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CLOSING HIS EYES, Seth Naifeh revelled in the calm and convivial atmosphere of the park. The musical psithurism of the foliage coupled with both chirps of blue-birds and the footsteps of occasional walkers soothed his mind. But he knew it wouldn't last.

As soon as the others arrived, it was easily predictable—expected almost—that the quiet atmosphere would be no more. The calm would evaporate, replaced with sky-high tensions and borderline hatred stewing amidst everybody. Yasmin had set the location to be at Ivory Park, the largest park in the town of Oaksville.

Always the early bird, he had arrived ten minutes before the actual send-off was meant to be. Better for them anyways, to be shocked one by one rather than all at once.

It was still summer. Despite nearing the end of it, the days and nights were still sultry with scorching temperatures but it was as if Serena herself had seen what they were planning and had done her best to accommodate them. Today the clouds shaded the sun's harsh ray. It was a comforting thought, one that he toyed with as he waited.

Time seemed to pass at an agonisingly slow pace. One minute stretched into what seemed like 10 hours, and it was getting hotter. Was it just him?

Seth fidgeted with his hands as he sat cross-legged on a mahagony-coloured bench at the park, a thin sheen of sweat layering his face as his eyes darted in all directions. He couldn't shake the feeling as if someone was watching him, waiting to pounce.

Casting his gaze to the pathway, he lowered his head, holding it in his hands. It was only him and his own mind— for now. He rubbed both of his eyes. He really needed more sleep. The three hours of sleep he had gotten the previous night was making him paranoid. Paranoid of talking to people he didn't want to talk to, people he didn't want to see. No doubt the feelings were mutual.

If Seth Naifeh was being honest to himself, it wasn't just paranoia of seeing the recipients of Serena Wilson's letters; he wasn't ready to say goodbye. It was the bitter pill that he hadn't quite swallowed whole— that with this finale hosted by Yasmin, this final action; Serena Wilson would be well and truly gone.

The crunching sounds of fallen leaves beneath a boot caught his attention as he lifted his eyes, coming face to face with Diana Nethel who looked as uncomfortable as he felt. As sadistic as it might have been, he took slight comfort in that. In knowing that it wasn't him that felt like he didn't belong.

His eyes briefly skimmed her figure; her hair had been styled up into a chignon bun and she had chosen to adorn a midnight-coloured dress with sleeves made of a translucent-black material with lace patterns extending all the way to her wrists.

Modest but elegant, as always.

He nodded once in acknowledgement of her presence as he leaned back against the bench, any trace of the stress he had earlier hidden from sight.

This was the Seth Naifeh everyone knew. The one who was calm, collected and definitely not running on only three hours worth of sleep.

"You too?" she quirked an eyebrow at him, some of her earlier discomfort evaporating too as she realised she wasn't going to be the only anomaly in Serena's send-off. Diana too noted his semi-formal attire, the button-up collared shirt he had chosen to wear, paired with jeans.

Merely shrugging his shoulders in an ambiguous response, she let out a small smile at this Smoothing down her dress, she took a seat next to Seth's sedentary position. A comforting silence settled over them and for a moment, it appeared that the silence would wallow with them in the abyss until the others arrived.

"You know, Serena taught me something," Diana began to speak, hands clasped and eyes set forward to the grass— not meeting Seth's. "forgiveness. I'm choosing to forgive myself because of her. She taught me to live my life to the fullest. That my mistakes and pasts aren't defined by a single action."

She turned to finally meet his eyes, her own glistening with unsaid emotions.

"Thank you." she settled instead for those two simple words/ "Thank you for giving me that letter, you gave me peace that I hadn't realised I needed."

Her tone was raw with emotion and heartache, reverberating all the way deep to his bones. It was a familiar ache that he felt all too often.

"I did what she asked me to do," he said gruffly, "It isn't me you should be thanking."

At this, she gave him a pointed look, her eyes pierced into his face yet her voice was soft as honey when she spoke,

"I'm not used to being the 'nice' or for a better term, a compassionate person," a phrase which elicited a chuckle from Seth, "but don't belittle your actions."

