It was the middle of summer, and Avril Lavigne was content.
She and her loving boyfriend, Deryck, were driving down a deserted suburban road at 11:30 pm. Deryck fiddled with the stations on the radio when he came across “New American Classic”, by Taking Back Sunday.
A broad grin appeared on avril's face. She turned it up, and rolled down her window.
“What are you doing, Av?” Deryck asked, smiling.
Avril simply smiled, and stuck her messy-haired head out the window.
“Av! Are you crazy?”
“Shhhhhh.” Avril replied, closing his eyes.
“What are you doing?” Deryck whispered.
“Feeling Infinite.”
Deryck smiled, and continued driving towards their house.
After the song ended, Avril pulled her head back in the car, and giggled.
“What are you giggling about, Mrs. ‘Infinite’?”
“You should try that sometime, Der. It’s like you’re flying.” Avril said, smiling a genuine smile.
“Well, now that you’re done flying, we’re home.”
Deryck’s car pulled into their driveway, and shut off the engine.
avril’s hand reached for the door handle, but Deryck stopped her.
“Don’t get out yet. Since you like flying so much, how about flying with me?”
“Flying with you? What are you talking about?” Avril questioned, watching Deryck walk to the passenger side of the car.
“C’mere.” Der said, after opening the door.
“What?”
“Trust me, babe.” Der replied, looking in the younger girl’s eyes.
“Of course.” Avrils arms outstretched to Der, who picked her up, wedding style.
“Is this what you call flying?”
“It’s the best I can do… It’s not like I have a hovercraft to transport you inside.” Deryck said laughing, and carrying Avril inside.
“Who says I’d want a hovercraft, when I have you?” Avril kissed her boyfriend’s lips lightly.
“Good. ‘Cause I’m hotter than any hovercraft.” Avril laughed at Deryck’s comment, when Matt appeared.
“Hey guys! Glad you’re home! We’re barbequing out back.”
“At nearly 12:00 am?” Avril questioned.
“Yeah… Anytime’s a good time for food, especially barbequed food! Did I mention that Evan’s cooking?” Tom exclaimed, walking to the back door. Deryck and Avril just laughed and followed him outside, where Evan already had the food set on the worn out picnic table.
“Finally made it home I see.”He said, smiling and waving with the spatula in his hand.
Over his clothes, he wore a red apron, which read, “Kiss the Cook”. Knowing that Matt most likely rose to the occasion, Derycklaughed quietly. Currently, Matt was trying to pry the spatula away from Evan, to get himself a hamburger, but wasn’t succeeding. The only thing he was succeeding in was getting his bum smacked repeatedly by Evan when Matt would run around him in circles.
Deryck sat avril on the seat of the picnic table and started gathering food for them both.
evan finally received the spatula, and finally served himself.
No one really spoke of avril’s illness. It was just easier. avril seemed happier that way. It wasn’t like she was refusing that she had it, it was just better left quiet.
Her illness had gotten to her before, but she realized that she must live her life to the fullest while he was still here on Earth.
++++
For two more whole months, avril's health remained as best it could be, given the circumstances.
But towards the end of August, she didn’t feel her normal self.
Her doctors had suspected this to come. After all, she did have cancer.
Deryck refused to believe it. His avril was fine.
she would be ok.
But things don’t always work out like that, do they?
Avril was admitted to the hospital on September 1st.
Avril's band was granted a long vacation, until she recovered.
Deryck spent all of his time in room 412, keeping his best friend, and girlfriend, company.
On September 10th, Avril slipped out of consciousness.
“We’ve got to get better,” I said, “It’s all in your head”.
We could live through these letters,
Or forget it all together.
See the months they don’t matter,
It’s the days I can’t take.
When the hours move to minutes,
And I’m seconds away.
Just ask the question
Come untie the knot,
Say you won’t care.
Say you won’t care.
Retrace the steps as if we forgot.
Say you won’t care.
Say you won’t care.
We tried to avoid it,
But there’s not a doubt;
And there’s one thing,
That I can do nothing about.
Deryck stayed at her bedside, waiting for her to open her beautiful eyes, and start cracking rude jokes again.
Days passed, and still, Avril lay unconscious.
On September 20th, Avril was put on a ventilator.
Avril's fans had been notified, and told that they would be kept as informed as possible, on Avril's health.
They had figured out which room she was in, in the ICU, and had sent so many flowers and get well gifts that the hospital had to refuse them after a few hours.
On the night of September 21st, the doctors suggested that Avril be removed from life support. Her condition wasn’t getting better. In fact, it was getting worse. Other bodily organs were slowing, and starting to fail.
And on that same night, Avril’s mother consented for the removal of life support.
She asked all Avril's friends to be there when it happened, so that Avril would be with her friends.
Matt, however, couldn’t. He knew he’d start crying, and that was the last thing Av's family needed. Evan agreed to stay with Matt, which left just Danny and Avril’s mother, father and sister.
At 11:35, Avril was taken off of life support.
Tears rolled silently off of Derycks’s cheeks, as avril’s family cried in each other’s arms.
At 2:17 on September 22nd, Avril Lavigne was pronounced dead.
Deryck had been awake, and noticed the monitor’s beeping.
He immediately called the doctors, who said that it was too late.
His angel had drawn her last breath.
The doctors left, and Deryck placed a soft kiss on Avril’s lips one last time before whispering, “Goodbye beautiful. I love you…”
With shaking hands, Deryck phoned Evan and Matt.
“Hello?” Matt said.
“Matt… Avril… she’s…”
“Deryck? What’s wrong? What’s happened?”
“Avril… she’s…she’s gone…” Deryck choked out.
“Oh My God… Deryck, sit tight. We’ll be there in a bit.” After rushing to the hospital, Matt found Deryck all alone in a deserted waiting room, sitting in the floor, with his head in his hands.
“Deryck…” he said before signaling to Evan that he’d found him.
They both rushed to Deryck's side and embraced him tightly, and cried.
Together, they convinced Deryck to come home; a place in which he hadn’t been for more than 10 minutes in nearly a month.
Evan drove home. Matt wasn’t in a state to drive, and heavens knew Deryck wasn’t either. Matt opted for the backseat; most likely so Deryck wouldn’t see him crying.
Deryck turned on the radio, to help cut out the awful silence.
He turned it up, only to find “New American Classic” by Taking Back Sunday at it’s best part.
Smiling, he rolled down his window, and stuck his head out.
“Deryck…Mate, what are you doing?” Matt sniffled.
Tears rolling down his tired face, Deryck answered,
“Feeling Infinite.”
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