Chapter Two: Funeral

Lil was sitting on the couch in her parents living room looking through a photo album that her mom had put together years ago. Phil walked out of the kitchen and handed her cup of hot chocolate. She looked up at her brother and smiled "Thank you" she said taking the cup from him. Phil sat next to her, she had never seen her brother look so sad before. She thought it was bad when Wally broke up with him, but seeing the sadness in his eyes now broke her heart.

"What are you looking at?" he asked looking over at the photo album.

Lil closed him and showed him the front. It had a graduation cap on it and a picture of Phil and Lil after their high school graduation. "Mom put it together after we graduated. It has pretty much every picture ever taken of us." she opened it back up and the two of them started looking through it.

Lil closed it and leaned back into the couch "I'm not ready to say goodbye to her" she could feel the tears starting to form, but she refused to cry in front of Phil.

"I know. I'm not either" Phil had lowered his voice. Tomorrow was their moms funeral, and that was the last thing either of them wanted to do.

Lil sat up straight, wanting to change the subject "Do you know if the Finster's are coming?"

Phil shook his head. None of them had talked to Kimi or Chuckie since they graduated and went their separate ways. Lil knew how much it hurt Phil that Kimi never tried contacting him, seeing as he was pretty much in love with her all throughout high school. "I don't know if Chas and Kira told Kimi and Chuckie. But I think they would, right?"

Lil nodded in agreement. She missed her best friend, five years is too long. For any of them. She wants the old gang back together. Lil looked over at the clock and then back at Phil "I'm going to go ahead and go to bed." Phil nodded as she got up and walked up the stairs.

She walked into her old bedroom and sighed. Besides the bed, it was empty. She had her own apartment now, and that's where all her stuff was. She climbed into the bed and let sleep take her over.

Phil was still sitting on the couch, his phone in his hand. He was debating on if he wanted to call Kimi or not and see if her and Chuckie were coming. He threw his phone down on the couch after deciding he would just find out tomorrow. He took his and Lil's cups into the kitchen and put them in the sink before going upstairs to his old room to go to sleep.

Lil woke up the next morning dreading what was going to happen. She didn't want to get out of bed, and she definitely didn't want to have to get ready for her mom's funeral. There was a knock at her door "Come in" she said and looked towards the door and saw Phil standing there.

"You should probably start getting ready" he said. Lil could hear the pain in his voice. She knew he didn't want to go, he had the same feelings as her.

Lil sighed and stood up. She looked at the time and then went to her closet to get one of her black dresses out. She didn't feel like doing her makeup, or making her hair look nice. This wasn't exactly a happy day for her, Phil and their dad. Lil walked out of her room and down the stairs to the kitchen.

"Dad said he'd meet us there." Phil said from the kitchen table. He had a cup of coffee in front of him. Lil sat down across from him.

Neither of them said anything. They felt as if nothing said could make them feel better today. Phil finally looked up from the table "Is Sean coming?"

Lil let out a small laugh and shook her head "He said since he never officially met mom he didn't want to come."

"How supportive." Phil said sarcastically. Lil knew how Phil felt about Sean, he hated him. He wasn't happy when they started dating, but he didn't want to say anything to make Lil mad. But she knew. "We should go" Lil nodded and followed him towards the door.

They arrived at the church and Lil grabbed Phil's hand. She wasn't ready for this. Neither was he, but he was trying his best to stay strong for Lil.

"Phil! Lil!" They were about to step in the church when a familiar voice called their name. Phil broke into a smile as he turned around and saw Kimi. She ran over to them and gave them both a hug "I'm so sorry about Betty."

"Me too." Chuckie said walking up behind Kimi. Lil gave him a hug before walking into the church.

She saw Howard sitting up front in the first pew, and she knew that her and Phil had to sit up there too. She turned to Kimi "Will you sit up there with us? Both of you." Kimi nodded and smiled as Tommy walked over.

He gave both Kimi and Lil a hug and smiled at Phil and Chuckie. Lil turned to him "You have to sit with us, too."

Tommy nodded and they walked into the church and over to where Howard was sitting. The funeral got started as the Priest started talking. Lil was finding it harder and harder to hold back the tears. Howard went up and started talking about her and that's when Lil lost it. Thank God she didn't have to do a speech, she wouldn't be able to. After the funeral was done, it was time for the burial. It was a private one, and only family, the Finster's and Pickles were invited to it.

Lil had her arm through Phil's. Seeing their mom getting buried was the hardest part for her. Phil gave Lil a hug at the end "I'm gonna go with Kimi. I'll meet you at her apartment?" Lil nodded and let out a sigh.

Lil stood by her moms headstone when she thought she was alone. She let the tears fall freely now "I'm gonna miss you so much mom" she said quietly.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and she turned around to see Tommy. He pulled her into a hug. He knew she needed someone right now. He let her cry into his chest until she pulled away. She took a deep breath and wiped away the remaining tears. Tommy gave her a smile "You okay?"

Lil nodded slowly "I will be" she looked up at him "Thank you. But why did you stay behind?"

"I saw that you were, and I figured you could use someone." she gave him a small smile "Are you going to Kimi's?"

"Yeah, are you?"

Tommy nodded and they started walking towards their cars. Tommy was going to say something but his phone started going off and he saw that it was Alicia. He looked over at Lil as she got in her car "I'll see you over at Kimi's." Lil gave him a little wave before she started her car and drove off.

Tommy answered his phone "Hello?"

"Tommy! How are you? How was the funeral?"
"I'm okay. And the funeral.. Was.. Well, a funeral." he did a small laugh, not really sure what to say to her.
"I have some good and bad news for you"
Tommy sighed. He wasn't in the mood for bad news "Okay, what is it?"
"The good news is tomorrow I'll be coming down there, so I'll be able to see your family and finally meet your friends! And the bad news... Well, Joshua may have broken his leg today so we can't continue the movie"
Tommy completely ignored the fact that Alicia would be coming tomorrow, he was more concerned over the fact that the other star of the movie broke his leg "How did Joshua break his leg?!"
"Something fell on it, I'm not really sure of the whole story. But hey, I've gotta go. Love you!"

Tommy hung up the phone and threw it into the seat next to him. He couldn't believe that the movie now had to wait to be continued. It was going so smoothly when he was the one directing it. He pulled out of the parking lot and started towards Kimi's.