Diamond in the Rough (WattpadPrize14)

Epilogue

"For those who don't know me, I am Eva Lawson, one of Jess' best friends." I addressed sincerely to the friends, families, and teachers. "We were best friends since first grade. So many wonderful memories were made. It was a friendship that lasted well over a decade.

"Jess Mckinnon lived a realistic life. Not everything was perfect about it, but she sought the best in everything, which was something I valued in her."

I took a deep breath, scanning my eyes through the crowd to give them time to let my words sink in. I saw Charlie and his mother in the third row, with a lot of the other seniors behind him, and many more students and staff beyond. It made me a little sad that so many people came, because that meant that they too had lost someone.

It was a sea of black clothing, with splotches of purple on everyone. We all had a purple flower on us. It was dark purple in the center with long, violet petals encircling it. The boys had purple flowers pinned to their shirts and girls had it in their hair. Purple had been Jess' favorite color, and the flower represented the fact that she blossomed before many of us. You didn't see purple flowers often. They were special and hard to find, just like her. 

The little piece of nature made us look vulnerable and innocent.

I had dreaded the funeral ever since I found out when it was going to be. It meant that there was no going back. What happened did happen, and it could never change.

I straightened my back and rested my hands on the podium, reciting the eulogy I knew by heart. "When she was around everyone, she was full of spirit and helpful. I remember one time, after a break down, she sat down next to me and asked what was bothering me. After explaining a rough situation, she stayed and lightened my mood without even trying. She gave me advice, and somehow understood me even though she wasn't going through what I was. Jess was a great friend, and she made me, as well as a lot of us, a better person."

My mind thought back to how peaceful she looked with those flower petals surrounding her when we found her in the warehouse. Oh, how kind of Charlie's dad to to cover up the smell.

The court confirmed that he would be sentenced in prison for twelve years. It was too short in my opinion, but I'd promise that I'd leave before he was released. I was going to get away from the city my best friend died in eventually.

A light summer breeze blew a tiny wisp of hair in my face. The trees with their new leaves swayed back and forth. In the front row of the chairs that were set up, I saw a chagrin-filled smile from her parents. I saw pride in their eyes, which lit up the heart in my chest.

"Boy, she loved making everyone laugh. She'd find some cheesy jokes and randomly tell them.

"I think a lot of us knew her as multi-talented." A smile tugged at my lips as I thought back to all the clubs she joined. "She loved trying everything, and ended up being really good at the majority of them. She swam, she played the guitar, wrote stories and poetry, edited photos." I let out a soft chuckle. "I think at one point she tried to do it all at once."

They all smiled, and I bet that in their minds, they were trying to imagine it.

"A unique trait of hers, was her love for quotes." I said. "It added to her wisdom.

"Wisdom comes from experiences, which she's had a lot of, both good and bad. She handled it well and passed on her advice to anyone else going through a tough time, or motivated someone with a quote."

I dropped my head and let some tears flow into my eyes. I fingered the extra purple flower I took and crumpled it, tearing it apart in my hands. They loosened on the flower and it lay there. It was my last moment to mourn over my best friend. After that, I'd have to continue on with my life. She spent her whole life being happy, even when she wasn't. It was the positivity that made a person better. I was going to make her happy by being happy.

I could not dwell on the past.

I slowly blinked the tears away. The wind picked up. The pieces of the flower, and even the core, blew away. Where? I didn't know, but wherever it landed, it would blossom again. Once you're torn a part, you can remake yourself, just like that flower. It would continue to spread it's beauty. It would always move along .

It was time for me to move on.

With my chin in the air, I faced everyone again.

"There was a time she told me a quote, that she happened to have thought of herself. I forgot all about it, until I found it again, written in her journal. I will never forget it, because it definitely taught me something, and I hope you'll learn and live by it too."

I looked at Ryan, his hands in his lap, looking up at me. I don't know what would've happened if he wasn't there for me. He was the reason I was still sane. He was the reason I wasn't shutting the world out and crying alone at home all the time.

Ryan always checked up on me to make sure I was alright, and I appreciated him for that. He was my crutch when I needed him. We put our differences aside and grew closer, promising to always be there for one another.

A subtle nod was given to me. He smiled and patted the flower over his heart.

I opened the journal I'd held captive ever since she left, and went to the one random page that I could open to with my eyes shut.

It was time to end my eulogy, and I had contemplated in so many ways to end it, until I decided it had to be with her words. It was the best way for all of us to live on if I did so. The quote would be the only way I would be able to continue on. It would always be tattooed in my heart.

I took a few seconds off to look at the sky, and squinted. It was cloudless. It was a stunning shade of blue, and the sun shone bright.

It can't be a coincidence.

I said my last words.

"The world is never completely dark. The light is always there, even if it's not visible—you just have to find it. When you do, things will get brighter."

And they certainly did.

╰☆╮

The end :')