Part 7- No More Lonely Nights

May 14, 2002

Finally, today was the day Julia had anticipated ever since she was a little girl- tonight was Prom Night. She had accepted an invitation from Matt Adams, who had been very close with Tim before he died. Matt had always wanted Julia as his girlfriend, but now with the memory of Tim still intact, it would be impossible.

It was that afternoon when Julia skipped seventh bell, the last class of the day, and went home to get ready. Matt would be picking her up as well as Katie and Tyler, but that was not why Julia was going home. She dashed out to the parking lot, got in her black Hyundai Sonata, and sped off to her house. A now-married Jennifer was home with her one-month-old son, Evan Hargreaves. Julia persuaded Jennifer to help her fix her hair, and Jennifer agreed. Julia stripped off Tim's old t-shirt he had given her the night before he died, and changed into her silver strapless ball gown, and she was now as size 1 as opposed to the 5 she had normally been. Things had had a physical effect on Julia, and the changes were noticeable. Jennifer made Julia look like what Diana Jensen called "The White Witch-meets-Barbarella."

"Well, that's only because my hair isn't done yet!" Julia protested. When it was done, Julia's light blonde locks were up in an elegant updo, and Julia was ready for the icing on the cake.. or just the ice. Jennifer fastened an Austrian crystal choker around Julia's neck and told her to close her eyes. She then put a tiara on Julia's head.

"One-up the Prom Queen if it ain't you." Julia looked into the mirror and saw her glittering reflection.

Julia saw it was three already. She knew Matt was picking her up at four-thirty, so she got in her car and sped off. She didn't stop until she reached Rosemond Cemetery. She took off her silver-and-rhinestone heels and stashed them in the back of the car. She put on her Skechers and pulled her dress up so she wouldn't step on it. Julia ran to a statue of an angel and knelt down. No tears came to her eyes. She refused to let herself cry.

"Timmy... I love you so much. I couldn't forget anything..." she said to the tombstone, knowing Tim could hear her, wherever he was.

Timothy Riley Carpenter, born May 20, 1984, died May 14, 2000.

Dedicated student and loving son.

"Don't let life pass you by."

Julia wanted to burst into tears, but she couldn't cry anymore. There were no tears left. They had all been cried out. Instead, she laid a bouquet of roses on his grave and stood up. The picture, she remembered, had been taken just weeks before Tim's death. He had taken her to see "The Phantom Menace" that day. Jennifer had taken the picture of them in front of the fountain outside the theater. Julia remembered that it had been so sunny that day, but then it began storming during the movie, and they had to run through the rain to the car.

Now it was over. She knew she still loved him, but it was time to move on. She knew there would be someone else out there for her.

"I can't cry anymore. I know why I'm still here now. One of us had to carry on the other's memory. So that's what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna keep you in my heart and in my mind, but I know that you're gone. We'll be together again soon," Julia whispered to her beloved's grave. A red Corvette pulled up next to her car. It was Katie, who was also in her formal wear. Katie came to Julia's side and held her arm.

"It's okay, Julie."

"I'm alright, Katie. I'm not crying over it anymore. What's done is done and there's no bringing him back. I can accept that."

"You're actually right."

"Really? Now... I believe our Bible says 'thou shall get your party on.' Shall we?"

"There's my Julie! Welcome back to us!"

For the first time in a year, Julia smiled. They headed back to Julia's house, where Matt picked them up fifteen minutes later. Julia did exactly as she said, and got her party on until four in the morning. As the Postal Service song played on, Julia absolved any guilt or pain she had held for all these years. She closed her eyes and moved with the beat. It reminded her of the dance she went to and met Tim, and when Alex first kissed her. Now she was with Matt, and things were different, but exactly the same as they had been before all of this. This is what would have happened, had she not gone to Mt. Abraham High, had she not met Alex Browning or Tim Carpenter. She would not have known so much guilt or pain, but it was over now. The hurting was gone, and this was the end of the heartbreak.

Katie was crowned Prom Queen, and Tyler was crowned Prom King. Matt and Julia danced that night, and Julia had a blast. Still, she knew deep down that Tim would've loved to be there with her... but she realized he already was. It was like he had told her on their last night together: "Everything's gonna be alright."

And it was. She knew things were alright. After life is the afterlife, and now this was the afterglow of something so beautiful that was destroyed by some cruel force. But now, she was Death's toy no longer. Julia had now learned to accept that her love was gone, but she was still here to carry on. She missed him sorely, but nothing could bring him back.

"Now," Katie said to Julia, "it's all happenin'." Julia nodded in agreement and they rode off into the night, ready to start over.

End of Part 7