Adventures in Funeral Crashing (Complete Novel)

Chapter 20: Homecoming

CHAPTER 20: HOMECOMING

The first thing I remember was thinking, did Ethan really ask me to Homecoming? And then I realized I was in the hospital with a stiff bandage on my chest and my upper arm. My shoulder was killing me.

Ethan was sitting up looking at me, "Your dad just went to the cafeteria. I'll go get him."

"No," I managed to say.

"Are you sure?" he asked, concerned.

I nodded, "I just feel a little weird."

Ethan smiled, "Getting shot will do that to you."

"You talked to my dad?" I asked.

Ethan's smile broadened, "Yeah."

That was totally brain shattering. Maybe it was good that I was knocked out for that one. I couldn't imagine what my dad would have said to Ethan. I just hoped they were getting along. 

"What happened?" I moaned, putting my healthy hand to my head.

Ethan took that hand in his, surprising me, "I'm assuming you mean with the whole getting shot thing."

I nodded, still feeling his hand in mine and not wanting anything to change that wonderful feeling.

Ethan continued, "When I got your text, I freaked. I thought you really had asked Troy to meet you so that you could interrogate him some more."

"But..." I started to say, wanting him to know what really happened. It occurred to me that his reacting that way was almost...jealous. No. He had to have been just concerned for my safety and my brain must be acting weird from painkillers or something.

 Ethan stopped me, "Now, I know you were just egging me on. Still, you have to admit, you do have a bad habit of side stepping me and doing what you want, after all. So, I thought you did something impulsive."

I smiled. He knew me well. He smiled back at me and then frowned as he continued to tell the story, "Anyway, I was so convinced Troy was the killer. I thought you were putting yourself in danger again. I yelled at Detective Dixon, I was so panicked, and then I ran out of the office."

I smiled at the thought of Ethan chewing out the detective. Detective Dixon deserved to get yelled at, even if he had ended up saving us. He could have saved us all this trouble by believing us in the first place.

Ethan continued, "When I got to the video store, I could see you and Troy through the window. You looked as white as a ghost. I called nine-one-one, saw an opportunity, barged in, and knocked Troy out."

I smiled and Ethan looked sheepish, "How was I supposed to know Jenna or Vanessa or whoever she is was in there pointing a gun at the both of you?"

"True," I nodded.

"Then I saw the cops outside. I tried to distract Vanessa. I didn't want her to see them because, well, who knew what she would do then. She was already getting set to shoot us," Ethan explained.

"So, you didn't really mean to ask me to Homecoming?" I asked. I had to know, you know, just in case I needed to go and buy a dress.

Ethan smiled at me. "I thought it was a good distraction."

"Oh," I said, feeling a little sad, because it would have been nice if Ethan kind of meant to ask me to Homecoming, even though he thought we were about to die at the time. "And, then the police came in?"

"Guns blazing. Vanessa knocked off that shot at you and then they took her down, shot her in the leg, and everything," Ethan squeezed my hand. "I was really scared that she shot you in the chest when you went down so fast. I thought we were all going to die in the crossfire."