Seas Between

Chapter 11

Katrina and Alex ended their call a few minutes later. She got up the next morning and was going to go help her mom and dad with funeral preparations.

She walked into the bland hallway outside her room and drudgingly entered the living room. Her parents sat side by side on the black suede love-seat. She sat across from them on the matching couch and folded her hands on her lap then looked up at them with glossy eyes.

"Honey, we got a card from your friend, Avery." Her mom hands her a purple card adorned with black ribbon. It said how much she would miss Freddie and how sad it was that he had to pass. The dim card ended with "love, Avery" because she really did love Katrina but she was never as close to her as she was to Alex.

Katrina handed the card back to her mom and looked away from it. "His funeral, what are we doing?" She sobbed.

"We're going to bury him by my father, open casket, small gathering." Her dad said lowly. Katrina nodded.

"Tomorrow morning" Her mother added.

"We need to invite Maxwell, Ed and Clayton, his friends." Katrina said.

"Good, we'll do that." No one looked up. They all just sat around, sad, crying and yet, staying strong. They planned out the funeral and invited people to come. Katrina was left out of most of the further preparations, buying a casket, finding people to help in the actual burial and writing eulogies.

The rest of her day she spent with Avery to cool her mind. It didn't work really. There was an invisible tension between them. Something about a little boy dying really kills the mood. They went to Avery's house on the other side of town.

Avery was an 18 year old, just out of high school less than a year ago. She had straight long black hair that went to the middle of her waist and beautiful green eyes. She was a little taller than Katrina, 5'6". She always wore her hair down and prettied herself with all the makeup basics. She wore contacts but she did have glasses. She hated them. Avery also had a unique fashion sense. She would wear solid colour tank-tops, tucked into a high-waisted skirt and covered with a jean jacket.

Avery was doing Katrina's nails when Alex texted her.

"Don't answer it." Avery suggested. "Your nails are wet; he can wait." So she let it go.

Avery studied the nails she just completed. "What do you think?"

Katrina looked down at her light purple nails tipped with sparkling pearl nail polish. "Beautiful, now can we haul out the chips and chocolate? I think movie time has about arrived!"

"Agreed!" Avery rooted through her stack of chick flicks.

"How about this one?" She pulled out a movie with a girl and a guy on the front, the guy looking like he hit his head against the telephone pole he's leaning against, and the girl looking like a movie star. "Full of drama, romance and comedy"

Seemed like a decent movie choice, so she picked it and pulled out the snacks. Avery kept warning Katrina to avoid touching her nails on anything as she picked out chips and hovered them by her mouth. Then she had to carefully place the chips in her mouth like a game of Operation as Avery watched. They both burst out laughing.

"You and Alex ever become a thing?" Avery asked, eyes glued to the screen. The movie turned out to be about two friends who couldn't tell each other how much like loved each other and then started to date. You can't judge a movie by its cover either.

"Uh, no, strictly a friend to friend relationship. In fact, I met someone." She lied.

Avery swung her head to look at Katrina. That certainly got her attention. "Who??" She demanded.

"You wouldn't know him."

"Try me"

"Uh-"

"You liar! You don't have a date! After Freddie's funeral, I want to meet this mystery man."

"Deal"

"I can't wait for tomorrow." Avery smiled and they resumed their movie.