It's All Fun And Games Till There's A Funeral

-Peyton-

With Jade out of the hospital, the funeral was fast approaching.

The morning of, I woke up with a sense of dread. I yearned to be across town with Jade, rubbing her back and letting her grieve.

I took the dress off the hanger and slipped over my body. It was a simple black eyelet dress with short sleeves. I slid on some tights and black heels. I pulled my hair back and applied some makeup. The whole thing seemed so unimportant but I didn't want to face my mom looking anything but my best.

Mom was brushing Auggies soft curls at the table. He looked very cute in dress pants and a button-up.

"Morning darling, how are you?" she cooed as if this any other day.

"Fine, just worried about Jade," I mumbled peeling the sticker off an apple.

Mom was in a nice dress as well, her hair pin-straight.

I didn't see my dad anywhere.

"Where is Dad?" I asked.

"I sent him out to get flowers, he will meet us there,"

I nodded and tugged on a black sweater.

My phone chirped letting me know that Ryker texted me.

Hey thanks for the dress pants, Mom was about to make me wear jeans. Rather die.

I muffled a chuckle and sent a quick welcome text back.

Mom jingled the keys in her hand and looks over to me.

"Ready?" she asked bouncing Auggie on her hip, even though he was approaching seven years old she was still treating him like a baby.

I nodded reluctantly, no of course I wasn't ready, but what else was I going to do?

-*-

The funeral home was packed with firemen in their dress uniforms. Family and friends milled about.

"Oh there's your father with the flowers, I'll be right back," Mom informed me and squeezed her way to my dad.

Ryker approached my side and I gave a little jump.

"Hey," He murmured, looking around uneasy. I understood there were a lot of people here.

We made our way over to the photo wall.

There were thousands of photos of Jade's dad at the fire station with his buddies. There were pictures of Jade at diffrent ages with her dad, wedding photos of Jade's dad and mom. I never seen a picture of her mom before, she was pretty.

There was the latest photo taken just a few weeks ago. Jade's father in the middle with Jade, Ryker, Hale and me at his sides. He insisted on having it taken when we were all at dinner. He told us he needed a picture of his new children.

A tear slipped out of my eye.

It was odd to feel lose for someone you barely even knew.

- Hale -

I hated wearing dressy clothes, but for Jade, I sucked it up. I put on some dark jeans and a black lace off the shoulder top, with a corset backing. I put on a nice pair of boots and curled my hair in softer waves.

I brushed my hair down as I slid off the motorcycle helmet.

Lev looked it up and she held her hand out for me. I smiled and took it as we entered the home. It was getting used to the small things, Lev offering her arm or hand. It was simple, but in my head it was huge and I couldn't be more thankful that she realized that.

We arrived right after the service. Lev and I both agreed we wanted to skip all the bible churchy stuff, Jade understood and said if it weren't for the fact that her dad was religious she would have skipped it too.

People were meandering around talking, crying, reminiscing.

I spotted Jade at the casket up front, talking to people as they came up to give their condolences. It really looked like a line of people rubbing salt into a wound.

I'd never been to a funeral before. It was weird and nerve-racking, people always wanted a celebration of life yet as I looked around there were more tears than laughter. tissue boxes at every turn and flowers pollened the room. I never understood the exchange of flowers when someone died. Sorry, your Dad's dead please take these flowers that should help, I know violets were his favorite?

As we approached the casket a wave of nausea hit me and I stumbled, Lev had the same pale sick look on her face.

"You feel that," I whispered up to her.

The feeling got worse the closer we got.

"It must be pretty strong if you can feel it through your bracelet," She nodded, sometimes I think she forgets I'm a mutant witch.

"What is it?" I asked, tasting bile in my throat and a sharp pain in my lungs

"It's called spirit impression. It's the emotion the soul was feeling when it lefts its body. The more painful the death the worse the impression. Don't tell Jade but her dad may have died quick but it was painful,"

We walked over to Jade, her cheeks were puffy and tear-stained. She was wearing flowy dress pants, a gray top, and a black sweater. She was gripping her cane so hard her knuckles were turning white.

That was the silver lining to all this. A slight limp for the rest of her life, a cane neccersy so she didn't lose balance. We took the win. The cuts were turning into scratches and the bruises fading into a lavender, yellow color.

It still hurt to see the look on her face when the doctors said she would never dance like she used too, if at all.

I took a big breath and pushed all the problems aside. They could wait till tomorrow.

"Hey, how are you?" I asked looking into her dropping eyes.

She sniffled and cleared her throat, the instinct to show everybody she was holding it together was clearly her main focus.

"I'm fine. Liam went over to the cemetery to make sure everything is ready, he's been a big help,"

I smiled and wiped away her smeared eyeliner.

"Let me know if you need anything, ok?"It was the best I could offer, it wasn't like I could do much more. That feeling of grief isn't something that just goes away.

She nodded tapping a wadded up tissue under her eyes.

"Thanks, Am I awful if I say I can't wait for this day to be over?"

I shook my head.

"No, it means your human," I clutched her hand and she took in a deep breath before turning to the next couple of people and we moved on.

- Ryker-

Peyton's mom and mine were chatting away.

