CHAPTER 34

There weren't many people at the funeral home. We walked into the quiet room and I took in my surroundings. It seemed so peaceful for someone who had lived such a turbulent life. The front row was taken up, and a few people were scattered in the rows behind. Simon and I sat in the middle of the second row. The only people to speak at the funeral were her friends and her mother; no other family members were present. In the middle of a long, awkward silence, Simon stood up and approached the front of the room. As I watched him take the microphone from the stand, I saw the color drain from his face. He cleared his throat, shifting nervously.

"I'm Simon," he said. "Caroline's ex-boyfriend… I think it's great you guys showed up."

Oh God, he had no idea what he was doing.

"Some of you might know that I was the one that found Caroline after she shot herself. I read her note,