Just The Boy Next Door

~31~

The clocked ticked slowy as I paced my living room, everyone gathered minus Jake. Jake had opted to pull the plug and spend one last night with her before he couldn't any longer. For someone as ripped up as he was about this, she really had empowered him to be strong.

I looked up at the clock one last time: 9:58pm.

I sighed heavily, and made my way to the fridge. I had left over champagne from my baby celebration and wanted to use it to celebrate my bestfriend's life. grabbing glasses and the bottle, I made my way back to the living room.
"We have one minute and I need everyone to grab a glass."
Doing as they were told, I poured a little in everyone's glass, mine included. We were told by Natalie to wait for her call, seeing as thought Jake's was dead.

10:00
10:01
10:02
My phone rang as we all just looked at the number flashing:
Naomi's.
Shaking a bit, I slid the green button over on my screen. Placing the phone to my ear, Jake's voice rang into it.
"She's gone."

Even though I knew it was inevitable, I dropped to my knees, sobbing uncontrollably. Jake said he would be home soon, after he finished with the family. I could barely hear anything else; only the large shatter of the world I used to love and adore resounded in my mind.
I hung up, not really paying attention to if Jake was still talking to me. My mind was not only clouded by grief and anger, but by sympathy. Naomi's family and mine have been close for decades; her family was my family, and vice versa.

"Oh, Deege," Selena knelt at my side, sobbing with me and hugging me tightly, "You know she would kill us if she knew we were crying over her."
I chuckled through my tears and nodded, smiling slightly.
"Okay," I caught my bearings for a moment and grabbed my glass of bubbily, "So, we are going to toast Naomi, but first we need to each say a few words about her. I think... CC should start."
Shrugging, the long haired, tan man raised his glass as we all followed.

"Naomi, girl, you were taken from us too soon. I will always miss the icecubes down my shirts and the swipping the blankets off of Selena's bed when I would stay over in the middle of the night. I will miss you prankster."
He nodded towards Ashley who was sniffling back his own tears, but raised his glass once he was composed.
"Naomi, you were the closest thing I have had to a sister. Being from a torn family, you gave me comfort when I needed it most, and kept me grounded in ways I couldn't express in words. Love you, Nay."
Jinxx stood next to him, eyes dry like he was trying to keep our non-biological family from falling any more apart than it had already.
"Naomi, babe," Jinxx sighed and rose his glass high into the air, "This house will be so much less fun with out you. Watch over DJ and Lena for us, and Jake, too. We will all miss you."
Coming around to Andy, he grabbed my hand and gave it a squeeze.
"Mimi, you were one of the best; smart, funny, and most importantly, the best friend to my girl. You made us smile when we thought we couldn't, laugh til we were blue in the face, and reminded us of what true friendship was. I love you, dread-head. Rest in peace, babe."
Selena nodded and took a deep breath.
"From kindergarden on, the three of us were close. Though I drifted far away, I found my way back, and was able to be with you these past few months. Watch over Deege, please. We love and miss you already, baby girl. Rest in peace, bumble bee."
Realizing it had come full circle back to me, I wasn't quite sure what I should say that the group didn't already know. I decided to go with what my heart felt best.
"To my sister that was of another kind, I love you more today than I did yesterday and the day before. I will miss our texts and our late night chats..."

I felt the tears come again before I could finish. Crying and in grief, I sat on the couch as Jake walked into the front door. He turned to me and made a beeline for my embrace, breaking down almost instantly.
"Oh, DJ," he sobbed, body shaking with each cry, "DJ, I love her so much. I don't know what to do."
My heart ached for our friend, and for the Sparks'. I held onto Jake as the back of my shirt began to drip with his tears. Pulling away finally, he stood up and grabbed on to each of his brothers in the house. Selena and I could just watch as even Jinxx began to fall apart.

After a few hours of talking about the night and how it went in general, Selena and CC left to go back to the house. Jinxx retired to talk to Sammi, and Ashley went out for a midnight run. This left Jake, Andy, and myself at the frat house kitchen table, sipping on coffee at 12:30 at night.
"Her face was so peaceful, DJ," Jake shooke his head as he stared wide eyed at the table, "Her final breath was peaceful. I am at least glad she wasn't in pain when she left."
"But Jake," Andy looked up finally, "What exactly happened after we all left. You gave the generalize run down, but nothing of specifics."
He nodded and took a sip of his coffee.
"Yea," sighing, he placed the mug back down, "Well, after you left, Naomi cried. She cried because she felt like she failed to protect everyone; because she got herself injured past the point of no return. I held her until she regained composure; that is when she started to talk about the baby."
My eyes couldn't cry anymoe if they tried, but that was the sweetest thing I had heard that evening.
"Really?" And and I asked in unison.
"Yea," Jake nodded, "She said that as long as I stayed in that child's life, then she would, too."
He rummaged through his sweatshirt pocket and pulled out a dread-lock from her head. Andy's eyes watered more at the sheer dedication. I could only pout as i watched him place the lock of hair in a plastic, zip lock bag.
"Well," he sniffled up his last bit of tears, "I need sleep. I might see you guys tomorrow. I love you both. So much."

Getting up to leave to go home, we hugged the saddened man one last time before returning to our place of residence.
Finally back at the house, it dawned on me what yesterday was; it would have been Jake and Naomi's seven month anniversary. It killed me to know that sweet, sensitive man had planned to ask my best friend to marry him next week. Locking the door behind me, I cringed at the thought of going through her personal belongings.

"Princess."
Andy's voice broke my trance as he held out his hand to lead me upstairs.
"I'm so sorry, my love," I spoke softly as we ascended the steps together, "I'm so out of it. It just doesn't seem real."
"I know what you mean, baby," Andy whispered as he lead me into our bedroom, "When are Natalie and the rest coming over to go through Mimi's things? Do you know?"
"Huh," I chuckled, "Funny you should mention that. Ever since we were young, we said who ever died first, the other would go through their personal belongings and decide what to do with them. Since then, our families respected that."
"Wow," he nodded, "I'm here for you, if you need help with everything, princess. I'm here to catch you if you need me to."
"Thank you, baby," I grabbed him and pulled him close, "I love you, so fucking much."
"I love you, too, Deanne J. More than anything in the world."

Notes

The funeral comes next, but only after the arrest... will they find Maggie or is it too late?