Riarkle One Shots

Keep On

I tried not to cry as the body was lowered into the ground.

My dad has impacted so many people that the church was overflowing. We only invited the family and really close friends to the actual burial. Shawn is holding my mom as she sobs, and Katy is holding Maya. I would be with my best friend, but my little brother needs me.

He's full on sobbing. He keeps asking our dad to wake up, and I am thinking the same thing. There's no coming back from the awful brain cancer that took him away from us.

Eventually everything ends and we are supposed to go out and eat. My mom takes August, and everyone else goes to their own cars. As everyone walks off I stand still.

I stare at the freshly placed dirt and hope that it's all just a big misunderstanding. I don't want to go through this life thing without my dad. He's helped me through so much and I don't know what I'm supposed to do without him. Cory Matthews was one of the best people in the world... and now he's just gone.

I sit on the grass beside him and whisper, "Remember that time when you taught me how to swim? Mom wanted to just push me in since I already had a life vest, but you wanted to teach me. I took off my life vest and jumped in and you caught me. I started practicing strokes while you helped me and then you let go... but I was fine. You've always been a good teacher dad, I'm just not sure you prepared me for this..."

I trial off and cry. I'm not ready to face the world without my dad.

"Please come back," I sob.

"Riles?"

I look up from my hands to see Farkle. "Hey," I say softly.

"We have to go now," he tells me softly. He takes my hands and tries to help me up so we can go, but I'm glued to my spot. I feel like if I move it'll make everything too real. I'll have to accept reality, and I'm not ready.

I shake my head as some tears slip down my cheeks. "I can't."

Farkle's blue eyes full with so much sadness. He kneels down and holds me close to him and mumbles, "I know. I was close with him and it hurts so much. I can't even imagine what you're going through, but he would want you to stay strong and move on."

"How would you know what he would want for me?" I ask a little too harshly.

"Because we both care about you a lot. One of the last things he told me was to take of you and protect you," the boy explains.

"What did you say to that?"

"I said always," he replies, "Because I will always be there for you. I was there for you when we first met I'm here now and I'll be there when we grow up. I'm not leaving you."

I smile into his shoulder. He's one of the best things that's ever happened to me and he's right. My dad would want me to keep discovering because that's the kind of person he was. It's the person I will be forever; in honor of him. When I tell my children about him, I'll talk about how he was funny and caring and always teaching me and my friends about life. I'll make sure he's remembered as the amazing person he was.

"I love you Farkle."

There's a pause. Almost as if he's not sure what to say.

"I've loved you forever and I always will."

He kisses my forehead and then he helps me stand. Then we head to the cars where everyone was waiting and try to go on.

We'll keep on discovering.