dear alice.

V. GRACE

Everybody was silent when Grace made her way down and back to her seat. All eyes tracked her movements until she disappeared amongst the chairs. Castor kept his eyes on her. The coffee haired girl ducked and weaved but he didn't lose contact. Castor Phillips loved Grace Terray and the way she held herself up on the stage made him fall even more.

Although this is no love story, nor is it the time for a heartfelt confession.

As Grace took Murphy's seat Castor sighed. Both in the form of not having her seated next to him and that Alice's mother was back up on stage.

"Don't ruin the moment Leslie," He muttered under his breath. Leslie was a lovely woman but she was never the brightest in the bunch. She always said the wrong things at the wrong times and never had that means of shutting up. Alice's mother always talked, that's why Castor knew she took after her father. If the hair difference wasn't a give away already.

Luckily She was ushered off stage before she blabbed her mouth again as it was time to head to the grave. Alice would be buried today. Everyone started to file out the same way they had filed in except for the group of friends in the third row, seven chairs from the right. None of them moved.

"It's just finally sunk in," Archie breathed. "I kept thinking, no it wasn't real but it is. It's happening right now."

Castor looked over to Grace but was struck by how defeated Murphy looked. He was pale and his breaths seemed shallow. His eyes darted around the room as if trying to find something that didn't remind him of what today was. Castor made eye contact with Grace and gestured to the boy.

"Your right it is happening. How about we go say our final goodbyes?" She exhaled putting a comforting hand on Murphy's back.

Murphy shook his head.

He shook it more violently and started to bite his lip. Nobody had seen him act this way. The only person who was close to this point was Alice. Oh, Alice. Castor was at a lost for words when Murphy broke down in tears and murmurs of Alice. Turns out she would surprise Murphy for one last time, by reducing him to tears. Tears that cascaded down his cheeks painting heartbreak with every drop.

It was the end of the world for some but Castor knew it was just the beginning for Alice. So as Murphy broke he began to pick up the pieces like she use to.

"Ask ya self this Murph. If Alice was here sitting right next to ya what would she say?" He asked. "Murphy what would she say?!"

"She-She'd tell me that she was there for me and th-that she...She wouldn't say anything. She'd be there though and that's all that mattered. But...But she isn't here anymore," Murphy croaked.

"Yes, she is," Castor brought his hand to Murphy's chest and rested it on his heart. "She's there and she's here," His hand moved to the crying boys forehead then pointed to the sky. "Alice is up there. As long as ya remember her name Alice still lives. Her form might have changed whether ya feel her presence in the breeze, in your heart, in your mind or see her as a star in the night Alice still lives. She's still here with ya and with us."

The group fell into silence. Castor knew he said the right thing because he felt it. Or rather he felt her. He could imagine her smiling at him and placing a hand on his shoulder as if to say 'good job'. He came along way because of that girl and he wasn't about to let her work go to waste. It was that moment that Castor Phillips made a promise he had forgotten about rebirth into something he would never let slip away. Alice Grimsby gave him the benefit of the doubt and for that, Castor Phillips would continue to light the spark in the people around him.

Archie was the first to stand up. He tucked his hands further into his pockets and took a deep breath in. As much as Archie loved to joke around he couldn't make fun of this. Grace was the second with Castor following. Murphy was the last to stand. His knees felt weak but with Castor, Grace and Archie for support he could make it.

Together the four friends slowly made their way out into the cold winter air, which whipped up the second they left the protected walls of the church. A small hand gripped Castor's and Grace locked her other around his arm. She rested her head on his shoulder and Castor held her close. Archie and Murphy, on the other hand, fell into step with each other up ahead.

The two boys weren't the greatest of friends, always getting on each other's nerves but they had one thing in common. Alice was that factor. Alice had brought them all together. And Alice would rip them apart.

Castor heard a sniffle from the girl beside him. Grace had promised herself she wouldn't cry but she couldn't help it. Castor knew that her last words between each other weren't the greatest but he would always remind her they weren't daggers. Soon Grace's sniffles turned into heavy tears and even Castor found himself fighting the rain.

Blurry vision didn't stop him from seeing the two boys prop each other up with supporting arms and it didn't stop him watching Archie rub Murphy's back. Murphy and Archie, in a way, became close that day.

The group of friends finally caught up to the party as the coffin holding the sleeping girl was lowed into her finally resting place.

"I-I thought you guys should have these ones. I know Alice did a lot for you and since you lot were her ah- closest friends. Well, you're the only ones from her school to turn up apart from her teachers. But what I'm trying to say is you were important to Alice and that's why yours are different," Leslie handed each of the friends a rose. In their grasp coloured a deep purple were roses quite different to the white ice ones everybody else had.

Castor watched people throw their own rose down into Alice's grave. Castor watched people cry. He watched Leslie walk away to throw her own bunch.

"It's time to say goodbye," He murmured.

Archie held his rose. Murphy walked forward. Grace threw hers down. Castor took a deep breath. All four threw their rose into the sea of white and mahogany. Then they stared.

This meant goodbye.