So, I just found this from a while ago and TRIED to fix it up a bit. The ending bothers me though. :/
An ill-timed sneeze can really ruin a lot. First kiss. Job interview. Super Secret Spy Mission. None of them are particularly excellent times. In this case, it was a funeral. I was sitting next my little sister, Penny, who had always found my sneezes hysterical; they were high-pitched and squeaky, a huge contrast from my voice which had been very husky for a girl, ever since I was about twelve.
I felt my nose itch, and knew a sneeze was coming. I glared at Penny, who was dressed all in black and looking quite sober; our great-great-uncle I’d never known had recently died, and the afternoon had been filled with glares from relatives when we even smiled, as well as a few women randomly bursting into tears and shooing everyone away who tried to help comfort them. In the past, I’d only heard bad things about my great-great-uncle, who was somewhat of a black sheep in my proper family. It was a stressful day; I was doing my best to remain serious and look sad, cause I knew I should be, even though I had no emotional attachment.
But now my nose was itching. I knew that in just moments, I would sneeze, and Penny would be suppressing a smile in the worst of times, when the room was dead silent, in one of the numerous moments of solemn silence we’d had throughout the service. And then, the dreadful moment came.
CHOO!
My entire face felt as if all the pressures from the world had just been released in that sneeze. When I looked up and saw everyone glaring, it went all tingly again with a blush. I looked at Penny, whose lips were crinkled and smiling. I was right. She was trying so hard not to laugh. For a moment, it looked as if she would succeed. And then, she failed me. A bright peal of laughter cut through the dark atmosphere.
“Oh my GOD! That was freakin’ hilarious!” She looked up at me, faced screwed up with laughter, and I felt my cheeks go entirely numb. Everyone had switched their gaze from me to her. The priest too. She snorted and raised her hand in front of her face, collapsing into more giggles.
I gave her my best glare and hissed out of the corner of my mouth, “Penny, we’re at a funeral. Everyone is staring at you. Stop.” She continued giggling, but upon turning from my what must be maroon face, she saw everyone else. She clapped another hand over her mouth and tried to quiet herself, with only a small amount of success. I looked away with her, trying to gain my composure, before I felt my numb face start to crack into a smile as well. The whole thing was so ridiculous, that I couldn’t help but giggle a little bit, and a little bit became a lot. Soon, I was laughing openly with Penny, and then trying to hide it with a hand as well. More glares ensued, but I didn’t really care anymore.
When the priest began talking again, in his sober, I’m-more-important-than-you voice, we were still muffling our laughter. I felt a little guilty as our laughs finally died down and we took long, sorely needed breaths. But, I remembered my uncle’s odd sense of humor that seemed to put everyone else off, and thought that it might have been the exact thing this place needed.
It sounds too, "And everyone was happy, the end," and too wrapped up to me. Any thoughts on how to make it better? Thanks for reading!
-Coral-
xxx