that was found in Jake’s
possessions.”
Oh s hit. “And?” I prompted.
She narrowed her eyes determinedly at me. “I want
it.”
I eased away from her since she appeared like she was
ready to pounce. “Well, Avery I’m not sure it’s yours—”
Avery stared at me in shock. “What do you mean it’s
not mine? They’re pictures of me!”
The world around me tipped and then spun at her
revelation. Finally, I replied, “Wait, what?”
Avery glanced down at her hands folded in her lap.
“We were fooling around the weekend after New Year’s. I let him
take some pictures—you know of me .”
When I got what she meant, I gasped. “Um, okay.”
“He may have deleted them, but I just want to make
sure.”
“Oh,” I replied, my chest deflating.
“So you think you can get them for me?”
“Yeah, um, it shouldn’t be a problem.”
She sighed with relief. “Good. The last thing I need
is for them to fall into the wrong hands and end up on the internet
or something.”
“That would suck,” I said. She still hadn’t answered
the song lyrics question. “So it’s a real bummer you guys didn’t
have a special song—you know that meant something to the two of
you.”
Avery rolled her eyes. “I guess that’s because Jake
only listened to ridiculous rap music without any deeper meaning
than ‘I want to screw you nine different ways’.”
At her totally exasperated expression, I ducked my
head to avoid laughing in her face. Geez, she had such a stick up
her ass that I wondered how Jake had ever managed to spend more
than ten minutes with her—especially considering for the latter
part of their relationship he wasn’t getting any from her. He’d
respected her wishes when she’d told him she couldn’t handle a
physical relationship anymore. Now that I looked back, it was
probably one of the most decent things he had ever done with a
girl.
I stood up from the couch. “Yeah, I guess I better
get going. I’ll get those pictures for you as soon as I can.”
Her eyes widened as she shook her head wildly back
and forth. “I don’t want to keep them. I want you to delete them!”
she shrieked.
Holding my hands up in defeat, I replied. “Okay,
okay, I’ll delete them.”
Avery exhaled noisily. “Good. I’m glad to hear we’re
on the same page.” She then followed me down the winding staircase
into the marble floored foyer. She smiled at me. “Thanks Noah. You
know, for being a good friend to me and Jake.”
“Sure. And thanks for letting me come over.”
“Yeah, anytime,” Avery said, listlessly before
closing the door behind me.
I walked to my Jeep, content in the knowledge I could
cross one girl off the list.
***
After I left Avery’s house, I ended up back
at Rolling Hills Cemetery. It was like an unseen force was drawing
me there. I didn’t want to believe Jake had that kinda power from
the grave, but I went anyway.
I made the slow drive around the circle to the
mausoleum. When I got out the Jeep, I noticed someone was sitting
on the grass in front of the building.
It was Maddie.
At the sound of someone behind her, she sighed.
“Daddy, I said I’d call you when I was ready to come home.”
“Um, it’s Noah,” I muttered.
She whirled around, her face flushing a little. “Oh,
I thought you were my dad.”
“That’s okay.”
“I didn’t expect anyone to be here.”
“Yeah, me either,” I admitted.
She nodded and motioned for me to have a seat on the
grass next to her. I eased down and stared at the vault holding
Jake’s remains.
“Hey, I didn’t tell you how great you sounded the
other day at the funeral. That song was really beautiful,” I
said.
She smiled. “Thanks. You sounded great, too.”
“Yeah, I guess Free Bird was an odd choice of
a funeral song, but—”
“It was Jake’s favorite,” she murmured. “It was
exactly what he would have wanted.”
I flicked a random blade of grass with my finger.
“Maddie, I’m trying to understand all
possessions.”
Oh s hit. “And?” I prompted.
She narrowed her eyes determinedly at me. “I want
it.”
I eased away from her since she appeared like she was
ready to pounce. “Well, Avery I’m not sure it’s yours—”
Avery stared at me in shock. “What do you mean it’s
not mine? They’re pictures of me!”
The world around me tipped and then spun at her
revelation. Finally, I replied, “Wait, what?”
Avery glanced down at her hands folded in her lap.
“We were fooling around the weekend after New Year’s. I let him
take some pictures—you know of me .”
When I got what she meant, I gasped. “Um, okay.”
“He may have deleted them, but I just want to make
sure.”
“Oh,” I replied, my chest deflating.
“So you think you can get them for me?”
“Yeah, um, it shouldn’t be a problem.”
She sighed with relief. “Good. The last thing I need
is for them to fall into the wrong hands and end up on the internet
or something.”
“That would suck,” I said. She still hadn’t answered
the song lyrics question. “So it’s a real bummer you guys didn’t
have a special song—you know that meant something to the two of
you.”
Avery rolled her eyes. “I guess that’s because Jake
only listened to ridiculous rap music without any deeper meaning
than ‘I want to screw you nine different ways’.”
At her totally exasperated expression, I ducked my
head to avoid laughing in her face. Geez, she had such a stick up
her ass that I wondered how Jake had ever managed to spend more
than ten minutes with her—especially considering for the latter
part of their relationship he wasn’t getting any from her. He’d
respected her wishes when she’d told him she couldn’t handle a
physical relationship anymore. Now that I looked back, it was
probably one of the most decent things he had ever done with a
girl.
I stood up from the couch. “Yeah, I guess I better
get going. I’ll get those pictures for you as soon as I can.”
Her eyes widened as she shook her head wildly back
and forth. “I don’t want to keep them. I want you to delete them!”
she shrieked.
Holding my hands up in defeat, I replied. “Okay,
okay, I’ll delete them.”
Avery exhaled noisily. “Good. I’m glad to hear we’re
on the same page.” She then followed me down the winding staircase
into the marble floored foyer. She smiled at me. “Thanks Noah. You
know, for being a good friend to me and Jake.”
“Sure. And thanks for letting me come over.”
“Yeah, anytime,” Avery said, listlessly before
closing the door behind me.
I walked to my Jeep, content in the knowledge I could
cross one girl off the list.
***
After I left Avery’s house, I ended up back
at Rolling Hills Cemetery. It was like an unseen force was drawing
me there. I didn’t want to believe Jake had that kinda power from
the grave, but I went anyway.
I made the slow drive around the circle to the
mausoleum. When I got out the Jeep, I noticed someone was sitting
on the grass in front of the building.
It was Maddie.
At the sound of someone behind her, she sighed.
“Daddy, I said I’d call you when I was ready to come home.”
“Um, it’s Noah,” I muttered.
She whirled around, her face flushing a little. “Oh,
I thought you were my dad.”
“That’s okay.”
“I didn’t expect anyone to be here.”
“Yeah, me either,” I admitted.
She nodded and motioned for me to have a seat on the
grass next to her. I eased down and stared at the vault holding
Jake’s remains.
“Hey, I didn’t tell you how great you sounded the
other day at the funeral. That song was really beautiful,” I
said.
She smiled. “Thanks. You sounded great, too.”
“Yeah, I guess Free Bird was an odd choice of
a funeral song, but—”
“It was Jake’s favorite,” she murmured. “It was
exactly what he would have wanted.”
I flicked a random blade of grass with my finger.
“Maddie, I’m trying to understand all
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