In Memory of Reed Fray

Eight

Skylar allowed the wind to tousle his hair as he stared blankly at the ocean. It was 12:16AM on a Saturday and he had snuck out of his house to go here. It wasn’t exactly at this moment but at some point in the 12th of February, Reed and Skylar Fray were turning 18 but it would only be Skylar this year.

Reed would be seventeen forever.

“Why are you out here?”

Skylar jumped in surprise and whirled around quickly to see Tori Garcia, dressed in sweatpants and an oversized shirt, hair tied in a messy bun, “What are you doing here?”

She shrugged carelessly, “I couldn’t sleep. And then I heard you rev your motorcycle and so I followed you.”

He raised a brow, “So you’re stalking me now?”

Tori snorted, “You wish.”

She walked off to the edge of the pier, near the waters and sat there, staring listlessly at the dark ocean. Skylar didn’t follow her right then, instead he just looked at her. They’ve been spending so much time talking to each other, thinking about ways to earn Viola’s trust. She used to hate him and never tolerated him but when he approached her, when he told her, she didn’t even miss a beat, and she agreed to help.

“Tori,” he said quietly once he seated himself beside her, “Can I ask you something?”

“Aren’t you already doing that?”

He rolled his eyes, “I was just wondering. You have nothing to do with this case but you’re helping. Why?”

She looked at him, her big dark eyes staring, “I wanted to help you.”

“You used to hate me.”

“Used to?” she teased but smiled at him, “Maybe I just want to do something good for once.”

He let a humourless laugh, “Tori Garcia doing bad deeds? I’d like to see the day that happens.”

She bumped his shoulder playfully, “I can be a bad girl, bad boy.”

He didn’t respond but just flashed her a grin. They were quiet for a moment, staring at the darkness ahead of them. But then they both started to see a ball glinting in the waters and they realized that the moon was right above them, bright and glowing.

“So is this the thing that you were waiting for?” she asked quietly, “A moment like this? Where the world is all quiet and serene and beautiful?”

“As much as it sheds the disgusting reality we live in every day, not really,” Skylar answered, shaking his head, “But today marks mine and Reed’s 18th birthday and well, we used to come here to celebrate with each other before we do it with anyone else.”

As his words registered to Tori, her eyes widened and she abruptly stood up, “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry! I shouldn’t have followed you. I should go.”

“Hey wait up,” Skylar called, standing up and grabbing her arm, “It’s kind of different this year. Seeing how he can’t be here to keep me company. And if you’d like to stay until the suns wakes us up, I don’t mind.”

Tori sat back down again and gazed at him. She couldn’t exactly see his face since it was dark but the moon’s light somehow shed some of his features, “So what do you guys normally do?”

He shrugged, “Greet each other happy birthday. Talk. Have fun.”

Tori nodded, but it seemed wrong to ask him to do the same things, “What do you wanna do now?”

Skylar exhaled loudly. Driving here, he had been wondering what he would do considering this was the first time he wasn’t doing their tradition together. He then told Tori to wait for a moment and then he came back with a blanket. He laid it on the creaky floor wood and then lied down, looking expectantly at Tori.

She hesitated for a moment, but then lied down beside him. They were quiet and they just stared at the stars, “Do you think he can hear me?”

“I don’t think so. I know so,” she replied.

He was silent for a while and Tori thought he must’ve fallen asleep, “Happy birthday, brother.”

She felt her heart clench for him. He was robbed of a brother, a best friend, another half. She turned to look at him, the moon’s soft light on his features. She watched as his eyes flutter close and his breathing start to steady. He may be a jerk, but the world wasn’t fair to him but if it was some kind of consolation, it wasn’t fair to anyone.

“Happy birthday, Skylar.”

“You know, I never really have any idea where you and Reed used to run off to on the day of your birthday,” Barry Fray said once Skylar stepped foot on their household. She had a mini cake in her palm, “But then again, that has to be your thing. And I’m glad you didn’t stop even after…he’s gone.”

Skylar smiled and placed the blanket on the sofa and kissed her cheek, “Good morning, Momma.”

“Happy birthday, Skylar.”

He smiled and blew the flickering candle on the cake. His siblings then came down and greeted him with rounds of happy birthdays, as did his Dad. When they headed off to the kitchen for breakfast, Skylar stared at the plate peanut butter pancakes. He looked up at his Mom who smiled sadly.

“It seemed wrong not to include that,” she said quietly. They ate in silence, reminiscing those past seventeen birthdays the twins had. It was always rowdy, Austin cracking jokes most of the time, Reed laughing heartily and Skylar’s sarcasm. But now things were different. Reed’s demise was more felt today.

