Cat had fallen asleep while she was waiting for her parents to arrive. Her Nonna left Robbie to keep an eye on her while she went to pick them up from the airport. Robbie sat by her bedside, but he got nervous when he thought of the idea of her waking up and him being the only one in the room. He got up and walked hastily to the waiting room where the rest of his friends were silently sitting and continuing to process Jade's death.
"I can't do it. Someone's got to come in there with me." Robbie demanded.
Nobody replied. They all looked at each other with red eyes, swollen from hours of crying. Since no one had slept at all the previous night, they were exhausted, but they never got the chance to go home and rest, because they received the news about Jade and decided to stay in the hospital with each other.
"C'mon, you guys can't make me sit in there until she wakes up, asking to hear an update on Jade. I don't want to be the one that has to tell her. Will one of you come in with me?" Robbie pleaded.
When no one stood up, Robbie sulked back to Cat's room alone.
"Maybe we should go in there." Andre suggested quietly.
"I can't do it." Beck stood up and walked outside combing his hands through his thick hair.
"Are you coming with me?" Andre asked Tori, who was still sitting in her chair.
"Y—yeah…" Tori sniffled just before joining Andre to Cat's room.
When Robbie heard footsteps approaching, he looked at the doorway, hopeful that his friends had come to join him. When he noticed Andre and Tori walking in, he felt a huge relief.
"What are we going to tell her?" Robbie looked worried.
"I don't know, but we better think of something fast." Andre pointed towards Cat, who was starting to stir in the uncomfortable hospital bed.
"Robbie…my neck is starting to hurt…Tori, Andre, what are you guys doing here? Where's Beck? Is he with Jade? Is she doing better?" Cat asked all at once, after opening her eyes and noticing only Tori and Andre were in the room with her and Robbie.
"Your neck is hurting again? Maybe we should call the doctor for more pain medication." Robbie suggested, trying to avert her mind from Jade.
"Okay, but not until you tell me how Jade's doing. Can I go see her yet?" Cat asked, her big brown eyes shining up at Robbie, Andre, and Tori.
"Not yet, Cat." Tori announced in a soft voice as she sat at the edge of Cat's bed.
"Why not? Is she okay? Have you guys seen her?" Cat started to panic.
"No we haven't gotten to see her yet." Andre began.
"Listen, Cat, we have something to tell you." Robbie cut in, hoping to get the topic they were all trying to tiptoe around, over with.
"Alright, tell me." Cat demanded them to continue explaining, still completely oblivious to the news she was about to receive.
"Cat. I don't know how to say this…" Tori started tearing up before she could finish the sentence.
"What's wrong, Tori? What's going on?" Cat shifted her eyes from Tori who stood up to wipe her face, to Andre and Robbie who had solemn expressions on their faces, which worried Cat even more.
"Cat, Jade's gone." Andre announced in a weak voice.
"I don't get it. Where did she go?" Cat furrowed her eyebrows.
"She didn't make it, Cat." Robbie explained simply.
"Stop it! Why would you say something like that?!" Cat began to shout.
"Cat, just stay calm." Robbie warned.
"NO! You can't joke about something like that! She's my best friend!" Cat began to cry.
"We wouldn't joke about something like this. She died, Cat." Andre announced. It pained him to say the word 'died', he just still couldn't believe he would never hear her voice again. After he had developed a crush on Jade, he thought it would be best to keep himself distracted when she was around, but now he would do anything just to have her standing next to him.
Cat began to scream. Tears ran down her face as she noticed the seriousness in everyone's voices. She rubbed her tired eyes, hoping to wake up from a horrid nightmare, but when nothing happened, she cried harder. She continued to sob as Robbie and Andre soothed her by rubbing her back gently, because it was still extremely sore from the accident. Finally, Cat looked up from the palms of her hands that were covering her face.
"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" Cat exploded as she gestured to the other side of the room. It was completely out of character for Cat to get angry, and no one was used to seeing her that way, but everyone knew that once Cat was mad, she got really mad.
"My fault? Cat, you seriously think I did this on purpose? I would never kill someone. Ever." Tori defended.
