The Priest looked uneasy and nervous as he stood in front of the mourners, struggling to find something good to say about Gary Smith. He had more ceremonies to do that day, more burnings, and the sooner he got this one done, the better.
"Gary Smith was a troubled young man. Since his childhood he had anti-social tendencies that worsened over the years until he was driven to commit the unsavory acts that lead to his demise. But if we could, I'm sure we'd like to remember Gary as a child, young and innocent. May God have mercy on his soul."
The Priest turned to Gary's body, which was wrapped in a body bag, and signed a cross on himself. He then hit the switch that sent Gary's body into the incinerator attached to the small chapel. Within minutes, Gary's body was no more.
Jimmy Hopkins and Pete Kowalski, both of them dressed in frayed suits, watched this from the second row of seats. Jimmy felt nothing as he watched his nemesis's corpse get cremated. He only felt some mingled sense of regret.
Three weeks had passed since the incident at Bullworth. The fire had eventually been contained, but not soon enough. More than half of the school had been destroyed. No one, except for Dr. Crabblesnitch, had died. Jimmy had spent a week in the hospital, stuck in some strange delirium. He was treated for minor burns, smoke inhalation, a broken finger, lacerations, and a gunshot wound to the shoulder. He slept for most of the time, occasionally mumbling or screaming for Gary to put the gun down. He was only awake when Cecellia or Pete were visiting him , and when the cops came and interviewed him.
After a week he'd gotten out. His wounds had healed up okay, but his arm was still in a sling. The authorities had tried to contact his mother, but they hadn't had any luck. That was okay with him. He just stayed in the Hotel the remaining Bullworth students who had nowhere else to go were staying in with Pete, trying to forget everything that had happened.
Jimmy noted the other people who had come to the funeral. A few of the students who had nothing else to do that day, a few of the teachers, Gary's Probation Officer, Gary's old psychiatrist, and woman Jimmy didn't know. He'd never seen her before, but Jimmy was pretty sure he knew who she was. She resembled Gary in more than a few ways.
Looking at her made Jimmy feel sad. After Gary's death, he'd never thought about the fact that he might have a mother, a family, people who cared for him, and how they'd feel when they heard the news.
After the body was cremated and the Priest left the Chapel, everyone started getting up to leave. Jimmy and Pete did the same. Jimmy considered going over to say something to Gary's mother, but he knew that would do more harm than good.
They stepped out into the bright sunlight, momentarily blinded.
"You wanna go back to the hotel?" Jimmy asked.
"Not yet." Pete said. "I think someone's here to see you."
He was right. A car had pulled up to the chapel and out stepped Cecellia, looking as beautiful as ever. Jimmy could see Cecellia's parents and Patrick in the car.
"I'll be right back." Jimmy told Pete, and then he walked over to Cecellia.
"Hey." She said.
"Hi."
"How was the funeral?"
Jimmy shrugged.
"A funeral's a funeral, you know?"
"How's the arm?"
"It's okay." Jimmy said, even though it really wasn't. It still hurt like a son of a bitch every time he moved.
Cecellia had been down to see Jimmy a few times when he was in the hospital, and even though he'd been too whacked out on painkillers and everything else they were pumping into him to have a normal conversation, he was glad that she came. He still wanted her, still loved her.
"I'm moving," She said. "My dad was transferred."
Jimmy was surprised that this revelation didn't really hurt him as much as he'd expected it to. He knew all along that they wouldn't be able to continue their relationship after what had happened, although he'd always hoped, somewhere in the back of his mind, that they would.
"That's good," Jimmy said. "I'm happy for you."
"I'm sorry, Jimmy."
"Don't be."
She moved forward and hugged him, mindful of his wounded shoulder and sling.
"Thank you for saving my life, Jimmy," She whispered. "I'll never forget you."
Then she kissed him. He never wanted that kiss to end, but it did. She broke away from him, smiled and then turned away. She went back into the car and she and Patrick both waved at him as they drove off and out of Jimmy's life.
Jimmy just stood there, watching the car in the distance, until he felt Pete's hand on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry, man." He said.
"I loved her, Pete, you know that? In really loved her."
Pete just nodded sagely. No words passed between them, but they understood each other. Together, walking slowly, they started back towards the hotel.
The End
