Of Blackjack and stepping up

chapter 14: men will be men

(This chapter contains quite violent contents, spefically very very heavy references to csa and active sexual harrasement is happening

Its also a easter present.)

A few days later Alex is discharged and Kats funeral is held.

He feels like he is obliged to attend. Yes, he killed her and despised her with his very core however she was still his mother.

He dresses in a dark green dress shirt and black pants. Not a black one.

Besides him not owning any black formal shirts, the closest to it being dark gray or very dark green, he doesn't want to do Katherine the honor of fully dressing in black. Secondly, Kat always hated green.

He brushes his hair before tying it back. Nothing unusual. Everything like always.

The coffee also tastes like always. Bitter but that's besides the point.

Nothing changed. Well, one thing did

Jane runs towards him, wearing a dark gray dress. "We need to leave"

She already unlike him at that age owned proper clothes so the only thing she needed was a bed. Which she now has.

She is oddly cheerful. Alex is glad about that. He isn't someone anyone in their right mind would call cheerful, but he appreciates people who are.

He takes her hand, which she doesn't cover with gloves. Her hands do not need to be hidden. There are small scars but she did great to survive all that so he thinks its fine.

"Jane, please remember you did great. I am really proud of you" Alex offers her a hug which she takes. "Let's continue on." They eventually arrive at the cemetery.

It's flashy. Somehow. There are dozens of mourning fans, which leaves a bitter taste in Alex's mouth. Allegations came out. And yet people still mourn her like some sort of god died. Like she was the purest angel that had gone too soon. Like she was exempt from all sinning, because she stood above it all.

Alex wants to laugh at it. She is the furthest thing from an angel. Kat was a sinner, much more than the average person. And yet, just because she had fame and appeared likable she got admired like she was above all else.

He and Jane push through to reach the chapel in which much fewer people are. Katherine's family, some high ranking politicians, some big music producers and also Mori who seems to be sleeping.

They wear a black dress however a lot of red appears in their outfit. Red lipstick, a red belt, red tights, most of them besides their dress and shoes are in a shade of red. They aren't the only attendant not wearing black though. Most wear dark colors though, but some seem to have come straight from work.

Alex knows pretty much all people in the room and he wishes he didn't know most. A few seem to recognize him but most keep quiet.

Well, besides Mori who lazily waves after waking up. Sophie is talking with some big guy in the music industry though it looks more like flirting. Alex thinks he is her producer though she knows that guy from childhood. This does not look like someone she knew as a kid.

It's odd. He knows the music industry is much more shady than it looks like. He was never a part of it, Katherine deemed him too unimportant. However he knows some bigger producers in disgusting ways.

And one approaches him. "You held up well, S. I expected you to be the first corpse in this family." The person is a middle aged man. Alex quickly signals Jane to go to Mori.

They might be brash and can be a bit rude but he doesn't want her anywhere near those people. Mori immediately picks up on that and leaves the room with her. They smile at Alex with pity as they leave.