The Chapel Wars Read Online Free PDF

funerals so the dead people could watch them. Otherwise, it’s just a room full of people trying to convince themselves that they cared enough about the dead person, or that the dead person had cared about them. It’s a joke.”
    He looked at me then, for the first time, right in the eye. It’s not like I usually made a lot of eye contact with strangers—not salesclerks or people passing on the street, certainly not men/boys with eyes the color of cloudless sky. “I’m sorry I was joking. It doesn’t make this a joke. Whatever you’re feeling … that’s not a joke. I just know sometimes … it helps. Maybe not right now.” He puffed out a breath. “Did I go too far with the cloud sweater? You should be alone now, right?”
    “Alone with a dead relative? No. The only thing worse than the funeral is a viewing. It doesn’t make anyone feel better.”
    “My advice?” His voice went quiet. “The only thing that is going to make you feel better is time. And even that doesn’t help much.”
    I lowered my voice too, the words almost too hopeful to utter. “But it does get better?”
    “Better is a strong word.” He swallowed. “But you’re fixing to be okay. Soon.”
    I had never seen this boy in my life. I had no idea how he knew so much about death. The only thing I knew about him was that his poppy was Satan. Yet he’d invented a great-aunt Mildred to prove a philosophical point. His reassurance was better than anything my friends or family had said to me so far.It was like he’d sliced this tiny slit through the curtain of death that had been hanging over my heart.
    It would have been the perfect time to tell Dax about the strange letter, but there was a loud crash in the hallway. We hurried outside. Victor was waving his cane around at my dad, who weaved under it and pummeled into Victor’s chest. My mom screamed and James jumped in and starting clawing Victor’s arm. Lenore even got a kick or two in there.
    “Not again.” Dax lunged forward and pulled Victor back. I stood in the doorway, too stunned to move.
    “Poppy! Stop it! Go get in the car.”
    “I’m taking your chapel down!” Saliva dripped from the corners of Victor’s mouth. “Just wait, you won’t last a year.” His comb-over was no longer combed over but flopped in front of his sweating forehead.
    “Scum!” Dad jammed his finger at Victor’s chest. “You can’t touch us. Our chapel is fine.”
    “Jim Nolan hasn’t been
fine
in years. You think I don’t know? Do you have any idea who I know, what I can do?”
    Now the funeral director tried to get in on it. “Gentlemen, if you would please—”
    “We were just going.” Dax veered his grandpa to the door. He stopped in front of my mom and offered a weak smile. “Ma’am … our condolences.”
    “Nolans are garbage!” Victor hollered, and Dax pushed him outside. Dax glanced back at me and mouthed “
Sorry
” before the door closed. His mouth was … it was beautiful.
    The guests tutted behind us. Mom grabbed me in a squeeze. “Who was that you were talking to?”
    “Dax. His grandson.”
    “What a terrible family.”
    “No, he was trying to be nice.”
    Dad wiped blood off his mouth. “I can’t believe he smashed Dad’s picture like that. What a lunatic. I’m taking legal measures this time—it’s a funeral. Who does that?”
    I wandered away from the chaos, back to my grandpa’s casket. With all the cleanup, I probably had time now to get new glasses or tape his old ones. He deserved glasses, and I deserved to know what was going on. “Okay, if you really are sitting on a cloud, listening, please tell me, why am I delivering a letter to that really cute Cranston? Why give me all of this? Seriously, what were you thinking?”
    Grandpa Jim didn’t answer. But even dead, he was telling me something. I just didn’t know what.

Chapter 5
     
    We still had to work that night, so Donna, Dad, Minister Dan, and I headed back to the office. This particular