"Thanks for having me over," I presented the smallest yet politest smile my lips could form as I walked through the door.

Elora nodded, the same idea behind her smile too as she shut the door . "I'm sure there's a lot of questions you've got. I guess I'm the only one who can answer a lot of them,"

I followed her into what was my old living room. Although it did not feel as comforting as you'd think. Not that I guess it ever really did, I guess some things don't tend to change.

Elora made her way to the sofa. As she leaned her arms on the sofa armchair. Sitting in the exact spot I'd normally find my mom in.

Taking a deep breath, I sat down on the other sofa. Still taking in the room.

I was getting immense feelings of deja vu just by sitting here. The kind of deja vu where you wish it would just stop. Not the happy kind.

"I wanna quickly just apologise before anything," Elora looked up, she was originally looking at her hands in her lap. But now her attention was directed toward me.

"Apologise?" I squinted.

"I shouldn't have been so rude when you knocked on the door. When I found out you were Echo I just remembered a lot, that time when you weren't there. I know I only got one side of the story, but I was never expecting to ever hear the other really. But... I'd like to, if you'd like to,"

Elora may be the closest last thing I may have to family left. My dad didn't have a lot of family he liked. My mom neither. So she was kind of all that was left for me to make mends with.

"There's no need to apologise," I chuckled in my throat shaking my head. "It's understandable. I knew before I left that no one would be happy with me if I was to ever return,"

"I shouldn't have acted so sour. I think when I came after you left, I never got to know you. I only really knew you as a ghost really? If that makes any sense? I never knew you when you were around, I only knew the things about you, I never got to meet you. So when you showed up- it was really out of nowhere I think I got caught off guard,"

I smiled. I was appreciative Elora even thought to give an apology. Because I really wasn't expecting one.

"I left. With a lot of absent goodbyes and questions with no answers. I left with no note, no warning. I just left. And when I was on that coach I began to understand that a lot of people would hate me for it. And the worst thing I came to accept was how I was absolutely fine with people hating me. I realised, I understood it, I now live with it,"

"I don't hate you," Elora consoled. "I never have. I think I was upset the most feeling like a replacement. When I was around. A lot of people spoke about you for months after. You were always brought up. I think I resented you a little. But I'm older now,"

"Y'know..." I mumbled, my eyes flickered away from Elora. "Billie Joe doesn't talk a lot about what happened after I left. And his friends tell me that's just because he didn't leave his room. But, I still don't fully understand what it was I left behind. Because sometimes more than ever recently I wonder if it was worth staying,"

The room fell quiet. I knew Elora would've known about Billie Joe. She knew a lot, more than I probably knew she knew.

"Well..." She began. My eyes stared back over at her. "When I came around. I was fourteen and being fostered. And I think I came a few months after your disappearance. There were still photos around of you. I asked a lot about you. Then one night mom and dad sat me down, and they told me mostly everything. How they made so many mistakes with you and they weren't willing to repeat with me. But you were always brought up,"

"Maybe this sounds heartless, but I never had anticipated for what I was gonna leave. I didn't think about what I was doing. The friend I went to stay with when I left. We lived in New Jersey for a long while. Then when I came back into contact with Billie he wanted me to come back 'home' with him. I was too afraid to leave behind what I had spent my last few years building. But my friend said to me she wasn't concerned for what I'd leave behind, she was concerned for what would leave me if I stay. And I think that was the mindset I also had when I left. So maybe I was guilty- thinking about it- when I wouldn't leave my friend for Billie Joe. But sometimes, I think it's the truth. I regret running away sometimes. I do, I really do. But I can't sit here and tell you there weren't moments when I was glad I did,"

Elora took a second, maybe taking in everything I just said, before nodding with a sincere look. "I understand what you're saying. And I did at some points get it. Our parents, they weren't saints after you left," The last sentences Elora gave a chuckle.

