alone. // l.p.

Chapter 4: Funeral

The grandfather clock went off, ringing nine times. I opened my eyes and looked around me, seeing everyone still sound asleep on the floor and the couch. I slowly sat up, pushing myself off the couch and tip-toeing into the kitchen. I quietly started the coffee pot and then walked to the den, finding everyone cuddled up together. I let out a small snicker as I snuck over to the couch, grabbing a pillow.

"Wake up, guys!" I quietly yelled, repeatedly hitting them with the pillow. I heard a few groans and saw a few arms fly up into the air, probably because they were stretching.

"What time is it?" Casey asked, groaning and reaching up to grab her phone off the pool table.

"Nine. Now hurry up and get dressed. All of you. We have things to do today and you four, plus Liam, need to get out before anybody wakes up," I said, leaving them to themselves while I headed up to my room. I turned the news on, to know the weather, and started looking through my closet.

"And the weather for today is just beautiful! Right now it's about fifty-six outside but in the next hour or so, it's suppose to get to about eighty-two. And then around five, there is about a forty percent chance of rain," the weather lady said. I pulled out my grey, elbow-length cardigan and then closed my closet before going over to my dresser.

I pulled out a plain, pink tank-top and a pair of my white cut-off, denim shorts. I shut my bedroom door and quickly changed, picking my clothes up off the floor and throwing them in my hamper next to my closet doors. I quickly turned my t.v. off and then headed downstairs, where all the others were sleeping away. Well, at least I thought they were.

"Morning," Aunt Verona said, giving me a quick kiss on the forehead and then sitting on the couch with her full cup of coffee.

"Oh, you guys are up," I said, looking over at Casey when she walked into the room. She gave me a thumbs up, signaling that the boys were already gone, and I relaxed a little.

"Yeah, we just woke up. What are you doing? And where's Liam?" Lauren asked, grabbing my arm and pulling me into the kitchen.

"I have to go to Casey's house so she can change and then we have to head to the mall to get some dresses. And Liam had to go home but he'll be back for the funeral. Do you want cereal or something?" I asked, opening the cupboard that held the cereal.

"Um, I'll just have some poptarts. Please?" she asked, telling me to grab the box of blueberry poptarts out of the cupboard since she couldn't quite reach it. She ripped the package open and stuck them in the toaster while I went back up to my room. I grabbed my phone and stuck it in my back pocket.

"You ready to go?" Casey asked, walking into my room. I nodded and then we left, going back downstairs.

"We'll be back!" I yelled, as me and Casey walked out the front door. We walked down to her house, seeing her mom's car in the drive way, and we walked in to see Steph all dressed up.

"Hello girls. What are you doing here?" she asked, giving both of us a hug.

"I have to get changed and then we need to go to the mall to get some dresses. Where's dad?" Casey asked, stopping at the bottom of the stairs while I sat down.

"He had to go in for a few hours. Don't worry, he'll be back in about an hour or so for the funeral," she said, looking over at me. "How are you doing?" she asked, sitting down next to me.

"I'm doing okay. I'm learning to live through this and I have amazing people here for me," I said, smiling at her.

"That's good. Dave told me that they got your purse and everything else out of your parents car. He'll give them to you later today."