Hi people.

I am back with the second and last installment of my first ever story. I didn't think I would be able to write it until like next week because I have a lot of school work to catch up on, but somehow, instead of writing a speech, I'm writing this. But oh well.

So grab your tissues guys, because you are about to enter an emotional roller coaster!

Disclaimer: I do not own Kickin' It or any other recognizable content.

Kim couldn't remember the last time she cried so hard for so long. She wasn't even sure if she ever had. She didn't think it was possible for the human body to release so much liquid at once without going into some sort of shock. It felt as though a dame in her head had been broken and the water was eternally flowing out of her eyes.

Kim didn't want to accept what Rudy said. She didn't want to take it in and realize the reality of the situation. She kept shaking her head in denial as he spoke, willing herself to wake up from the nightmare she knew she had to be in. She kept shutting her eyes and opening them in an attempt to prove that she was just dreaming, and would soon wake up, call Jack, and he would reassure her that he was alright.

All her blinking did was give her tears an easier time falling down her face.

"Jack died before the ambulance could arrive at the site."

For a minute it was like everything was happening in slow motion as Kim felt everything in her break. She stared at Rudy in disbelief as her eyes filled with salty tears. She wanted to say something. Anything. But the lump that formed in her throat was preventing her from forming any sound other than the sobs the started emitting from her. She felt Rudy's arms wrap around her as her knees gave in and she felt herself about to fall. She clutched onto him for dear life, sobbing madly into his shirt. All Rudy did was rub her back and whisper things like "I'm sorry," and "It'll be okay," into her ear.

What more could he do anyway? He couldn't bring Jack back. He couldn't reverse time and stop the accident before it happened. He couldn't make the pain that was crashing down on Kim go away.

He couldn't do anything.

Kim didn't know how long she held onto Rudy for, but she knew she was in his arms long enough when Grace and Jerry pulled her away from him. That's when Kim finally cracked. Agonizing screams erupted from her lungs as she sputtered a series of words and phrases. She yelled things like, "It can't be," and "He can't be dead," and "This can't be happening." Grace and Jerry tried to steady Kim as her legs started to feel like noodles, but they couldn't stop her from dropping to the floor in her pool of grief. They didn't try to help her stand up or calm her down. Instead, Grace bent down and pulled Kim into a tight hug, and Jerry followed suit.

At some point, what felt like hours later, Rudy decided to close the dojo, and Kim was in the passenger seat of her car with Grace in the driver's seat driving home. She was more stable than Kim at the moment, so it made sense that Grace drove. Finally, Grace pulled into Kim's driveway before turning off the ignition and turning to Kim. "Do you want me to come inside with you?"

Kim took a moment before shaking her head. "No." She muttered. She didn't take her eyes off the spot on the windshield. Her eyes were practically glued to it.

Grace nodded in understanding. None of her friends where taking the news easy at all, but she knew that it was especially hard on Kim. Kim was the closest to Jack out of all of them, including Jerry. They had been dating for over a year, and even before that they were the best of friends. Kim was completely in love with Jack.

It's not easy losing someone you're in love with.

Grace nodded and placed a hand on Kim's shoulder in understanding. "I understand. Let me know if you need anything, okay?" Kim gave her a slight nod without looking at her. Grace sighed before opening the car door and closing it, making her way home and leaving Kim to sit in the silence of her own car.

Kim sat in the car for about ten minutes staring out the window before she felt something on her cheek. She touched her cheek and was surprised when her fingertips where wet. She thought her eyes had dried out already. When had she started crying again?

Kim robotically grabbed her things before she stepped out of the car and slammed the door behind her. She stared at her reflection in the window. She looked like a complete mess. Her face was red and puffy from crying, and her hair was starting to come out of the ponytail she put it in. She wiped her cheeks to get rid of the tears stains, but she pulled her hand away when she knew that more tears would replace the ones she wiped.

Kim felt like she didn't have control over her limbs when she walked up the path to her front door. Her body was working on autopilot as she opened the door to her house and closed it behind her. Her legs felt robotic as they moved her closer to the stairs, closer to her room.

"Kim."

Kim gasped at the sound of her name and turned quickly, regaining control over her muscles. Her parents were sitting in the living room when Kim finally came home. They stood up immediately when they saw her grief stricken face and bloodshot eyes.

Kim stared at her parents' sympathetic faces and their sorry eyes. They already know, she thought to herself.

Her mother was the first to move as she embraced her daughter in a hug that was dully returned. "Oh honey." She breathed as she stroked Kim's hair. "We heard about what happened to Jack. We were worried something happened to you too! Where have you been?"

"The dojo." Kim muttered to the floor.

Her mother sighed and held Kim from arms' length. "Oh sweetie, we're so sorry." Kim didn't respond. She barely looked her parents in the eye.

