The day of the funeral had finally arrived. Every student from grades 10 and 11 were present. Alyssa wore her only black dress.
Damn, she hadn't gone anywhere near a funeral, since...
Alyssa blinked. She wanted to cry, to tears would only ruin the mascara lining her eyes. That was the reason she'd worn them – to remind her that she must not cry.
The church was decorated with white flowers. There was a sweet fragrance in the air, lending quite a contrast to the mourners' feelings. Even the back of the seats bore a single, white rose.
A soft breeze was blowing, brushing past the hundreds of mourners who had invaded the church that day. Friends, family, acquaintances...
Liarane and Ander had had hundreds of people in their funeral, too. Theirs had been a late burial – done weeks after their death, when she had finally woken up from her coma. And that day, those people had seen her shame. They had witnessed her howling and brawling in front of the mic. They had seen her cry and try to tear at her own throat. And they would've seen more, if Brodey and Jen had not dragged her away.
Alyssa slumped into her seat beside Amiya. The priest was offering false condolences to everyone and hoping for Tanya's peace in her after-life.
Then, Majorica went up to the podium. There were tear stains in her face. But she remained strong and stable. Her speech was warm and cold, sad but full of hope.
"She was my sister, my best friend for ever, my confidante, my family, and my little princess. I don't know who killed her. At first, all I'd wanted was justice. But I know she wouldn't have wanted such a messy controversy over her death. So now, all I want is for her to rest in peace. She was a great girl, yes. I lost her. But she isn't coming back! It does make me sad that I'm living while she's gone, but I won't fight her in death. I'll live for her; for Tanya, the fallen Queen."
A fresh tear trickled down her cheeks before she left the platform. No one clapped, but Alyssa knew they were secretly appreciating her strength.
No one had appreciated Alyssa's weakness, and she was regretting now having said her final goodbyes - with courage and stability, despite the heart-wrenching pain - like Majorica had done.
The funeral ended after one hour, and everyone deposited their flowers at the tombstone. Alyssa stood at a distance, watching.
Amiya came to stand beside her. She offered her hand to Alyssa. "Coming?"
Alyssa averted her eyes. "No, you guys can leave first."
Amiya understood. Though they hadn't known Tanya well, everyone had loved her. But she was gone. And soon enough, the whole cemetery was empty too. Cold and empty.
Only then, with faltering steps, did Alyssa walk towards the tombstone beneath which Tanya's little body now rested. The stone stood new and lonely, despite the hundreds of flowers surrounding it.
Alyssa bent down. The epitaph read -
Beloved and Cherished - The Princess.
Alyssa touched the word 'Princess'. No - Tanya Brown had been a Queen. She deposited her flowers, then slowly got up. Her eyes stung.
No. She mustn't cry. But even the fear of ruining the lining around her eyes couldn't stop the tears from trickling down. Only about three months had passed. And being so close to a gravestone was killing her...
The tears didn't stop even as Alyssa wiped at them. In the cold, September breeze, Alyssa was alone. She was feeling so lonely. And perhaps - she wanted to be lonely. She wanted to be a sadist and cry - for living on.
The wind hugged her. No, Alyssa realized. A solid arm was wound around her shoulders. She looked up. her eyes were blurry with tears, but she could swear she saw Jason's face.
Shock coursed through her body. What was he doing there? His black, shining eyes were sad, and his hair was messier than usual. He didn't look like his usual self at all.
He didn't say a word, but with his fingers, he wiped her cheeks.
Alyssa allowed him to stand there in silence. Finally, he said, "Come on. It's getting colder."