Chapter Nine: Funeral Services

Nine mournful days had passed since Zack's death. Carey had re-rented her old apartment with Cody and Maddie. The past nine days had been terribly hard on everyone.

Carey, Cody, and Maddie were now getting ready for Zack's funeral. Maddie had finished dressing and entered Cody's room. He was standing in front of his mirror adjusting the tie on his suit.

"Cody? Are you almost ready?" Maddie asked from the door way.

"No." Cody breathed, not looking at Maddie.

Maddie let her self further into the room. She let her hand rest on Cody's shoulder.

"I know this is hard on you. It's hard on everyone, but you have to get ready." Maddie patted him on the back and turned to leave.

"How can I get ready?" Cody turned to face Maddie, his face had streaks from him crying. "If I leave. If I go to that funeral, that will mean that he's gone. Gone forever Maddie, I don't think I can handle that right now. I just can't."

"You have to handle it. Cody, I don't want to say goodbye either, but that's not our choice. He is gone. He's not coming back and there's nothing we can do about it." Maddie left the room closing the door.

It was true. Everything Maddie said was true, and Cody realized it. Cody shrugged off the painful memories and exited the room.

Cody followed his mom and Maddie into the funeral home. Zack's open coffin stood at the end of the room. A few people were already there. Cody watched as Maddie and Carey made their way to Zack's coffin. He realized that he couldn't move.

Carey and Maddie cried over the coffin and whispered words to Zack's dead body. Maddie finally led Carey away from the coffin.

"You better go see em'." Maddie sighed as he passed Cody.

Cody tried to walk. He moved slowly. He didn't want to take this walk. He shouldn't have to. No one should have to. After what seemed like forever, Cody reached the coffin. He peered inside.

Zack lay there. He looked so peaceful, as if he were sleeping. Cody felt hot tears begin falling from his eyes.

"Hi Zack. I guess this is it." Cody wiped his eyes. "I'm not ready to say goodbye. You left me too soon. I miss the little things most. Skateboarding, Basketball, even doing your homework. How do I go on living without you? Your everything to me. I love you so much, Zack. Remember the time we acted like a girl to win new bikes? It's times like those that keep me going. Those memories. When you left Zack, you took half of my heart with you. I needed you so much, but now I'm all alone. I'll never forget you Zack. You were more than a brother to me, you were my best friend, my worst enemy, my everything. I love you so much, goodbye." Cody smiled through his tears and walked away.

"Are you okay?" Carey asked Cody,, a steady flow of tears ran down her face.

"How can I be okay? We're bury my brother!" Cody cried.

A finger pecked him on the shoulder.

"I'm so sorry for your loss."

Cody turned to see Rebecca and her boyfriend Tommy.

Cody took them away from Carey.

"How dare you. How dare you come here." Cody said, he was very mad.

"We wanted to say that we're sorry." Tommy breathed.

"I don't care, get out of here."

"Cody, wait. You should know something. We didn't work for Todd by choice. He had some kind of poison in us. We're sorry, please forgive us." Rebecca sighed.

"Really?" Cody asked, almost in a whisper.

"We swear." Tommy spoke.

"Fine. I'm sorry." Cody shrugged.

His old friends were back.

The next day, Maddie, Cody, and Carey returned to the funeral parlor to watch Zack's casket get buried. It was the saddest thing they'd had to do this far.

The three stood together, crying, as the casket was lowered into the ground.

A flood of memories rushed through Cody. Everything that he had ever done with Zack flashed through his mind.

He could never have that time back again. Zack would never see his kids, his wife, they wouldn't grow old together, nothing. Cody cried harder. He wanted to stop breathing, but he didn't. He didn't know how he'd ever get over this. He didn't just loose his brother, he lost his entire life. Just because he was breathing on the outside, didn't mean he was on the inside.

A/N- There's chapter 9! There will be a 10th chapter, and possibly an 11th. But that's it. This story is near it's end, and I'm terribly sad about it. I have been writing them for nearly 3 months and I don't want to say goodbye. Lol. It's hard, but anyways, Thanks for reviewing!