"Do you need anything Kimmy?" Her father finally spoke. He didn't do well in situations like this, so he could only imagine how hard his daughter was taking it.

Kim shook her head. "No." She felt the lump growing in her throat again as she spoke. "I'm going to my room."

Kim shrugged out of her mothers' arms and started towards the stairs. "Do you want us to come? Or maybe you can call one of your friends to come over?" Her mothers' voice was full of concern.

"No mom." Kim said, not turning around. "I just want to be alone." Her voice cracked on the last word. She made her way up the stairs after that, the dame threatening to break again and flood out of her eyes. Her parents didn't call after her or follow her to her room. They left her alone.

As soon as she was safe in her room, the dame broke once again, and Kim fell to her knees, hugging herself as she lay fully on the floor. She ignored the stinging pain in her knees as she sobbed. Everything washed over her like a tsunami wave, splashing into her emotions and spilling out in the form of tears.

All Kim could think of was that he was gone. Jack was gone. Her Jack was gone. The same Jack that spent most of the previous night hanging out with her, eating pizza and playing Just Dance on the Nintendo Wii U. The same Jack that had changed the fate of the Bobby Wasabi dojo forever. The same Jack that gave everyone courage when he crashed into their lives on his skateboard. The same Jack that somehow found a way to make everyone smile and laugh despite whatever inner turmoil was going on. The same Jack who's smile could melt the coldest of winters, and the iciest of storms. The same Jack that caused her heart to soar like a bird and turned her mind into complete mush when he kissed her. The same Jack that held her whenever she was upset or afraid, or just needed to be held. The same Jack that made her feel safe, and protected. The same Jack that stole her heart from right under her eyes, and promised to cherish it forever.

He was gone. He was only a memory now.

Kim crawled further into her room, her eyes blurred. She gripped her desk so she could pull herself up, knocking over some of the objects placed on it. She stopped sobbing for a moment as her eyes landed on one of the objects that fell in her chaos. She picked it up and looked at it. It was a picture frame, with a picture of her and Jack in it, the happiness radiating off their faces. It was during their last summer break together, when their group of friends decided to take a trip to the beach. She and Jack had been fooling around when he unexpectedly picked her up bridal style. She remembered Milton snapping a quick picture of the two before Jack ran into the sea and dropped Kim under water. She could almost remember the smirk on his face as she resurfaced and splashed water in his face.

Kim's lip trembled as the memories replayed in her head at hyper speed. Every moment, date, fight, kiss. Everything flashed through Kim's mind at once, making Kim momentarily dizzy. She grabbed onto her chair to steady herself before she passed out.

Once her mind was clear, she looked back at the picture. There was so much she knew Jack wanted to do and accomplish. He used to stay up with her on the phone for hours, talking about all of his plans for the future; the college he planned to go to, his dream career (aside from karate), places he planned on going, where he wanted to get married and honeymoon.

The last thought hit Kim's heart sharply. They never said it out loud, but she knew that through some silent agreement, Jack wanted to eventually marry Kim and start a family with her. Hell, everyone knew it. Everyone knew that they belonged together. There was nobody else that Kim wanted to be with, and she knew Jack didn't want to be with anyone else.

Kim stared at the picture, her tears dripping onto the glass. Jack wasn't supposed to go now. It wasn't his time. There was so much more installed for him, and now he would never get to do any of it. He would never get to go to prom, one of the most important days of senior year. He would never get to graduate from high school, or graduate from college and get a degree in criminal justice like he planned on doing. He would never get to have a long lasting career with the FBI, or some other secret government agency. He would never have his wedding on near the beach with all his friends and family, and take Kim on their honeymoon to the Bahamas. He would never get to meet his kids, take them to their first day of kindergarten, teach them how to swim and ride a bike, or intimidate his daughters' first boyfriend. He would never get to meet his grandchildren, and tell them stories of when he was young, and give them presents whenever he saw them.

Kim felt her grief and pain mix with anger. He would never get to do anything ever again.

All because he was dead.

All because he got on that stupid motorcycle in the middle of the night.

Kim felt like she lost all control over herself as she threw the picture across the room. It crashed into her wall, breaking the frame and probably the glass as well. She dug her hands into her hair as she bawled uncontrollably. She was starting to feel guilt for everything that happened; for making Jack stay so late. She should've told him to leave earlier than he did. She should've told him to walk home instead of taking his motorcycle. In fact, she should've told him to spend the night so he wouldn't have to go home so late.

Dammit! She should've said anything, or done anything to prevent him from getting on that God forsaken motorcycle and killing himself!

Kim punched the wall next to her, not knowing her own strength, and broke a hole in the wall. She ignored the pain in her hand as she paced her room. Her emotions started to go haywire. She began to feel depressed, anxiety, anguish, guilt, and loneliness all at once. The loneliness quickly became the dominant emotion, driving her crazy. She looked around for something that would chase the loneliness away. Something to comfort her.

