Chasing the Stars

Memories

--------Isaac's POV--------

"Hazel? Hazel...HAZEL!!!!!!!!! WAKE UP"...

I ran for a phone and dialed 911 while shouting for anyone who could hear me. Luckily for me, Angelina was still in my room charging her phone. She came running, and upon seeing the scene immediately dialed Hazel's parents number.

"Yes 911, my friend Hazel Grace just passed out on her bed, I'm not sure if she's breathing. She has a faint pulse." I practically screamed at the operators. To which they responded that an ambulance was on the way.

Angelina had called Mr. and Mrs. Lancaster by the time I got off the phone. She told me they were on their way up along with my parents and her Lidewij. When they arrived, the ambulance was already here. The ambulance nurse put Hazel on a stretcher and slid her into the ambulance. The whole way to the hospital I was nervous, and I was still nervous after waiting 3 hours in the waiting room with no news.

A nice nurse named Holly exited Hazel's room and explained to me and Angelina that Hazel was currently the worst she had ever been. They were fighting to bring her back but nothing was garuanteed. I asked if I could see her, and Holly said in an hour if she was no worse than I could see her. This was the longest hour of my life. I had a soda and stared blankly at a wall wondering how I could go on if I lost the second of my two best friends. What would I do without someone to make me laugh when I was depressed about their deaths. I hope Hazel lives.

After a long, tortuous hour, I was allowed in to see Hazel. She hadn't gotten any worse, but she certainely hadn't gotten better. She was still passed out, and she was cold as ice. It was disheartening to see her curled up on a hospital bed at the mercy of her cancer. How does one unsee that?

I sat down next to her and held her hand. Her parents asked if I would wait right next to her while they went to use the restroom. Of course I agreed. About 5 minutes after they left, I felt a slight pressure on my hand and looked. Hazel had opened her eyes. She looked like she had something she needed to say.

"Isaac, I want to thank-you for joining me on the trip of a lifetime. I think you and Angelina are great together. Also, please tell my parents how much I love them. I am going peacefully to Augustus now. I love you like a brother, goodbye, Isaac, see you after you have a long, happy life." She whisper-coughed.

After those few words, she closed her eyes, and I knew she was going, going to Gus.

"Goodbye, Hazel Grace." I whispered. "Thanks for everything."

Her parents came back and I told them she said she loved them, and that she would miss them. They were devastated that they missed her final breaths and they blames themselves for letting her have her own room in the Hotel Filosoof, but Hazel was always independent.

Her funeral was arranged for a few days later, and I was speaking. I knew just what to say though.

On the day of her funeral, I was crying before I even got to the church in Amsterdam. Angelina was hugging me as we remembered the times we had together. I was called to eulogize Hazel.

Hi, my name is Isaac, I was Hazel's best friend, and  she is mine. Over the past year we have traveled the world visiting and noticing. We had some great memories. We ate on the Eiffel Tower, saw the pyramids of Egypt, saw museums and friends. But all of my favorite memories from this trip involve sitting on a bed or a plane with Hazel reading a beautiful story left for us by Augustus Waters, Hazel's star-crossed love. We shared in moments and I am so thankful that Hazel let me read the story he left behind. It showed me a side of Gus that I didn't really know. So I believe that Hazel is now with Gus, wherever they may be, and I believe she is happily watching down on us. I know that we will all have a tough time saying goodbye to Hazel. I know I will because she was and is my best friend. I don't know what to do without her. In her honor, I will find the last chapter of After AIA and I will have it buried with her.  I must end this in a way that some of us may have heard before... Thank- you Hazel Grace Lancaster, for the infinity you gave to each and every one of us. We are so grateful and blessed to know you. Thanks for the memories of a lifetime, Hazel.

They were sending her back to Indiana to be buried next to Augustus tomorrow. I will miss her more than ever, I feel like this makes it final in a way.

--------Hazel's POV--------

I always wondered what death would feel like. If I knew it was this nice maybe I would have died years ago. I was walking across a beautifully lit park to a carved, golden gate. However, I was much more interested by what was leaning on the gate. A heavenly figure dressed in jeans, a white t-shirt, and a brown leather jacket was standing with an unlit cigarette dangling from between his teeth.

"Augustus!" I shouted. "I missed you so much, but the scavenger hunt was amazing." I started to laugh while tousling his soft hair.

"Hazel Grace, it's been too long since I last heard your voice." He replied as I leapt into his outstretched arms.

We walked hand-in-hand into heaven, where he decided to show me some of his favorite places. We started at a restaurant, quite like Oranjee, where we ate amazing food and drank champaigne. Then I was taken on a tour of some beautiful sights and natural wonders, when finally, we came to a tree-swing. I swung and he swung and we swung together, when finally, we sat on the ground and he just stared at me.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked while feeling a sense of deja vu.

"Because you're beautiful. I enjoy looking at beautiful people, and I decided a while ago not to deny myself the simpler pleasures of existence." He answered.

I began to laugh and he continued to stare, when finally he reached to zip up his jacket, or at least I thought that was what he was doing.

"Hazel Grace Lancaster, I am in love with you, and I know that love is just a shout into the void, and that oblivion is inevitable, and that we’re all doomed and that there will come a day when all our labor has been returned to dust, and I know the sun will swallow the only earth we’ll ever have, and I am in love with you. Will you do me the great honor of living out the rest of forever with me?" Augustus asked.

I didn't answer right away because I was completely stunned and caught of guard. After a minute I could tell he was getting nervous. I took a breath and looked up at him.

"Okay." I answered. And so I did not use the stereotypical yes, I used our word. Now okay will always be our always.

He scooped me into his arms, and told me he had one more thing to show me. We were skipping down the sidewalk when he abruptly came to a stop. In front of me was a cute two story, white house. It had a red door with four windows on the first floor and two on the second floor. A white picket fence and green bushes surrounded the house. It was perfect in every way. Gus grabbed my hand and pulled me inside where we sat in front of the fireplace.

"This is ours." He told me.

"Are you kidding? It's perfect! How did you know this is my dream house?" I asked.

"We're in heaven, what did you expect?" He joked.

I can't believe that I get to spend the rest of forever with Augustus. He promised that he would tell me the ending to After AIA, when Isaac finds it. He wants us to finish the story together (sort of).

"Hey Gus?"

"Yeah, Hazel."

"I'm so thankful for our huge infinity." I whispered.

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A/N: Isaac's story after Hazel's death will be told in the next chapter :) I appreciate you all. Sorry it took so long to post, but I was in disney for a week :) I always accept comments and anything else you want to leave for me. I'll try to answer. Thanks for 4K!!!!!!!!!!!        ~Liz

P.S. I love that little squiggle ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~