You'll Be Okay

Chapter 36

I placed the bouquet of flowers on the two gravestones - assorted carnations for my Dad and Daniel. Shivering a little from the eeriness of the graveyard at night, I stepped back, unsure of where to begin.

"Well, I'm graduating tomorrow and I really wish you were still here." I shoved my hands into the front pocket of my hoodie. "I'm stalling, I know. But I miss you both so much."

I paused as if waiting for a response from the empty air. Of course, there was none.

"I wish I could say that three years was enough time to grieve." As my throat closed up, I blinked the tears away. "It wasn't and sometimes I wish the universe was kinder to us all. But I love you, Dad. And Daniel - I hope you're both doing okay up there."

At the worst possible timing, my phone rang. It alarmed me so much that I stumbled and almost tripped over somebody's gravestone.

"Sorry," I mumbled with a grimace as I answered. "Hello?"

"I'm going to text you an address," said Tyler's voice. "Can you meet me there in ten?"

I frowned. "Is something wrong?"

"No. Why?"

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever. See you soon."

I hung up and almost immediately, my phone vibrated with a notification. The address that he sent me was only a short drive away.

With a final look back, I trekked through the memorial park where my car was waiting outside the cemetery gates. As I started driving, I had to compose myself so that Tyler wouldn't assume that I was getting misty-eyed over his impending departure. He was leaving for LA in ten days and who knew when we would see him again. Not that I would ever admit it, but I was going to miss Tyler. I was proud of him because he was doing what some people spent their entire lives holding back from. From the bottom of my heart, I hoped he would succeed.

When I pulled up behind Reid's Porsche, he and Tyler got out of the car and came over.

"You're early," Reid noted.

"I was running errands," I replied vaguely. "What are we doing here?"

"You were running errands at 10 PM?" Tyler asked in confusion and then grinned from ear-to-ear as a Jaguar rolled down the road towards us. "Well, that's Dennis. It's time, my friends. Time for one last adventure."

-

"I don't feel so good."

"I think I can see the Mexican border."

"Fuck you, Tyler."

Those were mine, Dennis's and Reid's reactions respectively as we peered outside the window on a helicopter flying fifteen thousand feet above the ground. It was too dark to see anything around us and I was having a mini heart attack.

"Don't be such pussies," Tyler enthused. "Look at that view!"

For adrenaline junkies such as himself and Reid, skydiving wasn't such a big deal. But for Dennis and I who were – excuse the pun – a little more grounded, it was more terrifying than anything else. I really wished I could be on a romantic helicopter ride with Kayley and Jarred but then again, I would rather be anywhere but here.

"What view, Tyler?" Reid demanded, as an instructor checked his straps. "We're above the clouds - it's completely dark outside."

Before any of us could respond, the exit lights flashed green and Reid disappeared with his tandem instructor. It was as if the wind had lifted them straight out of the helicopter.

Tyler whooped in delight. "You're up, Dennis."

After Dennis and Tyler fell through the sky, I moved to the edge of the plane and looked over at the darkness below. Before I knew it, I was plummeting through the night.