They know you're a part of it?" I hissed quietly.
"No," he said, genuinely surprised, "I have friends around here that I guess are in it,"
"What do you mean when you say that you're part of L4L?" Sheelin asked, her eyes narrowing as she took a menacing step forward, "You weren't initiated,"
"I-I didn't know," he sputtered, "Mila-"
"Hush," I demanded and then turned to Sheelin, "I let him in. He's an old friend and I trust him,"
"But we don't know him and why did he bring so many people here?" she snarled.
"That would be my doing," a voice said, "I was told about this meeting, and I decided to bring a couple people who have the same feelings... and then they decided to bring a couple more people who wanted to bring more people, and so on. I'm sorry if you don't approve, Sheelin,"
"Ben," Sheelin said, amazed, "Why would you do that?"
"Are you upset?" he asked.
"No, just amazed. Usually people don't care about us and what we do,"
"Well, I do. I have a sister and God knows what I'd do if she was taken,"
"Well," Lamai interrupted, "We didn't buy enough food to feed everybody here,"
"Yeah, and how did you know about the dress code?" I said. He wasn't part of the Lakas and he didn't have friends in it.
He looked at me sheepishly, "I have connections and they found out for me,"
"So you had people spy on us," my eyes narrowed into slits.
"No," he exclaimed, "I had people ask around. There's no way in hell I'd want people spying on anyone. And as for the food, I had some spare time so..."
"You cooked," Lamai said skeptically.
"Yup,"
"Well," I said, breaking up the standoff Lamai was having, "If you two are done, let's start," Lamai was pissed, but she broke off the staring contest. We walked to the center of the park and started lighting candles. Everyone started to quiet down and remember why we were all here. After we passed out 72 candles, I started talking.
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here to say our goodbyes. Points to anyone who gets the RENT reference," what better way to relieve tension than with a joke? "But seriously, you know the stats, you know what's being done. I'm not a very religious person, but I'll believe anything to keep others safe. We are gathered here tonight to pray for safe passage of the souls that are no longer with us and for hope that the lost ones may find their way back or to a better place,"
"If we could take a moment of silence, please send your thoughts, hopes, prayers, whatever you may call it up to your god, goddess, or gods. Even if you don't believe, everything helps," Lamai said.
"No," he said, genuinely surprised, "I have friends around here that I guess are in it,"
"What do you mean when you say that you're part of L4L?" Sheelin asked, her eyes narrowing as she took a menacing step forward, "You weren't initiated,"
"I-I didn't know," he sputtered, "Mila-"
"Hush," I demanded and then turned to Sheelin, "I let him in. He's an old friend and I trust him,"
"But we don't know him and why did he bring so many people here?" she snarled.
"That would be my doing," a voice said, "I was told about this meeting, and I decided to bring a couple people who have the same feelings... and then they decided to bring a couple more people who wanted to bring more people, and so on. I'm sorry if you don't approve, Sheelin,"
"Ben," Sheelin said, amazed, "Why would you do that?"
"Are you upset?" he asked.
"No, just amazed. Usually people don't care about us and what we do,"
"Well, I do. I have a sister and God knows what I'd do if she was taken,"
"Well," Lamai interrupted, "We didn't buy enough food to feed everybody here,"
"Yeah, and how did you know about the dress code?" I said. He wasn't part of the Lakas and he didn't have friends in it.
He looked at me sheepishly, "I have connections and they found out for me,"
"So you had people spy on us," my eyes narrowed into slits.
"No," he exclaimed, "I had people ask around. There's no way in hell I'd want people spying on anyone. And as for the food, I had some spare time so..."
"You cooked," Lamai said skeptically.
"Yup,"
"Well," I said, breaking up the standoff Lamai was having, "If you two are done, let's start," Lamai was pissed, but she broke off the staring contest. We walked to the center of the park and started lighting candles. Everyone started to quiet down and remember why we were all here. After we passed out 72 candles, I started talking.
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here to say our goodbyes. Points to anyone who gets the RENT reference," what better way to relieve tension than with a joke? "But seriously, you know the stats, you know what's being done. I'm not a very religious person, but I'll believe anything to keep others safe. We are gathered here tonight to pray for safe passage of the souls that are no longer with us and for hope that the lost ones may find their way back or to a better place,"
"If we could take a moment of silence, please send your thoughts, hopes, prayers, whatever you may call it up to your god, goddess, or gods. Even if you don't believe, everything helps," Lamai said.
