Rising From The Shadows 1

Rich
my phone rang as soon as Id finished Leias note. "Hey," I answered. "Make it quick, Im getting ready to go and visit Leia."
"Im sorry, Rich." It was Ian.
"Sorry for what?" I asked, nervous.
"Leias dead."
I stopped. The tears started to fall immediately. "No."
"Yea," Ian contridicted, sorrow in his voice.
"H-How?" I stuttered shakily, trying not to start balling.
I could hear Ian gulp. "No one knows, the cops were too busy arresting an escapee to find out."
My eyes widened, and I dropped the phone. I just stood, paralyzed, and so many things about Leia raced through my mind. She was my soul mate, I couldve sworn it, and shes gone. I could hear Ians faint voice coming from the speaker of my phone.
"Rich?? Rich? You okay?" he sighed,"Everyones coming to my place. If you want to come."
I heard a click as Ian ended the call, but I still answered. "No."
I dragged myself upstairs, and just collapsed on my bed, breathing heavily, water flowing from my eyes. I still held the note in my hand as I reread it. "I love you too," I whispered.
--
Claire
I couldnt believe Leia, my best friend, was gone. It was like I was living a nightmare. I wandered around Shryingsville, visiting all of Leias favorite places. Carlos' Pizzaria, Little Star Ice Cream, The Park..... I looked up and found I was approaching Ian's house so I decided that I would go to his house like he asked. I was surprised Id made it here, considering his house was three miles from mine. I knocked on the door. I heard some rustling, an then Ian's voice. "Come in!"
I opened the door to see Alyssa and Ian, looking at a ton of boxes that held... Pictures?
"Whats all this?" i asked.
"We're making a scrapbook about Leia and things she did and her family and friends," Alyssa murmured. I could tell she had had her fair share of tears and was finally a little bit stronger, on the next tier to recovery. Made sense shes the first to do it, she knew her the least amount of time.
"Oh, cool, can I help?" I offerred. Ian nodded and made space for me on his GIANT couch.
I picked up a lavender scrapbook and combed through a box for a picture of Leia's face. I finally found one of her and her dad, both smiling, seeming to be in mid laugh. I half heartedly smiled at it and tucked it in the front. Opening it, I made a collage of the party, writing captions for each picture. Id gotten through about sixteen before Ian said something that caught my attention.
He had been laughing. "And you cant forget this moment!" He held up a picture of Ian and Alyssa giving thumbs up with me and Leia standing, soaked. He arched an eyebrow. "Guys? You should see this."