"If you didn't suck at driving, my best friend would be alive right now, but you took her away from me. From everyone. She's gone and you're fine. You're not even that hurt, Tori. THAT'S NOT FAIR!" Cat sobbed.
"Cat, don't say that. This was an accident. We're all upset, but turning on each other isn't going to solve anything." Robbie reassured.
"Yeah Cat, I do—" Tori started.
"Please just get out of my room." Cat requested.
"But Cat, I—" Tori began.
"Leave." Cat demanded.
…
Just less than a week after her death, Jade's parents planned for her memorial service and funeral. After the news of her tragic passing, everyone had decided to pay their respects to her. Some people from Hollywood Arts showed up just out of pure fear that she would haunt them if they didn't. After Cat was released from the hospital, she had a complete mental breakdown. She hadn't worn a single article of pink or purple clothing in a week, she only wore sad colors. Tori received several messages labeling her as a murderer and blaming her for Jade's death. Even though everyone was terrified of her, Jade had a special place in each of their hearts, because they had grown accustomed to her bitter spirit, and they knew they could always count on her to give the harsh truth of their lives. The thought of never hearing her scream again, actually saddened many people.
"Beck, honey? Are you getting ready?" Mrs. Oliver asked softly, waiting for a reply on the other side of the door.
It was the day of Jade's memorial service, and Beck hadn't left his room since he got home from the hospital. While Andre, Tori, and Robbie were telling Cat what had happened to Jade, Beck went outside to get fresh air and call his parents. After realizing that their son needed them, they rushed home from Cancun. Mrs. Oliver even convinced Beck to move back into his old room. Not permanently, but she wanted to keep an eye on him just in case he decided to do something drastic. Even though he kept the door locked, Beck's parents knew he was still doing alright, because they could hear him pacing the floor from the lower level of their home. Also, Mrs. Oliver would leave plates of food out for him, and when she would walk past it in the morning, it appeared to be eaten. It wasn't completely consumed, but a few bites here and there meant her son was at least making an effort.
"Sweetie, your father and I are leaving." Mrs. Oliver called from the hall just before she headed downstairs to drive to the memorial service.
"I'll meet you there." Beck announced. It had been days since either of his parents heard him speak, so they took his four words as a sign of healing.
…
Beck's parents walked into the funeral home alongside a group of a few teenagers. Cat was sitting next to Robbie in the front row. Andre joined them just shortly after, and Tori sat at the end of the row to avoid any further confrontation with Cat. She knew that this would certainly not be the time nor place to continue their argument. She left a spot open for Beck, hoping that he would see it when he arrived and sit with she and everyone else. After all they needed each other now more than ever before. Tori's parents sat a few rows back, where Beck's parents sat as well. In the row behind Jade's closest friends, sat Sikowitz, Helen, Lane, Festus, and other staff from Hollywood Arts, followed by rows and rows of both currents and former students such as Sinjin and Burf, as well as some of Jade's distant family members. Her immediate family sat together in a special section up towards the left corner of the room to have a little more privacy. There was a large open space where a podium stood. Just a few weeks ago, a podium stood to announce the beginning of the rest of Jade's life, but now one stood to mark the end of it. Behind it, sat Jade's casket. It was black and surrounded by different flower arrangements her family and friends had given her parents. The lighting inside the funeral home was dark and depressing. Sad, soft tones of a piano played behind mourner's cries. Everyone cried for different reasons. Obviously most were crying because her life came to an end much too soon, but her closest friends knew that the overall mood of the situation was dark and dreary, and Jade would have loved it, but she wasn't able to experience it like they were, and that upset them even more. When the wooden benches finished filling with people, a priest stood at the podium to begin speaking.
"Where's Beck?" Robbie whispered to Andre once he noticed the seat next to Tori was still empty.
Andre shrugged. He assumed Beck was either sitting with his parents or with Jade's family, but he didn't bother to survey the sea of people, because he was too busy trying to pay attention to the priest who was now announcing that anyone who felt they would like to say a few words about Jade, could do so. Sikowitz stood up and all eyes watched as he made his way to the podium.
