Royal (A Selection Fan Fiction) (Book One in my Selection Series)

Chapter 39

But then it is the day of the service and I have a beautiful black gown that doesn't look quite right. It's not sparkles like palace ball gowns are but it's plain.

It points out the dreary mood of the day in one big statement. The dress is long and has long lace sleeves that travel to my wrists. The rest flows from my waist and it's rather comfortable.

My hair was straightened and I had only a little mascara.

When I walked into the room they'd led me to it wasn't completely full. I saw some of the selected with bunches of flowers in their hands and black dresses. I noticed her family, only her parents. I couldn't remember if she had siblings but they weren't hear if she did. I think it was her grandparents too that held onto her parents.

I thought maybe I should've talked to them but instead I walked straight for the front with my flowers and note.

I look at all the flowers. The Elite had brought some and so had some maids and guards. I noticed one big bouquet that happened to be from the king and Queen.

I feel a warm hand place itself in mine. It was Alex and I knew because of the feeling of it. Not the feeling of his hand but the feeling it gave me.

"You okay?" Alex asks.

I don't say anything. I just pull him beside me softly.

"Their pretty. I saw your parents got those." I point to the biggest bouquet.

"Yeah. I brought these." I look at him for the first time and notice he did.

"Those are pretty. Let's set them right here." I say and pull him closer to a concrete block that didn't have anything on it.

"There we go. That looks good. Where do you want to put yours?" I barely noticed I still had them.

"What about there?" I ask.

"That's good." I set them right beside the little vase. I couldn't think that it was Rae just turned to dust.

"Have you talked to her parents yet?"

The truth is I hadn't. I didn't want to walk over to them and start bawling right in front of them. I shake me head.

"Maybe you should. They asked about you." His hand was on my shoulder now, but I didn't want to move.

"Alex." I hear a sob and his hand leaves my shoulder. Catastrophe. Tears streaming down her cheeks. "It's so awful what happened!"

She grabbed his arm but he pulled away a little too fast for a girl he was falling for.

"You were never her friend, Catastrophe." I say it quiet but in a bold voice.

"What're you talking about? I loved Raelle! And I was her friend!" Catastrophe gasps.

"Stop. I swear to god, Catastrophe, if you don't get out of my sight I might not be able to help knocking you out cold." I say in the same voice.

"I cannot believe you just let that happen, Alex. Come on let's go." She grabs his arm and once again he pulls away.

"I need to stay here with Charlie. You're welcome to leave." And then he turns to me wrapping his arms around me.

"Come on." I say. "You said her parents asked about me."

"Yeah their over here. I'll come with you." Alex replies.

"Okay thanks." He holds my hand as we walk over there.

"Your Rae's parents?" I ask.

"You must be Charlie." Her Mom says embracing me immediately. "She couldn't stop writing about you. You'd think she'd write about the Prince." She pulls away and nods to Alex. "But we never even heard of him. It was just you."

"I love Rae. She was an amazing person." I tell them. I don't think I can say much more without sobbing.

"That she was. These girls say they were her friends but, you know, they weren't." She tells me. She's crying but she's smiling through it.

"I'm sorry." I tell her. "It wasn't fair."

"It was never anyone's fault, now was it?" She tells me and pats my shoulder. But was it? Was it my fault? Or Alex's? Was it not the shooters?

But I didn't say that.

"If you aren't family everyone please make their way out." Most of the people start making their way out.

I start out but her mom grabs my arm.

"I think you should stay dear." I nod but don't move. There were more of her family here than I realized but I didn't want to meet any of them. Not now. Not during this.

"Can we go sky over there for the service?" I ask Alex. He threads  his arm through mine and walks me to where I pointed.

"How long is this going to be?" I ask quietly.

"I don't know. That's the preacher. He was the preacher at her church she went to with her family." Alex told me.

I sit and wait. It doesn't take long to start either.

"Raelle was one loved by many." He starts. "But of course you already knew that. She was like a piece of gold caught in the stream. She touched every person she went by maybe even left a piece of herself with them."

"She believed in a God that was over everyone. She believed in Jesus who died for us all, and our sins. Everyone close your eyes. Now I want us all to take a second. Some of you may not have believed in God but I want you to raise your hand if maybe you don't know if you're going to heaven. If maybe you're not sure where your life leads after this life."

I didn't know. I didn't know where I was going I didn't believe in a heaven but maybe that was the bad part. Maybe there was a heaven and I never even bothered to think about it. Maybe now I won't be able to get it. I might never see Rae again.

I raised my hand timidly and I should've thought better and not lifted my hand on the same side Alex was on. Because I recognized his fingers as they brushed my own in the air.

I open my eyes in shock not knowing he felt the same way. His eyes were open too but they looked sad like he could've believe what he saw. Was it because of me? 

He takes his arm from the air and hugs it around me. I close my eyes again and lean into him, letting my hand fall.

I didn't listen to the rest of the service. I couldn't. My head hurt too bad from crying so I cried more.

"It's over, Charlie. Let's get you back to your room." I hear a voice in my ear but it all means nothing.

She's gone.