"She may have given you the letters but you were the one that offered it to me, I think you deserve at least some of the credit. She assigned you the task for a reason— what?" she broke herself off mid-way as Seth stared at her with a dumbfounded look, "I'm not dumb, you think I didn't notice the other letters being delivered? It's obvious that you were the one behind it all, I just didn't expect myself to receive a letter but it makes sense now— you hosting that party and all."

She continued to speak, not giving him a chance to respond. "But really Seth," she sighed. "Don't beat yourself up so much, anyone who's anyone can see how affected you've been by this. She's gone but she wouldn't have wanted to see you like this."

"It's my fault, though." Seth said, in a voice so soft, Diana would have thought she made it up if not for the visible movement of his mouth.

"And she's forgiven you," she finished. "In spite of everything you've done, Serena Wilson forgave you, because that's the type of person she is."

"So why cling to regret and 'what if's' if all you can do is move forward? If the girl herself has given you permission, hell, I say go for it, Seth."

"Who are you and what have you done with Diana Nethel?" Seth spoke up after a momentary silence, voice in awe.

She rolled her eyes at this but as they settled back on Seth's, they were brimming with mirth, "She's somewhere in here still, just finally letting the layers of her real self run free."

"You know I'm right." she added softly, reiterating her earlier statement. Seth let out a breath, cheeks pulled in and tongue against the lid of his mouth.

"I know," he admitted at last, "But it's not something that happens overnight."

Diana nodded, as she acquiesced his answer, seemingly satisfied.

"Let's be friends." She changed the subject once more.

"Then what were we before?" Seth asked, amusement colouring his tone.

"Leeches." she said plainly. Seth would have chuckled had he not realised how true that simple noun was.

Leeches. That was what they had been.

"It's safe to say that we're never going to be more but, it's always good to have some company. We've always been there for each other but back then, our friendship was forged on the basis of resentment, hatred and all diabolical things. This time though? It's the opposite."

"What do you say?"

Seth slowly nodded his head. Friends— he could try that.

The both of them shared a grin as they interlocked their hands in nothing more than a platonic gesture, a comforting one.

It was the start of something fresh, a new beginning.

They remained in comforting silence— but not for long— as the next guests showed up.

Vanessa Tan and Meiji Osaimai approached them, eyes glittering with a mixture of curiosity and surprise upon seeing Seth and Diana on the benches. Well, Meiji's eyes at least. Vanessa Tan's face was a blank canvas, revealing nothing about how she was feeling.

He stood up, Diana making a careful decision to remain seated on the bench as he continued to walk forward— closer to them.

Tension thick in the air, the world around him seemed to shut down as all of them met in the middle of the path. The birds seemed to stop singing, the trees stood still and blood singing in his ears. Vanessa raised her hand— he shut his eyes, accepting and preparing for the blow that would follow. Except, there wasn't any blow.

Her hand landed on his shoulder instead.

"It was you, wasn't it? The flowers." Vanessa spoke softly. Opening his eyes, Seth looked up at the Chinese female whose eyes brimmed with curiosity and were not emotionless like he had assumed earlier.

Her question hung in the air, beside her Meiji looked confused— as he should. Unless one had been stopping at consistent intervals at the shrine, one would never know that flowers were always placed there. Different flowers every week.

But Vanessa had visited her best-friend's shrine every day. She could spot differences easily. And it was easy to spot the flowers; especially given how carefully chosen they had been.

He nodded slowly.

"I'm sorry for the way I treated her," he stated sincerely. "And conjunctly you as well. No one ever deserves to feel the pain of what I did, the brunt of my words and I realise that now. My apology won't change the events that have happened nor does it mitigate the adverse effects of my actions, but I hope that you'll forgive me one day. Until then, I'll do everything I can to prove that I'm worthy of forgiveness."

It started with flowers. Flowers wouldn't bring her back but it would honour her. He would do it everyday for the rest of his life.

