The Funeral

Before I start this story just let me point out that I don't own "What hurts the most" by Rascal Flatts. Melissa sings this song but again. I dont own it!

Melissa went over to Scott's house at 5:00 and knocked on the door. A little girl, who she assumed was his younger sister, Annie, answered the door. "what do you want?" Annie asked. Scott came to the door. "Annie go play i'll take care of this" Scott said and let Melissa in. "Hey" Scott said. "Hey" Melissa replied. They sat down and Melissa caught him up in everything they had been learning so far that year and to Melissa's advantage, Scott was a very fast learner. "that's it?" Scott asked when Melissa closed her Psychology book. "That's it" she stated. Melissa looked at the clock. Jacob would be at Scott's house any second to go back to Melissa's house so she could change and get ready for the funeral. Jacob came five minutes later and looked at Melissa a while. 'she's beautiful but she's in so much pain, I wish I could help her more' he thought to himself. Melissa, Jacob, and Scott all got into Scott's black and yellow Mustang and drove off to Melissa's house. Jacob and Scott were already dressed in black. Melissa went upstairs, took a shower, and got dressed. She came back downstairs and stood at the door to greet morners for her brother. She saw many of his friends come in but none of them said a word to or about her. Almost everyone was silent. When everyone was there they all stood in a line, starting with Melissa's parents and Melissa, and went to say goodbye to Levi. Melissa's dad took it the hardest, assuming it was his fault his son was lying in a coffin and he wasn't. Melissa held Levi's hand for a little while, "May you find peace wherever you are my dear, dear older brother," Melissa let go of his hand and walked away. Soon the line faded to one or two people and they all sat down, waiting for the car to take the coffin. They started talking about Levi and all the memories they had of him. "I remember when he was in your grade Melissa, he was so outgoing and fun but at the same time quiet like you and he loved everybody, I remember we'd always go to students and invite them to sit with us and they felt so great because someone older than them wanted to hang out with them and know about them" Levi's friend, Carl, said. Everyone was silent. "I remember when I started school, Levi walked me and as nervous as I was he said nothing would happen because if anyone bothered me he would pinch them" Melissa smiled. "he was in like first grade. When I started school this year he told me no matter what happened he would always be here with me." She started crying a little. Melissa wiped away her tears and sat in silence. Soon the car came and everyone piled into their cars and followed, Melissa's parents being first. Melissa decided to ride with Jacob and Scott and they were the second car only because Melissa was in it. They got to the church in about 15 minutes and filed in and sat down in the first pew. "good evening" the pastor said. Some people mumbled it back, most just sat there, grieving. "there's a lot of pain when a loved one dies, sometimes there's guilt, sometimes blame, sometimes, you just dont know what to feel. But Levi Michael Brant never felt guilt, or blame, because Levi was a good gentleman and there was no need to feel any of it. Levi was a good student, active in after school activities, and simply loved life. As many of you know, Levi left many people, the main ones being his mom and dad, Karl and Lisa, and his younger sister, Melissa. In the bible it says 'and God created man and found it was very good' well, this man, Levi Michael Brant, was very good. Now we shall have a few words from his parents, Karl and Lisa, who would like to speak about their son and share his good life with everyone here, Karl and Lisa?" the pastor said. Her parents got up. Her father spoke. "Levi was well, the only way to describe him is to say Levi, because he was so many things you couldnt even name, he was our angel, our first born, and to our daughter, he was a role model, a good role model who would do anything for anyone. About a month ago, a week after school started, Levi came into my room and sat down and said 'Dad, I'm afraid for Melissa, she's pretty and I'm afraid someone will take advantage of her' and I never thought that way about her. For those who knew Levi well, they all know that the two most important things in his life were God and his sister. Although they were only a year and a half apart, it was the fact that Levi always had the protective older brother role. When we told Levi there was going to be another child in the house, he didnt pout or cry or throw a fit, he smiled and laughed and he couldnt really talk but he ran to his mother and touched her stomach and the first thing out of Levi's mouth, his first word, was girl. Levi told us that Melissa was going to be born and as he said the word girl he got a very stern look on his face, as if he already knew that something would go wrong in her life and he would take care of it. Levi was always close to Melissa, and the day Melissa found out that Levi had died, she came in and told me 'Daddy, theres a hole in me, and I can't stand it, please bring him back' and I felt so bad because my daughter felt empty, felt as if there was no joy left in this world. Today, Melissa sits between her mother and I, and her friends, and show's no emotion. Today, as we lay our son to rest in a cold and dark cemetary, there is no joy in this world." Melissa's parents sat back down, both crying, and some of Levi's friends talked about him but Melissa couldnt listen because it ripped her apart to hear about her brother, and look at him, seeing as the funeral was an open casket. Finally, Melissa was called up the play the piano and sing a song for her brother. "Levi always loved this song, and he told me if he was ever hurt in the hospital or worse I needed to sing it to him, as a reminder that I would never leave him. That's not the reason I'm singing it today, I'm singing it today because it simply describes how I feel in the words I cant make up myself"
"I can take the rain on the roof of this empty house
that don't bother me
I can take a few tears every now and then and let them out
I'm not afraid to cry every once in a while even though going on with you gone
still upsets me
there are days every now and again I pretend I'm okay
but thats not what gets me

What hurts the most
was being so close
and having so much to say
and watching you walk away
and never knowing
what could have been
and not seeing that loving you
is what I was trying to do

It's hard to deal with the pain of losing you everywhere I go
but I'm doing it
It's hard to force that smile when I see our old friends and I'm alone
stil harder
getting up getting dressed living with this regret but I know
If I could do it over
I would trade give away all the words that I saved in my heart
that I left unspoken

what hurts the most
was being so close
and having so much to say
and watching you walk away
and never knowing
what could have been
and not seeing that loving you
is what I was trying to do

oh

what hurts the most
was being so close
and having so much to say
and watching you walk away
and never knowing
what could have been
and now seeing that loving you
is what I was trying to do

not seeing that loving you
that's what I was trying to do"

Melissa sat down by her parents. The pastor talked a little bit more and then everyone got back into the cars to go to the cemetary. When they got there everyone stood in a half circle. Some were holding hand with one another, others were hugging each other, and some were standing their with their hands clamped together in front of them. "God said to Adam, you were created from dust and to dust you will return, today as we lay this young man down to rest I hope you all celebrate his life as much or more than you grieve his death" The pastor stated. As Melissa watched her brother being lowered into the earth, she started crying for the first time in four years.