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Traipsing through the well-kept grass, I only had to pass a few graves before co to my mom’s The shiny, black marble headstone featured three three-di the side of thethat the three roses represented our fao I’d loved black, and the flowers also re nature into the house

I read the headstone

Lillian Jane Brandt

February 1, 1972 - April 14, 2005

"Yesterday is gone Toin"

-Mother Theresa

Yesterday is gone My mom’s favorite quote She would tell me that mistakes would be made in life It was unavoidable But I needed to take a deep breath, put my shoulders back and move forward

Yesterday lasts forever Jared’s tattoo came to mind, and I quickly shoved it away like a hot plate

I didn’t want to think of hiround and tried to re I could about ether sprouted up in my mind, but over the years, my memories had dwindled Less and less of her reain

Her hair I concentrated on an iht red and wavy Her eyes were blue, and she had a s as a kid She loved chocolate peanut butter ice crea tennis Her favorite movie was The Quiet Man, and she made the best Hershey Kiss cookies

I choked on a sob, re Christehaed round

"Moht with sadness "I round, I lay on my side and let theti quiet, and tried not to think about what had happened to reat

I ain, he’d tossedhe’d said and done to lure et me to love him--was a lie

Hoould I survive the vicious taunts day-in and day-out? How could I walk down the hallway at school or look my father in the eye when everyone had seen that video?

"Do you see it, Tate?"

"What?"

"The balloon" Jared took my hand and pulled me across the cemetery I tried not to think of as underneath raveyard, but all I could envision were grueso out of the earth

"Jared, I don’t want to be here," I sniveled

"It’ll be okay You’re safe with ravestones

"But" I looked around, scared out ofyour hand What do you want e your diaper, too?" he said sarcastically, but I didn’t take it to heart

"I’m not scared" My voice sounded defensive "It’s just…I don’t know"

"Look at this place, Tate It’s green and quiet" Jared gazed around the grounds with a wistful look on his face, and I was jealous that he could see so here that I didn’t

"There are flowers and statues of angels Look at this marker" He pointed "‘Alfred McIntyre born in 1922 and died in 1942’ He was only twenty Remember Mrs Sullivan said that World War II was between 1939 and 1945? Maybe he died in the war All of these people had lives, Tate They had families and dreams They don’t want you to be afraid of them They just want to be remembered"

I shivered as he led me deeper into the cemetery We came up on a shiny, black marker adorned with a pink balloon I knew rave

Who had left a balloon?

"I brought yourmy mind

"Why?" My voice shook It was nice of hi like that

"Because chicks like pink stuff" He shrugged his shoulders and esture He didn’t want attention He never did

"Jared," I scolded, waiting for a real answer

He smiled to himself "Because she made you" And he wrapped his skinny arm around my neck and yanked me into his side "You’re the best friend I’ve ever had, and I wanted to tell her ‘thank you’"

I felt warround Jared filled the emptiness and eased the hurt in a way ht for a moment that I’d like him to kiss me But the idea quickly disappeared I’d never wanted a boy to kiss me before, and it probably shouldn’t be ray sweatshirt over his head and tossed it toheat from his body coverup at him

He pulled er as he stared at me My skin erupted in chills but not froht now?

We both looked away quickly, a little embarrassed

I sat up and wiped , I could see the light in one thing At least I’d given h ere done, I had loved hiave myself to hiht it was all a joke

"Tate" A shaky voice whispered behindaround, I kneho it was, and I tore blades of grass froround as my fists clenched