HEDI HANSEN

The funeral is, unsurprisingly, bare. There's barely enough money to buy Evan a suit, so Hedi doesn't buy flowers. She passes the tree where Evan broke his arm and picks a bundle of dandelions from under the tall tree. The Murphy family offered to pay every expense and more, but Hedi denied their offer for money yet again. She doesn't want a big, fancy thing that everyone will know about. She knows Evan doesn't want that either, so she buys him the suit and she sets out twelve chairs.

Three for the Murphy family, three for the Kleinman family, one for Alana Beck, four for her ex-husband and his family, and one for her.

Hedi is numb. She had driven around town for six hours, looking for her son. Desperate to apologize. To make things right, because what she had said had not been acceptable. She had hurt him in ways a mother should never hurt her child. Evan. My Evan. The tears began to flow even before she had sat down. Cynthia Murphy wrapped an arm around her, both of them sobbing silently. The other two - Larry and Zoe - stayed back, knowing it wasn't a good time.

"I know. Let it all out, Hedi. It'll help," Cynthia whispered.

So she did - Hedi was back to being numb by the time the funeral actually started. A few tears. That's all she had left. Even when she had to stand up and help her husband carry the casket to the grave, Hedi didn't cry. Not fully. Crying won't bring him back. Crying isn't what Evan would have wanted.

But Evan wasn't there.

So Hedi cried.

JARED KLEINMAN

Jared wouldn't say he was happy that Evan disappeared.

That's what nine-year-old Jared Kleinman had told himself when he had made friends with Evan Hansen, who had been having a panic attack at the thought of meeting new people. That's what Jared Kleinman had told himself when Evan had shown up on his doorstep last week. I will not treat him like shit. I will not treat this kid like shit. I will not treat my friend like shit.

And yet here they were - Hedi Hansen, sobbing near the casket. His mom, speaking quietly with his dad. Him, stomach turning at the thought that he had done this to Evan. Evan, his only friend. Evan, the only person who had stuck by him during the worst times. Evan, who had worried about Jared through all his phases. But he always laughed at the bath bomb phase, though.

Jared was rooted to his seat, shivers passing through his body. He had been up for nearly a full week, not able to sleep over what he had said. Evan didn't deserve that. Jared was a dick. He had been tired, sure, but that was no fucking excuse. At least, not to Jared. Evan is dead because of you. Evan, your only friend. Evan, who stuck beside you through everything. Your grandmother's death. Your father's drug abuse. Your own drug abuse. He helped you. And you killed him. Try coming back from that one, Jared.

He looked up.

He saw Alana Beck. The fury in her eyes. The fury towards him.

And he broke down.

ZOE MURPHY

Zoe wouldn't say she felt guilty.

But Zoe wouldn't say she was happy.

Zoe would say she was numb.

The moment she had gotten that phone call - Hedi Hansen, speaking frantically, not knowing Zoe had broken Evan's heart - Zoe felt her world crash. She wouldn't eat. She wouldn't sleep. She hadn't touched her musical instruments since that call. She felt like she didn't deserve to, not when she had basically told Evan to go fuck himself. Her last words that been so cruel.

But Zoe had found Connor's journal - all the entries about Evan. About their meetings. About how their relationship progressed. All of it.

She had been angry.

That wasn't an excuse.

Now she was numb.

It's your fault.

ALANA BECK

Alana told herself to stay strong. For Hedi. For Zoe. For Jared. For herself, who, for the first time in her life, felt ... disconnected. Sure, she had thought she felt disconnected before, like she wasn't really there. When her mom died, Alana had cried. But she hadn't been close with her mom, not really. Her mom was always working. Evan ... Evan was different. Sure, they had their differences. But Alana was protective of him. And it seemed Evan had looked up to her, or to her, or whatever.

They understood each other.

And now he was gone.

Evan is dead.

Don't cry.

Alana took a shaky breath, getting to her feet. The flowers in her hand - fake roses dyed blue - were shaking as much as she was. She caught the eyes of Jared Kleinman as she passed his grieving family. She wanted to scream at him - how dare he be one of the reasons that Evan is dead? But one look at his face made her keep walking. He was obviously holding back tears, his lip wobbling as he kept in gasps. Alana met his eyes once.

He broke down.

Alana kept walking. She placed the flowers next to Evan, quickly wiping at her eyes. He looked peaceful. No more anxiety. Alana wished she could be like him. Not dead, per say. But less anxious.

Evan. Poor, sweet Evan. At least your with Connor now. I kept your secret. I'm so sorry.

She leaned down and placed a kiss on his forehead. He was cold.

Are you happy?