Los Angeles in spring was beautiful. Way too beautiful. A day like this should have been dark and miserable and cold. But instead Chloe was standing under the brilliant sun with her girlfriends on a little stretch of empty beach as dudes and dudettes surfed in the distance. The sound of children squealing in delight could be heard almost constantly.

Over Christmas, Chloe was paid a visit by Rachel Amber's parents. They knew full well how much the two meant to each other. They also knew how much LA meant to Rachel and wanted some of her ashes to be spread there. She could only take the small container from them and nod her head silently. Her eyes were filled with tears and her vocal chords refused to work. Back in Portland, none of the others were willing to refuse that kind of request. So the plans were made to spend spring break down in Los Angeles. They couldn't stay forever, and they couldn't do anything particularly crazy, but it was as exciting as it was sobering.

After some relaxing and some clubbing, eventually the time came. The four of them were dressed in dark clothing and Chloe had already poured the small pile of ashes directly into her cupped hands. Everyone seemed relatively undisturbed by this except Kate. But she didn't particularly care, she just needed to hold her one last time. She was saying goodbye today, one final time, for good. The others had put up with her devotion to a dead girl for long enough.

"Would anyone like to say anything?" Chloe wasn't much for formality, obviously, but it seemed like the least they could do was try and handle this pseudo-funeral properly.

Surprisingly, or perhaps not all that surprisingly, Kate was the first to speak up. "My first semester at Blackwell, when I was just starting my Bible study group... U-Um, so the first day, no one came. I sat alone in the classroom for almost an hour when she burst in suddenly. She was all embarrassed, apparently she walked in by mistake. But she refused to leave until I told her more about what I was doing. She actually asked me questions and challenged me a little. Not being mean, just honest. Then she told me about this e. e. cummings poem she thought I might like." Kate reached for her phone and pulled up the little note she'd saved for herself. She began to recite the poem softly.

"i thank You God for most this amazing
day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes

(i who have died am alive again today,
and this is the sun's birthday; this is the birth
day of life and of love and wings: and of the gay
great happening illimitably earth)

how should tasting touching hearing seeing
breathing any–lifted from the no
of all nothing–human merely being
doubt unimaginable You?

(now the ears of my ears awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)"

Chloe smirked and continued to stare at the ashes in her palms. "That's so her. Beautiful and grateful and infinite and very gay. Thank you, Katie..." There was some silence after that as everyone processed the bizarre, haunting words they had just been given.

Everyone had assumed that Victoria would likely remain silent on the matter of Rachel Amber. So they were shocked to hear her cough nervously and attempt a commentary. "I never... One time when I was having a really rough day, I went to hide in the bathroom so I could wash my face. I hadn't showered, I had no make-up on, I really wasn't interested in humanity that day. And naturally Rachel would be the one who walks in on me. I could tell she knew that I was at a low point, and yet she didn't say anything about it. She just... she just told me how pretty I am, even without make-up, and went about her business. I had been a bitch to her for months, and she still took time out of her day to treat me like a decent person. Sometimes I-I start to question if she was even real."

Chloe could sense that Max wanted to be able to say something, but obviously she didn't have much of a frame of reference. But still... Maxine Caulfield had a way of speaking her mind in a way that everyone appreciated, even when she was unsure. Gently, she gave her a little bump and a smile. "Go on, dork, I can tell there's something on your mind."

"I only know Rachel through stories," she said with that infinitely adorable bashful smile. "Well, that and graffiti, but I don't put much stock in that stuff. So... Having only stories to go off of, she was apparently the most amazing human being ever. Everyone loved her, even the people that didn't like her. A lot of people looked up to her and were rooting for her to get here and become the world's most famous model. And I think that for all that it's a massive tragedy what happened, it's kind of... K-Kind of beautiful to be able to leave a legacy that powerful." There was a moment or two of the usual awkward fumbling. "That's all."

Yup. She nailed it.

Now it was her turn. And Chloe really, really wasn't ready for it. She couldn't even get through the first syllable before the tears began to fall. Everyone was immediately holding her, giving her plenty of silence for when she was ready.

"Ruh-Rach'. I love you so much. I probably always will. I know you had your secrets and your vices, but so did I. Everyone thought you were perfect, but you weren't. And I d-damn sure wasn't. But you loved me anyway. I still feel awful sometimes for moving on, but I think you would have wanted it this way." She gave a ragged little laugh and shifted her footing. "You always told me how gay I was. Look at me now, with three amazing girlfriends. You would have loved that. Shit, y-you probably would have been number four. Three bad bitches and two cinnamon rolls out to conquer the art world."

Chloe took one last deep breath and sighed, finally releasing the ashes into the gentle wind. "I'm gonna let you go for a while. But I'll never forget you." She brushed her hands off and was immediately surprised with a passionate and solemn group hug. "C'mon, I wanna get back to the hotel so we can drink and snuggle. I don't think I can handle any more sap for today..."