidy off as less than human? Her eyes wandered to the bare grave and realized she wasn't the only one. It hurt to know that everyone was only confirming what Cassidy had believed for so many years. No one cared. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure it did."
The girl gave a hollow laugh. "If anyone in this town knew the Cassidy I knew." For the first time, Veronica noticed a raggedy teddy bear in the girl's arms. At this point, she was squeezing the stuffing out of it, almost literally. "When I was 5 years old, I was afraid that there was a monster under my bed. I went to my dad crying but he told me to grow up. Cassidy was visiting and he heard everything. He came and sat with me until I fell asleep." She stopped and placed the teddy bear up against the stone. "That's the Cassidy I choose to remember. That was the real Cassidy."
It was strange to Veronica, the way this girl talked. Veronica had grown up to never trust anyone. She had locked her heart so that it was difficult for even those she loved to get close. It was amazing to her that this girl could see past all of Cassidy's faults and still love him. Did she know something that Veronica did not? Was there something inside of her that Veronica lacked?
Veronica became aware that the girl was talking again. "All anyone will ever remember are the mistakes. I know he made plenty of them but mistakes aren't what make a person who they are. It's like…like suddenly the spotlight turned on Cassidy at his darkest hour, his weakest moment, so the whole world could watch him fall to pieces. It's just not fair."
There was nothing left to say. The mysterious girl the knelt before the headstone had said it all. Maybe this time, Veronica didn't have all the answers. The girl got up, leaving the teddy bear and began to walk away.
Something inside of her urged Veronica to ask the question. "Wait!" She called after the girl. "Wait, my name is Veronica. What's yours?"
The girl stopped in her tracks and turned around, puzzled. No one could blame her. The usually orthodox greeting seemed out of place at this point in time. She stared at Veronica for a moment, considering whether to answer or not. She finally spoke. "My name is Hope." And with that she turned and left, leaving Veronica to ponder about the mysterious girl. She, along with her dear cousin, was just another broken heart that the world had long since forgotten. Hope never returned to Neptune but Veronica thought about her every day after that.