Without further ado, here's the next chapter!

Chapter 10: Funeral For A Brother
I wasn't going to cry. That was the one thing I wasn't going to do, especially not in front of my mother. I had cried myself to sleep last night, just thinking about today. Dally was already blissfully snoring away, as I shook and sobbed.

My sister told me to meet her in front of the funeral parlor, so Dally and I decided to take a cab. I wasn't dressed in the expected black dress. Instead I was wearing a light blue cotton summer dress with a flower print on it. I wasn't doing it out of disrespect, but it was my brother's favorite dress on me. He bought it for me one Easter, and I wore it. He thought I looked beautiful. Dallas was in his usual jeans and t-shirt, but with a black t-shirt. I think it's more because he grabbed it first rather than we were going to a funeral.

The car ride was silent and Dally paid when we got to the funeral parlor. Montana was outside, in a black dress, smoking a cigarette. I got out and walked over to her. She gave me an odd look.

"What the hell are you wearing?"

"I have my reasons," I told her.

"Oh, hello Dally," she smiled bitterly at him, when he reached my side.

"Hi."

"The family should be arriving in a few minutes," she told us.

I nodded and walked passed her and into the building. I walked down the lonely corridor and into the dark room. There were rows of chairs, and a lot of flowers. I didn't send any flowers, Chachi hated flowers and all of that. I walked up to the dark brown casket and looked at my brother. His handsome face looked completely innocent and almost happy like. He was wearing a tux from our cousins wedding, he was in the bridal party. I reached in and stroked his cheek.

"I don't know why you're crying, it's not like you ever saw him," I turned to see my mother, staring at me disgustedly.

I touched my cheek to realize, I was in fact, crying a bit.

"Don't you know this is a funeral Stephanie? That means black dress. You didn't send any flowers either did you?" she spat.

"No, mother I didn't."

"You're pathetic," she sat her frail body down on a chair in the front row. She looked so brittle and old, her once beautiful brown hair was streaked with grey, and her face was beginning to slowly get wrinkles. She didn't even look sad, but indifferent. That's how she always looked though, never portraying any other kind of emotion, no matter what the occasion.

I just rolled my eyes, and looked at the flowers. 'It's like a contest' Chachi told me once, 'whoever can buy the biggest arrangement of flowers was the one that respected the deceased person the most. It's a big joke. Funerals, they're just a big joke'.

Twenty minutes after I arrived, family members and friends started to come in. I said hi to all of them, as did my mother and sister. Dally was outside, smoking, but I didn't mind, it wasn't his family, or his friend. He didn't even have to be here. It was silent, for the most part, and if anyone was talking, it was in a whisper. That's always how the first day is.

The next day, I was the first one, and was happy. I stood by the casket.

"Hey big bro, I miss you. A lot. The band's doing really great. The girls are all good. They wanted to come, but I wouldn't let them. They miss you too. Dally came with me, you remember him, right? I know you never liked him, but he's nice. Mom isn't too thrilled to see me, and hasn't talked to me very much. No, I'm not wearing the same dress twice, well I am, but I washed it. I love you." I took my locket off, and slowly placed it in the casket. "Hold that for me, and give it back to me when I get up there, okay?" I turned around, and walked to a seat, and sat. A chilly draft hit into me, slightly ruffling up my hair, and I swear I heard the words "I love you too" whispered. Instead of a chill going up my spine, I just smiled.

The second day people were more talkative, and joking around. I sat in the middle row, and just stared. Dally stayed at the hotel, after much begging on my part. He was only going to sit outside and smoke some more. My mother was hamming it up with some aunt. My whole family's superficial, except for some people. Like my cousin Tony, Uncle Jimmy, and my favorite cousin Camille. They were all sitting, like me, in silence. We all said hi, and asked how each other were. That's what your supposed to do, isn't it? That night I was second to last to leave. I, yet again, took a cab to the hotel, and lazily walked to the room. My feet were killing me and about half way down our hallway I took my heels off and continued to the room. Dally was sitting on the bed, talking on the phone when I came in.

"I'll talk to you later man," he hung up and just looked at me.

I yawned and collapsed on the bed.

"Tired?" he asked raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," I closed my eyes and curled up on my side.

"Tomorrow's the last day right?" I could feel him move around on the bed.

I nodded and opened my eyes to see his face. I smiled daintily.

"I'm gonna come," he flopped his arm around my waist.

"No you are not."

"There's other graves in that cemetery, you know that?"

"Okay, then you can come," I nuzzled my face into his shoulder, and he kissed my head.

"Then we have three days to ourselves, and back home to Tulsa," he whispered, trailing kisses down my neck.

"I can't wait to go back. I miss Amanda, and Sage, and Belle. And the guys, and Bethany," I mumbled.

"Yeah, me too."

"You miss Summer too, right?" I looked up at him, as he had stopped kissing me.

He looked at me, his eyebrows scrunched. "Summer?" he asked like he didn't know who I was talking about. Then his eyes widened, "Oh! Summer! I completely forgot about her. No I don't miss her."

"She's your girlfriend."

"Not exactly, we just fool around and stuff. Besides, if she was the type of girl I was going to miss, would I be here, sleeping with you?"

"I guess not," I smiled and laid my head back down.

He kissed my lips gently, before putting his head down as well.

I hate funerals, they make me so sad. : (

Thank You My Minions-I mean Reviewers! Lol:

BlackLightningDX: Lol. Glad you liked it.
horrorpop: I always felt bad for the Trix rabbit, that I wrote a letter once to the company, telling them to please stop starving the rabbit, and give him some yogurt or cereal or something. lol. See I told you her (Stephanie's) dark times would be over!
Miru Amai: Lol, hope you liked this chapter. This story isn't going to end for awhile, but I'm pretty sure it's going to be shorted than This Lullaby.
cute-amiga: I thought it'd be funny if she got lost, lol. I have a summer job as a camp counselor, and let me tell you, second and third graders are a handful! Lol. Hope you liked this chapter.
blackmagic111090: I love New York, especially Radio City. One day my older guy cousin was sleeping over my house, and I swear he took three hours in the shower. I was like "oh my gosh!" lol. Hope you liked the chapter.
JupermanPinkyInc: Aren't they the cutest lol. Hope you liked it!
MidgetCake: That definitely was original lol. My friend has a shirt that say I think I brained my damage lol. Soda doesn't have a girlfriend, but he might somewhere along the line, I don't know. Well I hope you liked this chapter! Don't cut me lol!
Sk8erbandbass101: Glad you like it! Every Thorn Has A Rose was removed by FF but I am re-posting and sort of re-writing it with a different title: The Beauty Of A Thorn Check it out if you liked ETHAR!

Alright, off to update some more!