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"Hey, Kelly. How are you feeling?" Was the first thing Miss Casey asked me when she saw me.

"I'm okay." I answered her.

Miss Casey's apartment was where AJ and I went right after we checked into the hotel. We had to go in a cab. I have grown accustom to regular car cars. Not yellow smelly things with a smoking cab driver who won't shut the hell up.

"Oh, good, good." Miss Casey said. She gave me a hug and said, "It's so horrible what happened."

I know this, woman. I'm not friggin ignorant. "I know." I agreed.

Miss Casey let go of me and looked at AJ, who was standing a few feet behind me. "Alex, good to see you again." She said. But she didn't sound glad to see him.

"You too, Casey." He said, with the same unexcited tone as Miss Casey.

Miss Casey cleared her throat. I don't think that she likes AJ very much. I know that they've known each other since high school or something. I wonder if my mom stuck some weird thought in her head about him.

"Well," she said, "Why don't the two of you come on inside. Derek can't wait to see you, Kelly."

I followed Miss Casey inside, AJ trailing behind me. Hopefully, we could get out of here quick.

Going inside of Miss Casey's apartment brought back a lot of memories. A lot of unwanted memories. Even though all of my moms things were gone, it felt like she should still be there. I mean, this was like our second home for a while.

AJ closed the door and came up closer behind me. Derek heard the front door close and came running out of the living room to see me. "Kelly Kelly Kelly!" He yelled excitedly. He came over to me and grabbed hold of my legs.

"Hi, Derek. " I said to him. When he let go of me I kneeled down and hugged him. "I missed you." I said.

"I missed you, too." Derek told me, "And I got a new toy. I want to show you."

I stood and backed up to stand next to AJ. I didn't want to look at any damn toys. Miss Casey smiled at her son and said, "Kelly can look at it later, Derek. Right now, we're going to go in the living room and talk. Why don't you go to your room?"

"I don't wanna." Derek said.

"Well you have to." Miss Casey told him, "Now go."

Derek shuffled off towards his small room. Once Miss Casey was sure that he was in there, because she heard the door shut closed, she took AJ and I into her small, cramped living room. I took a seat on the old couch and pulled AJ down with me so he didn't stand around looking like an idiot.

Miss Casey sat in the armchair across the room. Then we got down to "business". That sounded so gay...

"Allison's funeral is Friday." She said, "I've found out that her mother and father are actually coming."

"Great, now I have to see them again." AJ said, "They'll give me dirty looks and when they approach me, it will be so that they can tell me what a horrible person I am for not staying with Allie."

"Yeah, well they're going to come over to me and try and be all nice even though they know that I'll hate them forever because they were never around for my mom when she needed help." I said.

"They won't come up to me. I doubt they'll remember me." Miss Casey said.

"Oh, I think that they will," AJ said, "The annoying, loud, redhead who used to barge in on them every hour of the day... Yeah, you're memorable."

"What about you?" Miss Casey asked, "They'll remember you not as their daughters boyfriend, but the boy that they always caught half naked on top of their daughter in her bedroom... " She paused for a moment before adding, "In the middle of the night."

I had to laugh at this. "Did you used to sneak in my mom's room?"

"Only once or twice... " AJ told me uncomfortably.

"And you're mad at me for dating a fifteen year old... " I said, shaking my head.

"I'm your father. I have to be mad at you for that." AJ said, "Hell, I'd be mad at you if you dated a 12 year old."

"Eew... I'm 14. I don't date children." I insisted.

"Yes, and a 14 year old is so much more adult than a 12 year old." AJ told me sarcastically.

"It is." I said.

Well it is!

We talked about the funeral for a while. Ugh. Funeral, death, black clothing (not a bad thing), and dirges. Wonderful. Just wonderful.