Laying Shawna to rest

Dawn eyed her roommate she typed away on her laptop while she herself lounged on her bed “Are you ever going to take a break?” she asked the brunette.

“I will once I get this assignment finished”, Lena replied.

“You’ve been working on it solidly for the past two days”, Dawn reminded her “you can afford to take an hour to relax”.

“Not when I’m on a roll Dawnie”, Lena countered.

“Ok then”, Dawn said, getting up from the bed. She quietly crept over to her friend’s desk and grabbed Lena’s wheelie chair.

“Hey!” the witch protested when the blackette pulled it away with her still on it. Lena tried to keep a hold of her desk but it only served to make her fall off the chair, she landed on the floor with a thump.

“Are you ok?” Dawn asked, looking at the young adult laying on the floor worriedly. She’d only wanted to get Lena to take a break, not hurt her.

“I’m good Dawnie”, the twenty two year old answered “and I get your not so subtle hint” she got up from the floor “I’ll take a break now”.

“Good”, Dawn said, satisfied “now let’s go get some caffeine!”

Lena laughed at how the eighteen year old eagerly grabbed her hand and dragged her towards the door. “Wait! Wait! I gotta put some shoes on first”, Lena said, digging her heels into the carpet. As amused as she was at Dawn’s antics, there was no way she was going outside with nothing but socks on her feet.

“Oh, right”, Dawn said and let go of her hand to allow her to pull some trainers on, although the blackette hopped from one foot to the other impatiently. “Finally!” she cried as Lena finished hastily doing up her laces. They rushed out of the room, Lena managing to snag her bag and jacket along the way.

“You know, with the amount of caffeine you drink, I wouldn’t be surprised if that coffee runs through your veins instead of blood”, the brunette joked as they walked towards the campus café.

“It sure does”, Dawn agreed with a grin. The two of them spent the next couple of hours laughing and joking over a few mugs of coffee. “Lena, don’t look now but cute guy is staring at you from the counter”, she said quietly, noticing someone trying but failing to subtly look at their table. Lena did exactly what she said not to do and looked. Almost immediately, a faint blush appeared on her cheeks and she quickly averted her gaze. “Oh, I know that look. Spill”, Dawn lightly ordered.

“Remember the guy I told you I had a slight crush on?” Lena asked her quietly and the teenaged witch nodded “well…that’s him”. Dawn’s eyes widened and she glanced at the young man. When she looked back at her friend, she had this smile on her face which Lena knew all too well.

“Dawn don’t”, she started but the blackette ignored her, getting up to approach Lena’s classmate. The brunette lowly groaned to herself, hiding her face with her hair, utterly embarrassed.

“Hi, I’m Dawn Smith”, Dawn said, introducing her said to Harrison “I saw you were staring at my friend” she gestured to the brunette at the table “and was wondering, do you like her?”

“I do actually”, Harrison admitted “never really had the courage to ask her out though”.

“Well, why don’t you do it now?” Dawn suggested, giving him a light push towards Lena. She leant against the counter, watching Harrison slowly walk to their table.

“Hey Lena”, the young man tentatively said, standing there nervously.

Lena took a breath and looked up at him “Hi Harrison”, she greeted back as calmly as she could, despite her heart hammering away in her chest.

“I was um…wondering if you uh…wanted to go out with me on a-a date?” Harrison asked, stumbling over his words as he stood before the young woman that he’d been secretly crushing on for a while. Damn it! why couldn’t I talk to her like I usually would! He mentally scolded himself there’s no way she’ll say yes now.

Holy crap…is he seriously asking me out? Lena thought, hardly daring to believe what she was hearing. She honestly didn’t think for a second that he would even remotely feel the same way. She gave him a genuine smile “I would love to”, Lena replied.

Harrison let out a breath he didn’t even realise that he was holding “great!” he said, overjoyed that she said yes. He’d half expected her to laugh in his face and say ‘no way in hell’ or words to that effect. “How about this Friday? Bowling, maybe?” Harrison suggested.

“Bowling would be great”, Lena agreed “I have to warn you, I suck at it”.

“Well, I’m no expert either”, Harrison told her “we can fail at it together”. Lena laughed at that.

“Sounds like a plan, Harrison”, she said with a smile “and I look forward to seeing you on Friday”.

