Adventures in Funeral Crashing (Complete Novel)

Chapter 4: Confessing

"So, how did you know Liz?" Ethan asked again.

I still didn't want to answer. "How did you know where I worked?"

"I looked you up on Facebook. It's listed as your job," Ethan shrugged.

Sometimes social networking sucked. I only had like forty friends and most were kids I met at camp in third grade or family. I needed to change my privacy settings. Just because you were unpopular doesn't mean some stalker wasn't going to track you down. Not that I'd mind if Ethan was stalking me because it totally wouldn't be stalking since I'd totally swoon if he declared his love for me. Not that I had any delusions that it was actually going to happen.

Ethan continued, "So, Liz? How did you know her?"

Back to reality. I was starting to sweat. There was no way out of this. Ethan had tracked me down at work after all. Wait a minute – Ethan had tracked me down at work! Okay, not the time to be happy. I was in trouble here. I was being forced to admit I was a funeral crasher and although I don't mind that part of myself, I know my peer group doesn't approve.

"Well..." I hesitated. "It's kind of a long story." Not really, I added in my head. I glanced back toward Anne's office. She was busy watching her movie. I could see the glow of the television on her face through the small office window that looked out onto the store.

"I have time," Ethan prodded.

I was going to have to tell him. I didn't want to! I hedged, "Can I meet you in thirty minutes when I'm done with work?"

It gave me another half hour to figure out the greatest lie ever told and if I ended up having to tell him the truth, at least if I got him to sit down with me, maybe I could explain so that he wouldn't think I was such a total freak. And, I didn't want my boss to overhear. I know Anne liked me as an employee, but still she didn't need to know all of the intimate details of my life. I mean, funeral crashing wasn't like doing drugs, but still. I didn't want to take the chance that she'd be appalled and fire me.

"Sure," Ethan nodded. "My car's parked on the street outside. I'll wait for you to close up."

"Okay," I gulped and tried not to think about the fact that in thirty minutes I'd be sitting in a parked car with Ethan.

"Cool," Ethan said, nodding again, turning around, and walking out of the store.

I had thirty minutes to come up with something. Forget reading. I put my book back into my satchel purse. I stared out into the empty video store. What could I possibly say to Ethan to make this all turn out okay?

Thirty minutes later and locking up the video store, I hadn't come up with anything other than entering the witness protection program and fleeing the state. Somehow, I didn't think they'd take me into witness protection for trying to run away from a cute guy, who's about to find out that I like to crash funerals. Maybe I'd get lucky and aliens would abduct me.

"So, I was watching a John Hughes movie tonight - Some Kind of Wonderful. I think you'd like it. It's with Eric Stoltz and Mary Stuart Masterson and is a classic teen movie about unrequited love and high school. You should take it out next shift," Anne was saying, as I locked the front door.

"Uh-huh," I managed to mumble, even though Anne's recommendations were always the best.

"Are you okay?" Anne asked, peering at me. "You seem kind of distracted. School alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said and then continued, seeing that she might press me. "Just thinking about a guy."

"Ohhh, okay," Anne smiled knowingly.