| abstract | - I felt frozen in the snow. Frozen and powerless. Looking at that tombstone inscription, I never wanted to leave him: my forlorn lover Geoff. Remembering the casket sinking into the Earth, I feel like a part of my heart died, too. As the white ashes kept falling from the sky, my happiness dissolved even more. I didn't even know what happened, but I do remember this: he picked the wrong time to leave me. Since our brutal make-out sessions on Total Drama, my strict father wouldn't let me anywhere near Geoff; all those weeks of protest finally came to a dramatic end. I tried to talk him out of it, but that's when I got the call from Courtney. Racing down toward Bridgepoint, I just wondered what was happening to Geoff. Why was he in the hospital? What happened? And then the worst question: Will he die? The minute I walked through the door, everyone looked at me in sympathy. I had a very bad feeling of what has befallen. The nurse nodded at me and said, " We'll do what we can." Running into the room, even the glow of the moon on Geoff's burnished blond hair made me worry. " Hey, babe." I didn't even bother to say hello, I just asked what happened that caused this ordeal. " I dunno. All I know is that I was signing autographs after an Aftermath rehersal, and then -- bam! I zapped out like that, girl." I'm still suprised that he would keep his cool when he was turning weak. I knew instantly what was happening. There was no point for the nurse's illusive excuse to hide the truth: Geoff was dying. Dying, I thought, Dying? I didn't even know what was wrong and there he was, dying! I gave him a small kiss and shed a tear, but he smiled and handed me his hat and Abercrombie jacket. " Take these things to remember me, party girl. Okay?" he murmured before closing his ao blue eyes. I could've said a million things, I could've cried for him, I could've told him everything I felt about him, but all I murmured back was a sad, " OK...." So here I am, in the Jargon graveyard with the most flower-decorated grave of all. I tried my best not to cry, but just thinking of how much I'll miss him stuck the bullseye on my target. I saw the world differently before my eyes; the sky is just a wide-spread of red twilight and the grass is just shards of green angst to try and break our fall. The worst part of Geoff's sudden death? My father. " Bridgette, sweetie, let's face facts. Geoff was a lusty player and his death did us a good favor." " A good favor of what, exactly?" " Well, we can X out my possible plan with the Planned Parenthood organization." He quickly bit his lip as he saw how red my face got. I smacked the "plan" out of his hands and yelled, " Why is it that whenever I go out on a date, you worry that I've been fooling around? Dating isn't like this Sims game where you press a magical button for "Woohoo" or "Try for baby"! And you know what, if you think that falling in love is a bad thing, don't bother asking!" I stormed to my ultramarine Corvette and drove off. That was the first time I ever stormed away from Dad. Even when my face was past sangria red, I still wouldn't have faced off against his intellect. Still, he was being so sadistic that he didn't even realize how much Geoff meant to me. Even if I was just sexually attracted, he still meant the world to me. With the gentle graze of autumn leaves against my cheeks, that was the only good feeling I felt that day.... Well, that and running into the only guy I could use for emotional support -- Trent. Trent and I have been friends forever since we met in 1st grade; from catching butterflies to standing up for him on Total Drama Action Aftermath, we were inseparable. I found him in the park weeping quietly; almost like his tears were watering the sod. I sat next to him and asked what was wrong. He didn't say a word at first, but he grabbed a torn piece of loose leaf paper and handed it to me. Oh great, I thought annoyed, Filipino language. At least I have an aunt that can translate any language. I knocked on her door loudly. " Bridgette, honey? Is that you?" " Yes, Aunt Charice." She introduced herself with her smile. " Come on in, sweetie. I just finished my gardening. Is there something you'd like?" She regreted asking once I showed her the note. She shook her head and hugged me tight. " I'm afraid Trent's translating skills didn't work this time." " Why? What happened?" She took out her laptop and scanned the note. My heart was a beating drum while scanning. When finished, the finally beating stopped. That's why he was so upset: Gwen died, too. Aunt Charice handed me a white diamond ring saying it was a "white mourning ring" that could release any drop of depression he has in him. I was a bit hesitant about giving a ring to Trent too soon after my soulmate's death. She whispered to me, " Geoff would want you to be happy with whoever." I hugged and thanked her, and drove to all the cemeteries in Ontario. At the final one, I saw a preserved shadow inder a dead cherry blossom tree. Trent... " Rest in Park Lawn, my sweet." He was pretty suprised to see me standing under corroding iron gates. Reluctantly reaching in my pockets, he asked, " What are you doing here?" When I got the ring, I turned to his confused eyes, and said, " I heard about your loss and I have a little gift for you." He stared at the ring in suprise. " Gwen was a special person to you. Even though my friendship with her was wrecked, I hate to see you upset." He kept staring at the ring, but then lifted his orbes towards me, hugged me closer to him, and whispered, " You're a great friend, Bridgette." I snuck back into my room while Dad was sleeping and surfed the net a little from Twitter updates to fan images on Fanpop.com; I'm happy that they didn't make images of me and my tounge stuck to a pole. The last thing I clicked on was my e-mail inbox. I was oblivious at first, but I found this one message with the subject, " I was wondering..." I just smiled. The next day, I came to his garage with the paddle in my hand. He turned around happily. " Hey, Bridge." " Hi." We played continuously throughout the day, laughing and scoring. I don't know if it was me or the ring that made him feel better, but he was coming along pretty well. Throughout autumn, we went on other dates like movies or cafe dates or just hanging out. One day when I was heading to the park again, Dad stopped me at the door. " Sweetie, where are you going?" " To the park to meet up with Trent." " Bridgette, I admit that I was a bit harsh cause I didn't pay my respects to Geoff, but I don't know if Trent is trustworthy either." " Look Dad, ever since I was 13, you worry that I'm gonna go all the way with the first boy I meet. Don't you trust me?" " Well........ Be back before 10." Meeting Trent all over again in the park was just as cool as the begining. We looked around from roses to wildflowers. " Wow... Edwards Gardens is as beautiful as it was 9 years ago." " It sure is....." He then turned to me and said, " Do you remember how we first met?" " Yeah," I chuckled. " We got lost on the field trip here on this trail, trying to catch butterflies. When we caught the same one with our nets, ever since then, we've been friends." " It's still been memorable since." Noticing my blushed cheeks, I turned to him and said, " Trent, I really like you. No guy would have such a caring heart or a trustworthy personality like you." At that moment, he felt silent. Somehow, the word trustworthy really scared him. He shook his head and said sheepishly, " There's something you should know..."
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