Song is "What If" by Adam Friedman.

Mirror Mirror was in a few contests this past week that closed and we wanted to bow down to the winner of one: DarrenDean1 who won first place in the Heavenly Awards for Best Romance! We came in second, but Fall in May was a well-deserved win!

Make sure you go check it out! You'll fall in love with the story~

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The next couple of days passed in a haze. On Tuesday morning I was released from the hospital. My mom didn't waste any time and drove me straight me to the Sheriff's office where I was charged with reckless endangerment and driving under the influence. It took all of about three hours just as Sheriff Atkins and Mayor Clarke promised before I was finally bonded out by my mother.

That was an experience I never wanted to relive again.

Here it was Wednesday—and not any ordinary Wednesday. No, this one would rank as probably the worst Wednesdays of my life.

I sat outside the judge's chambers, all dressed for the day in my black suit and tie. It was far easier to head to the church for the funerals after I met with Judge Burgess to discuss my sentencing.

All I wanted was quick, painless and to get it all over with as soon as possible.

"Chris said to be respectful and smile." My mom tapped my leg. "But not too much. You don't want to come off as being smug or not repentant. But sad. Think of..."

"What happens here in a couple of hours?" I offered.

Mom turned her face, glancing toward the tall window at the other end of the hallway. "Yeah. I guess that would work too." Trying to hide her expression did nothing to mask the emotion in her voice.

One of the nearby doors squeaked open. "Mr. Birch," a short, middle-aged woman said. "Judge Burgess can see you now."

This was it. After forcing a deep breath from my lungs, I stood, as did my mom.

She nervously patted the lapel of my suit jacket. "You can do this." Her addition of a tame smile was intended to instill some calm.

It did nothing of the sort.

I was off and headed toward the doorway that would determine everything. From school to college. My punishment for being a complete and utter dumb ass. If only I would have never left that damn hospital the other night. If only.

"Here, take a seat." The woman waved at the two chairs situated before a grand dark wooden desk. I obliged and waited by myself. Seconds turned to minutes as I gazed at all the framed degrees, diplomas, and pictures of the judge (I assumed). One with the governor. Another taken with a local senator at some election from the looks of it.

"I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long, Mr. Birch," a surly, baritone voice said from behind and garnered my utmost attention.

I straightened in my chair, maneuvering my tie to the correct position. "No." I paused, clearing my throat and stood to greet him. "No, sir."

"Very well." He made his way to the desk, depositing a stack of files on top. "Please take a seat."

I obliged, waiting for him to take the lead. For the next twenty minutes, he told me story after story of his "glory days" of playing basketball. I sat there, nodding my agreement while adding a smile and chuckle where I deemed appropriate.

"Ahh. Look at the time." He peeked at his gold wristwatch before sagely nodding at me. "You have somewhere else to be soon, don't you?"

"Yes, sir."

"So sad what happened to the Ryans." The older man shook his bald head and sighed. "I heard that you were terribly close to them?"

My brow was damp with sweat. "Yes, sir," I said around the clump of apprehension forming in my chest. "They were my second family."

The judge closed the manila file with my name on it. "Well, I think given the circumstances, that can be taken into consideration."

"Thank you, sir," I forced a half smile. Not too much, Sebastian. Just a little while longer.

The meeting lasted another five minutes with Mom and I arriving at St. Peter's Church just in time for the funerals to start.

I was still berating myself over the fact that I couldn't be a pallbearer. My left shoulder saw to that, and even though my right arm was in perfectly fine, Mom still wouldn't allow it. With everything that had happened, today was the first time that I saw anyone from school since Saturday night.

Sure I was on the receiving end of a few stares. I still sported the remains of a black eye and some bruising. And that didn't even take into account my arm perched in a sling while the clavicle healed.

Once the eulogies started, there wasn't a dry eye in the church. Well maybe besides the priest, but given his old age, he was pretty much immune to death and funerals and burials by now.

Chris took to the podium first, talking about when Tom and he were kids. After he had finished, my mom told the packed church about the first time she and Tonya met. That just so happened to be at Kyle's and my first cub scout meeting when the two moms were appointed Den Mothers for pack 203.

Mom sat beside me in the second pew once she was done. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

My stomach pitched as I stood. "Yeah." One step forward and another, and fifteen more after that, I trudged to the altar and took my place. The crowd of several hundred watched me intently.

I had rehearsed what I was going to say in the bathroom mirror at home last night. Only now, I couldn't find my voice. Good thing I had written down almost everything on a piece of paper. I carefully unfolded the note and glanced at the first line.

"Kyle Thomas Ryan is my best friend. He will always carry that distinction, regardless of who comes and goes in my life. But I have a feeling that many of you feel that same way about him. He loved to joke. To bet on anything and everything." I paused while a few snickers were reverberating amongst the crowd.

"He had the uncanny ability to let others know what he was thinking just by the smile he wore. As co-captain of our basketball team, he was a leader. Someone that everyone could come to at any time. A friend. A true friend. He was a brother to us all. I don't know." I had to stop and breathed deep to calm myself. I rebounded with a shaking of my head and a few tears glazing over my eyes. "How any of us are going to carry on without him. Especially me. But in my heart, I know he wouldn't want us to cry or be upset over the fact that he was gone. No, in fact, Kyle would want us to appreciate the time that we had with him; even if it was decades too short.

So that is what we all need to do. Remember how Kyle would go out of his way and make us laugh. Make us smile. Make sure that everyone felt included, and how he always fought for the underdog—no matter what. Because that is what he would want. And that is what he will always be."

My eyes never rose as I made my way back to my seat for Father Michael to conclude the service. The cemetery where they were buried was across town. After a quick prayer and the caskets lowered into the earth, the mass of people all dispersed, heading to their cars to continue about their lives.

I stood at the side of the burial plots watching as the workers busied themselves with covering over the coffins with mounds of dirt.

Robin yanked the sleeve of my suit jacket. "Hey, you ready to go?"

A few clumps of dirt rolled from the pile and landed on top of my black dress shoes. "Go where?"

Where would I even want to go after a shitty day like today?

"Mom is riding with Sarah. They're heading back to the Ryan's house before everyone shows up for the reception." She hesitated, grabbing onto my hand as a show of support. She didn't have to show me. Besides Kyle, Robin always had my back. No matter what. Her standing here now was even more undeniable proof.

For a moment, I ignored what she inferred. Robin wanted me to go to their house where they weren't. I just couldn't even fathom it. Then it hit me. The only place I wanted to be. And how I wanted to see the only person that could make any of this better. Even if she still was in a coma.

I tilted my head and nudged her arm. That was always my tell when I wanted something from my big sister.

"What do you want?" Robin asked. Just like I'd planned, the exasperation in her voice was palpable.

"Will you give me a ride somewhere?"

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As a special surprise we will be updating again tomorrow and then that will be the end of Sebastian's POV (for now). We will be getting back to all the fun with Shelby and company, picking up the story from where we left off at the end of Book 1.

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