There were people everywhere, I hated it. I longed to be in my room with my curtains drawn shut so it was dark. Having my colored lights on and drawing as I listened to my music, away from everyone, in my comfy sweatpants and sweatshirt.

My anxiety was increasing with each second, Peyton didn't look much better than me and across the room, Hale looked sick and Jade looked like she was about to burst out crying at any second.

A great day for the Woods siblings I thought. Together we looked like we belonged in a poster for some horror movie, except the villain wasn't some monster with fangs and claws but life beating us down to a pulp and mocking us to try to get back up.

"We should go see Jade," Peyton voiced, looking at our sister.

I nodded and followed after her.

Peyton reached out and rubbed Jade's arm. I gave her half a smile and stuffed my hands in my pockets, missing my sweatshirt.

I was probably coming off as rude. It didn't mean to I just didn't know what I could do. Ever since the accident, I felt bad knowing how much pain she was in, but not having the ability to help. I didn't understand how my words were going to help make her pain go away.

"We are about to move to the cemetery, they are putting the flags on the car, I'm going to be riding in a fire truck in front," Jade explains.

"Any other family going to be with you?" Peyton asks.

"My Dad had a cousin that came to town and so did my moms' sister. They will be with me. Both of them offered me a place at their house, but they are from out of state. I don't want to move. You guys are the last of my family,"

We all smiled and Jade excused herself to go start the funeral line.

Peyton and I agreed to go together, glad that I drove separate from my mom. Hale and her girlfriend were going to follow right behind us.

Once we got outside Peyton leaned over and whispered to me.

"Why does all of this seem like it's more personal than it is?"

I shrugged, my lungs were tight.

"The family bond maybe, I think we're each absorbing some of her grief,"

Peyton straightened her back.

"Then she can give us as much as she wants,"

-Jade -

I kept my mouth shut, only letting a few thank you's and I'm fine's out once and a while. I kept my entire being locked up if I relaxed a tear or sob could escape. I would not have a breakdown in front of everyone. I could be strong for one day.

The weather was miserable out, it was cold and dark, rain threatened to break from the sky at any minute.

I couldn't even pick a nice day to bury my dad on.

The screech of the bagpipes started to play, honoring the tradition of a burel of a fireman. I tuned it out, I started at the freshly engraved headstone, it was marbled white with a photo of my dad in his official dress.

James Joseph Fell

A Hero To The Community And A Loving Father

I was pulled out of my head as the bells tolled in my father's honor.

Everyone gathered around the six-foot hole. The officers handed me the folded flag, and I placed his helmet on the casket as the lowed it down.

Starting with me, everyone threw a handful of dirt into the grave.

It felt like I was just going through a series of steps then burying someone. Like if was just checking things off a list till I go could home, or wherever home was going to be.

It was time for the eulogy, one of the hardest things I ever had to write. How could I sum up my dad in a few paragraphs?

I wanted to do it here instead of at the funeral home, this was my final goodbye.

I fight back tears and I wasn't expecting my throat to be so croaky.

" My dad was a lot of things. There was some bad, but mostly all good. In the last few days I been clinging to the memories of him, looking at photographs. I can't help but think of everything in my future that he will never see, that I will never make his stupid jokes or listen to him tell me about the fire he put out at work," My voice squeaks and I take a second.

" I miss him so much, he protected me and died for me, so that I could have a future. Knowing that makes me miss him even more, but I also know that he would want me to move on, not stay still. He was the best father and husband. I remember when mom got sick, he never left her side, he wanted to use every second until she-"

There was a lump in my throat and I couldn't keep my tears in. A whine escaped me and a darted away as quick as I could, I escaped into a diner and hide into the bathroom, letting my self bawl until I was sick.

-*-

When I finally came out of the diner and went back to the cemetery everyone was gone. Thunder clapped about and It started to drizzle.

As I approached my dad's fresh grave, a fresh wave of sobs racked my body and I fell to my knees. The recently dug dirt was soft.

Everyone was gone now. It was just me and an engraved slab of marble.

I reached out my hand and my fingertips brushed the marble.

Raindrops mixed in my tears, making my eyelashes heavy,

I was able to pull myself together for a few words.

"Goodbye Dad,"

Warm arms wrapped around my back, drawing me in.

Liam looked at me with painful eyes.

"Come on baby, let's go, your freezing, your family has been looking all over for you," He murmured as he helped me up. He bundled me in his carrying me back to his car. I laid my head on his shoulder and my tears seeped into his jacket.

When I woke up I was laying on the bed in the room Jack and Mayline had for me at their manor. They had offered me the same as when Hale was searching for a place to stay. To live here with them.

Liam's mom had offered the same, along with my distant relatives but I had made my decision to stay here. Just now I had made it because I wanted to be somewhere untainted. I'd spent countless nights in Liam's room crying as he held me. His mom and little sister doing their best to cheer me up, and I couldn't leave my siblings so, here was my best option.

Plus I had Ivory and Dimitri as company. Which I think Ivory was also thankful for.

She checked on me every once in awhile. Bringing tea or a new box of tissues.

Of course, the room was going to need a bit of a remodel but that was a different day's problem today I just wanted to lay under the purple covers and wallow, and I'd do that until I found the strength to get back up.