Chapter Three

"We are gathered here today to remember a man who got separated from life...." The priest began in a boring voice. Sniffling, Silvia glanced at the open coffin where she could see her father lying peacefully, almost as if he was sleeping. Tears fell onto her cheeks as she thought of the times her father had been healthy and when he would take her everywhere. Together, they would hold hands and jump into the shallow lake. They would feed the hungry ducks as they sat on the wooden benches. Together, they would lie on the grass, watching the sun set. They had so many happy memories together and never again, would they ever have another one. And here lay that happy man, lifeless and dead.

Her mother and Christie squeezed either one of her hand in comfort as they saw the tears coming again. Silvia smiled through her tears at Christie and glanced up at her mother. Nicole's face was quite calm, as if nothing had affected her. But Silvia knew that her mother was good at hiding emotions. She knew her mother was pained from her husband's unexpected death.

"I'll never leave mother for as long as she's alone." She thought decidedly.

"Please make your way to John Herring if you wish to say your words of farewell for one last time." The priest boomed and sat back onto his seat. Silvia stood up and hand in hand with her mother, she walked towards the coffin, trembling. Nicole stepped back as Silvia crouched down next to the coffin, crying silently.

"I'll never forget you, father. You were so good to both me and my mother. I'm glad you're not in pain anymore and I'll join you in Heaven one day. Goodbye, father." Her voice shook as she whispered those tender words. She leaned in and kissed both of her father's cheeks. She stood up and stared down at her father for one last time and stepped back for her mother to speak her words. To give Nicole some privacy, she wandered back to her seat where Christie was waiting for her.

"Did you say your words to him?" Christie asked.

Silvia nodded wordlessly and clasped her friend's hand tightly. For a while neither said anything. They remained there, holding hands. A few times, Christie looked at her heartbroken friend. She silently noted that Silvia's green eyes did not glimmer like usual. Her face was pale and had no color and within the past two days since the death of her father, she had lost some weight. Christie knew she should've been feeling worried for her friend. But for some reason, she felt the opposite. Her heart fluttered with glee. She did not know why she was feeling happy about Silvia's sad appearance. She waited for the guilt to come quick as the glee did like it usually did, but it didn't. Instead, the delight grew bigger. Seeing Silvia not as pretty as usual for once made her truly feel better with her plain self. She didn't want to feel this but couldn't help it. Silvia had always gotten the attention she wanted. Silvia always had more friends than her. Silvia had everything a girl could possibly want. But Christie had none of these. She had the exact opposite of what Silvia had. She was unpopular, had no friends except Silvia and didn't have anything a girl her age would want(beauty mainly). So, maybe this wasn't something to feel guilty about. Maybe this was understandable. Feeling happy that she could finally be less plain than Silvia wasn't something that she should feel bad about. This was a once in a life time chance. A chance to be better than Silvia! Christie gritted her teeth and her heart thumped heavily with greed. Before she could stop herself, a small smile, no a smirk, etched onto her face.

Thinking that Christie was smiling at her in comfort, Silvia smiled a tiny smile back. Christie almost barked out a laugh at this misunderstanding.

"Thanks, Christie." Said Silvia and squeezed the hand she held.

"What for?" An expression of puzzlement flickered across her face.

"For being here for me. For always being here for me. Especially this when...when father's gone." Silvia whispered gratefully. While Christie had been happy about Silvia's current lack of beauty, Silvia had been grateful. She had been grateful towards her. The guilt that Christie should have felt straight after her thoughts finally speared her cold heart.

"It's nothing. That's what a true friend should do." Said Christie, unsure whether she was genuine or not.

"Next month should we...celebrate our b-birthday together?" Silvia struggled to smile but smiled a rather 'wet' smile. Looking eager, Christie nodded in agreement.

"Just us two?" Asked Christie.

"Yeah. Unless you want a few other people?" Christie shook her head, glad that it would only be her and Silvia. She couldn't imagine someone else like Chelise Rogers(ugh she could not stand her attitude) or Joanna Edney(she was such a moron and tried to hog Silvia all the time!). Before she could say anything else, Nicole returned to get her daughter.

"Let's go home now, Silvia. I'm sorry, Christie. I don't feel very well." Her voice was heavy with exhaust and looked like she had aged ten more years.

"That's okay, Mrs Herring." Said Christie politely. Silvia stood up and released her hand from Christie's.

"See you soon!" Her attempt to sound cheerful failed completely and her smile faded.

"Bye." Said Christie, stood up and walked towards the back of the church where her mother stood, waiting with a sad frown.

"What about the burial?" She heard Silvia ask her mother. She didn't hear the reply as Kendall led her out of the church and seeing that she looked sad, she asked, "Mum? What's wrong?"

"Oh. You know, the funeral. It was just sad." Kendall replied hastily.

"But you're not the type- never mind." She broke off her question as she saw the glare Kendall shot her. But Christie was smart enough to know her mother was not the woman who would ever be sad. Not even a funeral.

"Strange." She thought as she climbed into bed that night. "Maybe she knew Mr Herring." She pulled her cover over her chin and quickly sat up. "But how?" She said aloud. Then, she relaxed. Through Mrs Herring, of course! She and Nicole Herring were good friends! But, still. Something didn't feel quite right...