A Brothers Bond

When Peter returns home from a year abroad he finds his brother a mere shell of his former self. the police say it was attempted suicide but Peter knows diferent and is determined to seek the truth

Peter stops his car outside the hospital and then grabs his rucksack before heading in, he gives his name at the desk and is then shown directions to where he wants to go. Peter then jumps into the lift and presses for the seventh floor, halfway up the lift comes to an halt and an elderly women wearing a bright blue cardigan staggers in and throws Peter a weary smile who nods back having not smiled for a long time. The elderly women staggers out on the sixth level and Peter then stops at the seventh, he climbs out and looks around the floor he is on which is mostly filled with elderly people who simply stare into space with drool slowly making its way down the sides of their mouths, Peter then walks further in and sees a middle aged man sat in a wheel chair as a nurse desperately tries to feed him mashed food which he reclines, the nurse threatens to strap his hands down again but all the man is concerned about is not eating the mashed food and as Peter continues to walk he then spots him…… he spots his brother who has his back to him sat by a window staring out and as Peter sees his brother his eyes instantly fill with tears. Peter holds his hand to his mouth as he holds its all in but he cannot stop the tears rolling down his cheeks and after standing there for a few minutes he almost gets angry with himself for being upset and he rubs his eyes with his fists and takes a deep breath as he composes himself before finally Peter walks across to his bother and turns his wheel chair around to face him.

 

‘’Josh’’. He says but there is no response, his brother is awake and his eyes are open but sadly he can no longer communicate after his terrible fall.

 

‘’Told you id be back’’. He whispers in his brother’s ear as he gives him a warm hug and then takes a seat beside him.

 

‘’I brought you something’’. Peter tells him as he reaches into his bag and pulls out a thick book with a brown leather cover.

 

‘’It’s your favorite, I thought I could read you it. I know you’ve read this thing a thousand times before I’ve forgot parts of it so what about I read it to you’’. And Peter looks up at his brother even though he knows he will not get an answer and with that knowledge a look of hurt spreads across the face of Peter but he knows he can’t shoe it in front of his brother.

 

‘’Ok then, first chapter…’’. And Peter begins reading the book to Josh…..

 

After staying for an hour the nurses had informed Peter it was time for Josh to rest so Peter headed home promising his brother he would be back tomorrow and he then headed down to his car and climbed in and as soon as Peter did the tears flowed again and this time there was no holding it back as he cried out loud and beat his steering wheel with his fist as his tears flowed faster and finally Peter laid his head on the wheel and just sat there for ten minutes.

 

Half an hour later Peter stops his car down a street full of beautiful houses and all with identical white picket fences, the kind of street everyone wishes they could raise their kids on but very few can and Peter climbed out of his car and looks up at number twelve before heading up the drive past the perfectly green grass and never out of place garden ornaments and rings the bell and minutes later a large girl dressed all in black answers and a surprise look spreads across her face when she sees who it is…..

 

‘’Tell me what happened to my brother’’………

 

Peter is sitting in the living of the house as the young girl brings the two of them a cup of coffee and passes one of them to Peter.

 

‘’When did you get in?’’. She asks.

 

‘’This morning, I took the red eye’’.

 

‘’You seen your folks yet?’’.

 

‘’No still have the pleasure to come’’.

 

‘’Your dad….. He was so angry’’.

 

‘’My dad showing emotion?’’.

 

‘’A few days after your brother…’’. And the young girl hesitates for a second.

 

‘’After the incident’’. Adds Peter.

 

‘’Yes well he came to school and he was stood in the hallway and he looked so strange’’.

 

‘’What do you mean?’’.

 

‘’I’ve known your father all my life and we both know what he’s like all proper and everything but he was stood there with his hair not combed and his shirt not tucked and he looked so….… so lost’’.

 

‘’What was he doing there?’’.

 

‘’Stopping students and asking them if they knew anything, if they knew why your brother’’.

 

‘’He didn’t jump!’’. Interrupts Peter in a raised voice before he stands up and turns his back to the young girl, staring out of the window at the her parents perfect lawn.

 

‘’He never wanted you to go’’. The young girl tells Peter…..

 

Peter is packing his bags in his bedroom when his brother Josh walks in and jumps on his bed.

 

‘’Come on bro don’t go’’. He pleads with a smile on his face.

 

‘’It’s only for a year’’.

 

‘’A year, just drawing’’.

 

‘’Its art school not kinder garden’’.

 

‘’So what else is there?’’.

 

‘’Painting’’.

 

‘’And’’.

 

‘’Shading’’.

 

‘’And’’.

 

‘’Look I could throw so much at you but you wouldn’t understand it’’. Jokes Peter.

 

‘’I know, I know you want to be an artist and make thousands of dollars selling pictures to rich lawyers and people who live in castles’’. And the two brothers laugh.

 

‘’Something like that. Look I love to draw, always have, since we were kids’’.

 

‘’Yeah while I was playing with my toy soldiers you were drawing them’’.

 

‘’Hey I did my playing’’.

 

‘’We sure did’’. And the two brothers smile.

 

‘’Plus New York is a beautiful city’’.

 

‘’Yeah, yeah full of street gangs’’.

 

‘’You watch too many films’’.

 

‘’Hey you want to know how the world works just watch the wire’’.

 

‘’That’s Baltimore not New York’’.

 

‘’Yeah but wherever you go your still leaving me with those two’’. Whispers Josh referring to their parents.

 

‘’You’ll be ok; mom will do all the cooking and cleaning your cloths and dad….. Well dads dad’’.

 

‘’Hey I had a conversation with him the other day’’.

 

‘’No way’’.

 

‘’Yep I said dad, will you pass me the remote and he replied sure before passing me it’’.

 

‘’That doesn’t count’’.

 

‘’Yes it does, a two way vocal exchange as Mrs. Rigby would say’’.

 

‘’Your insane’’. Replies Peter as he throws his pillow at his brothers head.

 

‘’No really, I’m going to miss having you around the place man’’.

