Let Me Go

Chapter 6

As if people weren't sad enough, the weather didn't make anyone feel any better. The misty air added to the weight people felt about the situation. It was cold, and then out of nowhere it started raining.

"This is some clichè hollywood shit going on." Joe says to Patrick, who shakes his head and gives his friend a small smile. Joe looks over and sees Pete walk over towards them.

"How is she?" Patrick asks, referring to Erica.

"As well as you'd expect." Pete sighs, "She's been acting strange. One minute she's super anxious and the next she's tired."

"Kat hasn't been too great either." Patrick shakes his head, "She's been locking herself in the music room."

Patrick scans the room, looking for his wife. He was just as surprised as anyone else to see her talking to her twin, Ryan Ross, because they haven't seen him in years. Pete sees Erica walk away from her parents and Sarah's side to go talk to him. The two exchange a hug as Kat walks over to her husband, Pete, and Joe.

"Did you invite him?" Pete asks.

"Of course I did." She shrugs.

Everyone sits down to hear the preacher talk about Brendon, saying that he accomplished so much in a short amount of time.

Pete sat next to Erica and her parents, hearing the quiet sobs from her mother.

Pete sat next to Erica and her parents, listening to the quiet sobs coming from her mother. Then came the time for speeches. Erica was up first.

Pete watched her as she gained her composure, gathering her thoughts. Then she spoke.

"I didn't want to be here today because that meant we'd be putting to rest what happened. That the last two weeks were not some crazy dream that I'm longing to wake up from. Today we are burying my big brother.

He helped me through everything, and most of you here know that. I was able to find myself because of him. On times I wanted to give up on me, he didn't.

Brendon had the opprotunity to do more then most people, all in the short span of twenty-six years. Him and his band have accomplished some great things. I was lucky to have the opportunity to grow up next to someone like him."

She takes a breath.

"Keep your family close. You never know when they will be taken from you. Because I know if it wasn't for my brother, I wouldn't have made it past fifteen."

There were claps, as she sat back down. Pete grabbed her hand and gave her a comforting squeeze. Kat went up next, and it was visible that she had to contain herself.

"When I was 16, I met Brendon. I was a lost teenager trying to get through high school and he figured out a way to help. First it was my brother who dreamt up an idea of a band, then we invited Brendon.

Crazy how big something that we thought of in high school got in the last few years. We thought he'd be here for it all.

Brendon was always there for me. Through my own family issues he stuck through it.

Anyways, what I'm trying to say is that he was one of my best friends, and even like my brother and it hurts that he's gone now. Now is a time to hold eachother close. Through this, I realized I needed to appreciate what I have more. He'll always be remembered."

The casket started to lower, as everyone stood up. Kat went back and joined her husband’s side, who gave her a hug. Then everyone left. Sarah, Erica and Pete rode home together in silence. There wasn’t much to say. Everyone sat there, trapped in their own thoughts.
 
Once they got home, Erica went straight up the stairs and into the guest bedroom. Pete and Sarah exchange a look, as he goes up and follows her. Once he reaches the door, he tries to open it. Locked.

“Erica?” he knocks. There was no answer. He was scared, considering her behaviors lately. “Please open the door.”

He later found it open, seeing that she was fast asleep in their bed. He sighed, and started getting ready to go to bed himself.