Piper Torres
Sitting beside Severin on the couch, Piper watched with growing concern as a strange man entered and addressed the waiting tenants. He introduced himself as Alan Westbrook and indicated his wife Sasha to be the beautiful woman beside him Then he delivered the news that sent a shock through Piper's system: Keilani was dead. Piper, as with many of the Kohana Creek residents, had liked Keilani. She was always a happy presence and seemed to genuinely care for the tenants. Her death was a big schock, after all Piper hadn't even known that she was sick.
Piper numbly took an obituary and glanced at the photos. She had no appointments or deadlines to meet so of course she would go to the funeral. It was the least she could do for Keilani and her family. She felt her eyes grow watery but determinedly pushed back the tears, she didn't want to cry here in front of so many strangers.
Alan Westbrook continued speaking, breaking through Piper's shock only to deliver another blow: Their rent would be increasing. An extra one-hundred and fifty might not seep like a lot for some of the residents, but Piper was a student and only working part-time. She managed to scrap through using the money her parents' sent Giselle for her board. They still thought she was living with her Aunt after all. Piper felt her brows furrow together in a frown, she didn't want to leave Kohana. She would have to take up extra shifts at work or ask her parents for help.
Alan Westbrook continued on with further changes, rules that seemed to Piper a little strict given that all the tenants were adults or children living with their parents. That seemed entirely ridiculous, as if they were a group of rebellious teenagers in a boarding school. If Piper had wanted rules she would have gone to live in one of the university halls of residence.
"Poor Keilani, I didn't even know she was sick." Piper said to Severin. She pushed thoughts of the new rules and increased rent temporarily out of her mind. She could think on them later, right now the biggest news was really Keilani's death. "Will you be free to go to the funeral? I'd like to go." Piper added, glancing again at the obituary in her hand. She would like to attend the funeral with Severin, it would be nice to have him to lean on, but she knew with his work schedule that he might not be able to take the time off. Yes, tomorrow was a Sunday so the chances were better that he would be able to come, but Piper knew that if any work did pop up Severin would be forced to see to it, weekend or not.
Out of the corner of her eye Piper spotted Giselle leaving and making her way to the elevator. No doubt she would be attending the funeral so if Severin couldn't make it Piper would see if she could go with Giselle. Piper had never done well with funerals. She had had a childhood friend die from cancer a few years back and she had found the funeral unbearable.