Chapter 12
-Angel Square-
Langston is sitting in Angel Square thinking of everything that has happened in her life. She hears footsteps behind her.
"I thought I'd find you here." Dorian says as she sits next to the young girl.
"I like to come here to think sometimes. I love the quite and it makes me feel closer to my parents." Dorian smiles.
"I was on my way to the church and I thought I'd stop here to see if you wanted to ride with me so we could talk."
"Thanks but I don't think I am going to go to the funeral today." Dorian looks at Langston with concern.
"May I ask you why not? Starr was your best friend. Why don't you want to say goodbye to her?"
"I do want to say goodbye but I don't want to upset Mrs. Manning, she is really pissed at me and I don't want to mess up today for the rest of you who need to say goodbye."
"Well I am not going to force you to come but if you change your mind you know where the church is and you know you will always be welcome to say goodbye." Langston nods. Dorian hugs Langston and walks off.
-Church-
"Oh Blair you did such a great job." Dorian says as she sits down next to her niece in the front row.
"So where is little miss Langston?" Blair asks in a cocky way.
"She is sitting alone in Angel square missing her best friend."
"Good because I don't want to see her here." Dorian gets angry with Blair.
"How the hell could you be such a bitch to say such a thing about Langston? Blair that little girl had nothing to do with this terrible situation and it's not right for you to put it in her head that she did. She was and is still Starr's best friend, they were like sisters. Langston would never hurt Starr." The priest enters and Dorian retakes her seat and nods that it is okay to begin.
"This has been a very hard month for us. First we lose two young boys and now another child is taken from us before her time. We are here to say goodbye to Starr Manning, a young girl who had so much to offer the world around her. We will all miss you dearly." The door to the church opens and everyone turns to see Langston standing in the doorway. Blair gets up and walks to her.
"You selfish little brat how dare you come here on the day I am burring my daughter. You have no right to be here, this whole situation is your fault my daughter is dead because of you. I want you to leave now." Langston turns.
"Langston you stop right there." Dorian walks over to the two. "Blair stop it right now, this is supposed to be a day of remembrance, not a day of fighting. Langston has just as much of a right to be here as the rest of us do." Langston looks away.
"Dorian no, Mrs. Manning is right. Starr knows I loved her but I am going to leave so the rest of you can say goodbye to her." Before Dorian can protest Langston is out the door.
-Starr's room-
Langston walks into the dark bedroom which used to belong to her best friend and turns on the light. She sits on the bed and holds Starr's favorite stuffed animal as she holds back her tears. She grabs Starr's photo albums and she sits on the floor. To stop all the silence she grabs the stereo remote and puts it on the CD Starr had been listening to. Hilary Duff's songs come on. Langston can't bring herself to change it. The song Someone's watching over me comes on…
Found myself todayOh I found myself and ran awaySomething pulled me backThe voice of reason I forgot I hadAll I know is you're not here to sayWhat you always used to sayBut it's written in the sky tonightSo I won't give upNo I won't break downSooner than it seems life turns aroundAnd I will be strongEven if it all goes wrongWhen I'm standing in the dark I'll still believeSomeone's watching over meSeen that ray of lightAnd it's shining on my destinyShining all the timeAnd I wont be afraidTo follow everywhere it's taking meAll I know is yesterday is goneAnd right now I belongTo this moment to my dreamsSo I won't give upNo I won't break downSooner than it seems life turns aroundAnd I will be strongEven if it all goes wrongWhen I'm standing in the dark I'll still believeSomeone's watching over meIt doesn't matter what people sayAnd it doesn't matter how long it takesBelieve in yourself and you'll fly highAnd it only matters how true you areBe true to yourself and follow your heartSo I won't give upNo I won't break downSooner than it seems life turns aroundAnd I will be strongEven if it all goes wrongWhen I'm standing in the dark I'll still believeThat I won't give upNo I won't break downSooner than it seems life turns aroundAnd I will be strongEven when it all goes wrongWhen I'm standing in the dark I'll still believeThat someone's watching overSomeone's watching overSomeone's watching over meSomeone's watching over me
Langston starts to tear. She must have been thinking of Cole and the baby, Langston thinks to herself. Just as the song is coming to it's end Blair storms into the room and turns off the music. Langston turns and sees Blair standing in the doorway with a mad look on her face.
"Are you here to throw me out of Dorian's house now, because I don't think she would appreciate you throwing her foster daughter out of her house." Blair gets up in Langston's face. "Mrs. Manning I know you are hurting right now, so am I, so let's not do anything either one of us will regret later."
"Oh I won't regret it. I can't wait to see you behind bars for the murder of my daughter and I won't rest until I make sure that happens. Your parents must be so disappointed in how you turned out." Langston slaps Blair.
"Don't you ever talk about my parents! They loved me, which is something I'm sure you never had for your daughter." Blair slaps Langston just as Dorian walks in.
"What the hell are you doing!? Don't you ever touch her again!"
"Oh so you're putting that brat over the loss of Starr?" Dorian looks at Blair
"Listen to me, I miss Starr too and I hurt just as much as you do but to blame this whole thing on Langston is crap. You know she had nothing to do with this and if you can't except that I am sorry because Langston is my daughter and a Cramer whether you like it or not." Blair storms out of the room. Dorian turns to Langston. "Are you ok honey? She didn't mean it, she just really misses Starr. She'll be better soon." Langston nods. "Come on lets get out of Starr's bedroom." As the two women are leaving the room, Langston runs and grabs the picture of her and her friends. She turns off the light and as she slowly shuts the door she says..
"I miss you Starr."