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"Uhh, hi Mari."
The girl walked forward, holding flowers. Or, dandelions to be specific, from the now empty patch in front of the church. She flattened out her skirt, before sitting down in front of the grave.
"OUR DEAREST MARI
THE SUN SHINED BRIGHTER WHEN SHE WAS STILL HERE"
The girl set down her flowers and pulled up her knees to her chest.
"You're probably wondering how my day was today."
The stone could not answer.
"I have a project today, in school. For English. We're supposed to do a book report."
She tilted forward a little further.
"I remember how we both used to read together. I never liked it as much as you did, but you always made it more fun. You would always help me out with schoolwork, too." She sniffed a bit, before continuing. "I know you can't help me now, but if you could just be there, I would feel a bit better." She pulled her cardigan a little tighter, considering it was just a size too big. "I don't know if you would want me to have them, but I always thought your clothes were pretty. I thought, maybe...it might help us feel a little closer."
Aubrey stood up, putting a hand on the grave and looking down. She had worked to keep it tidier, especially with the tree always dropping leaves.
The tree...
It was almost an insult, that they would put her grave by such a large tree. Another insult to injury.
But she could still help Mari, even now. They could still be together, in some way or another. "I'm going with Basil, to study tomorrow. We can look through the photo album!" And I can see you again, she didn't add.
She sat down once again, leaning on the grave like she would lean on Mari's shoulder. But it wasn't Mari. It could never be; the cold, hard, unmoving stone would never be her warmth.
Aubrey couldn't take it.
"Why did you leave us? You knew we loved you, you knew we would have helped you. Why did you have to leave me?" She said, her voice raising in the end. "I could have helped you! Kel already has new friends, Sunny's gone, I hardly ever see Hero, and Basil...Basil's the only one I can at least try to talk to now! This is your fault!"
She breathed heavy, still slumped against the grave. She wanted to hate her. She wanted to hate her so bad, she abandoned her after all. But it wasn't hating a stranger, or an ally, or even a friend. It was like hating a sister. Like family. Not the family she had, but the family they had made.
But it was gone now. Mari took it.
She couldn't help but feel so lost.
"I'm sorry. I don't want to yell. I don't want to feel this angry."
She stood up, picking up the dandelions once again and placing them behind the grave, away from the rest of the world. She's sure she could come back with better flowers eventually, instead of a common weed.
"We-I miss you, Mari."
As she walked away from the grave, the sway of the trees seemed to still just a bit more.