Chapter 17

                                    

                                          
     The funeral is held two days later in Bella's hometown. Much to everyone's surprise, a large proportion of the student body attend, including Tasha and her posse. They sit on a couch in the funeral home and chat in hushed voices. Mandy stares in their direction, watching Tasha with anger running through her veins. Who does she think she is, bullying Bella after all these years then attending her funeral as if she actually cares? Mandy narrows her eyes.
                          
        Wordlessly, Mandy parts from the group and makes her way to Tasha. The dark haired girl didn't notice Mandy until she had stepped in front of Tasha, blocking her view from her friends. Tasha scoffed and looked up. "Um, can I help you?"
                          
        "You have some nerve," Mandy hissed. "How dare you show up to Bella's funeral after you've done nothing but bully her since day one?"
                          
        "I came to pay my respects-"
                          
        "Pay your respects?" Mandy laughs, but it wasn't her normal, happy one. "If I recall correctly, you pushed her in front of a truck and claimed no one would miss her if she'd gotten hit." Tasha doesn't know how to respond. "You should leave. I'm sure the last thing Bella would've wanted was fake bitches showing up to her funeral."
                          
        "My parents forced me to come, okay? Besides, we can't leave, my mom drove us here."
                          
        Mandy scowls. "Then walk." With that, Mandy turns and walks around the couch to rejoin her friends. She notices Dalton leaning against a wall, smiling at her. She can't help but smile back and question him.
                          
        "That was hot. You're hot when you're mad." Despite the event, Mandy laughs.
                          
        "Gee, thanks. Do you think they'll leave?" 
                          
       "Cole might get them to, but you shouldn't worry about them right now."' His expression has softened and he's taken his hand in hers. "Have you seen her yet?" He doesn't mentioned a name, but he doesn't need to. Mandy's eyes drift in her direction.
                          
        At the back of the funeral home, laying soundlessly in a wooden coffin, is Isabella. Mandy was asked by Bella's parents do to Bella's appearance, so picking out the right outfit was the most difficult thing to do in two days. After hours of picking out the right outfit, she finally did it. Now, however, Mandy was nervous about what her friends and parents will think. 
                          
        "No, not yet. I don't know if I can. Where's Gabe?" Gabe hasn't spoken in two days, not since he found out. The other boys have tried to talk to him, but their efforts proved no avail. He won't talk, and he's barely eaten or drank anything in two days. 
                          
        "Over there," Dalton says, pointing down the hall at Gabe, who is sitting on a bench, alone, with his eyes closed and his head leaning against a wall. After Mandy tells Dalton she's going to talk to Gabe, she walks away from him and joins Gabe. She sits next to him on the bench.
                          
        For a few minutes, neither of them say anything. Mandy hasn't done much the past few days, either. Other than eating and drinking, she's hardly made contact with other humans. Her mom didn't make her go to school after she'd called at lunch, sobbing and begging to go home. 
                          
        "Have you seen her?" Gabe asks softly.
                          
        "No, I'm nervous. Will you come with me?" Gabe opens his eyes and looks at her. He considers her offer, and eventually accepts, even though he feels like collapsing when he stands. Slowly, they walk back down the hall and into the viewing room.