the bucket list | lrh

01 - adeline leonard

Adeline Leonard is the name that would echo throughout the town of Elgin, Texas for years. Adeline Leonard is the name of a beautiful soul that fell victim to a fatal car collision, one she had no control over.

Adeline Leonard was nothing short of adventurous, poetic, and inspiring. Her heart was made of gold, and there is not a single person who would attest to that fact. Adeline Leonard was loving, passionate, and void of any negative traits. Adeline had demons, just like any other human—but she'd never let the voices slow her down.

Everyone loved Adeline Leonard, so it was only safe to assume that on the somber Sunday morning when news broke of her untimely demise, citizens of her previous town were quick to console the Leonard family. Flowers covered a beautiful patch of grass on the side of the road in which poor Adeline had laid in her final moments, and soon enough a memorial service was organized to pay tribute to her life.

Valentine Leonard—her younger, and much more reserved sister—appreciated the kind words, but she was much different than Adeline. She struggled with an ongoing battle between herself and an awful case of bipolar depression, and nothing could take away the pain of losing the only person in the world who seemed to understand. Valentine was destroyed by Adeline's death, and it was public knowledge in just a short week.

As Valentine sat next to the nearly wilted flowers all night, her peers had to pretend not to notice while they drove by or visited the crash site to mourn. See, everyone knew Adeline—so everyone knew of Valentine. The two girls were practically twins, despite being born two years apart. They appeared to be conjoined at the waist to everyone else, because they almost never left one another behind.

Nobody was surprised when Valentine failed to show up to the memorial service. After a week of watching the newly-graduated girl cry on the side of the road, people had expected and even anticipated the absence. What they hadn't seen coming, though—was Luke Hemmings on the frontlines.

Valentine saw the speech he gave, and she wished she hadn't. She desperately wished that her father hadn't shown her the video, and she really wished she could go back and time and tear her eyes away as the blonde spoke of her sister.

She blamed the boy for her sisters death, though she'd never admit it to anyone including herself. It was Luke Hemmings that asked Adeline to give him a ride home that night. It was Luke Hemmings that had Adeline on the road late Saturday evening, because he had simply drank too much to get himself home alone.

Valentine oftentimes wondered if Luke felt pleased with himself. She wondered if it was worth it for Luke to get obliterated that night, because it was the very reason Adeline passed away.

In his speech, he addressed his remorse and hatred for his part in the tragedy. Valentine didn't believe him, though. Valentine was almost positive that he did it on purpose, even if she'd never say those words out loud.

Luke Hemmings had been in Adeline's life since freshman year of high school, all the way until she passed away before her Sophomore year of community college. Luke hemmings was always around, and never skipped a beat when asking Adeline for help.

Valentine saw the way Adeline slaved herself around, desperately trying to keep the blonde boy out of trouble and off of the streets. Valentine grew angry after a few nights in which she had to cancel plans with her sister—because Adeline was busy giving Luke a ride home. Sometimes Adeline just left without a reason, muttering a quick "Luke," under her breath before taking off in her now totaled Jeep.

Valentine was angry at the boy for years, and that hatred only grew stronger when she learned exactly what Adeline was trying to do when a delivery truck driver lost control of his breaks and collided head-on with the Jeep.