This had been a hate chapter to write,

Roy's Funeral

Roy had gotten into a fight that dreaded evening after walking home after hanging with his friends. The boys he had run into were well know in local gangs and known to carry knifes.

Roy had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time. He had done nothing wrong.

It was unfair, it was extremely unfair. It was pointless and meaningless. It was scary how quickly something like that could happen. scary that even them - teenagers could die so easily and quickly.

John had taken the news the hardest – after all Roy was his cousin and they had been close. Closer than most cousins – really they basically been like brothers. At first John didn't want to talk to his friends, and the other could understand that.

There also been a lot of media press around Roy's death so everyone in school knew what had happen. Media vans even come to school to interview people - but no one interview Roy's real friends – the ones that really knew him.

The black knights in their cruel natural joked about Roy's death. This lend to a big fight, that found al the outlaws and black knights in detention. Where they had to watch a hard-hitting documentary about what damage gangs could do and how it affects everyone.

John walked out of the room after five minutes in to it – really the teachers shouldn't of shown that with John there. – They all knew Roy was John cousin.

As well as detention everyone there would had to go on a team building exercise program. Apparently a day of working thought puzzels and activites was meant to help everyone get alone. But the teachers didn't seem to realise that the troubles went deeper than a few jokes and pranks. They were no longer young children that you can tell them lies like "we are all friends here" and expect them all to get along.

The beginning of December should have been more joyful. But instead all the outlaws had travelled from Nottingham to Lincoln for Roy's funeral.

They all got time off school to go to the funeral. John was going to travel with his parents. While Robin, Much, Allan, Will and Djaq were going to take the train there with Robin and Much's dads who didn't want them to go alone also as they had to spend a night, they were all too young to get rooms at the hotel by themselves. Djaq had been unsure about going – after all see had only meet him once, but John had wanted her to come too, Roy would have wanted her to come as well.

As John was staying with family. the other had booked three hotel rooms. Djaq had one for herself as she was the only girl. The dads share a room and the rest of the boys shared another room.

Roy's funeral was held in the afternoon. Because of the natural of his death the media were there as well. Robin never gave much thought about them before – but today he hated them. Why was it there business too be there? They haven't known Roy. They haven't cared – they just wanted a front-page story. Why was it their business to be there?

As the outlaws got ready. There weren't going to wear the tradition black clothing – there were wearing (with permission from Roy's mother) tie dye shirts. After all Roy found a funny side of everything – always telling jokes often dark jokes. Wearing something as bright and cheery as tie dye at a funeral was something Roy would have done.

John meet them at the church, He had a long morning and he rather sit with his friends. He too was wearing a tie dye shirt. But they were the only ones that were. Some lady said there we being disrespectful – but they haven't known Roy like they did. They walked into the church and sat down. The service was slow and many people cried – they all cried. and the coffin was carried out they all followed.

The media seem to be drawn to them – maybe it was the tie dye shirts that stood out but none of them talked to the media. But they all know they was photos taken of them. And they all knew those photo would go into new papers.

The wake was held in a community centre. The outlaws all stuck out to a small grass area. They all stood in a circle. John lit a candle and they all stood they "He always come up with nicknames for everyone," said Much specking first "It drove us all mad… but if he gave you a nickname – you knew that he thought you as a friend."

"He could never sit still," said John "He could barely get though a movie without getting up or talking. It drives me crazy."

"I didn't know him well," said Djaq honesty "But he was funny and a great story teller. He would often send me a message of an old story that had happen. Stories he felt I should know about all of you."

"He didn't want you to miss out on inside jokes," said John

"I remember back in primary school – he and Robin would always argue," said Will "Remember the time he throw his shoe in a tree and it got stuck? I think we were trying to get a hoop out of it."

Allan nodded his head. "I remember that, we were four and we thought if we all took off our shoes we could get his shoe out of the tree."

"What happen?" asked Djaq

"I can't remember," said Will and Allan shook his head.

"The dinner ladies used to have that big stick….." said Robin remembering "Maybe they got it down with that. Roy said a seagull had come and put it up there… he was upset when the dinner lady didn't believe him."

"Remember the time for the nativity play – he was being a sheep. He hated it." Said John "On the day we put on the play he started to do handstands and everything." John shook his head "He did it because he knew the teachers couldn't of stopped him." John paused "Him," he said "Him I liked."