 

‘’Twelve months, and everything will go right back as it is now’’.  Peter assures his brother……

 

 

‘’Your brother was in a bad way’’.  She adds and Peter turns straight back around to face her.

 

‘’Why, why was he in such a bad way?’’.

 

‘’ I don’t know, after you left he became distant, we just drifted apart’’.

 

‘’You and Josh?’’.

 

‘’Yes…. He changed, he changed a lot’’. She tells Peter who then places down his cup of coffee and thanks Claire before heading to the door.

 

‘’You going already?’’. She asks.

 

‘’Like I said… I haven’t seen my parents yet’’. And Peter heads for the door.

 

‘’I’ll call you tomorrow’’. Shouts Claire as Peter heads out of the door and down the path back to his car.

 

Peter heads back home and parks outside, he looks up at his bedroom window and for a second almost think he sees his brother waiting there for him but the window is bare and his bedroom empty. Peter then climbs out of the car and heads up to the front door and walks straight in to find his parents sat at the table just about to eat there dinner and they both stop and look up at Peter neither saying a word both looking too shocked to speak and Peter stands there frozen for a few seconds before taking off his jacket and shoes and then heads to the dinner table and takes his seat where he’s sat since he was a child and grabbing a plate.

 

‘’This looks great mom’’. He comments on the food.

 

‘’Thank you son’’. She replies before passing him the potatoes and the three of them then sit and eat dinner together. 

After dinner Peter helps his mother clean the dishes.

 

‘’How you been holding up?’’. He asks his mother who looks like she has aged ten years since he last saw her.

 

‘’Everyday at a time…. That’s all I can do right now’’. She replies with the tone of her voice sounding just as broken as her heart.

 

‘’And dad?’’.

 

‘’You know what he’s like, holding it all in, keeping his thoughts to himself’’.

 

‘’Claire told me there was an episode at school involving dad’’.

 

‘’He just wanted some answers, he was so angry still is because we just don’t know…..’’. And Peter then looks down at his mother who is desperately fighting back the tears so Peter stops with the questions and puts his arm around his mother.

 

‘’Its ok, I’m here now’’. He reassures her and Peter’s mom puts her arm around him.

 

‘’It’s so good to see you back home’’. She whispers to him.

 

‘’Well don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere’’.

 

‘’Promise me’’. She asks.

 

‘’I promise’’. He reassures her before the two finishes off washing the dishes.

After cleaning up Peters mom heads up to take a nice warm bath and as she does he looks out at the porch to see his father sat in his favorite rocking chair with a cigar hanging out of his mouth as he looked out to the fields……

 

Why do you like sitting out here so much?’’. A young Josh asks his father as the two young boys sit under his feet playing with their toy cars.

 

‘’Well I could ask you why you like to play with those fire trucks so much’’. He replies.

 

‘’Because it’s fun’’. Adds Peter.

 

‘’Yeah you just sit there’’. 

 

‘’One day boys when your older you’ll realize to appreciate the silence this place brings’’.

 

‘’Silence?’’.

 

‘’Yes silence, the calmness and the way everything slows down a little’’.

 

‘’Sounds boring dad’’.

 

‘’And so it should at your age because everything around you is moving so fast but when you’re older all you want to do is slow it down a little’’.

 

‘’Why?’’.

 

‘’Yeah is it because your slow?’’.

 

‘’Because mom says your getting a belly’’.

 

‘’This is not a belly’’. He replies grabbing his gut. ‘’This is relaxed muscle’’.

 

‘’So why slow things down dad?’’.

 

‘’Why? So you can take it all in, think for a little and appreciate what you have. People in this world they never sit still for two second and just look around them, look at what they have, where they are. There always on the move always racing towards they don’t have instead of appreciating what they do’’. And the brother’s father stares out at the long fields and beautiful view as he takes a puff on his pipe.

 

‘’ Still sounds boring’’. Then adds Josh as he breaks the silence.

 

‘’Well here, pass me one of those trucks and I’ll have you a race’’. Their father tells them as he lowers to his knees and picks a toy car to play with , sadly it was one of the very few times he actually did……..

 

‘’I now know what you meant about this place’’. Says Peter as he joins his father on the porch and sits beside him on an old stool.

 

‘’ Me and Josh would always be playing around your feet with our toy cars never giving you two minutes silence’’. And still Peter’s father doesn’t reply.

 

‘’It really is beautiful out here, you can see for miles, no shopping malls, no busy roads or shouting parents, just quietness’’. But still his dad says nothing.

 

‘’I’m come home dad, I’ve already phoned the principle about going back to school here’’. He tells him. ‘’If you need anything or anyone to talk to just ask’’. He then tells his father who doesn’t even look at him so Peter stands up and leaves to give his father the quietness he wants.

 

Peter heads upstairs tired and ready to crash on his bed but on the way down the hall he passes is brother’s bedroom and stops at his door. Peter then grab hold of the door handle and slowly opens it and looks inside. He pictures his brother playing on his computer and messing around with his guitar and it brings a small crack of a smile to Peters face and he walks in to take a closer look and Peter walks across to his desk and on it he sees a school book, it was for the year before, the school had always done it and given every pupil one, they recorded down all the achievements of that year from the chess club to the cheerleaders and football team it was all in there and Peter skimmed through the book hoping to see a picture of his brother but when he skims past a picture of the school football team Peter quickly turns the page back and he finds Josh has scribbled over the face of one of the footballers, he had scribbled so deep it had gone through to the next page and Josh had even written the words ‘I hate him’ pointing the scribbled out face and Peter knew who it was, he knew because he himself was on the football team and he knew who’s number jersey it was.

 

‘’Coby Bryan’’. Peter said to himself. ‘’What did he do?’’. He wondered before slamming the book shut.

 

The next morning Coby pulls his car into the school car park and climbs out before locking the door but as he turns around he walks into a punch from Peter that sends him staggering back onto his car.