David arrived at their place just before lunch and he greeted his friend with so much enthusiasm he seemed to forgot that the day wasn’t exactly that happy, “Dude. It feels like I haven’t seen you in ages!”

“We go to the same school, Dave,” Skylar answered briefly, “We have classes together. Eat lunch together.”

David patted his back, “You know that’s not what I mean. We haven’t gone to parties, haven’t hung out.”

Skylar knew that David was right. He had been avoiding hanging out with him. Every time they were together, all David did was tell Skylar to go to the counsellor or talk about his feelings. He appreciated the concern but it was getting annoying, “Sorry, man, I just had a lot in my mind. It’s been weird.”

“He’s been dead for a while, Sky,” David said insensitively, “Your family isn’t grieving that much anymore. Why not you too?”

Skylar clenched his fist. He wanted to punch David for being so blunt and blasé, “Sky!”

He turned at his sister, “Yea?”

“We’re going out for lunch. And then we’ll head to the cemetery and then to school. They prepared a memorial for Reed.”

“Didn’t they do that a few weeks ago?” David asked.

“It’s the gazebo,” Willow replied, “They’re opening it. You can come with us for lunch, David.”

“Ah, but I have somewhere else to be. Just came here to greet you a happy birthday, mate,” David said, patting Skylar’s back, “Thanks for the offer though.”

When they were done with lunch, they headed to the cemetery. Skylar took some time in hiking the small hills up to where his brother’s remains lay. Willow accompanied him quietly. She took his hand in hers and then gave it a squeeze, “It hurts for us too.”

Reed Jacob Fray

Born: February 12, 1996

Died: January 8, 2014

A loving son, brother and friend.

They gazed at his headstone. Skylar still thinks that the words written for him weren’t enough, that it didn’t capture who he was to everyone, that it didn’t give justice to the Reed Fray everyone knew and loved. He knelt down before his headstone and moved the fallen leaves that had settled.

“Happy birthday,” he whispered, greeting him for the second time that day. His entire family was silent beside him. He stood up and went to Willow’s side. She wrapped her arm around his waist and leaned her head on his shoulder. Skylar placed his arm around her shoulders and kissed his forehead.

“We should head to the school,” their Dad, Oliver, stated.

Skylar bit his lip, “Can I stay here? It would be weird if I was there and everyone is sad and it’s my birthday. You know how I am in a crowd of tearful people.”

Austin punched his arm playfully, “You just want an excuse to find some booze and party.”

Skylar just laughed. His parents allowed him to stay but made him promise he’ll come home for dinner. Moments after his family wasn’t in plain sight, he spotted a brunette hiking up the hill. He wasn’t surprise to see her.

“What are you doing here?” Viola asked, surprised.

Skylar pointed to Reed’s headstone, “He’s my brother. And you? Came to wish him a happy birthday?”

Viola ignored him and then placed the flowers she brought beside the ones his family had. She placed a candle and lit it too. She was silent for a moment, eyes closed. Maybe she was praying, maybe she was reminiscing but Skylar allowed her too. He didn’t like what she had with his brother but whatever it was, it was special.

“I don’t get a birthday greeting?” Skylar joked, trying to get into conversation.

Viola looked at him briefly, “Happy birthday.”

Skylar sighed and sat beside her on the grass, “You loved him, didn’t you?”

She remained silent, her gaze fixed on his headstone. Her blue eyes were calculating, as if she was weighing if she should talk to him. When she exhaled loudly, she finally spoke, her voice soft and dainty, “He was a good guy. He befriended me even after my rudeness towards him.”

“You trusted him,” he said but he didn’t get a reaction out of her, “Did you know that my brother keeps a journal? He hasn’t written on it since, I don’t know, ninth grade but when Mia died, he’d write on it occasionally. And then every day when you arrived.”

Skylar looked at Viola, wanting her to look his way too. He was desperate, desperate for any kind of information she has, “He was in love with you. And knowing him, he still is. He earned your trust Viola. You trusted him. He cared about you. A whole lot.”

“The last entry he wrote on the journal, he said someone was after you,” That finally got her attention and she looked at Skylar, eyes wide, “I think who’s after you is the one who killed him.”

Fear crept from Viola’s toes and to her entire body. Images of the silhouette of the man flashed before her eyes and the slightest glimpse she had of him the night he killed her father. She didn’t know what else she could say. Skylar was on to something. That was why he was so convinced that she knew who killed him, because of what Reed wrote. She thought it was impossible at first but with the notes she’d been getting, it didn’t seem unlikely. But if the same guy who killed her Dad killed Reed and if Reed was on to something, Skylar getting in the picture would most likely get himself killed too.

“You need to trust me, Viola,” Skylar whispered, “We can’t give Reed the justice he deserves if you don’t help him. So please.”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. She didn’t want another death, “But I can’t.”