It was hard. Up until the funeral I cried myself to sleep every night. I called out of work the next day. Every time someone would say "I'm sorry for your loss." I would freak. This was probably the most difficult thing I had ever gone through. But I did make it through. It was the day of the funeral, where the grief started to subside. It was after I finally said what needed to be said.

I walk in with Robbie by my side. Everyone was in black. I had a nice black dress with heals on and Robbie was in his suite. We take out seats in the from row of the church. Jade's mother and father were there next to Beck. I wouldn't dare look at Mrs. West. She showed up and hours and a half after she got the call. She said that she was busy doing something. By the time she got there Jade was long gone and all she had to say was, "Doesn't even wait for me when she's dying. Well now that's less that I have to take care of." I was going to walk up her and slap her but Robbie and Alex held me back.

She wasn't sad that her own daughter died. It was just less that she had to take care of. What a worthless piece of… never mind. This wasn't about her. This was about Jade.

The priest goes on about how Jade is going to be in a better place now. He finally calls Mrs. West up to the pedestal. She clears her throat.

"Thank you all for coming. It means a lot to me and to Jade that you are here. Jade never was what I wanted her to be. She was convinced she had a future with music. And no matter how many times I told she would go nowhere in life with it, she still followed her dreams. And look where following her dreams took her. I told her time and time again, but she wouldn't listen. She was useless. She was ignorant. And she NEVER listened and now she's dead. So Cat… how does it feel? First your dad… Now your best friend… At least your father died with some honor." She gives me a cold stare. Everyone in the room was looking at her with their jaw dropped. The priest steps in before she can continue.

"I think that's enough… Ms Valentine… you said you would like to say a few words." I stand up and walk up the steps to the pedestal passing Mrs. West and giving her a look.

"Jade deserved a hell of a lot more of a mother than you Mrs. West…" I clear my throat and some of the memories come to mind. "Jade and I, we hated each other. She tortured me for 3 years. And finally one of our teachers, Sikowitz, made us work on a project together. He gave us one week to get to know each other. If in one week we could tell the class about our partner we get an A+ if not we failed the semester. I got to know my worst enemy, I got to understand her… She got to know me, she found out about my father…" I pause for a second holding back the tears. "There was so much that I needed to tell her. So much that I needed to say. There were so many chances I ended up giving away because I was scared of the 'What If's?' Sometimes in life, you find a special friend. Someone who changes your life just by being part of it. Someone who makes you laugh until you can't stop. Someone who makes you believe that there really is good in the world. Someone who convinces you that there really is an unlocked door just waiting for you to open it. This is forever friendship. When you're down and the world seems dark and empty, your forever friend lifts you up in spirit and makes that dark and empty world suddenly seem bright and full. Your forever friend gets you through the hard times, the sad times and the confused times. If you turn and walk away, your forever friend follows. If you lose your way, your forever friend guides you and cheers you on. Your forever friend holds your hand and tells you that everything is going to be okay. And if you find such a friend, you feel happy and complete because you need not worry. You have a forever friend, and forever has no end. People come into our lives for a reason. They bring something we must learn. They are here to teach us a lesson. To change us for the better. It's the person who changes your life. The person who makes you see things in a different perspective. The person who changes who you are and who you will be. And whether or not you see them again, you have been changed, for good. I am never going to see her again but she left a handprint on my heart and she will never be forgotten. So… to the woman who changed not only my life but probably some of yours, thank you. Thank you for everything you have ever done. Thank you for the smiles and the laughs. The good times and the bad. The life lessons you taught each and every one of us. You'll be in our hearts forever."

I finish and not a person in the entire room was dry eyed. Not even Jade's mother. I knew I got the point into Mrs. West's head. Her daughter was so much more than the person she knew, and it was her fault that she never got to see it.

Jade and I was the friendship no one ever though would be… And I am glad we proved them wrong.

For the next 30 years I went to her headstone at least 3 times a week. I would sit there and talk to her, knowing that she was looking down and listening. I know it sounds crazy, but it's hard to forget someone like her. It's hard to not be able to talk to your best friend.

It took me awhile to figure out what Jade had taught me. And only now do I fully understand it. It wasn't just one thing, it was many things. Love. Forgiveness. Family. That life goes on. That sometimes you need to let go, not forget, but let go. That everyone deserves a second chance. That sometimes you're wrong about a person. That you can't save them all.

Family is more than just DNA. It's about the people who are there when no one else is. It's about never forgetting what someone did for you. It's about always being thankful for the things and people you have. And no matter what people say, yesterday's enemy may be today's friend, and today's friend may be tomorrow's family. Jade was much more than a friend… She was family.

2 weeks after Jade's death, Robbie and I got married. Alex was Robbie's best man. And I didn't have a made of honor. I explained that it would have been Jade and there was no one who could replace her in this spot. Tori, Trina, Meg my coworker, and Lisa my other coworker were my bridesmaids. Everything that day was perfect. The only thing missing was Jade, but I knew she was there in her own way. She would never miss something like that.

9 months later I gave birth to the most beautiful girl. And like you may have guessed, I named her Jadelynn. She had these beautiful green eyes, which she gotten from Robbie, but they reminded me of Jade. She grew up, she went to Hollywood Arts, and majored in musical theater in college. Now she's off somewhere in Hollywood making the music she loves, because that was her dream. And unlike Mrs. West I will never stop someone from following their dreams and doing what they love.

Now, I'm at my daughter's wedding. Telling the story of why my daughter's name is Jadelynn to everyone. And like the day of Jade's funeral, not a person in this room is dry eyed.

The last part of this story, well it's only one sentence…

No matter what happens in the end, sometimes the journey is greater than the reward.

THE END

And that's it. What I mean by the last sentence, 'No matter what happens in the end, sometimes the journey is greater than the reward.' Is the journey, getting to know that person, becoming their friend, that's better than anything else that can happen between you and them.

With friendships, there are many words left unspoken. Of course, the bad things are better left unsaid. But the good can sometimes save a life. I know I push this is almost all of my stories, but it really is true, you will regret it if you never tell someone how you feel because you or them may not be here tomorrow. If I got the chance to say goodbye or the truth to everyone I've lost, I would take it in a heartbeat. I'm sure you would too. But with my hypocritical self, I never listen to a word I say. (Which I really need to fix lol)

Well… Review… And thanks again for being the best readers/people in the world. I know there aren't many of you but every single review and comment helps and makes me smile. I can't thank you guys enough. And to my active readers, Sofia13, SShaw101, and Ariana4Ever, you guys are the best. You read every single one of my FanFics and you leave some amazing reviews. You literally threaten me (Ariana4Ever) if I don't put a new chap up.

REVIEW! Lol