Make Me A Promise (Vic Fuentes Fanfiction)

I'll Take Care Of You

Anna's P.O.V.

          I hate winter... It's cold and brutal, and it takes no prisoners, kinda like cancer. There she was, just laying there, not moving, a picture show playing on the big screen behind her coffin. All the memories any of us had with her showing on that screen.  Recent ones where we celebrated her 38th birthday, or old ones, where she was a baby.  People were doing the usual thing that they do at visitations, reminiscing about the past, some laughing about memories, others crying. The whole town was here, even the mayor and his son. Everyone dressed in black.  I sat in silence in the back room, to my right was Lizzie. She stayed next to me all night. To my left Vic sat back leaning on the arm of the couch. 

          Occasionally people would pass through to express their condolences, saying how much my mom would be missed, or how she was too young to die.  I just sat emotionless, I never said anything I just nodded.  My aunt sat on the other side of the room saying the things that I probably should be saying, but I didn't care. Next to walk in the room was Sam and the mayor. He walked over to us and Vic sat straight up and grabbed my hand. "Well I'm sorry did I miss something since the last time we met..?" He smirked and kneeled down in front of me. He always put on a show for the people, trying to campaign even before he was old enough to run for his father's position. Everyone turned their heads to see what he would do next, I just rolled my eyes. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there Anna! I should have been right next to you through all of this, but school's been stressful and, ya know that's no excuse!" Shelly walked in through the door.  She looked at me and the down to the idiot on the floor. "Please forgive me my dear?" He looked up into my eyes. Why the hell did I ever like this guy?  I was tired of his bullshit. I stood up and he stood up grabbing my hand. "It's not like I wanted you there anyway... I've had Vic and he's been better than a substitute for you, considering you weren't even there to begin with."  The snickering around the room made his face turn redder than a cherry, especially the laugh from his own father.  Shelly was about to die standing by the door.  I grabbed Vic's hand and nudged Lizzie to stand and we walked towards Shelly to walk outside. 

          "Never in my life have I seen that boy's panties in more of a twist than just then." She looked back at the funeral home. "Your momma woulda been proud baby girl." she kissed the top of my head and then lit a cigarette, along with Lizzie.  She turned to Vic, "Her momma hated that boy more than me!"  Lizzie, Shelly, and I all giggled remembering the night my mother found out I'd been suckered into dating him. Vic looked at us confused. "What's funny?"

          "That boy walked in the diner holding hands with our little Anna over here." Shelly began.

          "That woman stood up on a chair and started screaming at him!" Lizzie was choking on her own smoke. I was blushing remembering the embarrassing scene. 

          "Then she jumped down and told him if he broke my heart she would find him, and she would kill him." I finished the story, by then Lizzie and Shelly were leaning on each other for support. "It was much funnier, if you were there." I whispered in his ear.  I took his hand and led him back to the building.  I walked into the room, Sam was sitting in a chair, obviously still mad, he had a pouting face on.  The crowd of people had died down and it was getting late.  The funeral home was closing the coffin but I stopped them for a moment alone with my mom.

          I let go of Vic and the men stepped back.  I looked down at her face, she was still beautiful, she always had been.  I didn't blame her anymore for leaving, nor did I blame myself, I just accepted it, like she told me to.  She was wearing her favorite blue dress, wearing make-up I and Lizzie had put on her. I pulled out a little note I'd written for her, like all the little kids do in the movies. But I meant every word I said in that letter, I wrote it when I was 13, when my father told me mom would probably die from this cancer.  I squeezed her hand one last time before the closed the coffin