She ran to her walk-in closet, nearly breaking the doors open. She rummaged through everything in there, throwing things aside in a chaotic manner. She flung aside random articles of clothing. Jeans. Dresses. Skirts. Sweat pants. Tops. She stopped when her hands fell on a soft, familiar fabric. A fabric that was already starting to chase the loneliness away. She grabbed the rest of the fabric and pulled it out. It was a hoodie. A large black hoodie with the words INTERNATIONAL MARTIAL ARTS CHAMPIONSHIP plastered on the front in red letters. Kim turned the hoodie around. On the back in the same red letters read the name that brought her instant comfort.

BREWER

Kim brought the sweatshirt to her nose and inhaled. The smell chased away the lonely feeling boiling inside of her.

It smelled like Jack.

It was Jacks.

Kim stole it from Jacks closet one day when she was hanging out over there. Jack was annoyed by it and demanded that she give it back until he saw her wear it. He allowed her to keep it, stating that she wore it better than he did.

She pulled the sweatshirt over her head. It was a few sizes big on her, since Jack was a huge mass of muscle. But the largeness of the hoodie made her feel safe and secure. It made her feel at home.

Kim looked around her room, noticing for the first time how big it felt to her. For the first time in her life, it overwhelmed her. Without thinking, she crawled into her closet, leaving it slightly ajar. She sat with her back against the wall in the darkness of her closet, hugging herself in the sweater. She closed her eyes, forcing more tears to roll down her face and drip onto the sweater. The sweater absorbed the tears like it was nothing.

Kim sat in the silence of her closet with her eyes shut for ten minutes, not allowing herself to think about anything. Her fingers absentmindedly stared playing with the gold necklace around her neck that was given to her by Jack. She never took it off.

Jack gave it to her on their 1 year anniversary. He told her that he had spent months planning it and doing little odd jobs to raise the money to buy her the perfect gift and take her one the perfect date. He took her to a fancy restaurant that on a normal day nobody would be able to afford. But Jack made the sacrifice for her. Before they left, Jack surprised her with the necklace, which was a gold chain with a gold heart pendant encrusted with diamonds. On the back of the heart was engraved I love you. –Jack. It was simple, but the simplicity of it made it beautiful.

She was jolted out of her momentary peace by the sound of her phone alerting her that she had a notification. She grabbed it from her back pocket (when did she put it there?) and unlocked the screen. She gasped at the amount of text and missed calls she had. 77 missed calls, 50 voicemails, and 104 texts. She looked through her missed calls first. They were a mixture of calls from Rudy, Jerry, Milton, Grace, and Eddie, and later on her mom and her dad.

Kim sniffled as she tapped the voicemail icon and pressed the phone to her ear.

The first three voicemails were a load of chaos that blasted in her ear. She deleted those. The next one was Rudy's voice yelling over the chaos. Kim made out key words such as "Jack" and "accident" and "killed."

The next few voicemails weren't very different. Aside from the lack of noise in the background, she heard her friends voices come from the phone, saying the same type of thing Rudy had said, asking where she was and if she was alright.

Kim's lips trembled as she went through the voicemails, a new seat of tears building up in her eyes. Finally, she got through all of her voicemails. With shaky fingers, Kim scrolled through all the texts that were building up. They were from the same people, telling her what happened over a dozen times, asking where she was, if she was alright, and why she wasn't answering.

Kim didn't stop going through her phone until everything started to blur. She dropped her phone next to her and cried into the sleeve of Jack's hoodie. She cried for hours. She cried until she started to feel numb inside. She cried until her eyes dried out and it hurt to blink. She cried until she was asleep right there on her closet floor.

The next few week after that were a complete blur. There was an announcement that Monday morning in school about Jack's death, but Kim, Jerry, Grace, Milton, and Eddie weren't there to hear it. They had all gathered into Kim's bedroom and silently mourned together. They didn't say anything or move. They just enjoyed the comfort of each other being together in the tragic time.

That's what they did for three days straight. They sat together in Kim's room, being there for each other.

The school was buzzing with the news. They each got texts from different classmates, giving their condolences, and stating how much they'll miss Jack. They each respond with a thank you and some other note so that way the 'thank you' didn't sound too dry.

Thursday was the day of Jack's wake. It was held in the Seaford Funeral Home not too far from the strip mall. The crowd of people that were there was slightly overwhelming for Kim, but every time she felt like she was becoming claustrophobic, she fingered her necklace and inhaled Jack's hoodie, and the security of the sweater calmed her. It was an open casket wake, giving everyone the chance to look at Jack for the last time before he was buried underground forever. But seeing Jack's pale, lifeless face was probably worse than having a closed casket viewing. All Kim felt like doing was grabbing him and holding him close to her while she sobbed in his chest.