 

‘’What did you do to my brother?’’. Peter asks the well built dark Coby as he picks him up by the collar of his jacket and holds him against his car.

 

‘’What did you do to Josh!’’. Peter demands to know.

 

‘’ What the f**k!’’.

 

‘’Josh, what did you do!’’. Peter asks again but Coby punches him in the stomach and then grabs hold of Peter and slams him onto the bonnet of his car, Peter retaliates by kicking Coby across the face and he then jumps off the bonnet landing onto Coby and taking him down to the ground. Fellow students then begin to gather around as the two continue to fight, both rolling around on the ground before two teachers rush over to split the pair up and they are both then dragged to the principal’s office.

‘’This behavior will not be tolerated!’’. Shouts the principle as Peter and Coby sit at his desk.

 

‘’Ask him’’. Says Peter.

 

‘’Ask me what? How you attacked me unprovoked from behind in the school car park’’.

 

‘’He knows, something, he knows something about my brother’’.

 

‘’What the hell are you talking about!’’.

 

‘’I found my brothers school book and he had scribbled out Coby’s face and written the words I hate him above his picture, now you tell me that doesn’t look suspicious’’.

 

‘’And you know for sure your brother did this?’’. Asks the principle.

 

‘’Yes, it as his own book’’.

 

‘’And I have my own car outside but that didn’t stop some vandal scratching all the way down one of the sides’’.

 

‘’That’s different and you know it’’. Replies Peter before the room goes silent.

 

‘’Coby, go to lesson and if you see Mr. Fisher here heading down the corridor or pass him in the yard I want no contact do you understand’’.

 

‘’Yes Sir’’.

 

‘’Good, now go on to lesson’’. And Coby stands up and gives a quick glance down at Peter before heading to class.

 

‘’Now Mr. Fisher’’.

 

‘’Look sir…’’.

 

‘’No you look here, I have great sympathy for you and your family for what happened to your brother. Josh was a fond member of this school and he won’t be forgotten but the police…..’’.

 

‘’The police didn’t know my brother’’. Interrupts Peter.

 

‘’The police made their report and your brother jumped’’.

 

‘’No, he wouldn’t do it’’.

 

‘’ I’m sorry Peter but the police think different and we here at Pine Oaks school do too’’.

 

‘’Oh so you all know him better than I did, better than me who grew up with him and shared everything he ever had with him’’.

 

‘’I am not for one second saying we knew your brother better’’.

 

‘’No you’re not because you didn’t’’.

 

‘’What I am saying is I will not allow you to return to this school and drag all these bad feelings up again, many pupils were affected by what happened with your brother and only now are they beginning to recover from the terrible ordeal and I won’t go back to the start of all that not now’’.

 

‘’So I just forget my brother, let the fact that he’s laid in a hospital like some vegetable fly by and just get on with my life’’. Asks an angered Peter.

 

‘’ No you learn to adapt and you spend time with your brother when you can’’.

 

‘’Yeah well I can’t just buy that, not while I know he didn’t jump!’’. And Peter climbs out of his chair and heads for the door.

 

‘’I understand your still hurting’’. Says the principle. ‘’But I won’t allow you to drag this school down’’. He adds before Peter storms out of the door.

 

Claire is walking through school listening to her iPod when she spots Peter alone behind the library eating his lunch so she heads over to see how he is.

 

‘’I heard about your fight’’. She tells him as she looks at his bruised eye. ‘’The word in school is all the football team are on the lookout for you’’.

 

‘’Yeah well let them look’’.

 

‘’Why did you attack Coby?’’.

 

‘’I found my brothers school book in his room and Coby’s head was scribbled out with the words I hate him written above it’’.

 

‘’Oh…’’.

 

‘’Do you know something?’’. He asks knowing there’s something there.

 

‘’Not really’’.

 

‘’Claire tell me’’.

 

‘’I don wont you getting hurt Peter’’.

 

‘’Just tell me’’.

 

‘’Your brother… he kind of had a thing for Coby’s girlfriend’’.

 

‘’Did anything happen between them because maybe Coby found out?’’.

 

‘’Not as far as I know and I very much doubt it did’’.

 

‘’Why who is she’’.

 

‘’You really want to know’’.

 

‘’Claire!’’.

 

‘’Okay, okay, its Stacey, Stacey Matthews’’. And hearing the name widens Peter’s eyes. Stacey Matthews was ‘the’ girl of  Pine Oaks school, long brown hair, big red lips, perfect body and blue eyes she was the dream girl of every guy and out of almost everyone’s reach, she was the head cheerleader and at the very top of the popularity ladder she had it all, looks, popularity, body everything and Peter knew she would date a guy like her brother, Josh wasn’t a geek, he didn’t get picked on but at the same time he wasn’t Mr. popular, he was okay at football but not great, he was okay at other sports but never mastered any of them, girls wise he had a few but he didn’t have his pick Peter was more popular, he was very good at football and one of the stars of the team just like Coby and the stars of the team always attached the girls, Peter would hang around with Coby and the other jocks and at times Josh would tag along and get along with everyone but he had his own friends, his friends who were more into online gaming and because of this he never was seen as an equal to his brother in the popularity stakes or with the girls.

 

‘’ Did my brother pester her or anything?’’. Peter asks Claire as the two walk home from school.

 

‘’No but they did spend a lot of time together’’.

 

‘’Why?’’.

 

‘’Stacey wasn’t doing great in her studies and the cheerleading coach got tough and told her girls they had to do better or they would be thrown of the team so Stacey was paired with your brother in biology because as we both know he was smart’’.

 

‘’Is smart Claire, don’t talk about him as if he’s dead’’.

 

‘’Of course, I’m sorry. So the two were paired together and obviously spent time talking and getting to know one another better and I guess your brother built up some crush on Stacey’’.

 

‘’So maybe Coby found out about this’’.

 

‘’But remember this is Coby, he’s brilliant at football and most other sports but does he have the brains to push someone off a building and get away with it? Plus why wouldn’t he just beat your brother off and warn him off?’’.

