Epilogue! Chapter 9. Emotional scene. Hope you guys like it!

*WARNING: THIS STORY IS VERY TRIGGERING. INVOLVES SELF HARM, DEPRESSION, AND SUICIDE. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK

The weeks that followed Brick's suicide were painful for everyone. Neighbors watched with sullen eyes as his clothes were packed into boxes and thrown in the trash, donated or locked in the garage by his father. It wasn't only his peers who found it difficult to deal with the death- teachers were granted time away to cope with losing such a cheerful, popular student. His funeral took place on June 3, about two week after the news of his death was spread.

The chapel was full, students and teachers as well as family members all gathering for the funeral of a boy who nobody expected to lose so soon. Brick's parents perched on opposite ends of a bench at the front, his mother clutching her two children and sobbing into their hair as they cried. His father's eyes showed pain but his face was stone cold, eyes locked on the wooden casket where his son's lifeless body was lay.

Throughout the service more and more people entered the building and lined the walls, all shedding tears at the loss of their friend. Brick was loved by many people and it took almost 45 minutes for the many eulogies, letters and memories to be shared from the brokenhearted mourners.

A small speaker rested next to a tree nearby whilst the body was lowered into the ground. The quiet hum of music drifted through the people, Brick's iPhone plugged in and softly playing "Be Still by The Fray". Almost everybody there had crowded to watch the memorial and be comforted by their peers, but there was one girl who stood alone, resting against a tree while her classmates shot her daggers and cried over the boy they barely even knew.

If you forget the way to go

And lose where you came from

If no one is standing beside you

Be still and know I am...

Blossom didn't bother wiping the tears from her eyes as they would only be replaced by fresh ones. She still found it difficult to cope, but the night that she received the message on her voicemail and the hours that followed were nothing but a blur; she remembered playing the desperate message and immediately trying to call him back, running to the café, where his friends were gathered to see if they were playing a joke, sprinting across town to find his house and help him. When she arrived, she was met by screaming, crying and the wailing of ambulance sirens.

It wasn't long until the rest of the school found out and immediately the red-haired girl was blamed for his suicide. Blossom couldn't help but blame herself, too. She knew that if she has forgiven him, not made a scene in front of everyone or just picked up the damn phone, Brick would still be with them.

"It's my fault," she whispered, letting more sobs erupt from her throat.

After the funeral, things only got worse. It didn't take long for Brick's father to file divorce papers and permanently move into his apartment across town. The hearing wouldn't take place for months, but neither parent knew how to deal with losing him. In school the atmosphere was drab. Students who had never spoken to Brick were taken out of lessons crying, and it was impossible for Blossom to dodge the stares she received in the hallways; some were pitiful, others full of hatred.

The only person who seemed to be on Blossom's side was Brick's mother. When she approached the young girl after the funeral, everyone expected her to cry or scream or assault her. Instead, the two hugged and Blossom was invited to see his bedroom and take anything she wanted before it was taken away. Before they parted, his mother took out a slip of paper with 'For Blossom' scribbled on the front. Weeks later, she still didn't have the courage to open it.

When Blossom entered the vacated bedroom for the first time, her heart almost stopped. Everything was still in place, only his clothes had been taken away to choose his outfit to be buried in. After all, Brick hated formal things, and there is no way he wanted to be in a suit for the rest of eternity. A CD reflected light around the room and she recognized his handwriting scrawled across the front. "My Song." She read aloud, and went straight to find a CD player to hear it. When the first chords played it wasn't hard to tell Brick was singing and recording himself.

Flashback to 1999,

It's the summer,

Not a cloud in the sky.

Present day

Things have changed,

Summer's over

And it rains here every day

Only seconds into listening and she already felt tears forming in her eyes. Blossom had never seen a problem with Brick's life. He had tons of friends, money, a family. How could he fee so bad about his life? She stood up and brushed the covers flat again, though the bed still hasn't been made from the last time he slept in his room. Walking around, she noticed a wall almost covered in Polaroids. He had collected photos of everything; family, friends, buildings, nature, pets. One image was a simple picture of a girl walking across a park, with only one word 'Olivia' written underneath.