Next to his casket was a collage of pictures of Jack throughout his life. There were pictures of him when he was a baby, when he was a little kid, and when he was older and living in Seaford. There were pictures of him with his family during the holidays, and on vacation. There were pictures of him in karate tournaments, and hanging out with his friends. There were pictures of Jack and Kim together, smiling at the camera and stealing kisses. Kim remembered those pictures and how happy she had been then.

She wasn't sure if she knew how to be happy anymore.

The wake started with a few words from the local priest, and then speeches from Jacks parents and family. They're speeches weren't overly long, but they got the right message across, and each was followed by a fistful of tears from both the speaker and the congregation. After some of Jacks family spoke, the floor was open for his friends. Every one urged Kim to go first. She didn't prepare anything for a speech, and wasn't sure if the right words would come to her or if she would be able to speak. But once she was in front of everyone, she started talking. She talked about the first time she met Jack, and how right away she knew there was something special about him. She talked about some of the memories she had with him, and how special he made her feel. She tried to say how much she would miss him, but she choked on her words and felt a new dame break in her as the flood of salt water fell from her eyes.

Rudy, Jerry, Milton, Eddie, and Grace said some of the same things she said, but were much stronger than her. They cried, but they still held their ground as they spoke. It was amazing how they were getting through it when Kim felt like she was breaking apart all the time.

Friday was Jack's burial. Everyone stood in the cemetery around the plot that was chosen for Jack. He was slowly lowered into the ground while the friends and family he left behind cried over his life and death. Kim hugged herself tightly as his body was lowered underground, soaking in the comfort of the hoodie. It was the only way she didn't feel unbearably lonely amongst all the people around her.

Saturday and Sunday were the days Kim spent secluded by herself in her room. Her friends didn't come over those two days, but Kim didn't mind. She didn't mind lying in bed by herself. Her mother would occasionally come into her room and bring her something to eat. Kim never felt like eating, but her mother urged her to eat something so she didn't go hungry. Every now and then her fingers would find their way to her necklace and she would twirl it around and around and around. At night, when Kim couldn't sleep, she hugged a huge teddy bear that Jack won her at a carnival they went to. It reminded her of when she was happy, an emotion that seemed so foreign to her nowadays.

On Monday, the school held a memorial for Jack in the auditorium. This time, Kim, Jerry, Grace, Milton, and Eddie were in school. There was a special place for them in the front row of the auditorium next to his parents. The memorial consisted of the principal and a few teachers saying some words about Jack and how much of an asset he was to the school. The principal then put Kim and her friends on the spot and asked them to say a few words in Jack's honor. The went on the stage together and spoke into the mic. Like the funeral, Kim's voice broke and she couldn't continue on as another dame broke, but the rest of her friends stayed strong. Even when the tears silently fell down their faces, they were strong. The memorial ended with a video montage of Jack that was apparently put together by the A.V. crew and some of the faculty members. As the video played and the whole school turned into an emotional wreck, Kim, Jerry, Milton, Eddie, and Grace joined hands, squeezing each other tightly. Kim was glad for her friends security, but she also wished she was able to bury herself in the sweatshirt.

The next few days after that were the exact definition of a haze. Kim mechanically went from class to class, and then brought herself home where she sat in her closet and stared at the wall for hours, holding on to her necklace for dear life. She didn't talk to her friends at lunch, who were slowly inching their way to some sort of happiness. She just sat at the table with them. They tried to engage her into a conversation, but she gave them one word answers before completely shutting down again. She didn't participate in class or do any of the homework assignments given to her. Her teaches didn't push her though, because they knew how much Jack meant to her, and how rough she was taking it.

One day, after about two weeks had passed when Kim was standing at her locker, grabbing the books that she needed for the day, Jerry slammed his hand on the locker next to her, causing Kim to jump.

She glared at him. "What the hell Jerry?!" It came out harsher than she intended.

Jerry wasn't fazed. "Tonight. At 8 o'clock. Be at my house." He said. He stood next to her with his arms crossed, a serious look in his eye. He obviously wasn't joking around, but Kim didn't like the fact that he practically ordered her to come over.

Kim sighed. "Listen Jerry, I don't feel like hanging out today. I'll have to take a reign-check. But thanks anyway." She hadn't hung out with her friends casually or had any fun in weeks. But the thought of having fun felt so foreign to her now. It was scary how dull and lifeless she was becoming so fast, but she wasn't sure how else to feel. She closed her locker and turned to walk away, but Jerry stopped her by placing his hands on her shoulders.

"We're not gonna hang out." He stated. Kim turned around, looking at him funny. "Trust me, this is far from one of our regular hang outs." The confused look on Kim's face let him know that he should continue. "We're going to have our very own memorial for Jack." Kim stiffened at his words. She remembered what the wake, funeral, and the schools memorial for Jack felt like, and none made her feel any better than she did before.

