Jammed (Camren)

Memorial Service

Memorial Service for

Karla Camila Cabello

and

Lauren Michelle Jauregui

A memorial service and reception will be held on Sunday, May 14, 2016 at 2:00 PM in the Palmetto Hills High School Auditorium to remember these two outstanding students. Ms. Cabello and Ms. Jauregui were in route to Australia when their plane crashed on April 8, 2016. They were declared missing, presumed dead, when a vigilant search of the crash area failed to find them.

Please join their families and friends to remember their life and achievements. The families request, in lieu of flowers, please send contributions to the Camila Cabello / Lauren Jauregui Memorial Scholarship Fund. This combined fund will seek to support students who are interested in pursuing studies that combine team sports with performing arts.

"I can't do this", whispered Normani. Her fidgeting was causing the ancient padded auditorium seat to squeak loudly. Her mother reached over and gently touched her arm.

"It's difficult for all of us, honey, but we have to be strong."

"Why?", she hissed back, loud enough to cause whispered murmurs from the rest of the auditorium. Never before had she dreaded being the center of attention.

Sinu and Alejandro sat on the front row of the high school auditorium, a position they had frequented often during the many performances of their daughter. This was one performance neither of them ever expected to attend.

Sinu cast a worried look over her shoulder at the throng of people seated behind her. The Jauregui's sat on the left side of the aisle and her visual sweep of the room landed on Clara Jauregui who sat with her husband, son and now, only daughter, on the right side. It occurred to the Cuban, not for the first time, that if this was a wedding and not a funeral, they would be occupying what was traditional considered the bride's side while the Jauregui's were on the groom's, or, in their case, bride's - a tragic irony, indeed. Clara's and Sinu's matching tired eyes locked and in that moment they both recognized that they now belonged to a unique and exclusive club - membership to which no one ever wanted. They were both bereaved parents who had survived their own children. A parent should never outlive their child.

"Please, Normani", Derrick urged through tight lips to his daughter. "People will hear you."

"I don't give a damn who hears me!", Normani shouted back, breaking in one sentence every rule of decorum and etiquette. "I won't believe she's dead until they find a body." Then, she jumped up and addressed the auditorium. "And I can't believe you people are going along with this sham!" With that, she ran up the aisle and burst through the doors, tears streaming down her dark face.

Andrea laid a steadying hand on her husband's arm to restrain him. "Don't, Derrick. She needs to work this out on her own."

Suddenly, the stage was bathed in a soft light, spotlighting two displays indicative of the two young people they were gathered to remember. On 'stage right' was a gold frame that held numerous flyers about all the shows Camila starred in and on 'stage left' sat a stool with a Miami Palmetto Hills softball jersey with the number 27 emblazoned on the back.

Mr. Cowell slowly approached the podium and cleared his throat. He had no need of a microphone for he was an actor of the old school and he knew how to project his voice to an audience.

"Thank you for joining us here today to remember these two wonderful young people..."

Although there was no way Normani could hear Mr. Cowell from where she sat, she could just imagine his grandstanding in front of the whole school. She sighed loudly and banged her head back into the hard, cold stone of the PHHS stone obelisk which dominated the front of the school.

"Ow." Good, she needed the pain to keep him focused, so she did it again.

A shadow drifted over her and Normani squinted up to see who it was, but all she could see was the silhouette of a someone set against the bright sunlight. "You know you could do serious damage to that stone if you keep doing that."

Recognizing the voice, she gestured for her to sit down. "Not a problem. My dad will just buy them another one", she said bitterly. Then, she turned to study her more closely and saw that she was wearing a very conservative dress. Normani also noticed in her eyes the same haunted look that he saw when he looked in the mirror. "Shouldn't you be inside mourning the lost of your best friend?"

Ally took a deep, calming breath. "I'm still trying to work up my nerve. I'm not really into being in the spotlight and if I go in there now..."

"All eyes will be on you?"

"Exactly." She let her own head bang back against the obelisk and groaned. "I understand now." She turned to Normani and explained. "Yeah, it hurts, but it lets you know you're alive."

"Yeah."

"So..."

"So... You want to go somewhere? Do something?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know... we could get drunk, smoke cigarettes, drive our cars insanely fast..."

She let out a small, delicate chuckle. "I don't know about any of that, but how about a cup of coffee?"

"Sure, but I want to do just one more head bang first."

"I think I'll join you."

"Ow."

"Ow."

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