Moonlight

Chapter 5

I took my first drive in my new car while I was on my way to Liz's house. I can't wait to tell her the great news. I knew she would be so happy for me. When I arrived at Liz's house, I knocked on the door. Nobody answered. I knocked again. Still nobody. I wonder why nobody's answering. Is nobody home? I looked through the window but really couldn't see anything inside. I finally decided to leave and go back to my house. Once I got home I felt like something was wrong. Liz is always at her house and if she wasn't going to be there or was going out of town, she would always tell me.

"What are you doing back so early?" dad said as I walked through the door.

"Liz wasn't home." I said as I went to sit on the couch.

"How come?" he asked.

"I don't know." I replied.

"Well that's weird. I thought you told each other everything." my heart sunk a little.

"I thought so too." there was silence.

"Dad, I'm worried. What if there's something wrong with Liz. What if she's in trouble and I don't know about it."

"Ariana I'm sure she's fine." Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. I went to get the door and a man was standing there. He was dressed very nicely in all black.

"Are you Miss. Prince?" he asked me.

"Yes, sir." I said.

"For you," he handed me a fancy envelope.

"I'm sorry for your loss." Then he left.

"What does he mean by that?" I said confused while looking at the envelope.

"I don't know." My dad said as he walked over to me. I opened the envelope and there was a letter. My heart dropped to my stomach as I read the note:

Miss. Prince,

We regret to inform you that your dear friend, Elizabeth Gillies, and along with her parents and younger brother have sadly passed away due to a car accident. Gregory Gillies was drunk while driving in the car with his family when a semi-truck crashed front first into the Gillies' vehicle causing the whole Gillies family to pass away immediately. We are sorry for your loss. We know this is hard for you since you were very close to them. The funeral will be on June 26th if you wish to attend.

Sincerely,

The Boca Raton Funeral Home

"Ariana, I'm so sorry." my dad said. Tears streamed down my face.

"Are you okay? Do you want to go to the funeral? Is it going to be to hard for you?" dad was bombarding me with questions.

"Just leave me alone!" I said as I run up the stairs to my room. Why are all these bad things happening to me all at once? Just two days ago I was having a sleepover with Liz. Just two days ago I was out eating my favorite food with Liz. Just two days ago, Liz was my best friend in the whole entire world, now she's gone. I'm supposed to be in Tulsa the day of my birthday. Do I want to go to my best friend's funeral instead? Should I go? Why was the funeral on my birthday though? I couldn't go. But I should. But, I don't want too. That would be to hard for me. It would just hurt too much to have to go to my best friends funeral on my birthday. Liz, if you're here and listening. I want you to know that I love you and I'll be thinking of you, always. Even if I don't show up at your funeral. I love you with every single piece of my heart. I miss you. I must be dreaming, this is a nightmare. This is all just a nightmare and I'll wake up from it tomorrow and see my best friend again.

I must've fell asleep after that because now I was lying awake on my bed. My dad knocked on the door. He must of heard me wake up.

"Hey, how you feeling, sweetheart?" my dad asked while stepping into my room and sitting next to me on my bed.

"I don't know." I said looking down. Then looking at my nightstand to see the letter sitting there. I quickly looked away.

"Do you want to go out and get something appropriate to wear for the funeral? I know this is your first funeral."

"I'm not going to the funeral." I blurted out. My dad looked at me shocked.

"Why not? I thought Liz was your best friend?" he said with a confused look on his face.

"She is! The funeral is on my birthday though. I love Liz and everything but, it would hurt me to much. I'm supposed to be in Tulsa that week." My dad was silent.

"You'd rather go to Tulsa than go to your best friend's funeral?" He said seriously. I gulped.

"Yeah. It would hurt to bad. Also the boys have been waiting for this and so have I. I don't want to cancel all the plans we've made."

"Okay. I understand." my dad said as he was getting up to leave my room. He understands? That's a relief.

"Dad." He stopped.

"Yes, princess?"

"Will you go to the funeral for me?"

"Anything for you, Ariana. Of course."

"Thanks, dad."

He nodded. "Wanna get something to eat?"

"Sure." I said getting out of bed.