"In what world is that a good idea Jerry?" Kim muttered in annoyance. Everyone had somehow gotten the message to leave her alone, but here Jerry was trying to bring her deeper into her grief.

Jerry sighed. "Look, none of us feel like the funeral and the memorial they had here was closer enough. How are we supposed to fully move on when all we did was give a few impromptu speeches and watch a cheesy video montage? We need to have something real, that won't make us completely miserable afterwards." His words were hitting Kim in a soft spot in her heart as she realized the truth to his words. He shrugged before he continued. "It's what Jack would've wanted anyway." He squeezed Kim's shoulder and started down the hall.

"How do you know that?" Kim called after him.

"Because he told me!" He yelled back without missing a beat.

Kim was utterly perplexed. For the past few weeks, she had been drowning in her own sorrow, barely having any type of interaction with anyone. She had been stuck in a deep hole with no way of coming to the top. She had been wondering where the rest of her emotions had gone, since all she felt was numb.

Maybe this was her opportunity to break free.

That night, Kim parked in front of Jerry's house. She heard soft music and voices coming from his backyard as she got out of her car. She hugged her teddy bear tightly as she walked through the gate that soon lead her to the backyard.

She was amazed at the seen around her. Jerry had set up all of his patio sofas and lawn chairs into a big circle around a bonfire, blankets and pillows scattered all over the furniture. A boom box was placed to the side, playing soft music. There was a picture of Jack on the other side, with different sized scented candles surrounding it. All of Kim's friends were standing around talking and laughing.

Jerry came from inside the house and immediately went to Kim to greet her. "You're right on time." He said as he hugged her and led her to the circle. "Alright guys. Kim's here. We can get started."

They all greeted Kim, who gave them a small smile and a wave before taking a seat in one of the lawn chairs that was decorated with blankets and pillows. She inhaled Jack's sweater and twirled her necklace as her heart rate picked up.

Finally, Jerry took the floor. He stood next to the picture of Jack, and spoke with so much more confidence than Kim has ever heard him speak with before. "You all know why we're here tonight, so I won't give the whole 'we're gathered here today speech.'" Eddie and Milton chuckled. "Even though there was a funeral and a memorial service in Jack's honor, this felt like a more appropriate way to remember Jack and how great he was." Kew pause for effect. "I remember one day a few months ago, Jack and I went to this party. And being irresponsible teenagers, we got really drunk. And it definitely was not pretty." Everyone chuckled as they imagined the two of them being wasted. Even Kim couldn't help but laugh a little, which surprised her. When was the last time she laughed?

Jerry continued. "But in our drunken haze, and I'm still not sure how I remember this, Jack told me some stuff. He said to me 'Jerry, if all this alcohol kills me,'" Jerry gave his best impression of Jack, "'I want you to give the eulogy at my funeral. I don't want anything too dramatic. I just want all of my friends around a bonfire, remembering me. And listening to all of my favorite songs.' The next day we vowed never to drink again." He paused as everyone laughed. He caught Kim smiling for the first time in ages. It was good to see that smile again.

"Of course, I never thought the day would come where Jack would actually die." He continued, the mood slightly changing. "But unfortunately it did. Today, we are going to remember Jack in a good way. A way that should in the end help us all. And in a way that Jack would've wanted." Jerry looked around the group. They all looked as though they were agreeing with him, and nobody was backing down or leaving. All good signs. "So, anyone wanna go first and say something?"

Grace raised her hand. "I'll go first." Jerry nodded and sat next to her. Kim watched Grace with wide eyes as she began to speak. "I didn't automatically become friends with Jack as soon as he walked into Seaford High like most of you did. In fact, I think I only started hanging out with him, and with most of you guys, because of Kim. But, I'm glad that I did end up friends with all of you, and I'm glad I was able to get to know someone as amazing as Jack." She paused to tuck some hair behind her ear. "I think Jack and I became close at the end of freshmen year when he was trying to help me and Jerry get together." She looked at Jerry who smiled sheepishly. "Neither of us had any guts to admit how we felt, and Jack somehow took over the situation and did all the heavy lifting for us. It was slightly difficult to work with him because we didn't exactly see eye to eye on a lot, but we were able to bond, and that's what's important." Grace brushed her cheek as she smiled. "I'm just so grateful that I got the chance to know someone like him, and be in his presence, even if it was for only a short amount of time." She finished as she sniffled.

The next one to speak was Eddie, who at first stuttered in nervousness. "I-in a way, none of our lives were really complete until we met Jack. I know mine definitely wasn't. Before him, I was an awkward 13 year old with no friends except for Jerry and Milton. And even then, we weren't even all that comfortable with each other. But when Jack came, he kinda just pulled us all together, and became the glue to all of us. He was like the bridge that connected our friendship. It's funny, because when I first met Jack, I was intimidated by him. He was stronger and way more confident than I ever will be, but somehow, I grew comfortable and more confident around him." Eddies voice started to shake and he wiped at his face. "He was like the rock we all needed when we were younger to help us become who we are right now. Because of him, we have each other, and that is the greatest gift he could ever give us." Eddies words brought tears to everyone's eyes. The pain was still there like a fresh scar, but something about the energy of them all being together caused them to smile at the memory of Jack instead of dig deeper into their sorrow.

