dear alice.

I. ALICE

How did they get here? What had happened? They asked themselves these things on the daily but today, especially; their minds ran wild with questions. In front of them a mahogany casket decorated with scattered rose petals sat, which contrasted with their black attire. Tissues were held in every hand, some used others devoid of tears while silence settled and the girl they once thought would be spending their life with faded away to a mere memory.

No one could have known Alice would be the answer. No, not even Alice herself could have known she would end up here so soon. You see Alice Grimsby was dead and that's really all to it.

There were few who were lucky enough to truly know Alice, to see past her smile and appreciate the girl that lay beneath the happiness. Because Alice was always smiling and that is what turned most people away from her. If she was pushed, shoved she'd smile because Alice Grimsby was smart. She knew a smile could both mend and damage a heart.

But that same aura couldn't be seen as the church was filled with broken people. They filed in one by one, taking a seat and holding scrunched up tear catchers. Most were crying by now, sobbing heavily and murmuring her name softly under their breath as if screaming it would wake her from her peaceful sleep. Others sat frozen wishing it were any other circumstance than this one.

A particular group sat in the third row of seats seven chairs from the right in a place they didn't really belong even though they were the few lucky ones. As a group the friends hadn't really interacted with one another only sharing a few classes and on rare occasions hanging out together. The only thing they had in common was simply fact that Alice left a piece of her with them. Whether it was in the form of advice or a gaping hole in the heart each one of them could say the Grimsby girl tore them apart and piece them back together.

"Dundeen's gonna bloody miss it," the boy in the eleventh chair muttered. His posture was far from perfect, his body hunched over as he bounced his leg continuously much to the annoyance of the girl in the tenth chair.

"Have you called him?" She asked gently.

"No."

"Then don't jump to conclusions Murphy, he's probably stuck in traffic or something. You and I both know he wouldn't miss this. . It means too much to him," she said placing a comforting hand on Murphy's shoulder. He stole a quick glance at the coffee haired girl. Her facial expression was cemented in a soft façade, which she used to hide the fact she was broken. Murphy couldn't see past it though, only seeing the calm exterior she put up and the well defined walls.

"If Alice taught me one thing it was to always-"

"Listen to Grace. I know, I know," Murphy sighed finishing the boy from the ninth chairs words. "I'm sorry."

"Your not the only one hurting here Murph," Grace added.

Hand it to Grace to point out the obvious. Of coarse Murphy knew that. He just chose to ignore it. He wasn't selfish; it was just that he lacked to take into account anyone else's feelings. But Murphy wasn't always like that or was it he was and like most things, never realized it. Taking his curly hair into his hands he tugged on it trying to snap his mind away from his thoughts.

"There he is," the boy in the ninth seat said, standing up to wave over another boy who looked rather disheveled. "Dundeen."

Dundeen's eyes found Grace's, Murphy's and the boy in the ninth chairs, instantly widening in relief when he spotted the spare spot next to them. He was just on time and thankful he didn't have to sit next to someone he didn't know. The group watched as the Dundeen's youngest child rushed towards them, muttering sorry to every person he pushed past. When he finally made it to the chair taking up the eighth spot he checked his watch.

"Your god damn late Dundeen," Murphy commented.

"You're using the lords name in vain... in a church, good one Thoma. But that's beside the point. I'm only two minutes late and the service hasn't even started so technically speaking I'm on time."

"Go to hell Archie."

"We're in a church don't use such words."

"Boys!" Grace hissed. "Enough. We are not here to rip each other's throats outs. Alice is why we are here. You owe it to her, so kindly shut up or ill be damned if you speak once more."

Grace's voice grew quieter with each word until the softness hardened to a stern gaze. No objections were made, Murphy and Archie instead directing their attention to the front not daring to utter a word. Grace let her head fall on the boy in the ninth chairs shoulder. She let out a quiet sigh only he could hear.

"You okay?" he quizzed tilting his head to get a better look at her. Grace closed her eyes.

"No Castor we're not."

"We will be."

"Not without Alice..."