But, how so?

I'm only 17 years old

I used to be so happy

Now here's another sad song by a sad boy

Playing the saddest chords he knows

With every word, Blossom felt her heart break. She hated herself for never asking him how we was doing or if he needed help. He hid his emotions so well, even a depressed girl couldn't tell that he was broken himself.

"I'm sorry Brick." she whispered through her tears. "I'm sorry I didn't save you." Blossom had become so invested in her own illness and waited for someone else to come along and save her, she barely noticed that other people could need saving too.

Don't cry,

We all make mistakes from time to time.

Unfortunately, for me

Being me was mine.

She recognized the chorus from his voicemail. Even weeks later, every word remained in her mind like the lyrics to an old song she'll never forget. It struck her that Brick could have been planning this for a while. Was the song directed towards her? He had told her not to cry over him, and that day when he promised that things would be okay, when he reassured her that everyone makes mistakes...

He knew she would find out and he knew she would hate him. That was his apology and she brushed it off like it was nothing.

It was all her fault.

July 26, 2019

Blossom's 21st birthday was the biggest, happiest, most perfect night of her life. Some people would have wanted an extravagant party with hundreds of guests, but when the cake arrived and she was surrounded by her closest friends and family, Blossom knew this was all she needed to be happy. It took almost 20 minutes for the rounds of happy birthday to end (all thanks to her drunken friend Robin googling the longest version of the song and playing it on loop) and everyone gladly joined in and laughed together at the sight of him dancing along.

Four years had passed and Blossom's heart had mended. Her old best friend still crossed her mind each day and she couldn't help but close her eyes and wish that he was there with her as she blew the candles out. As everyone cheered and shared out the cake a genuine smile was spread across her face. Even her love life had improved vastly; each morning she woke up to the sight of her boyfriend, Parker, lay just inches away.

When midnight was approaching and people began to leave, only her closest friends remained. Blossom sat on the cream sofa listening to her best friend, Maddie, rant about her job and how she hated being single, chuckling when Robin butted in and told her to shut up. Their conversation was disrupted by Parker leaning in and pulling Blossom from her comfortable position and into the centre of the room.

"It's midnight," he whispered to her. "I think it's about time I got to dance with the birthday princess." He smirked and flicked the plastic tiara on his girlfriend's head.

The two twirled around the wooden floor and their friends who remained either laughed at their dance moves, cheered them on or were too drunk to notice what they were doing. Blossom didn't care about anyone else; to her, the room was empty and all that mattered was the love of her life staring into her eyes. As the music finished and the speakers shuffled to play a new song, the familiar sound of The Fray filled her ears.

Tears rose to her eyes and she couldn't help but smile. Nobody else in the room had any idea what the music meant to her, but Brick's funeral song played as the fragile girl rested her head on Parker's shoulder. Time passed and when the song came to a close the taller boy kissed the top of his girlfriend's head and muttered a quiet "I love you," into her hair. She closed her eyes and smiled to herself. "I love you too."

None of her friends knew what Blossom had wished for when she blew out her candles. Every year, she insisted that if anyone found out it wouldn't come true so they didn't bother pestering her this year. Of course, most people wish to win the lottery or get famous which never comes true, and there was no way that she expected her wish to happen.

Brick was long gone, everyone accepted that by now. He would never be coming back, but she had learned to deal with the loss and remember the amazing few months they spent together. She wouldn't get to hold him again, or laugh with him or listen to any of his weird stories, but when she stopped dancing and watched all of her friends chatter amongst themselves, a light breeze scattered napkins and wrapping paper across the room. No windows were open and it wasn't clear what had caused the draft, but when Blossom lay down to sleep that night, she knew that although it wasn't possible for her to see Brick again, he had been with her this whole time.

Ok, just because this story is over, doesn't mean that there isn't more. One more update guys! Not necessarily a chapter, but it's useful information. Good day!