 

‘’Yeah he would’’.

 

‘’Well you can’t exactly talk to Coby about it now after today’’.

 

‘’But I can talk to Stacey’’.

 

‘’Getting close to Stacey, good look, she has half the football team drooling all over her all day and if they see you’’.

 

‘’What about after school’’.

 

‘’Go to her home?’’.

 

‘’If I can find out where it is’’.

 

‘’Maybe I can help you with that’’. Claire tells him…..

 

That night at Claire’s house she sits at her computer while Peter waits on the bed.

 

‘’So you can hack into school files?’’. He asks.

 

‘’Yes your brother showed me’’.

 

‘’Why would my brother want to hack into school files?’’.

 

‘’Boredom mostly and to get some gossip, find out who’s on what meds and if any teachers have spent the night in jail and sometimes we’d add something ourselves, maybe one of the jocks has an STD or one of the cheerleaders needs to report for an pregnancy test’’. And Claire laughs as she thinks of the good times she and Josh had.

 

‘’You and Josh really spent some good times together ’’.

 

‘’ Yeah we did, I really missed him when we started seeing less of one another’’.

 

‘’Didn’t you ever question him on it?’’.

 

‘’At first I did but he never gave a straight answer, at the begging he was catching up on course work and then he was fixing something for your mom and I just stopped asking’’.

 

‘’And you say he wasn’t himself?’’.

 

‘’No, he was quiet and just not acting himself, like he had something on his mind some trouble or something I don’t know’’. And peter then lies back on the bed and stares at the ceiling as he tortures himself about not being there for his brother and not being there to help him with any problems he had just like he always had….

 

A twelve year old Peter is sat reading a comic on his bed when Josh walks into his room looking sad and he throws his backpack on the floor before sitting on the end of his brother’s bed looking sad as he stares down at the floor.

 

‘’What’s wrong?’’.

 

‘’Dwayne Orton’’.

 

‘’What’s he done this time?’’.

 

‘’Calling me a geek and weird boy because he heard me talking about computer games again and everyone laughed and shouted geek boy just because I’m better than them on Donkey Kong’’.

 

‘’Right that’s it’’. Says Peter as he climbs off the bed and marches to his bedroom door ready to sort Orton out.

 

‘’No wait’’. Says Josh.

 

‘’Why?’’.

 

‘’I don’t want you to do anything’’.

 

‘’I’m going to sort Dwayne out’’.

 

‘’No don’t, I can’t accept you to always fight my battles’’. He tells Peter who then stops and sits beside his brother on the end of his bed and puts a consoling arm around him.

 

‘’What about if I just talk to him?’’.

 

‘’No its fine’’.

 

‘’I can’t stand back and see you upset’’.

 

‘’I won’t be’’. And Josh throws his brother a smile.

 

‘’Look, the next time Dwayne starts shouting names just laugh’’.

 

‘’Laugh?’’.

 

‘’Yes just laugh and throw him the biggest smile you can because when bullies realize they aren’t getting to you anymore it takes all the fun out for them’’.

 

‘’Just laugh?’’.

 

‘’Trust me it’ll work’’.

 

‘’Okay’’.

 

‘’And if it doesn’t I’ll sort Dwayne out’’. Peter tells his little brother and the two of them then laugh before Peter suggests they play Donkey Kong together and as Josh sets the game up Peter lies back on the bed with a smile on his face but the image soon turns to the reality of Peter now laid n Claire’s and his smile had long disappeared.

 

I’ve found it’’. Claire then tells Peter who sits up.

 

‘’You’ve found her address?’’.

 

‘’Yes and surprise, surprise it’s one of the best estates in the city, the houses are as big as hotels were she lives’’. And Peter knows they must be big given how large Claire’s house is.

 

‘’Ok then what is it?’’.

 

‘’Wait you can’t go tonight’’.

 

‘’Why?’’.

 

‘’it’s a little late to be making house calls’’. And Peter looks at his watch to see she is right.

 

‘’Ok, I’ll go tomorrow after school’’. Says Peter as he climbs off Claire’s bed.

 

‘’You want me to come with you tomorrow?’’.

 

‘’No, its better you don’t get involved’’. He tells her and Peter then sees the disappointment of Claire’s face and remembered how his brother deserted her as well despite always being a good friend.

 

‘’What about we have lunch together tomorrow, I can’t exactly eat in the school cafeteria can I’’.

 

‘’Ok then, behind the library’’.

 

‘’At noon’’. And Peter smiles at Claire before heading off home.

 

The next morning Peter is up bright and early and takes his seat at the table as his mom cooks him some eggs she insisted on doing and as Peter sits there drinking his juice he sees Josh’s dog Max sat out on the lawn looking miserable with his head down and his ball beside him.

 

‘’What’s wrong with Max?’’ Peter asked his mother.

 

‘’He’s been like that ever since your brother. He can’t understand why he’s not around so he waits and waits for him with his ball. Your brother took that dog everywhere with him, I would say to him you replaced your brother with that dog and he would smile and kiss me on the cheek, Max loved Josh so much, his tail would start to waggle as soon as he heard his voice on a morning, your father has tried to play with him but all he wants is his Josh’’.

 

‘’Just like us all’’. Whispers Peter and his mother then places his eggs down in front of him.

 

‘’You going to see him this morning?’’. Peter asks his mother.

 

‘’Same as every day, I go up and give him a wash because the nurses can’t do it like me and I then tell him what’s been going off and tell him his father sends him his love.

 

‘’Does dad go to see him?’’.

 

‘’From time to time’’. She replies as she puts a consoling hand on Peter’s shoulder who is angry his father isn’t trying harder but then again he never had….

 

Peter turns up at school at eight and at noon heads behind the library to eat lunch with Claire but when he gets there he finds Coby and several of his jock friends waiting for him.

 

‘’Well if it isn’t Peter Fisher’’. Says Coby with his arms held out a large smile on his face. ‘’What a surprise to see you here’’.