"This might sound cliché," Milton started, getting everybody's attention, "but Jack seriously did change my life. Before him, I was just a skinny, weak nerd who got bullied every day. I was doing karate to try and learn how to defend myself, but I wasn't any good at it. In fact, I was on the verge of quitting until Jack barged into our lives. Literally. He was the only one who could actually convince me that karate was where I belong. Jack gave me the confidence boost I needed to continue taking karate despite how bad I was at it at the time. He helped me in so many ways. He became my closest friend when I didn't have any. He helped fend off all of the bullies and gave me the courage to stand up for myself. He was a true friend no matter what. And now, because of him, I'm a skinny nerd who's a green belt in karate and knows how to break a board." Everyone laughed as they remembered the day Milton broke a board for the first time. They chuckled as Jerry muttered 'barely,' but Milton continued, smiling through his tears. "I never knew how to thank him for it all. He was like a savior to me. He was a savior to all of us. I'm glad I was able to call him my best friend."

Jerry cleared his throat, ready to speak next. "As everyone knows, I am not the brightest crayon in the box." The group laughed as Eddie said 'ya think?' Jerry continued. "When I found out I had ADHD in second grade, I didn't know how to handle it. People would make fun of me for being different and for 'having a disease.' I used to play it off as if it didn't bother me, but it did. It hurt a lot. And, I guess that's the actual reason I became such a cocky jerk for most of middle school. I never had real friends who didn't tease me for being overly hyper, or who actually got to know me." His voice cracked and he sighed. "But Jack changed all that for me, y'know? He was one of the few people who didn't judge me for having ADHD, and actually liked me for me." He sniffed and whipped at his nose. Grace squeezed his knee in comfort. "Jack became the first best friend I've ever had in my life. He understood me, and was always there when I needed him. He helped me channel all of my extra energy into karate, and encouraged me to go for my black belt. And because of him, my ADHD doesn't bother me that anymore. I didn't let it dictate my life like it did when I was younger. Because of Jack, I was able to finally figure out who I was, and I realized that ADHD didn't define me." He rubbed his tear stricken face. "Jack was more than just a best friend to me. He was like a brother. We didn't need to be blood related to know that we were brothers, and no matter what, he will always be my one and only brother." Grace wrapped her arm around Jerry and squeezed in comfort. He smiled and squeezed back, a way of saying he was alright.

Rudy looked around the group quickly, realize that he was next. "I still haven't found the right words to say in Jack's honor. I mean, where do I begin? Jack was awesome. He was great. I remember the first time we met him when he completely destroyed the wall in our old dojo. At the time, he was categorized as a troublemaking skate rat who was in desperate need of some sort of discipline. But behind all of the trouble he caused, I knew there was potential in him. He was just so unbelievably talented. He just needed the right mentor to put him on the right path. I'm just so glad that he became a part of our the Bobbi Wasabi dojo. He not only saved the business, but he left us with all these great memories that I'm sure none of us will forget." Rudy finished with a watery smile.

Kim was the last one to speak. She didn't even realize that she was the last man standing until the silence broke her out of her daze. She was completely caught up in how much the others had to say about Jack, and how safe and comfortable she felt among all of them.

