Never Opened Myself This Way- Zacky Vengeance

So Far Away

Hey guys! So here's another chapter. Sorry it took so long. Please let me know how you guys like it or not. Thanks :)

Briley couldn't believe what her eyes were seeing. She stared down at the paper in her hands and tears started to flow. It was a letter from Jason Berry. After 3 years, they finally found her. It wasn't like she was hiding from them but she didn't expect them to find her, let alone Jason. And definitely not under these circumstances.

Briley, I hope this reaches you. I hope you're doing good for yourself. You always deserved nothing but the best. I had Val do some research to see if she could find some contact information. Your mom's address was the closest thing we could find. I wish I could've come to you with better things to say but sadly that's not the case. I thought this would be easier to say via a letter but it's still one of the hardest things ever. Here it goes... Roxxi has passed away. She was in a car accident. A drunk driver, to be exact. I know this is tough to hear. Again, I'm sorry that I have to be the one to tell you this. I only wish that I was there to comfort you especially because I know what it's like to lose a best friend. The thing is, while going through her stuff, I found her journal. It was definitely tough to go through. She had pages and pages of great memories and personal pages for each one of her best friends. You were in that book. Specifically saying how you two never really did see eye to eye but she loved the shit out of you. We are having her funeral next Monday and I was hoping if it isn't too much to ask, to see if you could say a few words. She really did love you and I know it would mean a lot to her.
Please think it through and only if you're ready to come back to Huntington, please say a few words at her funeral. Thanks, JB Dizz.

Briley was full blown crying at this point. She lost one of her best friends and the pain was a little too much to bear right now. A door opening and closing brought Briley back to reality. She looked up from the letter still crying. It was one of her friends, Lauren.

"It's time.", the short, dark haired girl finally spoke up. Nothing but empathy in her eyes as she watched Briley nod and stand up from the hotel mattress. Briley walked over to Lauren and hugged her. She then tried to compose herself the best she could. She folded the letter from Jason that she received a week ago up and put it in her clutch along with her speech. She was finally back in Huntington Beach but unfortunately not for a reason she wanted to be there for. She hadn't replied to Jason's letter so no one was expecting her to be there. So you could only imagine the look of disbelief on their faces when she stood at the podium. Jason and Val's face on the other hand wore small smiles, glad that Briley decided to show up.
Briley looked up from her speech and eye balled the small crowd that came to mourn her best friend. She tried to avoid the second row where all the guys and their girls were sitting. She tried even harder to ignore those green eyes, knowing that if she looked straight at them, she would probably start balling again. Briley adjusted the microphone with her shaky hands and cleared her throat.

"Wow.", was all she could say at first. She didn't really know what to say and her speech that she had previously wrote, she paid no mind to it.

"I was 16 years old when I first met Roxxi. She was the obnoxious red head in my french class. She would always interrupt the class and I hated her for it because all I wanted to do was to learn french. Fast forward 10 years and she was still the same obnoxious red head but she was by my side. I've made a lot of mistakes in my life and Roxxi was the first one to point them out. But she was also one of the very few who stood by my side through all of them. She was like a big sister to me. Always correcting or trying to correct my wrongs. And if she was here now, she'd probably that I was doing this wrong.", Briley started. A few tears started to escape from her hazel eyes.
"She had many bad traits about her and some of you can vouch for that. Everyone does. But I truely believe that her good traits outweighed the bad. She was just a 20 something year old girl who was dealt a shitty hand in life. Her father left before she was born, her mother was a drug addict. They left her all alone to fend for herself. In a world that you can't face alone. I always told her that I wished I could take all the bad she had been dealt away from her. So she wouldn't have to feel the pain. But if I did that, then I don't think that she would've been the hard ass we all grew to love. She always swore that she never had many friends. Well Rox, you are wrong.", Briley continued and she looked at the portrait of the red head smiling from ear to ear.
"These people sitting here today not only are your friends, but we are all your family. And we would never let you walk alone in this world. So Roxanna Felicia Howard, we ask you to watch over all of us. To guide us through our toughest times as if you were still here with us and to stand with us through our best times as well. You will always and forever be missed. I love you Rox.", Briley said as more tears escaped her eyes. She again was full blown crying. As was everyone else in the room. She collapsed to her knees as the tears began to pour even harder than before. Roxxi was Briley's rock for the longest time and now her rock was gone. Briley was snapped back to reality when she felt someone wrap their arms around her waist. They pulled her back to her feet and she looked up to meet Jason's sympathetic eyes. All she could do was throw her arms around his neck and cry into his chest. They stood at the podium crying for what seemed like forever. Jason loved Roxxi more than anything. He had finally met a girl who not only put up with his crazy antics but someone who joined in on them. Now the only girl that he ever loved was gone. The two were brought back to reality when Lauren came up to take Briley back to her seat. Briley and Jason sat back down in their seats and the funeral continued.
After the funeral, everyone was invited back to Matt and Val's house for refreshments. Briley contemplated even going. She wasn't sure if she could handle anymore emotions today.

"You know we don't have to go, right?", Lauren questioned from the driver seat.
"We can go back to the hotel and watch movies or something.", she continued.

"We have to go. I need to at least make sure Jason is going to be alright. He loved her more than anything. We can leave after that.", Briley said while wiping away the remainder of tears from her cheeks.

Lauren started the car and drove off to Matt and Val's house. They parked a few houses down. Briley couldn't bear to go in and see everyone so she sent Lauren in to find Jason. About 5 minutes later Val came walking towards the car.

"You really thought you could get away from seeing me.", Val said and pulled Briley into a giant hug.

"Not at all Val, how are you doing?", Briley said as she returned the hug.

"I'm doing good. Nothing changes with us, but forget about me. What about you, how are you doing? I love the dark hair", Val said pulling out from the hug. They both sat on the hood of the car.

"I'm doing good considering. I moved back to New York, I'm living with Lauren now. She's great. We both work at a hair salon.", Briley explained briefly. She had to admit, it felt weird talking to Val after everything that happened. When Briley left Zack, she didn't tell anyone else that she was leaving. She kind of just left without any warning.

"That's great, I'm glad you're doing good.", Val said. Then there was a long pause between the two.

"How's Zack?", Briley finally plucked up the courage to ask.

"He's doing good. He's not with Gena anymore. She's long gone out of the picture. He's still doing his Vengeance University work. He's just your typical Zacky", Val explained.

"He misses you, you know?", Val added but before Briley could say anything she heard someone call out her name. She looked up to see Jason running towards her, Lauren walking behind him. She jumped off the hood of the car and opened her arms for a hug. He practically tackled her. He picked her up and spun her around.

"How's my girl doing?", Jason asked while putting her back on the ground.

"I'm doing good. What about you?", Briley asked.

"Eh, I've been better. Can't believe she's gone", Jason said.

The four of them talked for about a half an hour.

"You should come see the rest of the guys. They'd love to see you.", Jason said.

"Nah, I think it's best for me that I don't right now. I've been through enough emotions today.", Briley partly lied. She did want to see the other guys but was afraid that seeing Zack would hurt too much.

"But maybe we'll see you guys during the Mayhem Festival. We're planning to go to the New York and Pennsylvania shows.", Lauren chimed in.

"I hope so. I'd love to see you on the daily again Bri.", Jason said.

"Give me your phone. I'll put my number in there so when the time comes you can call me.", Val said reaching for Briley's phone.

Val put her number in Briley's phone and they all exchanged their goodbyes. After Briley and Lauren drove off to their hotel. Then tomorrow was back to New York.