𝕋𝕣𝕠𝕦𝕓𝕝𝕖𝕕

Part 45: The Memorial

The adults let them cry. Thayer start to put themselves back together once they're ten minutes away from Andrew's favorite park where the memorial is being held. They have to get there early to set up. They have five or six giant photos of Andrew plastered all over the park on stands. The have candles lit in cups and an area for people to write notes to Andrew. Lastly they blow up thousands of helium balloons. They leave out sharpies for people to write their names on the ballots. They'll release them at the end of the night. The police force stays with the group. For protection and they block off the park. Lots of cameras flash and microphones are shoved in faces. Is very disrespectful especially because of what's happening but the paparazzi doesn't care. The world news even has coverage on the story. It's been a story pretty much the whole world has been following and everyone wants an update on it. Lear helps everyone get into the car. Before he closes the door he talks to the news reporters.

"We would greatly appreciate it if you gave us some privacy during this time. The memorial is later tonight and you can get as much footage and news coverage as you want to then. It is a very public event. For right now we would like some privacy." He says it nicely but with a firm tone behind it. The cameras and mics back away and the camera flashes stop. Lear climbs in and closes the door behind him. The driver takes off to the graveyard.

It was a last minute decision to before they released any information to the public to make the grave viewing private. The invite was only sent out to people who knew Drew personal and/or were close to him and/or the family. On the invite it was specified to keep it a private event and to try your hardest to not come with a plus one. It's mid evening and they all walk down the path to where they're going to bury Drew. Loss of flowers, teddy bears, and toys are laid on top the casket. The pastor says a couple of words before the out the casket in the ground. He says some of the same things he said in the church and he sits back down. The people who dug graves and lower people in the ground hand everyone in the front row, which is the same group that was sitting in the front tie in the actual funeral, the things that were laying on top of the casket. Everyone says their finally good byes and the lower the casket into the ground. They start pilling dirt on top, carefully avoiding the actual tombstone. The people watching all line up and walk down the path back to their separate cars. It's almost sunset and they have to make it back bribers park in a good amount of time. The gloom is thick in the air, which s weird for a beautiful summer evening it is. It may look beautiful but no one feels good. The sadness spreads for miles.

The memorial is packed. People who couldn't make it to the funeral came to the memorial. It's also a public event so everyone came. They give time for the people coming straight from the grave to change. The Aaron, Alex, Mariah, Luke, Malaya, Lily, Roni, Nessa, Lauren, Kian, Lear, and Sherry all where marching shirts with a picture of Andrew on it. They got them made from a T-shirt shop so they're all in the same size. It fits the guys good but it drops down to a dress for the girls. The tie it up with a rubber band behind their back. They would make it a crop top but they didn't want to came anywhere close to cutting a picture of Drew up. The step out on the same exact stage that the were on the day of the meeting. They all hold hands. The sunset starts. Everyone holding up the candles in the cups. They start the speeches.

"Thank you all for coming. We're here to remember Andrew. He was a bright and lively kid. He lit up all our worlds. It's tragic the way we lost him. We miss him everyday. The memorial isn't supposed to be sad. It's supposed to be a memorial of his life, which beside it's horrible circumstances was happy." Alex says. Normally Aaron goes first with things like this but he doesn't want to. He doesn't want to come anywhere near the words was, were, used to be, or anything in past tense. It makes it seem like he's gone forever and Aaron doesn't want to let go yet.

"He was in fourth grade. He was extremely smart and he always looked at the positive side of things. He was never sad for more than five minutes and he never let us be sad." Mariah says. Her voice and Alex's both sound weak and weary. Aaron knows he has to say something. Even though he doesn't like using the past tense he goes up and talks.