 

‘’What do you want Coby’’.

 

‘’What do I want? You see I remember a certain someone attacking me from behind for no reason at all’’.

 

‘’You know everything I’ve gone through with my brother’’.

 

 

 

‘’What the loser who couldn’t handle life so throw himself off a building and was so pathetic he couldn’t even do the job right’’. And as Coby finishes Peter lunges himself at Coby but all of his friends quickly jump in and they all beat Peter up, punching and kicking at him until Coby finally tells his boys to stop and he then looks down at the bloodied and beaten Peter with a smile on his face before walking away with his jock friends following……

 

Ten minutes later Claire turns up and finds Peter laid out on the floor bloodied and beaten and she quickly rushes over.

 

‘’Peter what happened?’’.

 

‘’Nothing, I’m okay’’. He replies groggily.

 

‘’No you’re not, I have to get you to a hospital’’.

 

‘’No, I’ll be fine just help me up’’.  And Claire Helps Peter staggers to his feet and then takes him back to her house to clean his wounds…..

 

‘’You know Mr. Maynard is going to kill me for skipping his lesson’’.   She tells Peter as she cleans dry blood from the wound in his eyebrow.

 

‘’He’ll live’’.

 

‘’Lucy you did too with these cuts’’.

 

‘’They look worse than they actually are’’.

 

‘’Let me take you to the hospital, this cut looks like it needs stitches’’.

 

‘’No I’ll be fine’’.

 

‘’So I guess this was the work of Coby and his Jock friends’’.

 

‘’Yeah but I guess I had it coming’’.

 

‘’Do you still think he knows something?’’.

 

‘’I don’t know, like you said why wouldn’t he just beat my brother up and warn him off, pushing him off a building is going a little extreme’’.

 

‘’What if…..’’. And Claire pauses.

 

‘’What if what?’’.

 

‘’Your brother had a major crush on Stacey and it was killing him because he couldn’t get her’.

 

‘’Josh may have had a crush on Stacey and I’m sure that would hurt but there’s no way he would try and end his own life over a girl, there’s more to it and I know it’’.

 

‘’The police didn’t seem to think so’’.

 

‘’What is this!’’. Says Peter as he stops Claire and gets to his feet.

 

‘’Everyone! Everyone thinks he did it even you his best friend’’.

 

‘’Josh left me behind long ago’’

 

‘’I don’t care if he did, you still know him and you know he wouldn’t jump!’’. And Peter throws the rag he was holding to his head on the floor and stares out of the bedroom window with his back to Claire.

 

‘’I’m sorry Peter’’.

 

‘’Me too’’.

 

‘’I just….. Don’t want to see you getting hurt anymore chasing some truth that might not be there’’.

 

‘’Well I have no choice, he’s my brother’’.

 

‘’I know, why……. I know why you’re so determined’’.

 

‘’And why’s that?’’. He asks as he turns back around to face Claire.

 

‘’It’s because you feel guilty, you feel guilty for leaving but it wasn’t your fault’’.

 

‘’I should have been here! I should have been there for him!’’.

 

‘’How were you supposed to know this was going to happen?’’.

 

‘’ Because he isn’t like me, he isn’t strong, he didn’t have the popularity and guys like him get targeted, I’ve seen it so many times before, Coby and the rest of the football team picking people out and making their life hell and when you’re the victim believe me it can make you do crazy things because I’ve seen it happen, and I knew that but I still left, I left him behind because I was selfish, I left him with a father who doesn’t give a s**t and a mother who struggles to hold her s**t together and I have to live with that’’.

 

‘’You can’t go carrying this around Peter’’.

 

‘’I have no choice’’. And Peter thanks Claire for taking care of him before leaving.

 

Peter jumps in his car and speeds away from Claire’s house but only a few blocks down he stops and pulls the car to the side of the road and then begins crying as he struggles to hold the pain and the guilt in…..

 

Josh is sat staring out of the window in his usual spot when Peter turns up for his daily visit.

 

‘’Hey bro’’. He tells him as he sits beside his brother making sure he is not facing him head on in case Josh can see the wounds on his face.

 

‘’Okay where were we’’. He then tells his brother as he picks up his favorite book and continues to read to him from where he left off.

After spending a few hours with his brother Peter is told visiting hours are over as it begins to fall dark outside so he heads home to find his mother still up sat in complete darkness in the kitchen with just a glass of wine as company so Peter sits beside her not turning on the light so his mother cannot see his face.

 

‘’You okay?’’. He asks even though he already knows the answer.

 

‘’ Yes, I just couldn’t sleep’’.

 

‘’You want me to make you a glass of hot milk?’’. He asks and the question raises a small wary smile on Peters mothers face.

 

‘’Warm milk, whoever there as a storm you and your brother would ask for warm milk’’.

 

‘Yeah we’d sit in the attic and watch out of the top window with a cover round us’’.

 

‘’We don’t get any storms now…. Just the dark sky’’.  Says his mother and Peter then puts an arm around her.

 

‘’don’t worry mom, it’ll thunder again I promise’’. And Peter then kisses his mom on the side of the head before heading to make the two of them a cup of warm milk and he then just sits with her in the darkness comforting his mother because he knew his father never did and at a time when she needed it the most.

The next morning Peter gets up early so his parents don’t see his face and after taking a shower he heads downstairs and grabs a glass or orange juice and as he stands at the kitchen sink wondering what he will say to Stacey when he goes to her house he spots Josh’s dog Max once again sat out on the lawn looking miserable as he waits for his master so Peter heads on out to him.

 

‘’Hey Max’’.  Says Peter as he approaches the dog but there is no response.

 

‘’Max you ok‘’.  He asks an as Peter puts his hand down to the dog it snaps at him almost as if it is going to bite him.

 

‘’Max!’  Peter angrily shouts at him. ‘’Fine you want to be like that then sit out here alone’’. And Peter walks away leaving the dog to wait for his master. Peter heads to his car and drives to school.

