48 hours ✔️

21| The Funeral

Kyle's POV

I kept my head down low as I walked up to the pulpit, my letter in-hand.

It's gonna be okay... It's gonna be okay.

I turned around slowly, tears threatening to burst from my eyes as I faced the crying crowd.

I cleared my throat, and unfolded the speech I had prepared for my best friend. I took a deep breath, and began.

"H-Hi, everyone. I'm Kyle Stevens. We have gathered here today to celebrate the wonderful life of—" I stopped, and looked into the audience. My mother and father sat in the front row, frowns of sympathy on their faces. Alongside them were Staci, Emma, their parents, and Aunt Ellie. Staci had a tissue box in her lap as her mother rubbed her back, trying to calm her, as did everyone else around her.

On the other side of the cathedral sat Will's friends and relatives. Several faces were covered with backs of heads. Lots of love and support was being spread around the church. The whole place was like one big family, all in the same room.

After a few moments, I took the note and crinkled it up, squeezing it tight in my clenched fist. I stared at the paper snowball.

God... Why did this have to happen? Will didn't deserve this. None of us did. Why did this happen? Why did you take him from us?

Water filled my eyes. I exhaled, deeply, after choking down a sob. My grip on the paper loosened, and I started once again.

     "There was this one time, in sixth grade," I said into the microphone.  "Will had just turned twelve, and he wanted to do something exciting.  He wanted to break the rules.

So, he went against his parents' wishes because they had denied permission for him to go out at the dead of night. He snuck out, and I was waiting for him. We went to this one gas station that was open 24/7. He bought nearly every item that contained even the smallest bit of sugar. And his total ended up being almost a hundred dollars. It was crazy.

When he was proud that he'd succeeded being 'bad', his parents were waiting for him in his room with the lights off. After he had gotten back at home, he slid the window open and hid his candy under the bed. He screamed when the lights turned on, and his parents began to laugh because he had a rainbow-colored mouth and Fun Dip powder all over his jacket." I finished, and earned a few giggles from the crowd.

     "Oh, and another time,"  I continued.  "Will, Staci, Emma and I all went to lunch at this new country-themed joint.  We all had a lot of fun throwing our peanut shells on the floor... and of course, a few at people who walked by our table."  I grinned.

     "But after a little while, the food we ordered finally came.  We enjoyed it, threw some more peanut shells, and left the restaurant with our leftovers in to-go boxes.

     But in the parking lot, Will dropped his hamburger and it skidded away.  A car ran it over, and the hamburger did not make it."  A few people laughed when I said that.

     "We were all laughing, and then Will said, 'We are never going here again.  I don't want to be remembered as the dude who dropped his hamburger.'"

     I caught his parents smile.

     "My point is... there are so many amazing memories we have made with Will.  They're different for each and every one of us."  I said.  "But what's important is the fact that we have these great memories.  So Will won't ever be forgotten."

~~

     My friends and I all squeezed each other's hands as we watched Will's father, uncles, and older brother all lower my best friend's body into the ground.

     "Goodbye, Garden Gnome,"  Staci whispered faintly.  "I love you."