Vanessa's eyes brimmed with unshed tears as she dipped her head. When she looked up at him, they were laced with understanding.

"And I am too. I'm sorry for anything I've said to you, there are infinite reasons why we treated each other the way we did but it falls down to Serena. I know that we've always had our differences but for her sake, let's start afresh— no questions, no reference. A clean slate."

Retracting her hand, she quickly walked away to take a seat somewhere further away, not giving Seth a chance to respond.

Meiji shot him a confused look before quickly following Vanessa, Seth didn't fail to notice the way he immediately intertwined his fingers with hers— in public nonetheless, underneath the watchful eyes of many. They must have already talked over it in detail for him to have been as bold enough to try such a daring feat.

Seth blinked. Once. Twice. Nope, Vanessa was still walking away. He hadn't imagined things.

Vanessa Tan, the girl who never made any apologies, had just apologised to him. He stared, baffled at Vanessa's retreating back.

Damn, the world really was upside down today. Diana quirked an eyebrow at him as he returned but maintained an insouciant posture as she glanced back down at her phone.

The trickle of people arriving quickened, with five minutes left until the clock struck five, everyone flocked to the park. Declan, Olivia, Bethany, Keith, Meridian and finally, Yasmin.

"What the fuck is he doing here?" Keith spat at Yasmin when she arrived.

The two were at a considerably safe distance from each other but that didn't mean shit when both were males made of pure muscle. Distance was only a measure ; they could cross it within seconds and obliterate each other if they wanted to.

"He got a letter," Yasmin said simply, tone layered with ambiguity.

Keith wasn't letting Seth off that easily. Stubbornness, a trait that Seth had always admired in his friend but in this current moment, it was everything but admirable.

Funny how one could go from being best-friends to near enemies in the span of three months. But Seth didn't blame Keith. He deserved it. For the way he acted in the locker room when Jake announced what he already knew, for his actions towards Serena.

One did odd things when in pain and in the heat of the moment, Seth's anguish was at its peak.

He turned to Seth, eyes laced with accusations. "Why are you here? Do you even regret anything you did?"

Seth bristled.

"Keith," Yasmin warned sternly. Seth raised his hand for her to let him speak, she did, albeit wearily.

"What you need to know," he said calmly, "Is that I did everything she asked of me."

That was as good as nothing for Keith yet Seth didn't bother elaborating himself on the matter, instead directing his attention to Yasmin.

"Are we going to do this or what?"

"Hold on, I'm not finished—"

"Cut it out, Keith. We're here for Serena, not for your petty arguments." Meiji intercepted, a frown on his face.

"Keith," Yasmin simultaneously commanded sternly. "Let's go pay our respects."

That seemed to cut into Keith as he reeled back, crossing his arms over his hands, glaring. He was silenced, but that didn't do anything in stifling his anger.

"Here," Yasmin began to pass everyone a single slip of paper and pen, instructing them on what to do. "Write what you wish to write to Serena, words you wish you could've said— anything. We send them off at dusk—wherever they head, let's hope she sees them."

"Met back here at six-thirty. Until then," she waved them off, hands gesturing to the vast area around them. "Wander off to any part of this park you'd like, scour every inch of this place until you find your peace to write these letters."

It dawned on Seth just then why Yasmin chose Ivory Park. It was the only park with a size vast enough to allow for them to still have a sense of privacy when writing their own letters in response.

They scattered. Each searching for their own peace to write their final, real adieu to Serena Wilson.

***

SUNSETS WERE A remarkable phenomenon.

If you thought about it, sunsets were a fleeting goodbye. When the sun set, it was bidding a goodbye. Goodbyes were always melancholic yet sunsets contradicted this as its colours always teased of a better tomorrow. Of a better future.

Today's was no different, like an art piece crafted by the most gifted of people, the sky was painted a mixture of hues ; orange, red, pink but most brilliantly were the clouds spotted all around, adding texture and substance resulting in an overall brighter piece.

A picturesque scene indeed. And quite fitting for a send-off.

