And Angie might have sung if she'd made it a few steps more.
But there, in the hall, was Leah, her sister.
"They're dead now."
Angie knew it was bad news as soon as she saw Leah. But she had no idea how bad.
Both parents. Gone.
And Uncle Phil.
Dead.
A gas leak.
It was her. It was Leah. They'd been reduced to two.
There was Aunt Tess still.
And Tess was who they'd be staying with.
Their house was gone. The gas leak, the explosion. They'd stay with Aunt Tess for awhile. Then get their own place at some point.
Aunt Tess was family.
There were funeral details and estate details and other meetings. Angie pleaded I'm-only-16 to get out of all but attending the funeral. She knew that was shoving a lot off on Leah but wasn't that what older sisters were for?
And Aunt Tess had supported her decisions, encouraged them even.
It was that sort of thing that really made her appreciate her aunt. That and making a point to invite Bryan over. When Leah had told her the news, all she'd wanted to do was run into the school cafeteria and tell her boyfriend. But Leah was saying it could wait and they had to get going.
Aunt Tess had understood and had made a point to invite Bryan over to dinner.
A part of her was still in shock over her losing her parents and uncle. And that part just couldn't handle anything but routine. That part really needed Aunt Tess.
As the weeks went by and Leah tried to juggle college with managing the finances, she seemed to have less and less time for Angie. For anyone really. Leah had broken up with her boyfriend. It was a rough time and it would have been so lonely without Bryan and Aunt Tess.
It was fifth period. Study hall. And one of only two periods Angie and Bryan had together. She and Bryan were part of a group spending the period in the library to do research for a paper. She saw him talking to Lonnie and rushed over.
"Why doesn't Leah like me?"
Didn't she?
Angie had never thought about it. Never troubled over it. Angie liked Bryan and she just figured who wouldn't like Bryan?
Apparently Leah didn't.
Bryan was explaining that Leah had been saying that he'd been spending too much time hanging around Angie.
"She's just stressed."
Maybe so, Bryan agreed but he didn't want to be causing any problems.
"What are you saying?"
And they were cooling down, they were taking a breather.
She'd lost her parents and her uncle and now her boyfriend.
Angie had confronted her sister. Or tried to.
Leah insisted that if Bryan had broken up with her, it was something between the two of them.
Each day, she seemed to like her sister less and less. Each day, she seemed to have less and less in common with Leah.
Angie would talk to Bryan about it. He'd try to console her pointing out that at least she had Aunt Tess. Aunt Tess was someone you could talk to and trust.
And Bryan really had a point.
She did talk to Aunt Tess. She did trust Aunt Tess.
Three months later, Angie looked at everyone gathered for the funeral. She didn't realize so many people loved her. And were willing to show up for her funeral. Her funeral and Leah's.
That gas leak? Aunt Tess.
She'd wanted the insurance money.
First the parents and Uncle Phil. Then Angie and Leah.
Aunt Tess made sure to tell Bryan all about how she thought Leah needed to get her brakes checked. So when brake problems resulted in the car crash that killed Angie and her sister, it wasn't such a shock.
There was Aunt Tess sobbing so bravely. Everyone looking at her sympathetically.
