Arrogance: Volume One of Ebb & Flow

Chapter 10 - The Funeral

Today's the day of Marcus' funeral. His is the latest, but not the last—the near-endless list of dead kids causing a town to be stuck in a gruesome loop. The only family that has a reason to celebrate is the Williams. They own the only funeral home and are working overtime to coordinate every single last rite in town. Today will be a valuable learning experience about etiquette for these kinds of events. The only other funeral I'd ever been to was my mother's, but I was too young to remember it. I didn't cry, but I kept my face neutral and melancholic. Marcus' funeral will be the only one I will attend; I kept to my group and didn't interact with other cliques much.

Daniel and I arrive early. He hasn't let me out of sight today and is circling me. Losing someone I was close with won't break me; I'm not you. Maria's SUV is sitting in the parking lot. I'm not surprised to see her here after ignoring her and leaving her asleep in my room. Maria was never really a part of our four-person friend group, more like a plus one attached to me. None of them dislike her, but I believe they think of her as my girlfriend, not one of us. She and Marcus got along fine, but I don't know if she's here for him or to corner me.

I'm wearing the face I practiced last night for hours. The trick is to react lethargically to things and pretend that your cheeks weigh a ton. So if someone tries to tell a joke to cheer you up, you pause before faking a chuckle. I'm wearing a black suit with a dark purple tie Maria bought me for our junior prom. As she exits her vehicle, I see she's coordinated her outfit to match with me. Maria's wearing a modest black dress and a shawl the same color as my tie. She has nicer or more flattering dresses she could've worn but chose not to; I would know I bought them for her. Bravo, my dear Maria. Now it looks like we did this intentionally and presented as a united happy couple. She comes right up to me and hugs me. I can't rebuke her here because it will cause a scene.

"I'm here for you," Maria said.

"Thanks. I'll need it, especially today."

I keep my eyes closed and slow my breathing. Today I have to act upset. Be withdrawn and find a point to cry silently. She releases me from her grasp to say hello to my father. Before I can take a step, she interlocks our hands. I doubt she'll let me go even if the place goes up in smoke.

"Everybody else is inside. I waited for you two to get here before going in."

"I hope we aren't late. I could've sworn that we weren't starting til two," Daniel said.

"No, you made it in time. Everyone else is just early," Maria said reassuringly.

I decided before we left that I'd be solemn and reserved. Practicing so late gave me some bags under my eyes, making my act even more believable. Not that anyone would have any reason to suspect I'm faking it. The Williams Memoritorium is a white granite building with four large pillars supporting the overhanging roof above the entrance. We enter, and the atmosphere of the room is heavy. Faint organ music plays in the background and the air smells of cotton balls and lemony cleaning products. Plush velvet carpet covers the floor, and the lights' soft glow gives the room an eerie quality. Flashes of childhood memories of my mother's funeral come flooding back to me; relatives and neighbors repeating the same phrases about their condolences and how young I am to be motherless. These memories might bring me to tears if I wasn't the way I am.

Jean-Luc and Aubrey stand off to the side while the adults all talk. There are many people I don't recognize, most likely Marcus' extended family members. The adults I do know are everyone's parents. The Duponts fled Paris due to a Neuvohuman terrorist attack and are trying to share coping mechanisms with Marcus' parents. Aubrey's mother attempts to console them, but nothing hurts quite like losing a child. My parent heads over to join them while Maria and I approach my friends. Gone is the flamboyance and style they both usually have. Muted greys replace it. In fact, Maria and I are the only ones with any color. Sensing my mood, Maria takes the lead.