Which made me laugh too. That there could be bright in this situation. Of two, I guess sisters, meeting for the first time after a lately due to tragedy. "But still." I shrugged, still half laughing. "I'll still always have that smudge of guilt with me,"

"You did what you chose to do. What you thought was right. You can't let your past do that to you,"

Elora was so kind. I couldn't believe at all that after those years I left I had somewhere along the line gained a somewhat sister and never even knew.

Although what she was saying is sensible and some people would agree. I have lived in regret of my past ever since I turned fourteen and beginning to find myself in trouble. I have let my past torment me for my whole life, in honest answer, I think I'd feel a little lonely without that trouble.

After all, trouble is a friend at times.

"I wanted to send out a funeral invitation for you," Elora's voice sounded as if it was stuck in the back of her throat.

The topic hurt, I felt the mood on my skin change to dim. Then there was that familiar feeling of sorrow that'd lay across my chest. The fuzziness in the back of my mind, the head rot. "Huh?"

"When mom and dad... well... passed, I was in charge of the funeral. I wracked my brain up to think of everyone who I know they'd want there. Which didn't seem like a lot. But I wanted to give you an invite. I knew they were your parents and you still loved them, I wanted you to be able to be there. I knew they would've wanted you there. So I reached out to some of the old friends I knew you had around here,"

"You did?"

"All of them mentioned they had no contact with you. Although they tried they never heard a thing. I had no phone number to go of, I couldn't find you on anything, no address to send an invite to, no anything. It was like to me you were none existent. And I had no clue how I was supposed to ever ask you if you wanted to be there,"

Of course, I was crying. Not loudly, or obviously. I had a tear or two down my face by now but that's to be expected I guess. And it looked like Elora was trying hard not to cry too.

"I would have came," I finally mumbled. I guess I thought that was obvious but with who I am, maybe it did need to be stated I would've shown up to my own parents funeral. "I would've came if I would've just knew,"

"I'm sorry I couldn't get the invite to you,"

"I'm their daughter. They shouldn't have to worry about how their other daughters going to invite them to their funeral, I should've been close enough to everyone to know they even died,"

"You can't keep beating yourself up Echo you did what you thought was right,"

"What I think is right isn't always what is right,"

"I understand you're dealing with a lot of grief right now. But I'm here for you- even if we don't know each other well. I wanna get to know you Echo. As Echo, not the ghost who use to roam in this house,"

Although Billie was here for me. Mike and Tre too. Was it wrong to say I found relief in someone else? I'd grown up wanting a sister. Begging for one. Praying. I wanted a sister I could tell things to, I could gossip with, do make up with and argue over who stole whose clothes. I wanted that bond you get where it's almost unbreakable. That when you argue you know in time you've gotta forgive one another.

And now I had it. But not in the ways I expected.

I wanted to talk about boys. Not our parents funeral.

"I'd love for you to get to know me, Elora," I smiled. Not the awkward one I did when I walked in. A sincere smile that just showed up on my face unannounced. "And I'd love to get to know you too,"

"Well..." A laugh got caught in her throat as she clasped her hands together. "Where do we even start?"

I chuckled wiping away what were my tears. The atmosphere felt nicer now. "Gosh... I really don't know. Believe me when I say I haven't interacted with anyone new in a long while,"

"I think maybe sometime soon you should think about bringing Billie Joe over. I don't think I know a lot true about him either,"

"I hope my parents didn't paint a bad picture for you on Billie Joe,"

She leaned her head to the side. "Somewhat. But the shock we all had when he came on the radio one day. I'll tell you, I've never seen mom's face look more regretful,"

That made me smile. Which seemed mean. I wish she could've known the real Billie Joe and not the load of Bollocks the other moms chatted about him on the streets.

"I'd like to bring Billie Joe around,"

A/N: I feel like this is a very short chapter. But I needed to get this closing closure conversation out of my fuxking way.

The story chapters will kinda consist a bit more around her parents. But not this much. Characters grieving is so hard to keep up with

I need to stop killing characters off.