Swan Lake || Luke Hemmings AU

35. Goodbye

(c) - Isobel (@BellaVanella)

* not the last chapter (i'm saying this because some of you might assume it's the end but it's not) :)

george's weekend bucket list

1. eat in hartsyard

2. prank cabin #6

3. have a water fight

4. sing around camp

5. give mike and elle a fake wedding

6. go all tarzan in the lake

7. love

"Well," George smiled, crumpling his bucket list as we walked around the camp. "Bucket list accomplished." He threw the paper somewhere I didn't notice. "It wasn't done," I told him. "Really?" George raised an eyebrow. "What did I miss then?"

"You still had one item in that list," I told him. "Number 7, Love." George chuckled and shook his head. "That's already done, Jane," he told me. "Love already happened in my bucket list."

"I guess," I shrugged. "I mean, Michael and Elle showed love? That's what you mean, right?" George shrugged this time. "Yeah, partially," he answered. "It wasn't just Elle and Mikey, Jane. When I said love in my bucket list, I also meant spending time with the people I care about the most."

"We ate in Hartsyard together, we pranked and played together," he went. "Heck, we even threw a non-existent wedding! That's amazing, but what I get to value the most there was when I got to spend it with the people I love the most."

"Spending time with you guys is already love for me," he added. "So yes, my bucket list is complete and I am happy and accomplished with life." I chuckled as we kept walking.

The sun was emitting its perfect golden rays as it was slowly going down. The wind was getting cooler, and the campers were running around enjoying the final day of the weekend before sessions began again the next day.

"By the way," George started. "I want to say thank you for going through with me." I smiled and shook my head. "It's no big deal, George," I chucked. "I had fun with the bucket list too."

"It's not just the bucket list, Jane," he replied. "I also want to thank you for this summer, for everything." I smiled slightly, not sure where this was going.

"It's funny," he continued. "I never had a friend like you before. A person who is so full of love and strength. It makes me sort of wish that I was like you."

I laughed. "Being loved by someone gives you strength," I was quoting Lao Tzu. "But loving someone deeply gives you courage." George laughed and nodded. "You have it, Jane," he said. "Huh?" I shot him a questioned look.

"You are loved," he smiled. "By me, by Elle, by everyone, by Luke..." I gave him a small smile. "I love you, Jane," he pulled me in a for a hug. "You're my Best Friend."

"You are mine too," I told him. "Well, good," he beamed as he reached out something from his pocket. After a while, he took out a crumpled envelope. "Please do me this favor," he held out the envelope. "Please read this at the end of the summer. It's my goodbye letter."

"Wow," I laughed. "It's too early for goodbye letters, George. We still have a month's worth of summer." George shook his head, "Yes," he said. "ButI just want to give it now before I regret shit."

I chuckled and took it. "Thank you," I told him whilst putting the letter in my pocket. "Maybe I should write you one too, and make you read it at the end of the summer." It was a joke.

"No," he shook his head. "I don't need letters. I just need your friendship. It got me through summer and I know it will get me through wherever I'll go next."

Okay, so George is being quite touchy (not physically, but emotionally) ever since the bucket list ended. I could feel some bittersweet aura around him. It's like he's happy and sad at the same time. I don't know. I think I'm completely overthinking it.

"We should go back to our cabins before dinner," he said. "I'll walk you to yours." He held out his hand and we walked towards my cabin.

We were walking when we saw Luke once again. He saw us and it looked like he wanted to come near us and say something, but he stopped. He just gave us a slight wave and walked away.

"He loves you, you know," George pointed out. "It seems like he lost his momentum when he lost you." I shrugged. "It still takes time," I told him. "I'm still uncertain."

We stopped in-front of my cabin and George gave me a small smile, taking both of my hands and began swinging them sideways.

"Can I ask you something?" I asked him. "Anything," he grinned. "Why is it, then every time we say goodnight," I told him. "It feels like goodbye?"

George chuckled. "It's not good night yet," he told me. "We'll still see each other around dinner." I nodded. "Later," I waved. "Later back," he said.

I went in my cabin and took a nap, waiting for dinner. I was going to meet up with George and Elle, but George didn't show up. He just asked Noah to tell us that he was exhausted.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

I woke up to the sound of rapid knocking in our cabin door. Elle, Ems, Velvet and I sleepily sat up from our beds to turn on the light. I lazily stood up and opened the door. There stood, surprisingly, Noah sweating as if he just ran a marathon.

I looked at the clock. It couldn't possibly be later than 4 a.m. Is he for real now? Elle, Ems and Velvet were cranky but I shut them off.

"What is it?" I asked. "Jane," he panted. "I-it's George! Come quick!" That snapped awake. Elle and I looked at each other before bolting, following Noah.

We stopped in-front of the cabin. Noah told Elle to get Olivia and the camp counselors. I started to worry. Maybe George got sick or something. Elle left without question, and Noah led me inside.

The moment I entered, I wish I didn't. I let out a gasp and ran towards an unconscious George lying on the ground. I began shaking him, but he didn't budge. No movement at all.

His eyes were closed and his skin was pale. His lips were white and his 2 other cabin mates were also trying to wake him up as well. Whatever we did, he didn't respond.

That's when I saw that George had a piece of paper clutched in his hand. I grabbed it  from him gently, and opened it. I recognized the words, seeing as it was an excerpt from Romeo & Juliet. It was Romeo's last words.

"Oh, here will I set up my everlasting rest,

And shake the yoke of inauspicious stars

From this world-wearied flesh. Eyes, look your last.

Arms, take your last embrace. And, lips, O you

The doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss.

A dateless bargain to engrossing death.

Come, bitter conduct, come, unsavoury guide.

Thou desperate pilot, now at once run on

The dashing rocks thy seasick, weary bark.

Here's to my love! O true apothecary,

Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die."

Suddenly, something inside of me snapped. These were Romeo's last words before he poisoned himself. It took me a while to process and when it clicked, I began to shake hysterically. I didn't want to think about it, but it's the cold-hearted truth. George tried to kill himself.

I looked around some more and to the ground, then there I saw a bottle of pills that spilled and scattered on the ground. That was the sight that made me scream.