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The wild cats arrived at the church in separate cars. Big Red rode with his parents. "If you're up for it, Mr. Caswell wants to meet with you to discuss legal matters after the service," Mr. Redonvich said. "If you're not up for it, everyone will understand."
"I don't think I'm up for it today," Big Red responded.
"That's perfectly okay," Mr. Redonvich promised. Big Red's mom gave him a gentle squeeze on his hand that wasn't on the broken arm. She gave him a reassuring smile. They made eye contact for a few moments as Mr. Redonvich parked the car.
The family of three climbed out of the car. Outside of the church were mostly people Big Red knew. Ms. Jen was there with Ricky's dad. They stood to the side as people filled the chapel. There were a few people Big Red didn't recognize. He assumed they were members of the Caswell family from out of town.
The Redonvichs filled the chapel. Big Red saw his friends standing near the back of the chapel. Nini was hugging E.J, who seemed to be sobbing. Big Red wanted to say something to him, but there was a large crowd between them.
The family sat in the family section of the rows. They were directed here by the funeral director since Big Red dated Ashlyn. An older couple sat to his left. He recognized them from a photo in Ashlyn's house. It was her grandparents on her mom's side.
The funeral was open casket. Big Red knew that people probably spent hours hiding her scars. If he looked into the coffin, Ashlyn would appear like she was asleep. However, he couldn't stomach looking. Big Red saw the body every time Big Red closed his eyes. He didn't want to do it in front of at least one hundred people.
Soon, everyone took their seats. The preacher took the stand. He gave his opening remarks. Big Red could already hear the cries starting, but he couldn't cry yet. "Now, a performance by Kourtney Greene, a good friend of the deceased," the preacher said. Kourtney took the stand as he stepped to the side.
"This is an original piece written by Ashlyn," Kourtney stuttered. "This song is entitled Wondering. She wrote it when we were both sophomores."
When Kourtney started singing, all the stuttering stopped. Her voice sounded beautiful as it rang through the chapel. It had a more somber beat than when Ashlyn sang it in High School Musical.
Once she finished singing, Kourtney received low applause. Everyone seemed to love her performance, but this wasn't the place for loud applause. She took a seat beside Nini on the friend's side.
The funeral was filled with elegies and singing prayer hymns. It wasn't until the casket was closed that the first tears left. Big Red would never see Ashlyn again. Her smile was a memory, along with her voice. He missed his chance to say goodbye to her face.
Despite his hysteria, Big Red joined everyone on the march to the cemetery.