She knew she had to start talking. She knew she had to do it, if not for herself, then for Jack. She opened her mouth and let her heart speak for her. "F-for the past few weeks, I feel like I've been in this huge dark cloud that just left me feeling numb. All I've really done was isolate myself from everyone and live in my own pot of misery." There it was. That dreadful lump that usually formed right before the dame broke. But Kim didn't stop. She couldn't. "And I saw how everyone else around me seemed to be moving on and being happy. And I couldn't figure out how it was possible for everyone to get on with their lives so quickly when I felt like I was stuck in this huge pit. I feel like I've dug myself so deep into this hole that I'll never be able to get out of, and I have to watch as everyone moves on and becomes happy again and leaves me in the dust. I feel like I've forgotten how to be happy and how to feel anything except sad and lonely. But who can blame me, y'know?" Kim let out a laugh as she bit her lip. The dame was cracking, and the flood was just about to begin. "When I first met Jack, I knew that I was going to end up falling for him, but I didn't know when or how hard, and I denied it for so long, despite how much everyone instigated it." She smiled as her bottom lip quivered. "And we just became best friends and accidentally friend zoned each other. He started to take up this irreplaceable spot in my heart that must have been saved for him. He took residence there and never left. I didn't want him to leave either. And then we kissed during that game of truth or dare. And then we started dating. And everything about my life felt good and complete, and I felt like I was just soaring." Kim's breaths were becoming shallower as the crack in the dame grew larger. "And then we fell so deep in love, and every time he kissed me I found a new reason to love him. And no matter where I was, I could still feel his love for me. And there was never anything I wanted or needed from him except that unconditional love." And finally, the dame broke, and the water was released, staining Kim's cheeks. "And then, out of nowhere, he died." She sobbed out the words, clutching the sleeves of his hoodie for dear life. "He was just gone in an instant, leaving everyone he loved and everything he worked for behind. And it feels like my whole entire being has been disrupted and turned into utter chaos because of it. It's just so difficult to try and function and be normal again when this amazing person who barged into my life and turned everything upside down was suddenly ripped away from me. I don't understand how it's even remotely possible to move on from something so painful." The dame was broken more than it had ever been as Kim cried. She cried with more power than ever before. But she couldn't stop the words coming from her mouth. "And all I can ever think about is Jack, and how we'll never be able to see him or hear him or be with him ever again. We won't have him right by our sides as support. I won't ever get to hear him tell me how much he loves me ever again, and it just hurts so much." Her voice was growing in pitch as she wept. It was like her broken dame had some sort of chain reaction with everyone else's as salty tears washed over their faces. "And everywhere I turn, all I see is Jack with that stupid grin on his face about to get hit by a truck. It's some how just replaying through my mind. I can't do anything with seeing Jack there. I can't think without seeing Jack. I can't to eat without. I can't sleep without seeing Jack. I can't be in school without seeing Jack. I can't even look at the dojo without seeing Jack. Every time I close my eyes his face is there, but when I open them it's not and it's just…" Kim could barely get her words out anymore. "Why did he have to leave us?" She finished with a fit of violent sobs, shaking her body and the chair she was in. She was full of so much grief that was buried so deep within her, but with her words, she felt like it was pulled out of her gut and brought out into the open, leaving space for healing.

Grace wrapped Kim into her arms and squeezed, giving Kim so sort of comfort and strength. Everyone in the group seemed to be sobbing on different levels, some silent and calm, some heavy and hard. However, none has heart breaking as Kim's.

When Kim calmed down a bit, Jerry stood back up, rubbing his face on his sleeve. He had an iPad in his hands as he spoke. "Before he died, Jack told me that before he moved here, he started a list of 50 things that he wanted to accomplish in his life." Kim nodded. She remembered Jack telling her about that, and how he refused to let anyone read it in fear of jinxing his luck. Jerry held up the iPad. "I think that it would be a good idea to hear first handedly what his plans were." He let out a breath and started tapping on the screen of the iPad before he began to read.

"50: Own a private jet and visit every country in the world with it." Everyone chuckled, remembering how Jack said he would one day travel around the world and make memories. "49: Find Kim a dance teacher."

Kim laughed through her tears, as did everyone else. "He said that?"

Jerry nodded. "Yup. Right here on the list." He ran a hand through his hair before he continued. "48: Write a novel on how great my life is, and how amazing my friends are." Everyone smiled. Jerry continued to read down the list, stating everything that Jack wrote. "…38: Work for the FBI. 37: Become a sensei. 36: Grow out my hair." As he read the list, his friends smiles grew bigger, their tears flowed faster, and their hearts grew heavier. "… 25: Own a dog. 24: Find a way to end bullying forever." That one stuck a nerve in Milton as he broke down into a fit of tears. Kim grabbed his hand and squeezed. "… 15: Play the guitar on stage with a rock star." Jerry's laughed subtly as he read the next thing own the list, his voice shaking. "14: Find a cure for ADHD." Jerry paused to wipe his face and take a few shaky breaths. "13: Get the guts to tell Kim how I feel about her." Kim grinned as the tears spilled out. She was so grateful that he accomplished that. "…6: Kiss the girl I love under the light of a thousand stars. 5: Learn how to ride a motorcycle. 4: Learn how to sing so I can sing to my bride on my wedding day. 3: Fall in love so hard my head spins." At this, Kim's sobs came back, quaking her whole body. She placed her hand sweatshirt covered hand over her mouth to stop her from sobbing aloud, and Milton squeezed her hand, returning the comfort. "2: Change the lives of those around me significantly. And number 1: Find a group of friends that I will remember for the rest of my life."

Jerry looked up from the iPad as he rubbed his blood shot eyes. He looked at his friends. "He obviously didn't get to do all of these things, but I think that in his honor, we should accomplish them for him." He smiled. "What do you guys say?" Everyone cheered in agreement. Jerry nodded. "And now, a selection of songs favored by Jack Brewer." Jerry tapped on the iPad a few times before the music switched from soft background music to Jack's number one listened to song.

My anaconda don't, my anaconda don't, my anaconda don't want none unless you got buns hun.

