Chapter Three: Funeral

Lil opened the doors to the school, ready for everything people would be saying. Phil was a liked guy through the school, and she knew people would miss him. As soon as she walked in she was met by Kimi. "How you doing today?"

"So far, so good. No one has said anything to me yet." Lil looked around and started walking forward. Word spread fast around their school so she knew the news of the wreck and Phil's death had to have gotten around. "Well don't worry. I'll be here for you all day if you need anything." Lil smiled at her "Thank you so much." Lil continued walking until she got to her locker.

"Lil!" she turned and saw Savannah and Samantha. Lil sighed and got ready for whatever they were about to say. "Hey, I'm so sorry about Phil" Samantha finally said, giving Lil her best smile. "Bet just think, you were tired of him anyways." Savannah said. Lil slammed her locker shut and turned around "Don't say anything bad about Phil!" Savannah raised an eyebrow at her "Excuse me? Just early yesterday you were talking about how annoyed you were with him."

"Yeah, yesterday. He was alive yesterday, and today he isn't. I never meant anything I said about him" Lil turned and walked away towards Kimi's locker. She always knew deep down that Savannah and Samantha were bad for her but she was too stubborn to admit it. Now, she just doesn't care. All she wanted more than anything was to have Phil back.

Lil walked over to Kimi's locker and found her standing with Tommy, Dil, Chuckie, and a girl she didn't know. "Lil!" Chuckie walked over to Lil and gave her a hug "How are you?" Lil smiled "Good." she looked over at the one person she didn't know and held her hand out "Hi, I'm Lil." Rachel looked at Lil before reaching out and taking her hand "I'm Rachel. And I heard about your brother, I'm so sorry." Lil did her best fake smile "Thanks" as the bell rang the group split up going to their classes for the day.

Lil couldn't wait to get out of school, she was annoyed with all the teachers and people who were constantly bringing up Phil and telling her how sorry they were. All day long she avoided Savannah and Samantha, she was done with them. She decided that she was going to quit cheering because she realized it was best for her. She needed time to heal. Both physically and emotionally.

Tommy dropped Lil off at home. He knew she didn't want to be spending anymore time outside of her house than she needed. She walked through the front door and went straight to the kitchen. Betty looked up from the papers she had on the table "Phil's funeral will be held tomorrow. I've made calls and let everyone know" Lil nodded as she reached into the cabinet for some food. "I'm quitting the cheer team" she knew her mom didn't want to talk about Phil, so she changed the subject. "Why? I thought you loved it?"

"I do. But I need time to get over what's going on, get healed up" Betty nodded "I talked to your father today" Lil reached in the fridge and pulled out a canned drink. "And?"

"He's coming to Phil's funeral and staying a few days to make sure everything is alright here." Lil nodded and started eating on her snack before walking out of the room. She sighed as she sat on the couch and turned the TV on. It was so quiet without Phil there. She was still trying to process that he was really gone. Within a day, her whole life was changed. Lil had spent the rest of her day on the couch until she ended up falling asleep.

Lucky for her, it was now Saturday. What she hated most about this day, is that it's the day of Phil's funeral. She wasn't excited for it at all. Betty told her that the funeral would be around 2 P.M, when Lil woke up she decided to go straight to getting ready. She was standing in front of her bathroom mirror doing her makeup when she heard a knock on the door. And just that one simple knock brought back all kinds of memories of Phil rushing her. She opened the door to see Kimi and she sighed "It's crazy how the smallest thing can bring back so many memories" she went back to looking in the mirror to finish her makeup when she felt a hand on her shoulder "I know it's hard and stressful. But think back to all the good things between you and Phil." Kimi gave her a small smile. Lil sighed and turned giving Kimi a hug "I just want you to know that I love you, okay?"

"I love you too, Lil" Kimi and Lil walked out of the bathroom and to the living room. Looking at the time, it was only 11 A.M. and the two were sitting on the couch trying to figure out what to do. There was a knock at the door, so Lil got up to answer is. "Hey Tommy. Chuckie" she stepped aside letting the two of them come in. "What's going on?"

"Just sitting around, doing nothing." Kimi said moving so she was sitting on the edge of the couch. Lil sat next to her and Tommy and Chuckie sat on the two chairs on either side of the couch. Tommy broke into a smile "Hey, do you guys remember when we went to that ranch?"

"Yes, and I did all the cooking" Kimi frowned "Why do you bring that up?" Tommy looked over at Lil "Phil was happy to see that Lil had missed playing in the mud." Lil started smiling thinking back to it "Yet you guys wouldn't let me play in the mud. Oh lord, his singing of Home on the Range?" everyone started laughing. They all had so many memories of Phil, both good and bad. They sat around for what seemed like hours talking about good and bad times with Phil until it was time for the funeral.

Lil felt, in a way, at peace at the funeral. She kept her thoughts to good things instead of the bad. Afterwards, Lil, Betty and Howard stood by the casket while everyone came to give them their condolences. She found that part the worst. The realization that Phil was really gone, and she'd never hear or see him again. It tore her apart on the inside, but on the outside, she was doing her best to stay strong.