They had wandered around, spread themselves out but had all eventually found their way back to Ivory Park before the clock struck six fifteen. They had earned curious glances from passersby, some of whom had even stopped and asked if they were on a treasure hunt based on the slips of paper they were holding.

Being as courteous as they possibly could— and in the shortest amount of words possible— , they told them that they weren't. Thankfully, the curious strangers hadn't persisted in their questions and had continued on their own walks and activities.

"Are we all ready?" Yasmin asked as she glanced at each of the people who were situated around her in a circle. Nodding, each of them began to tuck their letters into their own personal lantern, they'd light it up afterwards before finally sending it off into the sky.

A beautiful finish to honour their friend.

Serena had given them their peace, now it was time for them to show that they truly were at peace.

Acceptance wouldn't come overnight, no, it would take time and maybe even years before they came to terms but at least, with the letters they wrote for her, it was a sign, a sign that it was the beginning of a new chapter.

They were choosing to close this one— the one with Serena's death, the one with all the faults, it was a done deal. Forgetting wasn't an option but moving on was.

"On the count of three,"

"One, two, three!"

Simultaneously, the clock in the centre of the park chimed loudly, three times, indicating that it was exactly six-thirty.

Each of them released their hold on the lanterns, watching as they floated higher and higher into the sky. Whispers and murmurs followed as each of them murmured their own goodbyes.

"Thank you Serena, you saw the best in me when no one else did."

"I love you dork, I'll get better. I really will."

"I've told my mother about the affair. I've been clean for a week. Thank you for helping me out of the dark hole, I've fate that wherever you are, life will be good to you."

"Serena, you were the person I admired and still admire the most, because of your compassion and self-sacrificing ways. I'll forever be indebted to you, for showing me how to be the best version of myself. I'll take care of Mari for you, for us."

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I was so stupid as a child, that my harmless pranks always somehow harmed you, even if it wasn't my intent. But thank you. Thank you for everything. Because you, Serena Wilson, helped me mend something I thought was unfixable."

"I'll miss you, so, so much. I'm so grateful that I met you during freshman year, that you managed to be my best-friend. It's an honour and a privilege to have known you, Serena."

"Nothing will ever make up for the fact that our last words weren't exchanged even a month before your death yet I hope that you'll find my letter and you'll be able to read what I've penned down— because everything I've written is the truth. I miss you so much, I'm sorry I left you."

"Thank you for helping me find peace within myself, Serena Wilson."

"There's too much to say, but just know that everything, the nights we shared laughing together in bed, the tears we shed over heartache and bullies, they were priceless. I'll never forget them."

Seth remained silent, being the sole person not uttering his words aloud. Inwardly though, it was a different story :

"I don't know what to say, how to structure my words coherently but Serena Wilson, you are one of the best this world had.

You deserved better than what I did to you, and definitely amounted to more than anything your mother ever said you were. You were always more than what she said or what she deemed you worthy. You achieved more in this lifetime than most did and for that, you deserve an infinite amount of happiness. I'm sorry, you loved me once but I loved you too late."

He inhaled sharply, cutting his eyes down as the lanterns vanished from view permanently. The group dispersed after a brief interim of five minutes, murmuring their own silent goodbyes as they went.

What had just happened wasn't a friendship. It was a toleration. Serena's letters may have coalesced people together but that didn't mean any of them were ever going to start being close to each other.

They were Serena's friends. Entities binded ties together and Serena was a key entity. She wasn't here, the ties were broken— some too much to even begin repairing again. Diana had cast Seth a worried look but upon him assuring her that he was okay, she had nodded and headed off.

"She loved you, you know. Make her proud." Yasmin, one of the last remaining people, whispered to him before she too stepped onto the pathway and headed into the distance with Meridian.

Now alone, Seth let out a small depressing sigh. It was over.

He remembered the words she had written in his letter ; the way to make Serena proud—

A speech for her, when he played for the big leagues.

No matter how long it took, he was going to honour Serena Wilson. Up until his last breath.