[center][i]2006[/i]

[b]The Funeral[/b]

The music was playing, songs from Paul's playlist. It was upbeat music, not at all fitting the chuch full of people. The preacher spoke, yet it fell on the deaf ears of a young man hiding behind his fringed hair. His eyes were filled with tears and his chest felt like his heart was being torn out. Yet, he could not cry, he couldn't breakdown like that. His Best friend was laying in that casket, yet, he was not the one who had the biggest grief in his heart. That sorrow belonged to someone else, the younger boy sitting next to Liam. Eli. Paul's little brother, he had relied on Paul their entire lives, his big brother had loved him through the years. Liam knew this, for he and Paul had spent many nights sitting on the hill outside of Liam's house after the parties. Their minds alert, yet their bodies tired from the dancing, drinking and having fun. Paul confided in Liam, he was worried that Eli would never get to have a normal life - like he did. 


And now, the last bit of resemblance of a normal life died in that wreck along with Paul. It was time to place the flowers on the casket and give their final goodbye to the the young man. Liam's final words to his best friend. "I'll watch out for him, Paul." Liam spoke softly, not loud enough for anyone else to hear. Eli walking behind him. He placed his hand on his shoulder for a brief second, the grip on his shoulder let the boy know that Liam was hurting just as bad. That just like Eli, Liam would keep Paul in his heart till the day he died.


***

[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwXh8h5jivg]Pop-Punk is not dead.[/url]

Liam had walked out of the coffee shop, a simple black coffee with one cube of sugar in it. He didn't even like coffee, but he would never make it through the day without it in his blood. He had a pack of cigarettes in his right breast pocket and a zippo lighter in his left, using matches he got from his back jean pocket, he lit a cigarette, he was heading towards the church. Plugging in the headphones in his ear, the tunes hitting him as he calmly walked towards the Church. Within ten minutes he made his way to graveyard, seeing the back of a young man he was far too familiar with. He gave him a couple of minutes, before walking up. Again, putting his hand on his shoulder like he had so many years ago.

"I'm sorry." Liam spoke, softly. He was sorry about a lot of things, about Eli losing his brother, about leaving Eli in Thornhill, and about not being there for him for so many years. But he was back, and he was ready to make up for lost time. Digging into his pocket he got out the zippo lighter and a cigarette, offering one to Eli. This time lighting his with the lighter instead of the matches. It was important to him, he and Paul had shared their first cigarettes together, Long Red Level. On Liam's 18th birthday, Paul had given him the lighter, that was two months before the crash.

"You think we're going somewhere?"
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