The raven haired young man returned the smile, now completely relaxed “Me too”, he said. Lena watched him leave with this goofy grin of his face like he’d just won the lottery or something. She sat back, still smiling away to herself. Dawn slid back into her chair with a smug look on her face. 

“You’re welcome”, she said, picking up her mug and taking a sip of her coffee. She made a face. It had gone cold. “Bleh, hate cold coffee”, she grumbled.

“I think that’s a sign to stop”, Lena told her “why don’t we go do something else?”

“Like get you a cute outfit for your date?” Dawn counter asked.

“I was thinking about that, yes”, Lena answered “and maybe we should see if Casey is free. I think this would be a good distraction for her”. Ever since Shawna had died, Casey hadn’t really been seen around the University. She mostly stayed at home, keeping to herself.

“Good idea”, Dawn agreed. The pair got up from the table and left the café.

~0~

It turned out that getting Casey to come on a shopping trip with them was a very good idea as it was the most fun that the blonde had in a while. She and Dawn sat in front of the changing room as Lena modelled outfit after outfit, the two of them giving their opinion on it. The brunette occasionally threw in some outrageous outfits including a bright green top, orange shorts and a fuzzy scarf just to get her friends laughing. Eventually she did find the winning combination: an off the shoulder black top with a blue peacock on the front, denim shorts and black leggings. She already had a decent pair of ankle boots in her room that would finish off the outfit nicely.

“I think we have a winner”, Dawn declared.

“Definitely”, Casey agreed.

“Great”, Lena said, happy to have found the right outfit for her date “thanks for your help guys”.

“It’s no problem”, Dawn said getting up from the chair, slinging an arm around her shoulders “that’s what friends are for. Now! I think it’s time for some caffeinated beverages”.

Lena shook her head “you and your coffee Dawnie”, she said.

“It’s one of my quirks”, Dawn said “one that I know you love”.

Lena smiled at her “that’s without question”, she stated.

“And that’s my cue to go home”, Casey spoke up, gaining their attention.

“Oh, no, no, no”, Dawn said moving over to her, taking her hand “you are staying with us for the rest of the day missy”, she said sternly “no going home for you”.

Casey looked at Lena for help “it’s better to go along with Hurricane Dawn”, she informed her “much easier than trying to fight it, trust me”.

“Damn straight it is”, the colourful haired witch agreed.

Casey sighed “alright fine. I’ll stay”, she said, giving in.

Dawn did a happy jig “Yay!” she cheered.

~0~

Friday came around quicker than Lena expected. Now she was sitting at her desk all dressed and ready to go with her journal out in front of her, pen in hand. The young woman wanted to write something…anything about her feelings to do with the date but she honestly didn’t know how to put it into words. She was excited and nervous at the same time. What if it went really well? Would that mean a second date? Or what if it went horribly wrong?

Lena shook her head, setting her pen down. She was thinking way too much into this. It was a date with someone that she’d liked for a while! By all rights she should be going and having fun, not worrying about the outcome. Her phone buzzed and she glanced at it The was a text from Harrison.

I’m outside

The brunette got up from her desk, grabbed her purse, sliding her phone into it. she then left the room, pulling the door closed.  “Hey Harrison”, Lena greeted when she met him on the steps outside the building.

“Hey L….” he trailed off when he saw what she was wearing “wow. You, look amazing”, he remarked.

Lena smiled “thanks”, she said. Harrison took her to where his car was parked and let her into the front passenger seat. He then drove to the bowling alley.

“You ready to play badly?” he teased as they pulled their bowling shoes on.

“Ready Freddy”, Lena replied earning a chuckle from the young man. Frame after Frame it was either a gutter ball or only a handful of pins got knocked down. Neither of them minded considering that they were having a good laugh at how much they both sucked at the game. “This was fun”, Lena commented as they sat in the little restaurant area with a couple of bottles of cool beer.

“Yeah it was”, Harrison agreed “you think we could possibly do something like this again sometime?”

“Absolutely”, Lena replied gaining a big grin from the raven haired young man.

When she got back to hers and Dawn’s dorm room, she found the eight year old sitting on the edge of her bed looking like she’d gotten some very bad news. “Dawnie? Whats wrong?” she asked going over to sit beside her.

“I just got a call…”, Dawn said quietly “Tyler killed himself”.

“What?” Lena asked, shocked “how?”

“Hung himself apparently”, the witch replied. She looked down at her hands “I knew that he was messed up but I didn’t think he’d take his own life”, she murmured.

