Chapter 6:

Aria stood in her room, staring at her reflection in the full-length mirror. Her black dress made her red, puffy eyes and white cast even more noticeable as she tried to hold herself together before her best friend's funeral. She had been released from the hospital the day before, and she had been crying non-stop ever since Ezra had told her about Spencer. Aria couldn't help but feel responsible for the death of her friend. If it wasn't for her, Spencer wouldn't have left the school in the first place. And it didn't help that, while Spencer lay in a coffin, Aria was standing in her bedroom with only a broken arm and a few cuts and scrapes. Her friends and family had tried to convince her that this wasn't her fault, but Aria wished more than anything that she was the one in the coffin rather than Spencer.

Just the thought of seeing her best friend's lifeless body brought a fresh set of tears to her eyes, and Aria sat down on her bed, curled up into a ball and wept. Aria was too upset numb with pain to realize that someone had entered her room and had picked her up, holding her silently. She buried her head in Ezra's chest and cried. Ezra didn't say a word, just held her tight in his arms, rubbing her back, allowing her to let her emotions out, which was just what she needed. Aria cried and cried until tears would not come out anymore and her throat was dry and sore. She knew she looked like a mess, but she didn't care, and after about an hour, she felt Ezra pick her up and carry her down the stairs and into his car, driving her to the church.

When they arrived, Aria saw Hanna and Emily, their eyes were equally as red. They had tissues in their hands, dabbing at their eyes every few seconds. Aria joined them, Ezra leaving her so she could be alone with her friends. When they saw her, Hanna and Emily hugged Aria, the three of them clinging to each other as though their lives depended on it.

Their sobs echoed through the church as everyone gathered inside, finding seats, waiting for the service to begin. A large portrait of Spencer was perched at the front beside the coffin, red roses framing it. Spencer's family sat in the front pew with them, Toby sitting beside Emily, who sobbed into his chest.

The service began at noon, the priest's voice echoing throughout the church, saying prayers and kind words about Spencer. The girls held hands throughout the service, one of them occasionally squeezing the others' as the priest said something that brought back memories of their deceased friend.

After the priest finished, Melissa went up, talking about how she and Spencer had been close as children, but had lost that bond as they grew older and rivalries began to form. She talked about how she regretted the way she treated her younger sister and shared some of her favourite memories of the two of them. Aria could feel a teardrop on her hand as Emily cried at the mention of a vacation she had accompanied Spencer on. Aria squeezed her hand as Hanna wiped tears out of her eyes, trying to stop the rest of her tears from flowing out.

After Melissa was finished, the priest asked Aria to say a few words, as requested by Mr. and Mrs. Hastings. Aria stood, smoothing out the wrinkles in her paper as she walked slowly to the podium. As she stood at the podium, Aria looked out at the audience, recognizing the solemn faces of her classmates and Spencer's distant relatives she had met at Spencer's house. She looked at her friends and Spencer's family, who all had tear-stained faces. Aria took a deep breath and began:

" A best friend is someone you can count on, someone you can look to in time of need, whatever however small the problem is. A best friend is someone who you consider to be family, someone you can always talk to, a shoulder to cry on. That's what Spencer was to me, she was like an older sister to me. In fact, she used to call us Sparia because we made a perfect team and we were as close as sisters. She was always there for me, giving me advice on things ranging between whether my hair looks better in a certain style, to things as important as my relationships. I could always talk to her about anything. She was my rock, the one that held everything together. She held us all together. Without her, I wouldn't be half as strong as I am now. She was always there to protect me, to give me an extra burst of confidence, a pep-talk before an exam, anything I needed. Spencer was one of the most reliable friends I had. In fact, the day of the accident, she was taking me to her family lake house because I was upset. She was willing to just drop everything in order to make sure her friend was okay. Spencer Hastings is a hero and, although she isn't physically still with us, a part of her will remain in our hearts forever." As Aria spoke these words, she didn't even glance at her papers, barely remembering what had been on them in the first place. She stood there, her face wet with the tears that had spilled over during her speech. She walked away from the podium, taking a seat between Hanna and Emily, who both hugged her, the three of them in their own world of pain and loss.

There were a few more speeches, mainly from family members who had grown up with Spencer, as well as one from Toby. When they were finished speaking, Spencer's parents approached the coffin, saying their last words to their daughter. Next was Melissa, sobbing as she stared down at her sister's lifeless form. The girls approached Spencer's coffin next, clutching each other's arms as they stared at their best friend who looked as though she was sleeping peacefully, if not for the lack of moment in her chest. Aria pushed a lock of hair off Spencer's face before breaking down and crying, holding onto her friends for support. Several guests watched her, while most averted their gaze.

The people in the church gradually lessened and soon, the only people left were Spencer's family, some relatives, Toby, the girls, Ezra, Caleb and Paige, although the last three stood off to the side, not wanting to intrude but still wanting to be there for their significant other.

Aria said her goodbyes to her friends and Spencer's family, giving them all long hugs, sharing in their sorrow. Afterwards, she approached Spencer's coffin and whispered a tearful last goodbye to her best friend. She stood there for awhile, not wanting to leave her friend, wishing that she was still there with her and knowing that, deep down, part of Spencer will always remain in her heart and she that her friend was watching them from heaven. Before leaving, Aria placed a little stuffed bear in Spencer's coffin. When they were seven, Aria had been sleeping over at Spencer's house during a thunderstorm and Aria had always been terrified of thunderstorms.

"My mom said that the power of love can beat anything and I love you so, whenever you're scared, this teddy bear will always keep you safe." Spencer had said, wiping the tears from seven-year-old Aria's cheeks.

Aria remembered that day like it was only yesterday, although it had been 12 years ago. That memory had given her the power to get through so many difficult times, and she knew there would be countless more times when the words of seven-year-old Spencer would give her the strength to face the obstacles life would throw her way. This made Aria remember that, no matter what happened, Spencer was always in her heart and she was sure her best friend was watching over them.

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