The Next Chapter

Chapter 31

Hello hello! I hope that you guys liked the last chapter and let's just get on with this!

I WANT TO SAY IT ONE MORE TIME. LANDON IS !NOT! ALLY'S DAD!

--- --- --- --- --- ---

Emery's POV

The lasagna is in the oven now so Michael and I are just sitting and talking. His blonde, curly hair is hanging over his eyes as they look at me. I see his mouth moving and laughing but I hear nothing. Not for a-

"Aren't you going to get that?" He asks.

"What?"

He points to my phone.

Incoming call: Jake

"Oh, ehm... No." I say and put the phone in my pocket.

"Look, we don't have so much to do now. Stella is fixing the last calls to the church and stuff so you should probably go home. Rest for tomorrow." I nod but before I go home I go up the stairs to Ally's room.

"Hey." I say and open the door. "The food is done."

"Oh, already? Okay. Thank you so much." She smiles and hugs me, and she doesn't let go. She needs it. A best friend can tell.

"I can stay if you want?" I say, still not breaking the hug.

"No. You should go home. Besides, I have a lot of catching up to do with Michael." She smiles and lets me go.

"Okay, see you tomorrow then." I kiss her cheek and head home. When I'm there the smell of pasta carbonara hits me and my stomach growls.

"Someone's hungry." Dad laughs as I walk in and take my place at the table.

"Stella talked to me and she said that she'd like for you to come to the funeral tomorrow. I know you didn't spend much time with him but it would mean a lot to them if you came." 

"Of course we'll come." Mom says and squeezes my hand.

My phone rings again.

Incoming call: Jake

I look at it for a while.

"Shouldn't you answer that?" Mom asks.

"No, we're eating now." I say and give them my best fake smile. They buy it.

After dinner, I head up to my room to get some rest. And again...

Incoming call: Jake

He can't catch a hint, can he? 

I'm so close to blocking him everywhere but I decide not to. I just have to get my mind off of everything. And how to do that? Put on sweats and watch Friends.

I slept a little longer than I thought because when I wake up it's Saturday, about ten o'clock. 

I freak the fick out because I have to be ready in about an hour. I rush downstairs where I find mom and dad already dressed in the living room. "Why didn't you wake me up!?"

"We thought you were up." Dad says and looks at me. "You have to be ready in an hour, you know that right?" 

"Yes. I know." I glare at him and run upstairs to get into the shower. 

The warm water hits my skin and it feels so good, I can't rush anymore. I just stand there, shampoo in my hair and rinsing it out. After about 20 minutes I'm done. I also thank the gods that I already had an outfit ready.

I walk over to my dresser and pick out a pair of pantyhose and put them on. After that, I pick a basic black bra and then I put the dress on. 

"Auden!" I yell from my room.

"Yes?" He walks in and looks at me.

I turn my back to him. "Can you help?" I point to the zipper. He walks over and zips me up. I thank him and help him with his tie. He thanks me and walks back to his room to get ready. After that, I take my heels out from my closet and put them on too. Now I'm ready, and with 15 minutes to spare. Wow, I'm proud of myself.

I walk downstairs to sit with mom and dad in the living room while we wait for Auden to get ready.

"Is everything okay honey?" Mom asks. "You've been looking down these few days." 

I want to tell her everything about Jake but I decide against it. I can't tell her now, not with dad in the room. And plus, my best friend's dad just died, I have the right to be sad.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just shaken up still about all of this." I say and 'smile'. 

Dad gets up from his spot and hugs me. "Everything's going to be fine, okay?" I nod and Auden finally walks down to us. 

"Everyone ready?" I ask, looking around the room. "Mom do you have to throw up before we leave?"

She waits for a second, feeling after herself. "No, I think we're fine." Good.

All of us get in the car and dad starts driving to the church.

"You guys are sitting in row three but Ally asked me to sit in the first row with her." I point to where Ally is.

"Okay, we'll see you after honey." Mom kisses me on the cheek and they go to find their seats. I walk down the carpet to find Ally crying in her seat. Without saying anything I slide in next to her and hug her. 

I hope I'm doing okay. I've never had a best friend lose anyone. How should I act? This feels like the best option so this is what I go with.

"Thank you." She says and I smile at her. Next to Ally is her mother and next to her mother is Michael. An old man, the priest I assume, walks in and everybody becomes quiet. 

He starts speaking and I can hear Ally's mom crying and Ally joining her again shortly after. This is truly breaking my heart.

After some time all of us walk outside and the men of Ally's family carry the casket outside, Michael being one of them. They place the casket where they have marked and all of us gather around it. The priest is talking some more and a lot of people are saying goodbye to him quietly to themselves. 

"Bye dad. Hope you have it better there with grandma and grandpa." I can hear Ally say under her breath.

That's it. I don't cry a lot, but shit. This is something else.

--- --- --- --- --- ---

So... That's sad. Yeah... I'll just- Leave it here.