Mile high club

One

"May you Rest In Peace grace we love you so much" I whisper as I drop a single white and pink rose onto the the dark wooden casket that contains her small and fragile body before tossing some soil onto the casket that was lowered into the ground just minutes ago.
I sniffle as I wrap my sweater closer to my body feeling the cold nights chill coming. Walking back to the remainder of our friend group I receive 4 pair of arms wrapping around my body, vibration can be felt as my friends struggle to keep their emotions stable.
Finally the priest finished with his prayer. 8+ guys grab shovels and start to fill the hole that my best friend rests in.
Grace's mom Abby turns to face us as she brings her arm to rest on my shoulder.

"why don't you guys come over i'd hate for you guys to go home alone" Casie was quick to reply

"Of course we'd be there" Abby nods as she joins us for yet another group hugs

~

Abby laughs as her sister points out a picture of grace re-living the fond memory.

Janet stands up with tears in her eyes

"Hey Abby do you mind if I go up to grace room?" She spoke so quietly it was unlike her, she was the most outgoing and loudest from us all, then again grace and Janet were the closet of friends it was just Kayla , Casie, scarlet and I when we met grace and Janet in middle school.

"Oh of course! Help yourself to her things, her father and I decided it's best to donate then to let them fade in old cardboard boxes" she says with a sad smile which Janet returns looking at us then up to the stairs.
I stand up deciding to follow my best friend to grace's room.

We make it up the steps as Janet slowly opens her room low creaking sounds fill the quiet hallway.
I look into the light blue almost gray colored room, pictures of us hanging on the wall along with some paintings and drawings.
I walk up to her dresser picking up a gold heart necklace I gave her for her 13th birthday well my parents bought for me to give to her.
I smile as I bring the piece of jewelry up to my chest, squeezing it tightly in my hand as I try to fight off the tears welling up in my eyes.

"Yo is this what I think it is!?" Kayla said scarring me
She stands up from in the insanely messy closet holding a what looks to be journal.
The girls and I surround her as she flips the pages too fast to read.

"Ehem, what are you guys looking at?" Abby said from the door I glance over at Kayla to see her tucking the book in her hoodie.
She walks over to us looking at my hands.

"she really loved it" Abby said with a sad smile

"She only ever took it off when she would shower, she took really good care of it"
She held out her hand as I give her the gold heart, she opened the locket from the side reviling two separate picture one being a selfie of grace sticking her tongue out as her eyes cross to look at her nose and me sitting on the left with my hands pulling on my cheek as I stick my tongue out with one eye close and the other open, on the other picture it would be hard for someone to see our faces but I remember that night so well I don't have to see our faces to know we have the biggest smile, I was on the right and grace on the left.       My parents had just dropped us off at school I had a black suitcase with a red sleeping bag tied to the top, grace's suitcase was blue with white pica dots. I was slightly hunched over as grace had a slushee in one hand and the other faced towards me as she tried to tackle me. Eighth grade camp. I don't know how my mom managed to take the picture but it definitely was my favorite.
It showed how our friendship truly was.
I smile remembering one of my favorite moments in my life.

"I want you to keep it, it's what she would have wanted" she said closing the locket and turning me around, I lift up my hair so it was easier to put the chain on.

"Thank you" I said resting my hand on the heart.

"It's getting late I think we should go" Kayla said interrupting me, I roll my eyes I know better than to take what she says and does to heart she just likes to get to the point.

"I guess you are right, Robert and I are going to start going through her
things next Wednesday so if you guys want to help or get some more things you guys are more than welcome anytime"

"Thank you Abby" Janet said hugging abby and saying their goodbyes