My Brother's Best Friend

To the Grave

"Sky! Wake up?' someone said tapping me. I turned over and groaned. "Leave me alone!" I replied annoyed. The person tapped me again. I wanted to open my eyes but I was way too sleepy. I felt someone lift me out of bed and my feet hit the door frame on the way out. I knew it was Drew. I could tell by the way he smelled. The question was why was he taking me out of my bed?

"Dude! Your hands better not be touching her a**!" I heard Joseph warn. Joseph? Where the hell were we going. I opened my eyes. We were outside on the front. I kicked my legs. "Let me down! What are you guys doing? Where are you taking me?" I questioned. It better had been important since they were interupting my sleep. Joseph needed sleep more than anyone since he'd be on the road in hours.

     "We're going to the graveyard." Joseph tells me.

"Wait, why?! I don't wanna go." I'd always hated graveyards. They always have and always will be creepy to me. I mean why would you wanna walk over a bunch of dead bodies?

"I leave for Mizzou in 8 hours. It's what I wanna do. Please come. We need to go visit Zach. You know for old times sake." Joseph explains. I stop breathing. I hadn't been to Zach's grave since the day of the funeral. I never wanted to go. I never wanted to believe he was dead. The more I looked at his the grave, the more it proved he was gone.

"Okay, I'll go." I agreed. Drew grabbed my hand and guided me to the car. Joseph either doesn't notice or just doesn't care anymore. Drew sits in the back with me. Joseph looks back at us from the front seat and rolls his eyes. "I guess I'm you guys chauffer for tonight?' he says starting the engine. Drew laughed.

"Suck it up College boy!" he tells him.

"Yeah I'm watching you. I don't care if we're best friends. That won't stop me from drop kicking your a** about my sister." I don't say anything. I just let them have their moment. Their last conversation as regular boys. We get to the graveyard and Drew gives me a piggy back ride inside because I'm scared to walk on the dirt.

Joseph somehow knows exactly where Zach's grave is though I don't ever recall him going to visit it. He takes his backpack off and sits it in front of Zach's grave. I hadn't noticed he was wearing one. He unzips it and pulls out a water gun. Not just any water gun but the one Zach had been using the day he'd gotten sick. The day we found out he was sick. Joseph sits it down on the grave.

"This is yours buddy. I don't know why I kept it so long but I thought that maybe if I kept it that one day you'd come back over and ask for it back and things would go back to how they used to be. But you're gone man, and I have to except that. I'm leaving for college and I just wanted to give you a proper goodbye. So it was nice being friends with you. I enjoyed the time we spent together. We all did. How is it up there?" Joseph looked up into the night sky. "One day we'll meet up again. I swear." He pulled out a rose and sat it down next to the water gun before kissing the tips of his fingers and touching the tombstone. Tears were in his eyes. Even though it's dark, I can steal see them because they shine in the night like the stars. Drew patted Joseph's shoulder and we said our last goodbyes to Zach before walking away. This time, Drew doesn't have to carry me.

Later on that day, we watched Joseph off, helping him put his clothes and belongings in his trunk. Had to be one of the saddest days of my life. I swear I saw tears in my dad's eyes but I couldn't be sure. Everyone hugged him including me and I even kissed him on the cheek. Something that I always thought was gross. "I'll visit on the holidays Sky. Chill. I'm not dying!" he said to me.

"But it won't be the same. It'll never be the same."

"I know Sky but we've all gotta grow up sometime right?"

"I guess." He kissed my forehead and got into his car. "I'll call you guys when I get there." he assured us before driving off. We stand there for a minute. All of us just thinking. My dad breaks the silence. "My boy's gone." he said before walking up the driveway to the house. My mom wiped the tears from her eyes and followed him inside. Drew is still standing next to me. He hadn't said a word.

"Are you scared?' I asked.

"Huh?" he says.

"Are you scared? You know to go out in the world. On your own as an adult."

"Yeah. I think about it all the time. I think about being away from the town I grew up in. From the girl I love. It's pretty scary." I sighed.

'But that's why I'm gonna spend EVERY waking minute with you until it's time for me to go."

He pulled me to him and kissed my forehead. "You smell good." he states. "You always smell good. Like cookies and vanilla. I wanna remember your scent." He sniffs me dramatically. I laugh.

"You know you never said it back..."

"Said what back?" I asked.

"That you loved me. I said it and you never said it back..."

"I love you Drew."

"That's what I like to hear." He kissed my cheek and then my lips, then my chin, then my neck.

"4 more days..." I whispered.

"Don't remind me. C'mon."

"Where are we going?"

"For a walk..." I don't question him anymore, I just follow.

WILL NOT BE UPDATING TILL I GET SOME MORE VOTES AND COMMENTS! IF YOU LIKE PLEASE COMMENT. THERE WILL BE A SEQUEL ONCE THIS IS COMPLETED!