Sincerely, Red

Chapter Twenty Five

When and who had informed him of that, I would never know but I stood up shakily anyway. David smiled softly and Claire nodded, whilst Lucas walked upstage with me. The principal appeared slightly shocked at this, aiming a questioning look at Claire who simply shrugged and smiled. There was nothing he could really do though, so he walked back to his chair and left us alone.

I was the first to speak. "I'm not really sure what to say," I said quietly. "I actually had a dream last night, where I was writing a speech down but I've completely forgotten what it was about." A couple of people laughed. "That's why I'm going to wing this and hope that it comes out alright." I took a deep breath. "I don't have something extraordinary to say about Laney Carter. She was my best friend and I can't even begin to explain what that meant to me. We had some sort of joint understanding and I loved her like she was my own sister. We had fights and she wasn't perfect." I laughed softly. "She'd absolutely hate some of the speeches today. She always disagreed with the way dead people were treated, like they were perfect or something. Laney Carter, my best friend, would want to be remembered with each and every one of her flaws. She was reckless and wonderful and I miss her more than anything else in the world. Laney Carter was -and always will be - phenomenal to me."

A few people clapped, whilst others looked offended. They were probably the ones that had made up the stories, painting Laney as a faultless or perhaps flawless angel. They had made it seem as though they were being kind, though - to me - they were tearing away her humanity. No human was perfect, and that was what made them human. Making someone divine and unattainable was like putting them on a different level to us, which only pushed them further away. I didn't want that.

I stepped to the left a bit, as Lucas stepped forward. He adjusted the microphone and coughed into it a couple of times, before bringing out a pound coin and turning it in his hand. He took a few deep breaths and tried to relax, eventually becoming still with his arms resting on the podium.

"You people didn't know my sister, or my mum, or my dad," he said, taking deliberate pauses in between the words. "I'm not blaming you for that, because I don't know a lot of you either. It's just the way the world works. But what I'm hoping is that I can explain to you who they were in the few minutes that I probably have." The coin was being flipped over and over again in his hand. "Lots of people say that Laney - because we're all starting with Laney - had a lot to offer the world, but I want you to know that she didn't want that. She wanted a fair deal, a trade if you like." He smiled as a few people let out gasps. "She wanted to turn this place into something beautiful, something fair. She gave to the world, only for it to break her into pieces. She got nothing back, or at least I thought she didn't. I suppose she got my love, dad's love and Liv's love, which you would hope was enough for her.

"It wasn't," he continued. "And I honestly don't blame her. She made others happy for a long, long time and it drained her. Those people didn't give her the same happiness back, so she could recharge. She was dying even before she was killed and no one - not even us - was capable of saving her. She was gone because she couldn't cope in a world with people that lived only for themselves. She was honest, even if it sometimes came across as really annoying and whiny. She was just my sister and there aren't enough words to explain who she was.

"I guess my dad was the same as her. He just wasn't as extreme. He was a good guy and he did love all of you. He always loved the idea of a community, the idea that so many people could join their thoughts together. It was just so beautiful to him, and to my mum. Her happiness was based on his, and when he left so did she.

"She became someone she wasn't and I regret not ever noticing that. I was too busy wallowing in my own self misery, which was pretty stupid. I never really appreciated her. Well, not enough anyway. She really wasn't perfect. For a long time, I wondered if I hated her and if I could ever forgive her for what she'd done. And now I know I can. I can forgive her for everything, but I can't forget.