"As her teacher at Hollywood Arts, I watched Jade grow from her early teen years, to a wonderful young lady. Sure she was a tough pill to swallow, but I learned to appreciate her bitterness and accept her negative ways. We all did. I think that's why we're all here. She meant something different to each of us. Whether she shoved you out of the way in the hallway or shared a weird conversation with you, one thing's for certain; she affected you in some way, and we should thank her for bringing us all together to celebrate the life she had. It's a pity it had to happen this way, but I encourage you to make a friend today. You may not like the same music nor have the same sense of style, but you all have one thing in common: Jade." Just before walking back to his seat, Sikowitz turned towards the back of the room where her coffin sat, sighed, and thanked her quietly.
After a few more speeches, people paid their respects to Jade's family one by one. Still, there was no sign of Beck. Even though no one saw him, he did show up. He left before it was his turn to walk up to Jade's parents, but he did attend the service. He just couldn't bring himself to face his friends. He was worried Cat would be mad at him for what he had done with Tori—assuming Jade had told her—and he didn't want to sit up at the front and have everyone staring at him with sorrow in their eyes. He didn't need the pity of strangers. He needed Jade.
…
The next morning, Beck's parents were getting ready to leave for Jade's burial. It was a foggy day in Los Angeles, very unusual, but most assumed it was Jade's way of telling them she was watching. She loved the cold weather, and longed to experience it in New York, but a chilly day in California was always more exciting to her because it was completely unexpected and out of the ordinary.
"Beck, the funeral starts in 45 minutes. Are you coming with us?" Mrs. Oliver called for her son.
"No." Beck replied shortly.
"Son, you are coming, right?" Mr. Oliver asked.
"Just go." Beck demanded.
…
Jade's coffin had been transported from the funeral home to the spot her parents had picked out for her to be buried. It was under a tree and had a beautiful view of the beautiful Hollywood hills. As those who attended her memorial service the previous evening gathered around the casket that was still above ground, waiting to be buried, Jade's closest friends made their way to the front of the crowd. Beck decided to join them, because he knew they didn't see him the day before. After a few more words from the priest, it came time to start the burial. Something no one was looking forward to. As Andre sang, everyone watched as the casket lowered slowly. When it was about halfway into its permanent spot, the mourners were invited to place a rose inside to be buried with Jade. Her parents had bought the reddest roses they could find. They were such a deep shade of red that they almost looked black, which they knew Jade would absolutely love. One by one, red roses were placed into the hole as those who threw them in, wiped tears from their faces. Cat, however, brought her own flowers. She had two bright pink roses. One to symbolize her and the other for Jade. Had she given the flowers while Jade was still living, she knew Jade would pretend to hate them, but once everyone was out of the room, she would have placed them in water to make sure they didn't wilt, which would make Cat happy. Just before dropping them inside, Cat placed her face to the petals.
"Best friends forever, Jade." Cat whispered as she placed both roses together, and dropped them on top of Jade's casket. She began to weep and fell into Robbie's chest while the coffin lowered completely.
Helen and Sikowitz had put together a small gathering after Jade's funeral to celebrate her life and share memories in a little bit of a happier setting. As the tractor arrived to begin filling the hole with dirt, everyone who wished to attend the small gathering, started to walk away to head over to Hollywood Arts.
"You coming, man?" Andre asked when he noticed Beck standing with his hands in his pockets, just staring at the pile of dirt being prepared to cover Jade.
"Um, yeah. I'll be there in a bit." Beck replied.
When everyone was gone, Beck walked over to the tree and sat with his back against it to watch as the dirt poured over the only person that could make him smile even on the darkest days, much like today. As her resting place filled with dirt, Beck remembered every detail of their time together. Their first date, all their stupid, pointless arguments, their first kiss, and their last, all came to mind. He smiled as he remembered Jade. She changed his life and he would always regret what he did to her. He sat back and remembered her weak voice saying 'I love you too' to him in the hospital. Those words would haunt him forever, and he knew no other woman would ever make him feel the way Jade did when she said that.
Author's Note: Although I wish this was better, I hope it was satisfying(aside from obvious reasons why it isn't). I was super swamped with studying for finals and work, but I made this the best I could. I couldn't label this story as 'tragedy' before, because it would give away the ending, but I've changed it now! Next chapter will be the last for this story, so let me know if you have anything specific you want me to put in! Make me happy and review?(: