Alone Together {Patrick Stump}

Chapter 23

"Pete, stop!" I screamed. "Just stop! Please! It's my problem!"

"No, Lyra, I'm not letting you get this worked up," Pete said.

"Why the hell are you standing up for the little bitch?" Grandma sneered. "She seems in perfect health to me." Grandma approached me and slapped me across the face.

"Don't you dare touch her!" Patrick screamed. "I'll have you know, Lyra is not in perfect health! She was attacked and--"

"No, Dad," I sobbed. "Don't tell them. Please don't tell them." Andy hugged me tightly.

"Wait, is that Fall Out Boy?" one of my older asked loudly. "Hold on, what is happening?"

"Yes, we are Fall Out Boy," Pete said angrily. "But that doesn't matter because we are only here for Lyra. And we're lucky we are, because clearly none of you care about her."

"I just want to see Grandpa," I whispered into Andy's chest between sobs. 

He took me over the coffin, Joe not far behind us. I looked inside and saw his lifeless face. His eyes were closed, as if he were just sleeping, but the pale lifelessness of his face gave it all away. His hands were folded neatly across his abdomen, a picture of me and him before my parents' death was laying in his hands. It brought tears to my eyes. Grandpa was wearing his favorite suit, but there was a bulge in the pocket. I looked behind me to see everyone staring at me. I reached down, curious, and took out a neatly folded picture. It was a picture of me and Jessie when I was two years old. I turned around.

"Grandma?" I asked shakily. "Can I keep this?" I held up the picture.

"Fine," she scoffed. I folded it back up neatly and slipped in my purse. It would later be framed.

"And what about Grandpa's will?" I asked. "He said he would leave me some of his things. I'd like to have them now, if that's possible. I can pick them up later today after the funeral."

"He left you nothing, bitch," she scoffed.

"That's not true, Mom, and you know it," Aunt Veronica said. "I was there when the lawyer read it. Lyra deserves what Dad left her." Grandma scoffed.

"Fine," she replied. "I'll bring it by you. . . home later."

"No, I'd like to see the will myself and gather it all," I said coldly. "I don't trust you would bring it all."

"Fine," she sneered. "After the funeral."

"I'm staying until after we bury him," I said coldly. "I don't care if I'm welcome or not. I'm going to be here because Grandpa would want me here."

Nobody liked that I was there except for Aunt Veronica. Even though she said she would have taken me in, I knew she wouldn't have. I stood at the back with my real family the entire service. When we went to the graveyard for his burial, I found out he was being buried by Mom and Dad and Jessie. I burst into uncontrollable sobs when I saw their headstones. I had been crying all day, but I was only occasionally sobbing. This was the first time today I'd sobbed uncontrollably. Patrick, although he didn't understand why I was sobbing like this now, attempted to comfort me. I hadn't know this whole time where my parents and sister were buried. After Grandpa was buried, everyone left. I stayed, staring at the four headstones in front of me.

"Do you know these other people?" Patrick asked, obviously unaware of the name Jessica Gaines on one headstone and the date of death on three of them. I simply nodded.

"My family," I whispered. I walked over and put my hand on the first one. It was Grandpa's. Then I touched the next. "This is my dad's. And this one is my mom's. This is Jessie, my sister. She was ten. Almost eleven. Right before they left, Jessie hugged me and told me that no matter how many fights we would get in as I got older, she would always love me. I'd give anything to argue and fight with her, right now. I'd give anything to be able to hug my dad while I cried over my grandpa. I love you guys, I really do, and I'm glad I'm with you, but it isn't the same as being with my birth family."

"We know, Ly," Patrick said. "We don't blame you for wanting that. Especially right now."

"This summer," I said, mostly to myself. "July. It'll officially be eleven years. July 26, 2004."

"Let's go, L," Patrick said sympathetically. "We'll get the things your grandpa left you and go home. We can come back any time you want, I promise." I nodded. I stopped at Grandpa's grave on my way back to Patrick and the guys.

"Goodbye, Grandpa," I whispered. "I'll come back soon. I'm sorry I didn't get to say goodbye while you were still here. I love you. Say hello to Mom and Dad and Jessie for me, won't you?" I smiled slightly as the wind blew against my face, as if answering me. I looked up at Patrick and smiled slightly. "Let's go," I said. I walked over to the guys and Patrick wrapped his arm around my shoulder as we walked back to the car.