When at school Peter heads to his first lesson and as he does he bumps into an old friend.

 

‘’When are you going to tell me you were back in town’’. Says Jamie as he sits on Peter’s desk.

 

‘’Long time no see buddy’’. Replies Peter and the two then shake hands.

 

‘’ So I heard about the fight’’.

 

‘’Yeah these cuts aren’t from the fight you heard about’’.

 

‘’So Coby and his friends jump you then?’’.

 

‘’Yes but I guess I had it coming’’.

 

‘’Look I’m sorry….’’.

 

‘’Yeah thanks’’. Peter interrupts.

 

‘’So what about me and you shoot some hoops after school, I’ll bring the beers’’.

 

‘’I can’t’’.

 

‘’Come on it’ll be like old times’’.

 

‘’No it won’t, not anymore’’. And the conversation is then replaced with awkward silence.

 

‘’Look I’ll give you ring sometime but you can’t ignore me forever’’. And Jamie then pats Peter on the arm before heading to his desk and as he does Peter begins to think of the times he, Jamie and his brother spent together.

 

‘’Ok every time you miss a hoop you have to down a can’’. Says Jamie as the three of them play basketball in his back yard’’.

 

‘’Ok your on’’. Replies Josh as he takes the ball and downs a hoop.

 

‘’Your turn Peter’’. They say and he then takes the ball and misses the hoop.

 

‘’Oh he missed!’’.

 

‘’Down a can’’.

 

‘’Okay, okay’’. And Peter downs a small can of beer.

 

‘’I’m sure he missed that just so he could have an extra can’’. Says Jamie.

 

‘’Yeah bro, are you cheating?’’. Jokes Josh.

 

‘’Maybe I am’’. And Peter then grabs the ball again and this time scores.

 

‘’Oh no beer for you’’.  The other two then laugh and Peter throws Jamie the ball.

 

‘’Wait lets change it to every time you score a hoop you down a beer’’. He suggests.

 

‘’But we’ll just make sure we get close enough to sore all the time’’. Josh tells him.

 

‘’Yeah here’s flaws in your plan Jamie’’.

 

‘’Yes but after four or five more of these bad boys trust me no matter how close we get we’re all going to struggle to see the hoop straight never mind throw the ball in it’’.

 

‘’He’s right’’. Says Josh as he grabs the ball from Jamie and scores a hoop and then grabs a can of beer and downs it as the other two look on laughing with miles on their faces.

 

‘’Ok children’’. Mocks Mr. Spangler as he walks into the classroom and breaks Peter out of his daydream. ’’Get your textbooks out and turn to page twenty four’’. Mr. Spangler tells the class as he begins his lesson.

At dinner Peter is sat alone behind the library eating lunch when Claire appears and sits beside him.

 

‘’Thought you might like some company’’. She tells him as she sits down and tucks into her sandwich.

 

‘’Yeah thanks’’. He replies. ‘’And Claire, I’m sorry… I’m sorry for going off at you yesterday, I shouldn’t take it out on you’’.

 

‘’Its fine, I understand with everything that’s happened’’.

 

‘’No its not and it won’t happen again’’. And Peter takes a sip of his coffee.

 

‘’So what about Stacey?’’. She asks him.

 

‘’I’m going to go and see her today, after I’ve visited Josh’’.

 

‘’And what you going to ask her?’’.

 

‘’I’m not too sure yet’’.

 

‘’Well if you need anything’’.

 

‘’Yeah thanks, it means a lot’’.  And Peter smiles at Claire.

 

After the school day finishes and Peter had visited his brother he then drives to the address of were Stacey lives. Peter pulls his car on the street and he immediately sees Claire wasn’t lying. The houses are as big as hotels and make hers look like a small apartment,  all the trees are perfectly plucked, the grass is a perfect green and the fences a perfect white, there is no stray trash or kids casing trouble and all the cars he pass cost more than the house Peter lives in.

 

‘’Jesus is this street for lawyers to live’’. Mutters Peter and he then spots Stacey’s house and stops his car before jumping out. Peter then heads up the drive and looks to his left to see the front garden is full of beautiful red roses that you can tell get a lot of time and attention but probably from hired help because that’s how the rich are. Even the door is a perfect red the kind of red you only normally see in movies. Peter rings the doorbell and minutes later a very we dressed middle aged man answers, his silver hair is immaculately styled to within an inch of its life, he is wearing expensive looking grey suit pants and a light blue polo shirt and even the nails on his hands are perfectly shaped and obviously they receive just as much time and attention as the perfectly red roses in the garden.

 

‘’May I help you young man?’’. Asks the well spoken middle aged man, probably in his mid fifties.

 

‘’Yes I’m err… looking for Stacey’’.

 

‘’Stacey, and May I ask why?’’.

 

‘’Yes I’m err, a friend from school’’. He responds nervously’’.

 

‘’Oh I’m sorry please forgive me’’. The man then says as he breaks into a smile and holds out his perfectly manicured hand for Pete to shake which he does.

 

‘’I’m afraid Stacey isn’t here right now, I believe she has cheerleading practice’’.

 

‘’ Oh okay’’.

 

‘’You’ll see her at school tomorrow’’. The man tells her but Peter can’t go near Stacey at school because of Coby and his jocks.

 

‘’Yeah I’ll see her then sir’’. And Peter begins heading back down the drive.

 

‘’Who shall I tell her called?’’. Then asks the man Peter assumes is Stacey’s father.

 

‘’Err…’’.And Peter hesitates for a second. ‘’Just tell her Coby’s friend called, she’ll know who you mean’’.

 

‘’Coby?’’.

 

‘’Yes Sir’’. And Peter then thanks him before heading back to his car.

After his unsuccessful attempt to speak to Stacey Peter decided to go visit his old friend Jamie and finds him playing basketball in his backyard just as he always is and when Jamie spots Peter he smiles and then throws him the ball.

After over half an hour of basketball to the two take a breather and Peter decides to tell Jamie about Stacey….

