🎶 It is wild
All them days that I reminisce
About the way I use to kiss them pretty lips 🎶

Wassup??

Chapter Thirty Three

As soon as Severin had left the altar, more than enough people had decided to talk about what had just happened.

He had left the altar in the first place after singing one of the songs from Serayah's favourite TV show Empire, when she was still alive anyway.

"It appears that Severin has left the altar."

"Yeah, no kidding, Enrique. Thank you, captain obvious." Someone from the audience had stated, with Enrique being the funeral director for the whole thing.

Dang, being a funeral director must have downright sucked.

That was probably one of the most depressing jobs to exist, or if not then the most depressing job to exist.

Every day, they had just heard about people's deaths, if any. Layla Grace would have probably lost her will to live by now if she had ever had that job.

Either way, as Jordan Francis, Katari and DeVante had gone to try and talk to Severin, Serayah's mother Gloriana wanted to know what Layla Grace didn't follow them.

"They seem to have it under control."

"You're his sister," Gloriana had reminded him, with Layla Grace just sighing. "And I know you're mad at him because he's kind of the reason why Serayah died in the first place but you can't just leave your family like that. You get where I'm coming from?"

Layla Grace had just slouched in her seat, shrugging.

"His roommates from the retreat have already gone to talk to him but I don't even know where he went off to. Three people are already trying to comfort him. He really doesn't need a fourth person. I'm telling you, aunty."

Severin hated being the centre of attention.

That was why he didn't really like posting on Instagram, only doing so in the first place because surprise surprise, Serayah here had forced him to do so.

Okay but if you want to post something, can we at least disable comments? I don't want no controversy up in here.

Nuh uh, Sev! Serayah had argued back when they had this conversation a few months ago. How the heck will we know if our post is popping? How will we know what people have to say?

Anytime we post something and you ask for people's honest opinions, and they tell you it... you get offended. Harsh but truthful. The truth hurts.

She didn't say anything for the longest time, making Severin think that he had won the conversation until she replied to him once and for all.

That was the old Serayah. Not the new Serayah!

Yes and not the dead Serayah either.

The real reason as to why Layla Grace was so reluctant to talk to her brother wasn't because she didn't care but was because she didn't always know how to comfort Severin.

Half of the time he didn't want comforting as he would have just rather dealt with his problems himself.

Other times he did, and Layla Grace didn't always know which one he wanted as he wasn't always explicit with it, not even when she had asked him.

Severin leaving the altar inevitably didn't stop the funeral from going on though. This wasn't even the only funeral that Enrique had to direct today.

He still had one more- some six year old twins died in this unexpected tsunami a few weeks' back. It was all over the news and it still kind of was today.

Enrique had limited time regardless.

In the meantime. Severin had locked himself up in the toilets, but the rest of them were yet to find this out.

Jordan Francis, DeVante and Katari had just split up to find him, and for some reason the bathroom hadn't really crossed their mind.

Katari was the first to ask Jordan Francis if he had seen Severin but he didn't.

DeVante had eventually found him in the toilet, telling Jordan Francis mainly about it.

"What about me though?" Katari had frowned. "I can't just stay out here."

Neither of them had really said anything to each other, with Jordan Francis and DeVante just looking at one another.

Jordan shrugged.

"To be fair, Katari, you didn't really need to come but we appreciate the effort."

The only reason as to why she had come anyway was because she was hungry and if she had stayed in the hall any longer, she would have died of starvation.

Not many churches out there had a vending machine but this one did and it was pretty popular as well.

Also because of Severin but because she was starving too.

"Don't worry, we'll tell him that you tried to come," Jordan Francis had promised, with Katari nodding.

It didn't matter, she realised last minute that she had to call Lil Kim about something anyway so she couldn't really have talked to Severin if she wanted to, in the boys' toilet or not.

Severin was still in the toilet when both DeVante and Jordan Francis had arrived, banging gently on every cubicle, calling his name.

Yo, Severin, you okay?

Yeah man, DeVante had added. Although clearly you're not okay if you walked out, but we're still pretty concerned about us at the moment.

Nothing had come from Severin for a pretty long time, and now DeVante as well as Jordan Francis were really starting to wonder on if he was actually there or not.

When all hope was lost, that was when Severin had unlocked the door to come out.

He had been crying of course although not as much as on would expect. He was kind of over the situation now but then he wasn't at the same time.

As soon as DeVante and Jordan Francis had seen Severin, they had hugged him, wanting to know what was up.

"This is officially the second worst day of my life, man," he ranted, sitting down on the cold radiator in front of him. "The first was when I got arrested. Serayah would be so mad at me if she was still here."

"What why would you say that?" Jordan Francis wanted to know. "Okay, you may not have said your eulogy but you know Serayah was smiling down from heaven when she heard you sing My Last Night from Empire."

Was she even in heaven? Was what Severin had asked himself. Before she died, she had almost killed DeVante and she didn't repent.

Severin had barely sung the song though, he even needed assistance.

"Dude, you're at a funeral," DeVante had reminded him. "You can't blame yourself for being upset, okay? Funerals are literally designed for that."

Just like social media was deliberately designed to make most people feel bad about themselves by endlessly scrolling.

Severin wasn't pro social media but he wasn't anti social media either. He was against it.

"I don't know anymore, you guys. Plus my sister wants me to tell the truth to everyone. Hardly anyone knows why Serayah really died. She said that if I don't tell them by the end of the funeral, she'll do it."

Severin didn't want that, but he also didn't want to tell anyone the truth even if they deserved to know.

As Jordan Francis and DeVante had thought of how to reply, Severin couldn't help mourning over Serayah again but without tears.

DeVante had a brilliant idea and he must have been speaking for Jordan Francis as well as he was nodding and smiling like crazy at the moment.

"We can help you tell everyone the truth." DeVante had suggested. "Layla Grace said that you have to say the truth, yes. I'm aware of that. But she didn't say that you had to do it yourself; did she?"

He had a point.

Severin didn't know though, he didn't want to drag them into this.

"Y'all tripping."

"Nah, Sev. We being serious. Me, you, DeVante and Katari can explain it to everyone as we were actually there, ish."

Severin had grinned at that, he would have really liked that.

"That's why y'all my bros!!"

"What are roommates for?" DeVante asked, with all of them fist bumping each other and yelling For Serayah! at the end.

Thanking them, DeVante had then let Severin know that he should have gone out there to give the best eulogy Serayah could ever receive and he agreed.

As he was about to leave though, that was when he had gotten a call from someone.

Severin had kind of had his phone on him the whole time, it was just on silent.

It was Layla Grace, with Severin picking up almost straight away.

Severin: Whatcha want?

Layla Grace: You alright?

Severin: Yeah, but why didn't you come?

Layla Grace didn't say anything.

Severin was worried that he had scared her off somehow, also kinda wanting to be rude to her about her silence but he had luckily managed to compose himself.

Therefore preventing this from happening.

Layla Grace: Bro you know I'm better at comforting you on the phone than in real life at times. Plus I had to give my eulogy about Serayah. I wanted to say no because it didn't seem right saying it without you in the room but I didn't say no. I didn't want to be disrespectful.

Severin: Nah, it's fine. Don't sweat it. I've heard enough eulogies for today anyway.

Layla Grace: You don't have to tell them the truth if you're not comfortable, by the way. I was just saying that because I believe they had a right to know.

Nah, Severin was doing it.

He didn't really want to but he did.

He didn't like lying much anyway.

But he was doing everything after this outstanding eulogy.