This story is dedicated to Talon. I'll always stay with you buddy.
btw, the song is written by me.
I appeared at Jake's funeral as Miley, instead of Hannah, no matter how bad I wanted to. They weren't allowing any famous friends of his in, or papparazzi. Just the people he was friends with before he was famous, his family, and me, Lilly, Oliver, and our immediate families. I had a stash of kleenex's in my black with gold lining clutch, because I knew that this was going to be hard. I wore all black, except for the purple bracelet I got right before Jake boarded his plane to go to Romania. It was beautiful. The only part purple was the lining around the gemstone flowers. It was highly expensive, and everyother flower was emerald, and then sapphire. I knew that I'd keep it forever. I normally didn't need the expensive stuff unless I was Hannah at the moment, but I loved every part of it.
I walked behind daddy. He held my arm, making sure that I was going to be alright. I kept my focus down at my black shoes with the silver charms across the toes. When we entered the church, I looked up at the alter. There was roses everywhere, and yellow tulips. His coffin was at the front, and it was open casket, but I couldn't get myself up there even if I wanted to. I'm sure that he would look peaceful, but I didn't care. I don't ever want to see him so stiff, so... so dead.
"Would you like to go up to the casket Miley?" he asked. I shook my head no.
"I don't want to be rude, daddy. But I can't," I said looking up at his mom who was bawling over the coffin, while Jakes aunt tries to get her to go sit down so that she doesn't have to look at him that way.
"I think it won't be so hard as it seems," dad said.
I nodded. "Yes it will."
"I'll hold your hand," he said. "And I bet Jackson would too."
Jackson holding my hand finally didn't seem so wierd.
"Fine, but only if Lilly and Oliver would come with me," I said.
"Already ahead of you," he said pointing up the church where they were leaning over the coffin, Lilly was tearing up, so Oliver gave her a hug. If you ask me, I think they'd be cute together. I don't know, just a wierd and wacky thought. I lost all of that as soon as dad got Jackson over to us, and we walked up the aisle. It felt like we were walking too fast as we neared the front to where Jake was lying. His hair was covering up the incisions, and he was wearing a jacket that said 'Zombie Man' on it, because it was his favorite. I wondered what this little shiny object was, that was laced around one finger. I stepped to my left to see, a little rubber band ring that cost maybe, I don't know two dollars? I looked down to see the same one, only mine said girlfriend, and his said boyfriend. His mom must have put that on, cause he didn't have it on in the hospital.
"Daddy... he's so peaceful," I said looking at him. He was talking to the minister about later on at the funeral, how I was able to go up, and he had a few questions.
"Isn't he though?" Lilly replied, putting her arm around my shoulders. "And look, he was burried with some of his favorite things," she pointed out. I looked to see a half chewed up and dismantled teddy bear, a track star ribbon, and a silver and black microphone.
"Yeah," I said. Suddenly I got an idea. I opened up my clutch, and got a note that I was going to give to him, when we got back together. I laid it into his coffin. "Now he can rest in peace."
Oliver came up beside me and we stood there for a moment remembering all of our times together as the four of us. Now it was back to the three of us, but we also had the luck of being able to have four spirits, for Jake's will always be with us.
The priest stood up and cleared his throat, making everyone scatter to the pews. Oliver, Lilly, and I sat together, and dad was to my right in one of the first pews since I was going to be able to 'speak' at the funeral.
"We are gathered here today to celebrate the life, and mourn the loss of Jake Austin Ryan. Before I begin, there is a couragious young girl, who would like to sing you a song of hers," he said gesturing towards me. The church all turned their eyes toward me as I got my way out of the pew, and sat on a chair in the middle of the stage where the priest was. One of the alter servers handed me my guitar as I ajusted the microphone.
"Hello everyone. This is my first time singing in front of people like this," I lied. "But I have written a song for Jake that I think everyone should hear. And when I say everyone, I mean everyone. You see, Hannah Montana is my cousin, and she's helping me get this word out. She's going to record this song and sing it as a single. All the money in the CD sales will go to a Brain tumor foundation to help find the cure," I said. Everyone began clapping. When they stopped, I started talking again.
"So this one goes out to Jake, because I love him, and I hope that he'd love my song," I said. I took in a deep breath, and began strumming.
"He looked up at me with those big blue eyes
Noone could know what he hides inside
And he wonders, how much time do I have left
If tomorrow won't come maybe it's best
(chorus)
Another child left in rehab
Another hero left at peace
Another tear for the cancer soldiers, and we all go searching
For the forgotten miracle
(verse 2)
But the thing about forgotten miracles is
That they can't be remembered for we must forget
Could we forgive if we could not forget
Could we rise about our standards, and stay proud for who we are
(chorus)
Another child left in rehab
Another hero left at peace
Another tear for the cancer soldiers, and we all go searching
For the forgotten miracle
(verse 3)
We've all known, and we've all cried
We've all prayed for all o' your reasons, please believe me I have tried
But I think I learned now, that your miracle wasn't forgotten
God just knew it was your time and that's a miracle itself
(chorus)
Another child left in rehab
Another hero left at peace
Another tear for the cancer soldiers, and we all go searching
For the forgotten miracle
Another child left in rehab
Another hero left at peace
Another tear for the cancer soldiers, and we all go searching
For the forgotten miracle"
The church stood up and clapped, and whistled, while I took a bow, put my guitar away and sat back down for the priest to continue. Lilly and Oliver hugged me, and dad told me how mom would've loved that song. I really hope she did. I really wish she could be here right now. Another brain tumor takes the life of an innocent one...
During the funeral, people stood up at the mic and told us about stories from their past that they had with Jake. Some where funny, some where halarious, and some where said just to tell you what kind of character that Jake was. I cried enough to use the kleenexs between Lilly and I. They decided not to bury Jake until we had all left to his house for cookies, and a celebration of his life.
On the way to the burial site, Lilly and Oliver rode with dad and I. I sat in the back seat so it would be easier to talk with them. We tried to talk like everything was normal, but I kept wanting to ask myself why Jake wasn't there to hear the moment.
When we got there, there was a prayer, a song, and then we all trudged our selves away. I took a final look at him, and let a tear drop into his coffin, right onto the two dollar ring that had almost no value, until we exchanged them. Lilly hugged me, and whispered that he would have wanted me not to cry, so I whiped my tears away, and headed back to the car after a final look at him.
Things were silent on the way to the house for cookies, and a celebration of his life. Hannah Montana songs played since he and her were friends, but now I'm glad that I know he knows about us both.
"Hey Miley, they've got a slideshow of his life in pictures playing downstairs," Lilly said. We ran down the stairs to see them. They started from when he was just born, and in the hospital, to a picture of him on set with Hannah Montana. There were even a few of me that he took before heading off to Romania. One of him carrying me, and me shouting for him to put me down; one of us with our arms on each others shoulders, and one of me trying to get him to not take the picture. I smiled. Then I cried silently, while watching the clip over again. When I looked over at Lilly, she was about three feet away, barely within hearing distance of me, talking to Oliver.
"Thank you so much for helping Miley and I," she said. She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.
end. for real this time.