Everyone gasped in shock at the sound of Nicki Minaj's voice rapping came from the speakers before they fell into hysterical laughter. "Is this seriously the number one song on his playlist?" Eddie asked between laughs.

Jerry nodded. "He listened to it over 700 times." They laughed even more at the number of times it was played. Who would've thought that Jack would listen to Anaconda so often?

"Yeah, he seriously listened to this song way too much." Kim giggled. "I had to listen to it with him over and over and over again." She remembered when the song first came out, and how it was stuck in her head for a week because Jack had it on replay. It was funny how someone who listened to Coldplay, Radio head, Black Sabbath, and the Beatles favored a song by Nicki Minaj.

Kim would never be able to understand it.

But it was okay. She realized that for the first time in a long time, she was thinking and talking about Jack, and it depress her or fill her with pain. She felt like she was slowly starting to heal, and she had finally found the ladder that would get her out of the dark pit she found herself sitting in for weeks.

She began to join her friends as they sang (more like rapped) the lyrics to the songs.

"By the way, what he say?

He can tell I ain't missing no meals

Come through and fuck him in my automobile

Let him eat it with his grills, and he tellin' me to chill

And he telling me it's real, that he love my sex appeal

Say he don't like em boney, he want something he can grab

So I pulled up in the Jag, and I hit him with the jab like

Dun da da dun da da da dun dun."

When the song finally ended, the next one to come on was Skin and Bones by David J. Roch. The following songs after that were a mixture of Rock, Punk, Hip hop, and dubstep, but it was all Jack. They were definitely all the elements that made up Jack.

They didn't sleep that night. The stayed up together, enjoying the comfort and security of each other's presence. They weren't doing anything except singing along to a few songs and being there for each other, but that's all they needed.

They spent the night sitting together, watching as the bonfire died doing, and getting up to do the schmoney dance when Hot Nigga by Bobby Schmurda started to play. It was a shock to all of them how prominent Hip hop and Rap was on Jacks playlist, but they enjoyed it anyway. The spent a good 4 minutes doing the schmoney and laughing at how bad Kim's dancing really was.

Kim was glad Jerry organized the get together, because she finally stopped feeling numb and pained and lonely. She slowly learned how to be happy again as she spent the night with her friends. With her family.

The last song to play was Let It Be by the Beatles, and it played as the sun rose over the horizon at around 7 in the morning. They held hands as they watch the sun splash the sky with an abundance of colors while listening to the words of the Beatles. And finally, towards the end of the song, the sun fully appeared, warming their faces and bringing a sense of piece amongst them.

When the song ended, Jerry stood up, so he could officially end the night. "It's been a great night guys." He paused, looking around the group, and smiled. "This meant so much to me, to all of us. And I know it meant a lot to Jack too." Jerry placed his fist to his palm. "But there's one more thing we need to do to make this night complete."

With knowing looks, Kim, Eddie, Milton, Grace, and Rudy placed their fist to their palms. They looked at Jerry with smiles, waiting for him to start. "I swear by the light of the dragons eye to be loyal, honest, and never say die." He placed his hand in the center of the little circle he made. "Wasabi?"

Everyone followed suit, placing their hands on top of Jerry's. They felt their friendship pulsing stronger than ever as they yelled the word that dignified who they were.

"Wasabi!"

Finally! Done!

This is much longer than I initially intended. But at some point my fingers just couldn't stop typing and I was just struck by so much inspiration. It basically just flowed out. I'm not sure how happy I am with it though. It didn't quite sound like how I imagined it in my head, but that's probably because I wrote most of it at 2:00 in the morning. But hey, like I said, this is my first story on this cite, so bear with me guys.

Btw, I didn't proofread past Kim's break down during the bonfire, so if there are any mistakes sowwy. *insert puppy dog eyes here*

Like I said in the first chapter, I was inspired to write this by a show I was binge-watching on Netflix. The show is called Dance Academy, and it's basically an Australian show about this group of kids who go to a very prestigious dance school. And as you can probably tell, one of the characters died (wah). And it was soooooo heart breaking and emotionally draining! I cried so much after watching that episode. I legit cried myself to sleep. And I'm still not sure why. The actual actor isn't even dead. I'm following him on Instagram.

I was so emotionally bonded with this damn character that I felt grief when he died. And not just tearing up during the show, but heavy crying all night.

And somehow, it inspired me to write this.

The whole memorial part in Jerry's back yard was inspired by Dance Academy as well as the list of 50 things and the songs they listened to all night. That part was heavily based off of it.

I hope you guys liked it, and I hope it hit you guys in the feels real hard. REAL HARD!

5 brownie points for whoever can guess where the "barely" reference comes from! Seriously! If you think you know where I got "barely" from, write it in your review! There might be a surprise… (because the 50 cents in my bank account can get you a very good prize)

Please review and tell me what you thought.

Bye Felicia.