Adventures in Funeral Crashing (Complete Novel)

Chapter 3: Worrying

CHAPTER 3: WORRYING

Lying on my bed at home, under the covers, and curled up with a comfort book – my copy of Twilight (and yes, I've seen all the movies too, multiple times), that I was reading for the third time, I realized that fleeing the funeral may not have been the best idea. I mean, if Ethan was my Edward like in Twilight, things would work out and he'd think my awkwardness and weirdness was sexy and cute, like Edward thinks of Bella even when she does weird things, like not want to go to the prom. Sadly, Ethan Ripley, was just going to think I was totally weird anyway for running out on him at his half sister's funeral. It wouldn't even take telling him I was funeral crashing.

It was almost midnight and I could hear my dad watching CNN in the other room. We kept to our own rooms, other than dinner. We got along, my dad and me, but we just didn't hang out. I usually read in my room until I fall asleep, unless I have homework, while he watches sports or CNN in the living room.

I usually fall asleep around ten or ten thirty. I know the majority of people my age stay up until midnight every night, but school wipes me out. I crash, sometimes even by nine. My mind was too busy tonight to crash, though.

Liz O'Reilly was Ethan Ripley's half sister. That was crazy. I had looked at the copy of the obituary from my dad's daily newspaper when I got home. He likes to read the actual paper, so we still get one. He's old school like that.

Liz O'Reilly, 19, died Sunday. She was a student at Laurel Community College and hoped to be a veterinarian. She volunteered at the Palos Animal Shelter and loved all animals, especially her rescued dog, Paws. She is survived by her mother and stepfather, Elizabeth and James Ripley, her father Kelly O'Reilly, her maternal grandmother Lilly Morgan, her siblings Ethan and Lilly Ripley, and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins. The wake will be held on Wednesday from 3pm – 9 pm at Palos Funeral Home. Funeral Thursday at 9 am.

I couldn't believe I hadn't noticed the name Ripley in the list of survived by relatives. It was there, but since he was only listed as Ethan and his sister Lilly was listed as Lilly Ripley, I hadn't focused enough to put two and two together. I obviously needed to pay more attention next time to the names of the surviving relatives. That was my lesson in this.

Regardless, I had no idea that Ethan even had a half sister with a different last name.  I hadn't even known about his full blood sister Lilly. Sure, I had a crush on him, but that was only from a distance and at school. I didn't stalk him or anything, I mostly, just gazed and hoped. The usual crush thing.

Poor Lilly. She must have been the little girl that had been sitting on the front couch staring blankly at the coffin, in the somber black dress that no child should ever have to wear. Poor Paws, Liz's dog – he probably didn't even know what had happened to his master. It was sad all around.

My black cat, Scarlett, as in the main character from Gone With the Wind – Scarlett O'Hara, was curled up next to my feet. She liked to do that when I was reading. I reached down and scratched her head, lovingly. She started purring almost immediately.

"I love you," I said and hugged her. My dad had gotten her for me after my mother died. She was no replacement for my mom, but Scarlett was a great cat. She loved to bat around her toys and make me laugh. I knew she'd miss me if something happened to me. Poor Paws.

My mind found its way back to Ethan. Wow, Ethan's sister had died of a drug overdose. I hadn't even heard about it at school and no matter what he said, some people had to know. Then again, I tried to stay away from the gossips like Ariel because if I got too close, they tended to gossip about me. Ariel had already circulated too many malicious rumors about me anyway.