EUPHORIA - My Moon and Stars..

BONUS CHAPTER

Elliot's POV:
"Rue cmon." I ushered as I balanced the cake in one hand and slipped my phone into my pocket. The girls (except from Rue) stood inside with their phones up recording, while Rue paced behind me. "Okay! I'm just grabbing the lighter." She slipped past me as Maddie tried to hide the tear she patted into her cheek.

I walked inside the room and placed the cake down on the small table and as Rue began lighting the candles everyone started singing. "Happy birthday to you... Happy birthday to you.... Happy birthday dear Maya.. Happy birthday to you!" Everyone cheered around me as I smiled softly, they looked at me expectantly and realisation hit me. I blew out the candles and closed my eyes thinking of her.

It had officially been a little over a year since the love of my life had passed away and I could confidently say I was still a wreck. Not as bad as I had been the first few months but I was still going through the motions. Regardless, having everyone else going through the exact same thing with me, I knew I wasn't alone.

"She's definitely cringing at how corny all this is." Lexi smiled to herself as we all chuckled. "She would've loved this part though." I said clearing my throat as I looked around the room, the warmth spreading across my chest. I grabbed the boxes of things we had all put together to donate to charity along with some other stuff to donate to Ali's drug rehabilitation groups.

"Let's go." Rue clapped as everyone began piling boxed in their cars and putting the same address in maps on their phones. Whilst everyone chattered away I looked around the room.  A family called The Martin's had moved in since Maya's mom and Ted moved away, she still called often and I'd spoken to her in the morning about our plans for Maya's birthday.

Me and Rue were going to make the trip to visit her mom when summer break started so we could spend a while there. Being around people who knew and loved my girl, never failed to put a smile on my face. Hearing stories I didn't even know, made me feel like she is right here with me again.

"Penny for your thoughts." McKay offered, he had become a very close friend of mine after Maya passed, turns out he'd known her very well and I had learned a lot from him. "Can't wait to be with her again." I admitted, McKay nodded as if my somber response didn't bother him, he'd heard worse from me.

"She was probably one of the coolest girls I've ever met." He chuckled as I smiled in thought, still watching everyone talk among themselves. "Yeah she had a temper too." I laughed, McKay hummed in agreement as we quietened down. This was the part of every conversation I still struggled to finish, the part where reality hits that she's really gone.

"Sparklers are in my trunk, when we get to Ali's we'll set them off?" He mentioned, I nodded yes and we got to work. In my car sat me, Rue and McKay. Everyone else got in their cars and made their ways to Ali's.

When we got there I hopped out and began removing the boxes from my trunk. McKay helped as Rue ran into Ali's arms. The same way McKay had become my best friend and outlet, Ali remained Rue's. He smiled gratefully as I passed by him with the boxes in my arms. He knew of our plans to offer as much charity as we could, we'd called a week ago to make the arrangements.

Maddie lugged in a box as she growled in frustration at the weight of it. I effortlessly picked it up and she huffed at me as I chuckled and walked inside to drop it off. Kat joined me and so did the others until we eventually had nothing else to move. I reached into the bag at my side and felt the packets of the little sparklers in my hand and clutched them.

Maddie patted Kat's shoulder and they made their way forward as everyone saw the sparklers and began smiling. A sense of pride washed over me as I watched my friends, our friends take a sparkler each and light them up, we laughed and we ran and we smiled. It was the perfect way of celebrating her life, that was really all I cared for. Everyday of my life was now devoted to honouring hers.

"I FUCKING LOVE YOU BITCH!" Maddie screamed as she looked up at the mellow sky, laughs spread around the group as everyone began yelling out their messages. As I looked around there wasn't a single tearless eye, because that was the kind of impact she had on people. I relished in the fact that I wasn't alone in this, the realisation made me feel safer than ever. I'd found my people and I'd found them because of you. After a while of messing around outside we went back in to make sure everything was tidy for Ali. McKay played some music and we all got on with it.

Ali came outside with lawn chairs as we all took seats and I sighed tiredly. From the minute I'd woken up today it had been go go go. I hadn't a chance to even relish in the fact that it's Maya's birthday. Rue slumped down beside me and I smiled over at her as she grinned back. "Happy birthday Kid." I heard Ali say with his head tilted back looking at the sky, then Kat spoke. "Happy birthday beautiful." And then Maddie. And then Rue. Until everyone had spoken apart from me.

With my one year sobriety chip clenched in my palm and a warm tear trailing down my cheek, I glanced up at the sky and said "Happy birthday my Moon and Stars."