ѕtαr-crσѕѕєd lσvєrѕ (α jαѕσn dílαurєntíѕ lσvє ѕtσrч)

Chapter 13: Goodbye Ali

layla's POV

Today's the week before Alison's memorial. The girls and I asked the town if we could build something in honor of her. We spent about two weeks building and decorating all of the items that are going to be in that area.

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The day of her memorial the girls got ready at Emily's but I went over to Jason's. My dress was similar to the one I wore to her funeral, but I felt Ali would be disappointed if I wore the same thing. She didn't have that much power over me because I was the only one who actually stood up to her.

"layla are you ready?" Jason spoke, which interrupted my thoughts.

"Yeah let's go." He took my hand in his and we started walking to the car. At the memorial, Jason walked off to greet some guests and I went over to the girls.

"Hey guys," I said right as I got there. I heard a few 'hello's but no one really started talking. Spencer was looking off behind me, as if she was studying something in the near distance. When I turned I saw Jenna Marshall. Jason said that she asked his mom if she could say a few words. Since she didn't want to rude, Mrs. DiLaurentis accepted her proposal.

"What do you think she's gonna say?" Hanna asked in her curious tone.

"I don't know, but I don't think it will be good," Spencer stated, then Emily and Aria nodded in unison.

"We should probably go in," I said. They just nodded and started for the doors. I sat in between Jason and Spencer. She was talking to the others but I didn't care to join in on the conversation. All I did was set my head on Jason's chest, waiting for Mrs. D to start.

After about ten minutes in, Jason whispered in my ear,"I have to go and lead Jenna to the podium." I just groaned but got off of his chest.

"Now I would like to welcome up Jenna Marshall," Mrs. D said, plastering a fake smile on her face. Jason walked up to the podium, with Jenna on his arm. I felt a slight sting of jealousy, but knew this was nothing to him.

She put her hand onto her paper and started speaking.

"We think we know who we are, but we don't. Not until something bad happens to us. And then all of the useless things fall away, and we're left with who we really are. I learned that from Alison DiLaurentis," she paused,"My whole life, I thought I knew who she was, but I found out the truth when she came and talked to me at the hospital. I found out that she was the strongest person that I had ever met, and it's her strength that touched so many people, shaped them. That's her real legacy. That's how her memory will endure. In the action of those who she inspired in so many different ways. From all of us... thank you Alison." Jason then went up there and lead her back to her seat.

He sat down again and said,"Well that happened." I just laughed dryly, then set my head back down on his chest. The ceremony consisted of a few people speaking, and then the DiLaurentis' lead everyone to see the bench. I shed a few tears. Most of them were out of the realization that she really was gone.

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The bench was beautiful. It was this shiny shade of silver and around it were little statutes of all six of us scattered around a gray fountain. Leading to the bench were little art tiles that my mom suggested we should make. They were small paintings, pictures, or quotes. I put the one thing she said that always stood out to me.

'It's immortality my darlings'

*Flashback*

We were at the lake. It was the summer of 2009.