“You’re not blaming yourself are you?” Lena asked, placing a hand on her shoulder “cos it wasn’t your fault. It wasn’t my fault either. You said it yourself, he was messed up. His obsession with Casey drove him to raise the Hook Man and my guess is that he couldn’t take what he’d done so he…you know…killed himself. Can’t save everyone”.

“Believe me I know that better than most”, Dawn admitted and she honestly wished she didn’t.

~0~

It was about a week after her date when Lena was leaving Cranmoore University for spring break. It should have been an exciting time, two weeks of r and r and catching up with her godmother. Instead Lena was going to be attending Shawna’s funeral. She supposed that it was a good thing that her friends parents was finally burying their daughter. If nothing else it’ll give everyone the closure they so desperately needed.

“Thinking about the funeral?” Dawn asked, breaking through Lena’s thoughts.

“Yeah I am”, Lena admitted “it’s going to be so hard Dawnie”, she whispered, her voice cracking with emotion.

“I know”, the young witch said softly putting her arms around the brunette, hugging her “I know”. The twenty one year old buried her face in her neck, allowing tears to fall. Dawn rubbed Lena’s back as the brunette cried, once again mourning her friend.

~0~

The car ride to Illinois was one filled with awkward silence and tension. Dawn, who’d decided to come along to the funeral in order to give her friend some support, tried to strike up a conversation a few times but Lena barely responded. So the young witch lapsed into silence and looked out of the window, watching the landscape rush by.

It was only when they got to a motel that Lena said something. “I’m sorry”, she said quietly.

“It’s ok, you don’t have to apologise. I know this is a difficult time for you”, Dawn said. She understood the brunette’s behaviour and didn’t blame her for it one bit. Losing anyone you were close to is heart wrenching to say the least and she would know having lost her own mother at a young age.

“Still…I am sorry Dawnie”, Lena insisted “you were just trying to make the journey a little more fun”.

“Well, you can make it up to me with coffee and cake”, Dawn said with a smile which Lena returned.

“That I can do”, the brunette agreed. The pair checked into a couple of rooms at the motel and unpacked their stuff before going to find a nearby café to get their caffeine fix.

~0~

A day later saw Lena getting ready for Shawna’s funeral. She stood in front of the mirror, dragging a brush through her shoulder length brown hair. Once all the knots were out, she pulled it back into a tidy bun. She took a good look at herself, straightening the black dress that she’d decided to wear.

The door opened and Dawn stepped in, also appropriately attired for the event “You ready?” she asked.

“As much as I can be”, Lena replied, turning to her “thanks for being here with me. I…I don’t know if I could get through this without you”.

“Lena…” Dawn stepped forward “you are literally the strongest person I know. If anyone can get through this in one piece, it’s you”, she said confidently making Lena crack a small smile.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence”, she said and then took a deep breath “ok, let’s get this over with”. Dawn nodded, taking her hand and leading her out of the motel room.

~0~

As it was a beautiful spring day, the funeral took place outside. Lena took her place on one of the seats, thornless rose in hand, Casey and Dawn either side of her. “Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today to say farewell to Shawna Davis and commit her into the hands of God…”

Lena listened with everyone else as the priest recited a passage that Shawna’s parents had requested and then it was time for the eulogies. Her friend’s mother and father were first. “Shawna was such a happy child, her smile could light up the room”, Marina Davis said, doing her best to hold it together “that never changed even as she got older” her voice started to wobble “but now that smile is only reserved for the angels. Rest in peace, my sweet girl”. Jackson Davis put an arm around her as she started to cry and ushered her away.

Lena glanced at Casey, who had silent tears running down her face. She knew her friend wanted to say a few words but she could tell that the blonde was going to have a hard time saying anything. Lena reached across and took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze “I’ll go”, she said quietly. Casey looked at her and gave her a small smile.

“Thank you”, Casey said, gratefully.

“You got this”, Dawn whispered as the brunette got up from her chair. Lena gave her a nod, glad that the blackette was present. She took a breath and made her way to the priest. "Shawna was a great person and a very good friend”, Lena said, facing the funeral goers, trying to keep her voice as steady as possible “She knew how to have fun…how make others enjoy themselves and have a good laugh. I going to miss her very much", she moved toward the coffin, placing the rose on top of it "I hope you're in a better place now", she murmured "and that you're at peace".