Sorry for the wait, but my one year old nephew pour ice tea over my laptop.
BTW, I really appreciate the favorite stories, story alerts, favorite authors and author alerts. You guys flattered me.
I don't own True Blood.
Funerals are awkward.
That's part of the reason why I didn't want to have one for Dawn; the ceremony that the sisters and I did was more than enough.
It eased my mind a little bit that she we had a proper goodbye, but I wouldn't be at peace until I caught her murderer.
I just didn't expect Adele Stackhouse to be murdered next.
When Sam called me the morning after and explained how it happened and that Sookie was the one to find her, I drove all the way to Bon Temps for the funeral and to be there for Jason and Sookie.
Things like this just shouldn't happen.
When I arrived at the house, there was already people there, I recognized Sam's truck amongst the cars.
I wonder where Jason's truck was.
When I entered, it was clear that Sam was taking care of everything, which is good because I don't think Sookie could handle all of the people's thoughts. I also notice that almost everyone in town was here; that doesn't surprised me neither because Adele was one of the nicest persons I come to know and I don't think anyone hated her or something like it.
Except those people who weren't so keen of her bringing Bill to the church. But I don't think they were smart enough or evil enough to go to such lengths.
I went to the kitchen to put my basket of cookies.
I didn't want to bring the cookies but when Cassie and Hannah found out that I was going to a funeral they said that I should bring something sweet to counterpart the sour occasion. So I had to baked - that's right, BAKED – the cookies in the form of the letters O and K – we have a fundraiser coming up, so we already had the molds of the letters- and put white frosting in the O's and pink frosting in the K's.
Sometimes sororities are a little cheesy.
So I go to the kitchen and found Sookie sitting at the table.
I hugged her tightly.
"Here" I said as I sat across from her and push the basket towards her.
"Cookies?" She asked looking trough it.
"Better than some casserole"
She held an O and a K. "Sorority promotion or your way of telling me that it's going to be okay?"
"Both" She bit the K.
"Chocolate?" She kept biting.
"Yeah. Don't eat them all right away; the best way to enjoy them is if you dip them in vanilla ice cream, then it's glorious." It's true, the flavor gets better.
"I'll keep that in mind"
There was silence until Maxine Fortenberry came carrying a casserole.
A freaking casserole.
"You poor child. I am so sorry for your loss."
"That's very kind of you. Um...Gran often talked about you, so..." Tara came and took the casserole from Mrs. Fortenberry and went to another part of the house. "Thank you"
"Adele was an angel sent from Heaven, too good for this world. We're all gonna miss her so much."
"Excuse me?" Sookie asked. Maxine must have thought something nasty.
Sookie walks away and I follow her.
"Just try to ignore her" I whispered to her. But Arlene came and hugs Sookie.
Things went downhill from there.
Arlene starts telling Sookie that she should move since someone was murdered here, then she tells her that she's smarter than what everyone thinks, which even sends me on a bad mood.
Maxine was the last drop when she touched Adele's pie.
Some might think that she overreacted, but that pie was one of the few things Adele left in this world. And Sookie is not going to let someone like Maxine Fortenberry taint it.
So now Sookie, Tara, Lafayette and I are sitting in Sookie's bed having some alone girl time.
"I shouldn't have lost it like that" Sookie said.
"You have the right to, she was disrespecting your home" I said.
"Don't feel sorry for yelling at that snoopy old bitch. She's been stickin' her nose where it doesn't belong for years." Tara said.
"Say it. I mean, if she talked any more shit she'd be shaped like a toilet." Lafayette continued.
We laughed a little.
"Gran's gone" Sookie said. I put my arm around her. "She's really gone"
"Yeah, she is" Tara said.
"I don't know what I'm supposed to do. I can't even think straight"
"It's understandable" I told her.
"You know, you're not their entertainment. You don't have to dance for 'em. You just gotta feel whatever you're feelin'." Tara said.
Sometimes Tara said just the right things.
"I'm not sure I'm...feelin' anything. I'm just numb."
"Trust me, it's understandable" I repeated.
"Numb is good" Tara said.
"Yeah"
"Numb is probably what you need right now" She continued and Lafayette made a sound of agreement.
What are they up to?
"Stop worryin' about being so damn appropriate. This is not an appropriate event."
"You're the only one that matters, not them." I said.
"Thank you for gettin' me out of there. Haven't had a single minute of silence. I can't seem to...block anything out right now."
"You want me to tell 'em all to shut the hell up?" Tara asked.
"We could kick them out" I suggested. Its time these people get told.
"I wish it were that easy" Sookie said.
"It is" Lafayette said. "Your wish…" He pulls out a plastic bag of pills from his pants pocket. "my command"
Really? Drugs?
Really?
