Nerd-Alert {Muke}

40 - Vanessa's Final Wishes

Suicide is man's way of telling God, 'You can't fire me - I quit.' ~Bill Maher

Third Person POV

"It's a nice looking funeral." Michael commented to the blonde who kept his head down for most of the time. "I don't usually dress up much, so it's odd." Michael was wearing a completely black outfit, dress pants and button up, with a white tie. Luke's was the same, only with a blue tie.

"You know," Michael began. "She would have wanted you to say something."

"I know, we have already discussed this." Luke sighed. On the way over, Michael had convinced Luke to say some words for Vanessa. Hoping it would make him feel better.

Luke was truly the only one who noticed Vanessa in a positive manner in the last weeks of her life, besides the couple of hours before her death.

Vanessa had hung herself in her closer, she was found that morning by her mother, who sat grieving next to her husband.

"Now Luke Hemmings will come up and say a few words." A man said from the front the room. Luke stood up and walked up to the front of the room. Standing there he glanced around the room to see everyone staring at him.

"Hello," Luke said into the microphone. In the moment he felt his confidence drop as everyone was staring at him. But he saw the faces of Vanessa's family and instantly, everything was okay. "You don't know who I am, but that's okay.

"Vanessa and I weren't always friends, in fact I had discovered in the past two months her life changed dramatically. She ended up having sought me out, I was always so..Bewildered that she had chosen me. But, it was her decision.

"Vanessa used to be my bully, but I had no issue forgiving her apology. Which many people found ridiculous or unreasonable, I didn't.

"Because she was just a girl. There was an expression 'sorry doesn't cut it' well what else would someone want, if they couldn't accept an apology? I was never like that, an apology was all I ever needed. A sincere apology is what I received.

"I have no preference for what I am suppose to speak of, you all look so shocked to have lost her. As am I. Half of my being knew what was happening, the other didn't. I wish I had acted on a different being.

"I could tell you that I am sorry for your loss, but I am so sure you have all heard that too many times.

"But, Vanessa had one final request of me. One wish she wanted honored." Luke took a deep breath in. "Natalie, Victor, Brandon, Darren. If you'd please."

The four rose from their seats, everyone would hate them after this but Vanessa's parents deserved a truth.

"Hi." Natalie breathed. "Um..So, you're probably really confused but we all have a confession to make."

"For the past two months we were the kids who bullied your daughter." Victor said, his eyes locking with then family who sat in shock. Eyes wide and filled with fury.

"We had no idea that this would have happened, we were just angry with her." Brandon said as he looked down at the podium.

"Every morning I waited at her locker for her, so I could give her hell." Natalie said.

"Every science class I would push her stuff on the floor." Victor sighed.

"Whenever I saw her in the hallway I would trip her." Brandon said.

"And in public I would make a fool of her." Darren sighed.

"So, clearly we did something wrong here. We pushed someone else too far, and now, well, we know what happened." Natalie sighed. "I could apologize to you all, I could do that. But that's not what I'm here for. I'm here to apologize to Vanessa, because that's all she ever wanted. Was someone to say that they were sorry. Maybe it's too late now, but it's better now then ever. So, Vanessa, on behalf of all of us, I am so sorry for what I've done."