Perserverance (Discontinued)

Love is the Key

Lucas came in late the next morning.

"I'm sorry," he said kissing Alice on the cheek, "I had a doctors appointment." The words hit her like the blast of a cannon.

"How did it go?"

"They're operating tomorrow. "
She hugged him tightly. As he left for first period she noticed his necklace fall to the ground. She didn't have time to catch up with him, so she shoved it into her pocket and took to her own class. The next day all she could think about was lucas' surgery. She couldn't bare to lose another friend. Bella hugged her tightly, and tried to focus her mind on other things, but it kept coming back to Lucas. She tried calling him all night, but he wouldn't pick up. The next day, he wasn't in school. She started to panic. The morning announcements opened with, "As I'm sure you've all heard," she looked over at Bella, both their eyes watering.
"Lucas Haffler's Glioblastoma removal surgery was unsucessful. We all are asked to wear grey on Monday in honor of this young man."

She stormed out of the classroom and into the girls' bath.  She slid down on the floor and started crying like a baby.

"Why does everyone I love have to die?" She screamed at nobody. Her voice echoed off of the ivory.

"I'm still here." She looked up at the mirror. Bella was walking in behind her.

"I'm sorry, I just meant-"

"No, I understand." She put her arms around Alice.

"I know you liked him too," Alice whispered.

"No I did not!" Bella laughed. Alice playfully glared at her. "Okay, maybe a little."

"I knew it."

"But not as much as you!"

"He was my boyfriend!"

"Whatever!" They both laughed, but still Alice felt sick to her stomach. All day her guts were knotted. She got home, and her father told her that the wake was scheduled for Sunday.

"He's not getting cremated?"

"Apparently not," he said. "Look, I'm really sorry for your loss. I know it hurts, but he's in a better place."

"A better place? I'd much rather him be here in my arms, not walking around on clouds with old people."

"Alice,"

"What about those doctors? Don't they know how to do their job?"

This struck a nerve. Alice's dad used to be a nurse.

"Alice, they try as hard as they can! Sometimes, there's just nothing you can do, and they probably feel awful! They have to live with it for the rest of their lives."

"They should feel awful."

She fingered the locket she had kept in her pocket again today.

Her father kissed her and sent her to her room to rest. She was too stressed out. 

The morning of the wake, she dressed in her mother's silky black dress, with a white and black overshirt and black boots.

She sat silently the entire car ride, tuning out the obscure music in the background.

When they got there she raced to the casket at the front of the row.

She looked down upon her beloved. His face was so pure and beautiful. His skin,  aside from a scar across his left temple, was perfect, almost inhuman. She looked across the pews, all of her friends we're gathered in the back corner. She turned back to lucas, and remembered the key in her pocket. She pulled it out, and turned it over and over in her fingers. She kissed it and gently put it around lucas' neck, clicking it shut. She layed it down on his still chest, and joined her friends. 

"We are gathered here today," the priest began, "in honor of this bright young man, Lucas Haffler. He was lost due to an unfortunate mishap during brain surgery for his Glioblastoma. He was  a very loved, enthusiastic little boy with a lot of heart, and on his behalf, we have a few who would like to speak."

One by one, his mother, father, sister and brother, and a few friends all spoke good things about Lucas to a crowd of people who didn't care. Finally, it was Alice's turn.

"Lucas was always a jerk," she started, "He had the rudest remarks, and he just didn't know how to keep his mouth shut, or when to stop. But neither do i, and that's why I love him. We haven't been dating for very long," her voice wavered, "but I've had this huge crush on him since we were like ten." She looked down at her feet as everyone laughed. "Although he was a total ass most times, there were rare moments when he was very sweet. I don't think we should dwell only on these times. When people die, they're often glorified. It's kind of annoying, really. As much as I loved him, I don't really understand why. He was an awful person," she smiled down at his casket, "and that's how we should remember him. If you didn't know the real Lucas - the jerk, and you didn't put up with him everyday, and listen to his remarks just because you want to be near him as much as possible, then you don't deserve to call yourself his friend. We can't talk him up like he was some saint. He wasn't, and that's okay. I accept that." She wiped a tear, "the snide comments about my intelligence are one thing I probably won't miss everyday, but I will miss," she was getting choked up, "my bestfriend, my boyfriend, my key, Lucas."

She walked off the stage, and made her way to the back as everyone clapped with years in their own eyes.

"That was amazing, and completely true!" Brianna said.

"I love you!" Bella said, hugging her. Soon Addison, Jane, Arise, and Sam joined in.

She made her way over to Desmond.

"It was really brave what you did up there. Most people won't admit what you admired tonight."

"Thank you."

"No, thank you." It was will.

"Well, then you're welcome." She said, leaving.

As she stepped out the church back door she saw her friend Tyler leaning against the white brick, smoking a joint and staring into the distance.

"Hey," she said.

He nodded.

"You okay?" She asked, her dress fluttering in the breeze.

"I just can't believe he's gone."

"You and me both." He passed it to her, and she puffed.

"He was one of the only people that actually care about me." Tyler said, "one of the only reasons I'm still standing here."

Her and Tyler had been talking a lot lately, and this hurt her. Maybe it was the fact that her boyfriend had just died and she needed a distraction, maybe it was the weed, or maybe it was the inner player in her wanting to spark a fire because of the fact that Tyler's girlfriend Kira might come around back any moment, but something in Alice brought her to kiss him, and he didn't stop her.