Beauty & the Beast ✓

Chapter 2

I killed the engine and hopped out of the car. I pushed open the door to the floral shop.

I had originally planned to go straight to the cemetery but then changed my mind to going to get flowers for the graves out of respect.

"Is that a Hazel Farmen I see?" The floral clerk asked teasingly causing me to grin.

"Why it happens to be." I said with a big stupid grin.

The man behind the counter grinned. "We were hoping you'd turn up around here again."

I nodded. "Can I have my usual?" I asked.

"Of course." He said with a curt nod before going to the back room to arrange my usual.

My usual is a bouquet of red roses for my Mom, a bouquet of yellow tulips for my Dad, a bouquet of white roses for my big brother Gabe, a bouquet of blue bells for my big sister Olivia, and a bouquet of pink carnations for my little sister Cami.

Tod came back with my usual and I handed him my credit card but her put his hand up and shook his head with a pitiful look written across his face.

"It's on the house." He said with a sad smile. Tod and my Dad had been close growing up so he was forever checking up in me and my life. He always wanted me to be happy especially after the car crash.

I used to be best friends with Tod's daughter Sarah but she disappeared and was proclaimed dead.

I swear, everyone in Jenkins Glen dies in some weird way. Dropping like flies.

I grinned putting my credit card back in my pocket. I knew better than to try and argue with him on this. He had been overly generous since Sarah's death. Though, I was never convinced of her death. I mean, they never found her body so she could still be alive. Somewhere out there.

I took up the flowers in my arms and pushed open the glass door with my hip.

Let me just say that it was a struggle to open my car door but I did it.

I put all of the flowers on the back seat and started up my car.

I pulled away from the floral shop and drove just down the dirt road to the cemetery.

I parked my car in the cemetery parking lot. Not many cemeteries have then but the Jenkins Glen one does.

I carried the flowers over to the row of headstones towards the back of the cemetery.

If you saw them you'd think it was a memorial or something which in a way it was. My Dad was a very respected man in town so his death took a toll on everyone.

The mayor paid for my family's headstones. Not that I was surprised. He'd always had a secret crush on my Mom, since high school. Not that it was too huge of a secret. Everyone knew.

I laid down the bouquets at the headstones and talked to my family members. Tears were shed as I talked to Cami's headstone.

She had only been a Freshman in High School. She never got to have a boyfriend or drive a car.

I had always internally pitied her for that.

I hugged each of their headstones before deciding to begin the long drive home.

I wiped away a last stray tear as I started up the engine and began my long journey home.