Allie's funeral occurred a few days after her death. I had spent those days curled up in my bed as I poured out tears, screamed and threw up. The only time which I would venture out from beneath my comforter would be to go the toilet when I needed to barf or needed to use it. I refused to eat. No matter how much Macy, Myron and anyone else begged me to take a bite, I refused. I couldn't eat. Even if I did, it would end up swirling around some gutters after being riled up my throat and flushed down the toilet. To say I was a mess would be the understatement of the century.
We all gathered around in the cemetery as the priest stood, talking about Allie as if he had known her personally. The urge to punch was so undeniably strong. A couple of us from Gracelane went up to speak about Allie too. It started off with Genevieve, Skyy and Kala all having their turn, speaking and crying for Allie although they had only actually spoken to her for some time on the bus journey here. The whole while I stood, my hands balled into fists and I created a hard barrier of stone around my eyes.
Don't cry Avery. Don't cry.
Being who I am, I didn't succeed and the tears inevitably shot down my cheeks. It was not until a familiar black haired boy with piercing green eyes stood to speak that I placed my entire attention on what was happening for I wanted to hear what he had to say.
"I didn't know Allie for as long as I would have wished to. I would see her around school, laughing as she walked until she shed tears. She was in a few of my classes as well and she was always that girl who would giggle at your every word, know every right answer to questions the teachers asked her and know how to have a fun time. However, I only properly met Allie at the beginning of summer on the day which we were supposed to leave for here. Ever since that day I had this absurd theory that we were special, Allie, Avery and I. I came up with it all from knowing that there was the tradition that each kid from Gracelane High School that came from Tallahassee to here, Evan's Point, had to have a stereotypical title. But we didn't. Avery and I shared the same title of 'the cool kids' and Allie, well, she was simply 'the best friend'. I knew from then there was something happening and we were special. Allie believed in this theory of mine that we were. We were special. When we reached here we learnt things about this place we would never have imagined in a million years to be real; magic. We met Evan."
Gasps surrounded around us but I knew, Myron was not done. I knew what he was about to say. I knew exactly what he was about to say. He was not going to let Allie die in vain.
"We met Evan, and we learnt something that we never would have imagined in a million years. We're family. My name is not Myron Winters. It is Myron Willows, son of Evan and Macy Willows. And that girl there."
Myron pointed in my direction and heads immediately turned towards me. I found myself burning up, eyes wide. I didn't see this coming. I didn't know what Myron was about to say. What more did he have to say? It was him that we had learnt about. It was him we had learnt about that was not who he thought he was.
"She is not Avery West. She is Avery Henderson, daughter of the late Kyle and Marissa Henderson who was taken in by my mother when her parents passed away."
My breathing hitched, my heart raced. I could not believe what I was hearing. These foreign words which entered my ears. These absurd sentences which described me. I didn't know why, but it all made sense. Those people back in Tallahassee, my mother, father, Milo and Adrienne, the reason why they treated me like they did; like I wasn't their family. Because the truth was, I wasn't.
"And this girl who lays before us in this coffin, she is not Allie Merrick."
Okay, now I really did not see that one coming.
