You Before Me [dave east]

| twenty five

Xiomara;
3 years later..

I sniffle and wipe the tear slowly rolling down my cheek, tucking my red hair behind my ear. It's a sad day for everybody. I don't know why it always rains over burials but it definitely gets the mood more darker than it already is.

"Here," Latoya whispers to me, handing over her umbrella so I don't get soaked in the rain. She steps under another umbrella with Marquis even though the two can't stand each other. He still puts his arm over her shoulders consolingly since right now where we are, it isn't the time for pettiness.

It's refreshing that Latoya made the effort to interact with me considering we haven't had a real conversation in months. Over the past two years, everything changed.

I step up onto the podium, clearing my throat. "Deshawn Carter was a friend to everybody, but he was my best friend. Freshman year, high school. I guess you can say I was a loner but Deshawn, and Marquis, they really changed that around for me. Deshawn was the type of person to make you smile unless you wanted to see him frown. He always made the effort to make people comfortable even if it meant having to make a fool out of himself. Deshawn was colorful, I don't think there was ever a dull moment with him. For the past 9 years, he was my life of the party. My brother." I pause as I sniffle, trying not to cry. "But see the thing about life is that people take even if it's not theirs to have, but Deshawn's life was taken too soon. He didn't live very long but at least we can all say he had a good time. He unlocked the one thing some of us standing here right now are still struggling to find— happiness. Good people die young and DeShawn exists now, only in our memory. But I think it's safe to say he'll always live on in our hearts."

By the time I finish my eulogy, there are tears streaming down my face. See, where I'm from death really comes and goes but Deshawn's death is something I didn't see coming. Nobody did.

I step down from the podium, wiping my tears. "C'mere, baby." Deshawn's mother tells me, bringing me into her arms. "That was well said, Zo. You are the daughter I've never had, please keep your head up. Deshawn would've hated to see you cry over him."

I nod, crying quietly into her chest while the funeral goes on. When we're done consoling each other, I walk over to Latoya and give her back her umbrella. "That was beautiful, Zo." She whispers to me as we hug.

Marquis hugs me too. I can't imagine how hard it is for him right now holding in his tears. He knew Deshawn the longest. So long that you would question if they were blood. "I love you, sis." He says lowly in my ear.

"I love you too."

I walk over to Dave's side and join him under the umbrella we were sharing. He's wearing a fitted black Armani suit for the occasion. Ever since Dave started making millions with basketball, he doesn't really wear anything but designer. I can't help but think he's changed.