Free Bird

Surprise!

"What are we doing?" I ask Ashley as he pushes me towards a plane headed the opposite way from home.
"I'll tell you once we're in the air," he laughs as he ignores my questioning look, "so you can't say no."
I have no choice but to walk forward and take my seat. Right before the stewardess is about to announce final boarding, I hear a familiar voice say
"Thank God we made it."
I turn to see Andy and Juliet sitting behind us and I get nervous. But my best friend has a huge smile on his face as he looks at me.
"Hey man, next time you tell me to wait to board my flight so you can surprise your girlfriend, make sure you give me time to actually make the flight, not almost miss it. I don't want to disappoint my lil munchkin in Florida" he laughs
Ashley laughs right back with him and points to me as he says, "it was her fault, she didn't want to get on the plane."
"I do not like surprises, you know this." I inform

The plane takes off and I sit back and relax. Then it hits me, we're not going with Andy and Juliet to her family, where are we going? What is he thinking? I panic as Ashley fades into a nap. I turn to Andy and Juliet. Andy is asleep, but Juliet is awake and on her phone.
"Juliet?" I ask her and she looks up from her phone, "Do you know where he is planning on taking me?"
She gives me a nervous smile, but tells me no. She knows something, and by that look she knows im not going to like where this plane lands. Why is he doing this to me?


Hours later....
The plane lands and my worst fear is confirmed as I see we are only an hour drive from my hometown. I grab my bag and drag myself off the plane. Andy and Juliet said goodbye as they went to catch a cab for the 4 hour drive to her parents house. I turn to look at Ashley who is smiling bigger than I thought possible.
"Surprise!"
I say nothing, just look at the floor, and try not to pass out. How could he bring me back here? There is nothing for me here but broken pieces and scarred memories.
"You ready to go? I don't know where it is." he asks me
"Where what is?" I ask confused
"Jessica. I want to meet her. That's why we're here." he states as if it was completely obvious
"Jessica?" I let out a huge sigh of relief as i realize I won't have to go back to that house. A weight has been lifted off my shoulders.
I take his hand and lead him to a cab outside. I tell the driver where I need to go and sit back in my seat. I haven't been in this town in 7 months, but of course nothing has changed. The ride is nothing but silence, and when we pull up to the cemetery, a chill runs down my spine. Ashley grabs our bags, and I lead him to her headstone. You can tell nobody has been here since the last time I visited because the grass is starting to over grow. I bend down and start to pull up grass, apologizing to my sister for not being able to keep up with it.
"Hey sissy, I missed you. I'm sorry for not being able to come clean ur site off, but you know I'm bettering myself out West. You knew I was coming though, I'm sure you knew the plan, why couldn't you give me a sign? Or did you want to keep it a secret too? You did love to surprise me all the time, maybe that's why I don't like surprises anymore huh? Cuz you're not here to give them to me."
I feel a hand on my shoulder, and I jump. I turn and see Ashley. I forgot he was here, I quickly wipe the tears from my face. Ashley sits next to me and wraps his arms around me.
"Hey Jessica," he says talking right to her tombstone, God he is so sweet, "thank's for keeping this secret between us, and thank you for keeping Neva safe when you were little, you already know, but I don't know what I would do without her. I've thanked you, and God many nights for her, I just thought I should meet you in person, the best I can right now."
I stare at him disbelief. He talks to Jessica? When? He looks at me in smiles, then looks back at Jessica. I can't help it, I cry. I cry so hard at the memory. Her happy face getting into the car after promising she'd be home in a few hours, that dreaded phone call, the way the hospital felt that summer night, the way it rained on her funeral as I stood by and watched them lower her into the ground, the way I cried myself to sleep countless nights, the many nights I would pass out right here at this spot because of cutting. I just cry and shake as all these memories flood my brain. I feel strong arms wrap around me and hold me, not saying a word, just letting me cry. I look up at him and see the look of understanding in his eyes. We stay like that for a few minutes, before it starts to rain. I kiss Jessica goodbye, and we walk down the road to our hotel for the next two days.