 

‘’So I decided to go and speak to her about it but when her very posh looking father answered he told me she wasn’t in’’.

 

‘’Wait posh looking?’’.

 

‘’Yeah why?’’.

 

‘’No it’s nothing’’.

 

‘’Come on man, what is it’’.

 

‘’Nothing I just fought her father was different’’. Replies Jamie but Peter knows he is lying.

 

‘’Jamie how far do we go back?’’. He then asks and Jamie nods his head and then sits beside Peter.

 

‘’Okay but you have to swear you didn’t hear this from me’’.

 

‘’Okay, okay’’.

 

‘’I mean It Peter’’.

 

‘’Okay I swear. What is it?’’.

 

‘’I don’t think Stacey lives at the house you went to today and I don’t think that’s her father’’.

 

‘’Why do you think that?’’.

 

‘’Well this is going back around six months , but one day at school I was lying on the matrons bed having busted my ankle playing basketball, and as I laid there Stacey walked in crying’’.

 

‘’Why?’’.

 

‘’She was going on about her father, how he came home drunk again and was shouting and smashing the place up’’.

 

‘’doesn’t sound like the guy I saw’’.

 

‘’Exactly, and the matron asked Stacey for her address so she could go and have a talk with her father, at first Stacey refused and she wasn’t budging but the matron said that she would go round and make out she was making house calls to all the cheerleaders families to ask their parents if they were still keeping up with their school work, you know do they do their homework, how are there grades and if there not good threatening them with being kicked off the team when all along all the matron was doing was checking what her father as like, was he drunk, how did he talk, what did he say about Stacey all the normal s**t’’.

 

‘’And what happened?’’.

 

‘’I don’t know but I did hear her home address and believe me it’s a different world form the one you went to’’.

 

‘’Were?’’.

 

‘’Reynolds Park’’.

 

‘’Trailer trash neighborhood!’’.

 

‘’Exactly’’.

 

‘’So how does she get away with it?’’.

 

‘’Who knows but I do know why because if everyone found out the truth even with her looks and smoking body there’s no way she’d stay as the top girl of the school not coming from there’’.

 

‘’Do you know if anyone else knows the truth?’’

 

‘’No I don’t but Coby must know and if I went around spreading this they would kill me I mean literally kill me’’.

 

‘’I don’t blame you’’.

 

‘’So remember man, you didn’t get this from me’’.

 

‘’Don’t worry I won’t’’. And Peter is beginning to become more intrigued with head cheerleader Stacey.

 

After a few more games of basketball with Jamie, Peter headed home and as he pulled into the drive an all too familiar car was already parked there so Peter parked his car on the side of the road and headed straight in.

 

‘’Aunt Sarah! He gasps as he walks in and Sarah turns around with her normal big smile speeded across her face.

 

‘’Well you goanna stand there all day or give you Aunt Sarah a hug’’. She replies and Peter heads on over and gives his aunt a hug. After eating the meal his mother had prepared Peter and his Aunt Sarah go out for a drive in her car just like they always had when she visited right from being a little boy.

 

‘’I tried to come sooner’’. She tells Peter but Kelly was in rehab again and someone has to look after her kid’’. Kelly was Sarah’s daughter and had a history of drug abuse. Some say she turned to drugs to try and match her mother’s constant happy and fun personality but everyone who mattered knew that was just an excuse something all drug users seem to have.

 

‘’Your mother is struggling’’. She tells Peter.

 

‘’I know, it’s hard to see’’.

 

‘’Well I’m here for the next few days and after that I’ll get down whenever I can’’.

 

‘’Thanks Aunt Sarah that’ll mean a lot’’.

 

‘’I still haven’t spoken to your father yet’’

 

‘’Who has? He mind as well not be there’’.

 

‘’Well he certainly beats Fred but I guess there wasn’t much to beat’’. Fred was Sarah’s husband, if people ask her Sarah will say her husband died in Vietnam defending the honor of his country, it’ll get her great sympathy and the odd carrot cake left on her porch but the truth is a little different, you see Fred did serve in Vietnam but while he was over there he met a young Thai girl and got her pregnant and as soon as he was released from duty e moved straight over there to be with her, now a lot of women would spend the next month crying themselves to sleep and wondering what they did wrong but that’s not Aunt Sarah, instead she invited everyone she knew around to her house and had a big a*s fire with everything of Fred’s he didn’t take, the music played loud and the whisky flowed all night and it was one of the best nights of mine and my brother’s life growing up….

 

‘’Wow look how high it is’’. Josh says to Peter as the watch the fire burn high and the song ‘fear the reaper’ plays loud behind them.

 

‘’Yeah Aunt Sarah sure knows how to have fun’’. Replies Peter and slightly drunk Aunt Sarah then approaches the two boys carrying an half empty bottle of jack Daniels.

 

‘’You two boys having fun?’ She asks with a smile on her face and the two of them nod at her.

 

‘’Good because that’s what tonight’s all about’’. And Aunt Sarah then holds out the bottle of whisky for Peter to grab.

 

‘’Go on, take a little swig’’. She tells him.

 

‘’Mom doesn’t let us drink’’.

 

‘’Does mom let you have firecrackers?’’. She asks as she looks down at several firecrackers sticking out of the pocket of Josh.

 

‘’Err….’’.

 

‘’don’t worry I won’t tell’’. She assures them as she pats them both on the shoulders.

 

‘’Can I have a drink?’’ Asks Josh his eyes widened in interest.

 

‘’Okay but just a little’’. And Aunt Sarah allows Josh to have a tiny little taste.

 

‘’Do you like it?’’. She asks.

 

‘’Yeah….. Good’’.

 

‘’Okay then, if you boys want anything just get it’’. And Aunt Sarah then walks away and as she does Josh begins to cough.

 

‘’Peter my guts are burning’’.  Josh tells him and his brother laughs.

 

‘’I knew you didn’t like it’’. And the two brothers then laugh as the fire burns bright in front of them……..

