"Twenty-nine days have passed since we lost our twenty-nine loved ones, friends, and teachers," the minister said.
Jackson, wearing a dark suit and tie, sits beside his parents on white folded chairs. His head is bowed, guilty and sad.
The minister continued. "As each day passes without a determining cause for the accident, we ask ourselves 'Why?"
Jackson raises his eyes and looks across the ceremony. Lex sits with his mother Linda and his father Jerry. Distraught, Jerry stares off blankly at the minister.
"Ecclesiastes tells us, 'Man no more knows his time than fish taken in the fatal net…'"
Jackson guiltily averts his eyes. Ken notes this and wraps a comforting arm around his son.
"…or birds trapped in the snare…"
Jackson checks over his shoulder. Agents Fujimoto and Marin subtly survey the area, taking notes. Although their eyes are beyond sunglasses, the tilt of their head indicates they are watching Jackson.
"…like these the children of men…"
Jackson turns away, tense. He looks at the minister.
"…caught when the Time falls suddenly on them."
Feeling eyes on him, Jackson looks up. Melissa Wu is actually sexy and a bit scandalous in her black dress. Still, she is off by herself, eyes burning at Jackson as if challenging him to challenge the words being spoken. Jackson self-consciously turns away, unable to face her, let alone the words being spoken.
"And so before we can heal, before we can escape the presence of Death Time, we must mourn and celebrate theirs with this memorial.
A student with a guitar and harmonica stands at the microphone. Without introduction, he begins Neil Young's "Long May You Run."
The other students remove a cloth, unveiling a memorial sculpture etched with the names of the departed. The gathered stand and begin paying their respects to the memorial.
Nathan and Taylor walk slowly up toward the memorial, Taylor holding a rose. Jackson gets in line behind them. Nathan knows Jackson is there, but will not look at him. "Hope you don't think, Cody, that because my name ain't on this wall…that I owe you anything."
"I don't," Jackson responded.
"All I owe is these people," Nathan says, gesturing towards the sculpture with the names etched in it. Then he turns to face Jackson "To live my life to the fullest."
Jackson winces from Nathan's breath. "Then maybe you should lay off the J.D.
Nathan has an angry reflexive reaction, grabbing Jackson threateningly by the forearm. Taylor immediately tries to get Nathan to release his hold. "Don't ever tell me what to do. I control me. Not you." Nathan and Jackson lock eyes, Jackson refraining from showing and pain caused by Nathan's grip. Taylor finally gets him to release. "I'm never gonna die." With that, Nathan moves on. Taylor, however, holds a beat, eyes Jackson, and gently rubs the area of his arm, as if this is the only manner she can extend her gratitude in Nathan's presence. As Jackson pats her arm, Taylor quickly moves on.
Shaken, Jackson considers whether to move forward to the memorial. He steps aside to let the other go ahead as Eric McGorrill, who has finished paying his respects, spots Jackson and heads back up the line.
"I took my driver's test this week at the DMV."
Jackson turns to him, incredulously.
"Gotta seventy. Lowest score, but I passed. When I was done with the test, the guy who drives with you during the test, he goes, 'Young man, you're going to die at a very young age.'" He pauses a beat. He snorts, then with full seriousness, he says, "That true?"
"Not here, not now," Jackson pauses a beat. "Not ever."
Eric sighs and turns to leave, only to turn back around quickly. "If I ask out Cynthia Paster, will she say 'No?'"
Jackson flashes Eric an angry glare. Eric gets the message and moves on…for good.
Jackson returns in line, moving toward the memorial.
Jory Twist places a rose at the base of the memorial, then studies the engraved names as the students move past behind her. Jackson approaches, watching her as she reaches out with a trembling finger, touching the etched names. Linda Krauss…Thomas Lewis…John McConnell.
Jackson stands near her, sympathetically, understanding her pain. "Ms. Twist-"
Her eyes filled with tears and fear. Jackson places a comforting hand on her shoulder, but she reacts quickly, pulling away from him, her eyes piercing at him. "Don't talk to me. You scare the heck out of me."
Jackson is shattered as the teacher moves away.
Lex faces the memorial. "Hey," Lex greets, still facing the memorial.
Jackson notices Lex is in line behind him. He looks around for Lex's father, but doesn't see him. He says, "I don't want to sound gay, or nothing' but…I miss you."
Lex subtly nods and reaches out to the memorial. His hand moves across his brother's name…George Waggner. As Lex longs for his brother, he looks at his friend.
"Me too." He pauses for a second. "But my dad doesn't understand. When he's better, you and me, road trip to the city. Catch the Yanks."
"That's a plan."
Lex nods. The two friends stand uncomfortably for a minute before Lex gestures to the podium. "I gotta go. This thing Ms. Twist showed me in her class, they're gonna let me read it. It says what I'm feeling."
Lex holds his friend's arm for strength as he passes.
Melissa Wu appears in line, holding a rose. She looks at the memorial before her startling eyes turn to Jackson. Even away from these circumstances, Jackson would have trouble handling her intense maturity. As he begins to step away, she thrusts the rose to him. He looks up, puzzled. "Because of you…I'm still alive," she said. "Thank you."
Before she walks away, a camera flashes behind him. Jackson glances back as he takes the rose and she walks away.
"We say the hour of death can never be forecast…" Lex stands nervously before the assembly, reading aloud with a sad, yet optimistic, resolve. "But when we say this, we imagine that the hour is placed in an obscure and distant future."
As Lex speaks, the sunlight suddenly turns to shadow. Jackson looks up at the sky. Within the deep blue, a single black cloud blocks the sun. Troubled, he looks back to Lex.
"It never occurs to us that it has any connection with the day already begun or that death could arrive this same afternoon. This afternoon…which is so certain…and has every hour filled in advance."