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The last notes reverberated through the homemade studio. I applauded them as goosebumps littered my arms. They were sweaty and fatigued but couldn’t wipe the exhilaration away as my reaction delighted them.

“I take it you enjoyed it?” Benjamin asked.

“I loved it.”

“You should see us play this weekend.” Liam said.

With adrenaline still coursing through his veins, he abandoned all restraint.

“Where?”

“At Elsie’s birthday party.”

Asher’s posture stiffened at the mention of her name. His shoulders squared.

“I wasn’t invited.”

“So?” Sebastian asked. “You will be our plus one.”

Benjamin and Liam nodded in agreement, but Asher remained stoic. I clutched the necklace around my neck, my grandmother’s rose necklace, and twirled it around my finger.

“Sounds like fun.”

I’d been desperate to make friends, and this seemed like the perfect method. However, unease was still lingering in the air.

??

11

“Would you lie with me and just forget the world?”

Chasing Cars, Snow Patrol

Asher

Frost-kissed tombstones, weathered by time, overtook the silent expanse. A graceful blanket of snow adorned them. The branches reached for the sky like skeleton hands, adding shadows of morbidity. The snow broke the heavy air crunching beneath my boots. A quilt of snowflakes layered my body. I tucked my icicled hands in my coat pocket as I stood before the familiar stone.

James Sullivan, a loving son and friend.

A storm of sadness brewed as a trail of crystals traced down the path of my cheeks. The shadows from the trees amplified the melancholy of our tragic reunion. As I exhaled an uneven breath, my heart felt anchored. Bouquets of fresh flowers adorned the grave, and I added my bunch to the array.

“I cannot believe it’s been a year.”

My words hung in the air. I kneeled beside the gravestone and traced my fingers along the engraved lettering, wiping the white fleece away.

“Not much has changed, but it feels like everything is different.”

I paused, as if waiting for him to question me about it.

“Josh made captain.” I said. “Just like you said.”

I blinked to hold back the emotional storm.

“The band is getting better. Liam isn’t afraid to play in front of a crowd anymore.”

I spoke each word with a measure to maintain control.

“I wish you were here.” My voice quivered. “I’ve kept this secret for so long, and you’d know just what to say. What to do.”