I walked into the funeral home, my vision blurred by the tears rimming my eyes. I stood in line with everyone else, waiting for the dredded moment of seeing your dead loved one. I felt dizzy as I walked to the casket. She was dressed in a white dress that hugged her perfect curves, her hair was in curls, her makeup done perfectly. It reminded me exactly how she always was. She was delicate, but perfect, as though she was a flower, or perhaps an angel. Most people are afraid to even near the casket, but I traced my finger over her sunken cheek. I whispered "I love you, Rosemary." and walked to her parents.
"I'm so sorry." The first of my tears fell. Her father, who was a second father to me, squeezed me into a tight hug. Then her mother, the kind and beautiful face I'd grown to know as family, wrapped her dainty arms around me. I nuzzled my head into her neck, breathing in the scent of lavender and her expensive perfume.
"She wanted you to have something of hers." Her weak voice whispered. She grabbed a book from the chair behind her and handed it to me.
"Thank you." I stood there for a minute, taking in what was really happening. A sob racked through my chest. "I miss her so much." I covered my face.
"We miss her too, Katrina." And in that moment, I realized that not only did i feel the weakest I've ever felt, but so did many other people in this stuffy, tear filled room.
I sat through most of her service before I was called up to recite my speech made for Rose.
"This is not only the hardest moment of my life, but I know it is for Rose's parents. I'm not really sure how any of this is fair. I don't mean fair to me. I mean to Rose. This is not the way someone is supposed to go. She should've been able to grow old. To make mistakes, but learn from them all. She should've been able to become wise, to have her own children and to help them grow as she had. But the plain and simple fact is that she can't." I choked on my words. I didn't like having to recite this stupid speech that I'd planned. "Yanno what? I planned this whole speech. I can't stand thinking that I'm at my best friend's funeral, and that I have to be another robot among the rest of us. So no, I won't talk about how brave and heroic Rose was, although she really was. That's not what Rose would want. She would want me to be me. Rose and I met in fifth grade. The first words she said to me were "You like the Jonas Brothers?!" because I had decided to wear my Jonas Brother's shirt for my first day of school here. On our first sleepover, we had Mrs. Klein help us make chocolate cupcakes at midnight, and we didn't get a blink of sleep that night. We were in the same class together all through middle school, and every one of our teachers went nuts, we never stopped talking. I remember a group of boys picking on me once in seventh grade, and Rose decided to punch on in the face and get detention for me. I practically lived at the Kleins' house, we were so close. So no, maybe this isn't fair. Maybe the world did an unjustice to Rosemary Anne Klein. But I can't change what happened. And although I'll move on with my life, Rose will always be my sister. Thank you." I stepped off the stage with tears running down my face. Mrs. Klein hugged me tightly.
Then we went to her grave sight. This was probably the hardest part of the day. They lowered Rose's casket into the ground. I looked at the charm bracelet that she had given me for my 15th birthday. I breathed as deeply as I could, trying to calm myself down. I realized that seeing my best friend in her casket was the last time I'd ever see her again. One last tear rolled down my cheek as I dropped a single black rose on her grave, turned around, and left for home.
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Hey! I think this is probably my best idea for a story yet, and I'm very excited to write this.
To be honest, I cried writing this chapter :'(
How do you think Rosemary died???
Comment!
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Love you guys!!!
~Christina <3
