The funeral

'There they were.' I thought as I stared at the two caskets that were on stage next to the stand and microphone. The room slowly but surely being filled with people but I didn't recognize most of them, some forming a line to give their condolences and others formed groups to chat. Some looked at my siblings and I with pity and others looked at me with curiosity. It wasn't because right after high school I 'disappeared' and came back a famous author, no it was because of the lack of emotion I had while seeing my parents in their coffins. I didn't want to show these people a side of me that I kept hidden for most of my life, besides I didn't want to cry for them anyway. My siblings and I stood in front of our seats shaking hands and some of them were pulled into hugs, I would only spear a hand to shake considering most of them felt uncomfortable being near me and others would just walk past me not spearing a glance. Once everyone took their seats my Older brother Gabriel walked up stage, he clears his throat to collect himself and began the ceremony.

"Thank you everyone for coming today, I know it's hard for us to be here," I scoff. Yeah, hard like these seats making my ass hurt.

"Now before I hand over the microphone to my sister, I just wanted to share something that I myself learned from my dad. 'Never let life or others bring you down, instead learn and move forward.' And I would like to share this to you all to say that my father wouldn't want all of us to think of this as life taking us down but something to move forward from." He stated as he looked right at me. I stood up and walked out, ignoring the stares and took my cigarettes out of my pocket and my lighter.

"um.. Mindy will you please?" Gabe got off the stage and a middle aged crying woman took his place, he ran after me and pushed the door open again before letting it close. I lit my cigarette and let out a puff of smoke, trying to calm my anger.

"'Never let life or others bring you down, instead learn and move forward'? I thought you got that from your favorite movie."

"Sam you know we can't speak of anything, especially here and now."

"Why? Is it embarrassing for you?" I glared at him and blew smoke in his face making him angrier.

"Sam!" He sighed and waved his hand to get the smoke out of his face and looked at me with a sad expression, god he is doing it again. He always does this so I can do whatever he wants and he knows I will do it but today I just didn't feel up to it. I turned my head away and continued to smoke but he wasn't done, he grabbed my cigar and dropped it on the floor and stepped on it. It pissed me off that I let him do so and he put his hand out.

"Come on, at least say something." I just stared at him for a bit then got an idea, I smiled and walked towards the door.

"You're right Gabe, they were my parents after all." I quickly got inside and walked back to our seats.

"Wait! Sam!" He whispered as he grabbed my shoulder and turned me around as we stood between the wall and 'friends' that were sitting and staring as Gabe had us face the wall.

"What are you planning?" I smiled.

"What do you mean? I'm doing what you asked me to."

I turned back around and went on stage as Mindy was going to call on the next person to talk. "Excuse me, sorry I wanted to say a few words." She rolled her eyes but got off reluctantly and let me have the stage.

"Max and Julia, as you would all agree, were good people and unfortunate to meet their fates. My siblings and I would also agree that it was quite unexpected for them to die this way. We all thought that they would die of old age and happily die together as they have successfully watched their grandchildren grow up." More people cried and I saw Gabe viva a nervous smile.

"Everyone would agree that they weren't perfect but were as perfect as anyone could be," More tears in the crowed and Gabe still seemed skeptical but didn't get up from his seat.

"But to me, Max was a.... big mouthed abusive asshole and Julia was a two timing whore that got away with anything. They were a couple made in heaven." I said as I pointed at them and everyone gasped and I glanced back to Gabe who angerly walked over to me and pulled me off the stage.

"Thank you everyone for coming!" I waved and smiled at them as they stared at me in shock.

"What do you think you are doing?!" Gabe yelled as he pushed me out the door and slammed it shut.

"What you told me to, I said some words you just didn't say what I had to say so I thought of them myself." I said shrugging and pulled out an other cigarette and lighting it.

"Why are you smoking again?! That shit kills you!" He took it out of my mouth but I just rolled my eyes and folded my arms.

"Oh please, the day I stop smoking would be the day you stop drinking whiskey." He glared at me but didn't say anything, I snatched my cigar back and continued to breathe in the fumes as he just ruined his once nicely combed hair and paced as he thought of how to deal with the problem I had caused. I don't care if I look like the villain, I just didn't want to live in denial like my siblings. I was tired of pretending that I was fine and that we were as perfect as people thought.

"I'm leaving, I'll see you at Mindy's place." I said as I made my way to my car.

"I don't think she would like to see you at dinner." I smiled but kept walking.

"That's why I'm going, besides you invited me anyway." I got in my car and drove to my apartment to change out of my black suit and into some comfortable cloths, Mindy wanted us to keep our formal cloths on during the dinner but I wasn't going to get my only nice suit dirty for some stupid dinner. Once I got out of my car and headed to my door I saw my publisher standing at my door waiting for me, I ignored him and unlocked my door but didn't close the door.

"A 'hello' would have been nice." Michael said as he walked in and sat down on my couch and put his feet on the coffee table.

"Hi Michael, How's the family." I said as I began to take my cloths off and made my way to my room and change into some ripped jeans and a black tank top.

"Eh. Like always, wife is at home with the new baby while I have to work and miss every moment my baby girl does something cute. How did the funeral go?"

"Just like every funeral, people crying others covering their faces. Pissed a few people off."

"Oh no, what did you do?" He got his feet off the table and watched me as I looked through the refrigerator and took two sodas out and chips for us.

"I took the stage to say some words because Gabe was throwing a fit but he didn't specify on what to say so I said what I wanted. " I said shrugging and sitting down next to him only to feel something poke my behind. I pulled it out after handing him his soda and putting the chips on the table.

"And what did you say?" I had the binder with the manuscript of my old book 'My Silent Scream' in my hand and I stared at it, it was the only book I didn't publish because it had all the secrets my family kept and it basically exposed my family of it's toxic habits.

"What do you think? Here." I tossed the binder in his arms and he just gave me a questioning look.

"I've already read it." He tried to hand it back but I just pushed it back to his chest.

"You can publish it."

"Really?! You're not joking right?!" He looked at me with a large smile on his face.

"Yes, now back up or I'll tell Ashley that you're still trying to kiss me."

"Go ahead, she would most likely be upset that she wasn't able to see it." He quickly put the book in his bag and hummed happily and drank his soda. I thought he was bluffing so I texted her.

—— Ash ♥️🤰——

Your husband just kissed me.

What!? Without me!? 😡

Did he at least take a picture!?

🤦‍♀️ Ash you're supposed to

beat his ass or say you're

going to kill him

But it's not like he'll cheat

and besides if you wanted

him you would have taken

him since middle school.

You two really do deserve

each other 😒

Love you!!😘

———————

He placed his feet on the coffee table again as I switched through the channels of the TV to watch while I waited until seven to leave again. Should I have thought more about giving Michael the book? Whatever I can't take it back now and it's to depressing to even go viral anyway, I thought as I burned out my cigarette on the ash tray and ate chips with Michael. Who knew I was going to get slapped in the face with my very own creation.