Sookie quickly refused. "Oh no, I don't do drugs"
"Sook. Relax! This is not drugs. This...is just a Valium."
Oh, Valium.
Well that's not so bad.
I'll start to worry when she starts taking Xanax.
Lafayette holds one of the pills up. "Well I'll tell you what; put it in your nightstand just in case you change your mind. I'm gonna go and check on the circlin' buzzards."
Then Lafayette left carrying Adele's pie after Sookie asked him to take it downstairs.
"Do you think I should take it?" She asked referring to the pill.
"It will help you calm down and get some rest" I told her.
She still refused to take it.
.
For a while we started to talk about the funeral arrangements. Tara mentioned calling Sookie's cousin Hadley but no one has ever seen her since she escaped rehab. Then she mentioned Bill, a thing that was kind of stupid since the funeral was during the day. Sookie said that Tara just needed to get used to Bill.
"I'm not sure I'll ever get used to it"
We stared at her.
"What? Not everyone is as open-minded as you two. Shoot me. You should hear the things people are sayin'."
"I do" Sookie said louder than before. "Bill did not kill my grandmother!"
"No one's saying he did Sook" I said.
"But didn't you tell me he had scary-ass friends?" Tara just wasn't stopping it.
"Not all the vampires are like that." Just the ones we know.
Things calmed down after that.
Until Jason came and slapped Sookie, saying things like it was her fault that Adele died, and that it should of have been her the one to be murdered. Tara kicked him out but the damage was already done.
I didn't recognize Jason. It isn't like him to do something like this.
When he left, Sookie decided to take the Valium.
.
It was almost sunset when all the visitors left. Then we started cleaning while Sookie was sleeping upstairs.
"Maybe I should go check on Sookie" Tara said breaking the silence.
"Trust me, the child is dead to the world right now" Lafayette told her.
Then the front door burst open and a blur made its way to the stairs. We followed it all the way to Sookie's bedroom.
It was Bill.
"Sookie! Sookie!" He's shaking her, trying to wake her up.
He also looked very worried.
"What the hell are you doin'?" Tara demanded to know.
Sookie opens her eyes. "Bill, what's wrong?"
"I thought…" He pauses then smiles. "I had a dream. That's all. You go back to sleep"
That's what all the commotion was about?
A fucking dream?
Really?
A while later everything was back to normal. We all headed back downstairs and let Sookie continued sleeping.
"You think they're capable of lovin' a person?" Tara asked as she was looking outside at Bill who preferred to stay there.
"Who knows what they're capable of" Lafayette answered.
I agree.
.
"Lord, we are gather here today to remember the life of Adele Stackhouse. To celebrate the time that she enjoyed here on earth.
"And to thank you for each precious moment"
While the minister was talking, I couldn't help looking over at Jason.
He looked so agitated.
I wonder if he's on some kind of drug or something.
I also noticed the arrival of this old man in a wheelchair. What I notice about this man is that he makes Sookie nervous, which I can tell because she squeezed Tara's hand as soon as she saw him.
Who is he?
Sookie looks over at the old man and says. "Uncle Bartlett, what are you doing here?"
This Uncle Bartlett says. "She was my sister"
"You haven't been part of this family for a long time"
"Sook, come on. Give the guy a break" Jason said.
They couldn't continue bantering because Sookie has to say a few words in honor of Adele.
So she went to the podium and started speaking. "Adele Stackhouse was...everything to me. She wasn't just my grandmother. She was...my parent, my teacher, and my best friend.
"To say she'll be missed...just didn't cut it, 'cause...I can't even imagine a world without her in. She was always there, with a kind word, and a hot meal, and a shoulder to cry on. Not just for me, but...
"...for everyone who knew her."
People must be mentally shouting at her if she can't seem to concentrate.
"Shut up! All of you just shut the fuck up!"
I guess I was right.
Then she runs off with me and Jason following her.
"Sookie!" We yelled at her.
We ran for a while until Sookie stopped.
"Sook, hold on a sec" Jason said.
"Why? So you can hit me again? Go ahead; tell me it's all my fault. Tell me how you wish it were me in that coffin. I deserve it."
"No, you don't" I said.
"I'm sorry" Jason told her. He then tries to hug her. "I'm so sorry"
"Don't touch me!"
"Now, I didn't mean to hurt you. You gotta know that."
"You invited Uncle Bartlett! How could you do that?"
What's so wrong about Uncle Bartlett? Besides his health?"
"He has a right to be here! Look, I know he and Gran had their problems, but whatever they were, it doesn't matter no more. 'Cause that's what family does. We forgive each other."
"You have no idea of what you're talking about!" Neither do I.
"Sookie, please? I mean, we're all we've got."
"We've got nothin'." Then she runs off again.
"What did your uncle do to Sookie?" I asked Jason.
"That's what I would like to know"