Part 42 (1/2)

”He loved you all so much,” she says through her tears. ”You know that, right?”

I nod, unable to formulate a sentence.

”Joey loved you, Laila.”

”I know. He was my best friend, we talked all the time-I just don't-I don't know what I'm supposed to do without him.”

Mrs. Parker cups my cheek in her hand and nods but says nothing before walking to her husband. I notice that Cole and Braxton have arrived and walk over looking as destroyed as I feel.

Braxton and Haden drove to my apartment on the night of the accident and brought me to my parents' house, where we waited for Cole until his flight arrived. I keep waiting to wake up from this nightmare because there's no way Joey is really dead.

I'm not sure any of us have slept much in the last four days. We've spent every waking minute together crying and trying to figure out how this could have happened to our best friend.

The funeral director asks everyone to take their seats, and there is standing room only. Mrs. Parker saved us a seat next to her and Mr. Parker because she said we were Joey's family. Haden wraps his arm around my shoulder but keeps his eyes focused ahead. His eyes are bloodshot from the hours of crying with the rest of us. Braxton is sitting on the other side of Haden, anxiously running his hand up and down his leg in an effort to calm himself. But it's Cole that I'm worried about: for all of his bravado and humor, he's a broken man. His head is resting on my shoulder, unable to look ahead and face the one thing that none of us are ready to do.

”Joey Parker the third,” the funeral director starts, but I tune him out. There is nothing that he can tell me about my best friend that I don't already know; there are no words that he can tell me to relieve the ache in my heart, so I close my eyes and wait for Joey to come back to me, even if it's only a memory from the time I saw him last month.

”Lai, meet me at the quarry,” Joey demands. ”I'm leaving soon so we need to hang out before I go.”

”See you in twenty,” I answer.

He has been home for a few weeks, but I've been finis.h.i.+ng up a summer session at school. As soon as it ended, I came home to relax and finally see my guys. It's been far too long since all of us have been home at the same time, even though we talk almost daily.

I step through the bushes and spot Joey sitting at the same spot he used to occupy in our heyday. I walk over and he stands up to give me a big hug and kisses my cheek.

”d.a.m.n, Lai, you look good,” he smiles.

”You're not looking so bad yourself, sir,” I tease. ”What have you been doing today?”

”Just hanging out.”

”Where is everyone?” I ask, looking around.

”They'll be here later,” he answers as he walks me over to my spot.

”I'm so glad you're home. I've missed you so much,” I tell him.

He gives me that grin and I lean my head on his shoulder. ”How can you miss me? You call me every day,” he laughs.

”I can stop,” I joke and narrow my eyes at him playfully.

”Did I say it's a bad thing?”

”G.o.d, I miss you,” I tell him honestly. ”I wish you were here all the time.”

”Sorry, kid, but I have places to be.”

”No you don't,” I counter. ”You know you want to be here forever.”

He looks out at the quarry and nods in agreement. ”Yeah, I'd say this, right here, with you is pretty d.a.m.n perfect.”

”Liar. You're meant for bigger and better things because you're so d.a.m.n smart-you're going to leave all of us in your dust.”

”I wouldn't be so sure about that,” he says with a smile. ”You're meant for bigger and better things, you just have to go out there and grab them. Take everything you can from life.”

”Is that what you're doing out there in New York?” I laugh because I know he is.

”Bet your a.s.s I am,” he says with a c.o.c.ky grin. ”And I tell you what: if you don't do the same thing, I'm going to be p.i.s.sed.”

”Is this why you called me out here? To give me a lecture?”

”I'm older and wiser than you,” he muses. ”So you're supposed to listen to me.”

”You're older by a month. And the smarter part-well, that's debatable,” I tease.

He laughs his loud, boisterous laugh and kisses the top of my head. He seems genuinely amused with my stupid remark, and it makes me laugh along with him.

”Never change, Laila Jude, because I love you just as you are,” he smiles. ”I just want you to be happy and have everything you ever wanted. Are you happy?”

”I'm here with my best friend-I'm very happy,” I tell him truthfully.

”I'll always be here,” he says.

”Promise?”

”Till the day I die,” he answers, hugging me again.

I couldn't stay there anymore, and when I asked the guys to come with me to the quarry, they were quick to agree. The funeral home isn't where I want to remember Joey. I want to remember him smiling, laughing-living. I want to remember all those conversations and world problems that we thought we'd solved in this spot. I want to hold onto all of it for as long as I can.

”The funeral director said, 'He will be missed by many, but will live on in our memories.' I think the best way to remember him is here, in the place he loved so much,” I tell the guys.

This place was our paradise, our escape. Some of my happiest times were spent here with these guys, and though we are brokenhearted, this is what Joey would want. Cole, Braxton, and Haden nod in agreement and one by one walk toward the spots we occupied for so many years, but none of us can bring ourselves to sit.

Cole wipes his eyes and I wrap my arms around him as we cry together. Braxton walks over and pulls both of us to him, his tears joining our own. I look over to see Haden fighting his emotions, but I reach for his hand and he willingly steps toward us.

As we stand together, I hear Joey's words echoed from graduation and it brings a teary smile to my eyes.

We have made friends.h.i.+ps we will have for a long time, while other friends.h.i.+ps have come to an end. Hearts have been broken, only to be patched up when someone new comes along. We made mistakes-lots of them. But we learned. We fought. We laughed. We partied. We did everything we should do in high school. We lived.

We embrace each other painfully aware of our missing piece, but in this moment, I know we are as strong as we've ever been.

These guys have been, and will always be, my solid ground. We will get through this like we have everything else that's come our way.

Together.