The church was just as
I remembered it. Only
Half the parking lot
Was filled with cars;
A depressing thought,
Though I'm sure there
Would have been less at
My funeral.
Inside, people gathered
In the pewees for the service
To begin. At the front was,
What I guessed, was Conner's
Family.
It surprised me that his
Parents weren't crying but
Instead were starring into
The abyss that was the casket
That held the remains of their
Poor, misunderstood, son.
Vanessa and I took seats in
The very back of the room.
Soon afterward, a woman,
Probably in her late twenties,
Sat down on the other side of.
There were tears running
Down her cheeks. She looked
Like she was barley able to
Hold herself together. Vanessa
Started to tremble next to me
And I put my arm around her to
Try and comfort her.
The woman on the other
Side of me turned to me
And asked, Were you friends
Of Conner's?
"Yes." I replied. "How were
You acquainted with him?"
I was one of his teachers.
Hadn't Emily been one ofHis teachers? I thought.
"You're name doesn't happen
To be Emily, does it?" I asked.
She sighed heavily.
Even here my reputation
Precedes me. But you can't
Be from around here if you
Didn't recognize me at first
Sight.
"You are right." I
Admitted. "We met Conner
After. . . your relationship
Ended."
Where did you meet him?
But from the look on
Her face, it was obvious
She knew.
"Aspen Springs."
Were you with him when. . .
Her voice caught and fresh
Tears ran down her face.
"Yes." I replied. "We
Both were."
It was my fault he was there.
She confessed. And now it's
My fault that he's here.
"No. It's not." I said
Firmly. I was going to
Say more, but the minister
Began the service.
On behalf of Conner's family,
I would like to thank you all
For coming today.
It was such an unfortunate
Thing that happened to this
Poor, young man. He must
Have been so scared when the
Cords of his climbing aquipment
Snapped. . .
What? Vanessa asked, pulling
Her head out of my shoulder.
What did he just say?
I was too stunned to say
Anything. Surely Conner's
Parents knew that wasn't
What happened to their son!
But it did make sense that
They wouldn't want people to
Know what really happened to
Their son; that it was all
Their fault.
They're lying to everyone.
That's not what happened.
Emily said in disgust.
That's not what they told
Me.
"You're right." I whispered
To her. "They're just too
Self righteous to admit what
Really happened.
Tony. You have to do
Something about this.
Vanessa whispered.
They can't get away with
That.
"They won't." I promised
Her. "I'll have a talk with
Them afterward."
After the service,
Vanessa and I went up to
Conner's casket. Thankfully
It wasn't open. We suspected
It wasn't because of the
Injuries he had sustained from
The fall.
When his parents saw us,
They gave us the strangest
Looks. I realized then that
We had never officially met
Them.
"Hi." I said, trying to hide
My hatred for these people I
Didn't know. "I'm Tony, and this
Is Vanessa. We knew Conner from
Aspen Springs."
Who let you in here? His mother
Demanded. This funeral was invitation
Only.
"We let ourselves in." I
Said, imediatley offensive.
"We just wanted to speak to
About the service."
That's none of your buisness. She
Defensively. You shouldn't
Even be here.
"Why did you lie about what
Happened?" Vanessa asked.
"What was said isn't what happened
And you know it."
"We also know that it was
Your fault Conner was there
In the first place. The way
You treated him like an animal
Instead of your son. You pressured
Him so far, he couldn't take it.
Conner was sent to that place
Because he was an overreacting
Lovesick puppydog!!!
"If that's what you think,
Then you are truly an idiot!"
I barked. I reached into the
Pocket inside my siute and
Pulled out the letter we had
Found from Conner's parents in
The shape of a paper airplane.
Folded next to it was the letter
From my dad I had gotten at the
Same time.
"Here's the letter you sent
Conner when we were on Challenge.
The other is the one from my pa.
Look at the differences.Maybe you'll
Figure out why your son really isn't
Here. Come on Vanessa, let's go."
I pulled my arm around her
Waist and led her out of the
Church without looking back.