 

‘’So what happened to your face?’’. Asks Aunt Sarah as Peter stares out of the car window with a smile on his face.

 

‘’Oh… I got whacked with a stray elbow playing basketball’’.

 

‘’Yeah I got whacked with a few stray elbows at your age’’. She replies with a smirk on her face and Aunt Sarah then stops he car outside the hospital Peter unaware that she was heading there.

 

‘’Come on then, I want to see my other nephew’’. She tells Peter and the two of them climb out of the car and as they do Sarah looks on as the smile on Peter’s face soon turns to sadness.

 

‘’I know what’s wrong’’. She says to him. ‘’But don’t you dare!’’. She orders of him with finger pointed.

 

‘’What?’’.

 

‘’Blaming yourself for what happened’’. She replies and Peter goes quiet.

 

‘’This isn’t your fault and don’t ever let anyone including yourself tell you any different’’. She demands before walking around the car to Peter and putting her hands on his shoulders.

 

‘’This would have happened you here or not’’.

 

‘’But how can you…’’.

 

‘’No’’. Interrupts Aunt Sarah. ‘’This isn’t your fault, you love him and always have now don’t carry this s**t around with you boy because people carry hurt around with them because they think it makes a difference, they think it makes it better but it doesn’t so cut it the f**k loose’’. She demands looking into Peter’s eyes and then kissing him on the cheek.

 

‘’Thanks Aunt Sarah’’.

 

‘’What for, telling you what you already know’’. She replies with a smile on her face.

 

‘’Now come on show me were the pretty one out of the two of you is’’. And Peter leads Aunt Sarah to see Josh….

As soon as Aunt Sarah spots Josh she rushes over her eyes widened and a smile on her face as she gives him a warm hug

 

‘’Well look at you’’. She tells him. ‘’I swear you get bigger every time I see you and your starting to make you Aunt Sarah look like some midget’’. She tells Josh a she sees past the accident and talks to him just like she always would.

 

‘’Oh my God who has been reading this??’’. She then asks as she picks up Josh’s favorite book from his table.

 

‘’I have’’. Peter then tells her and Aunt Sarah then looks back at Josh.

 

‘’Oh I’m sorry Josh he must have been boring you to death. How many times have you read this book and how many times have you seen the movie? You don’t need no boring book you need some fun’’. And Sarah then stops one of the passing nurses and reaches into her back to give her something.

 

‘’Here sweetie put this on’’. She tells her as she passes the nurse the CD.

 

‘’Oh I’m sorry Miss, but we provide the music here’’.

 

‘’First off sweetie don’t call me Miss, I haven’t been Miss since I was in my twenties, call me Sarah’’.

 

‘’Okay’’.

 

‘’And the music you provide here, it’s a little depressing and that’s being kind’’. And as Peter listens on he has to hide his smile behind his hand as Aunt Sarah takes over only the way she can.

 

‘’I’m sorry Miss, I mean Sarah but those are the rules’’.

 

‘’Yeah and I know how much my sister pays you people to keep her boy here so two tracks isn’t going to hurt is it?’’.

 

‘’Well I guess not’’.

 

‘’Good, I know you’d understand’’. And Sarah smiles at the nurse before turning back to Josh.

 

‘’I brought one of your favorite CD’s’’. She tells him. ‘’It’ll be dam sight better than this funeral music’’. She tells him and five minutes later the song don’t stop believing begins playing, one of Josh’s favorite songs.

‘’Oh this from my time’’. Gushes Sarah. ‘’They don’t make them like they used too’’.  She adds before grabbing hold of Josh’s chair and lowly spinning him around in a circle as she dances along with her feet.

 

‘’Come on’’. She shouts to everyone. ‘’Lets have a little fun in here’’. And a few of the other patients who are able to stand up and slowly wave their arms in the air to the music and Peter looks on as his Aunt Sarah bring fun to a place that is normally only filled with grief.

 

‘’It was really good what you did back there’’. Peter tells his Aunt Sarah as the two of them sit in his back yard on the chair swing slowly rocking back and forth.

 

‘’When you go there never see the accident, just see him’’ .She replies. ‘’So many people tip toe around it because that’s all they see but when I walked in there today all I saw was Josh and his cute little face he’s had since he was born’’. And Sarah then takes a swig of her tequila bottle that she swears keeps you warm at night better than any electric blanket and a lot cheaper too.

 

‘’You want some?’’. She then asks Peter who takes a sip. ‘’ Good job I didn’t take this to the hospital for your brother’’. She then says.

 

‘’Yep, sure is’’.

 

‘’Remember what he was like when I used to sneak him a drink’’

 

‘’He would always stand there and tell you he loved and then as soon as you walked away he would turn to me and say Peter my guts are burning’’. And the two laugh.

 

‘’He’s a lightweight’’. Adds Aunt Sarah with a large smile on her face as she pushes against the floor with her foot to swing the chair higher.

 

As Peter arrives the next morning he is determined to finally speak to Stacey even if he has to do it at school and as he walks to his first lesson he sees her along with the other cheerleaders practicing on the field in preparation for the bug game on Friday but as Peter hesitates if to walk over to her right now he sees Coby and several of his friends sat not too far away all looking on at the cheerleaders in their tiny dresses and he knows now isn’t the time.

At first break Peter bumps into Jamie who asks him to come for a game of basketball on one of the spare courts.

 

‘’Okay, next point winner’’. Says Jamie ten minutes later as stand level.

 

‘’You going down’’. Announces Peter but as he picks up the ball he sees Coby and several of his friends walking over.

 

‘’Come on guys it’s our turn’’.  Coby tells them both.

 

‘’Its next point winner’’. Jamie then tells him.

 

‘’I don’t care, were ready to play’’.

 

‘’Come on man, how long does one basket take’’. Replies Jamie.

 

‘’Were playing now’’. Coby tells him.

 

‘’Okay, what about we share’’.

 

‘’Share?’’.

 

‘’Yeah, me and Peter against you and one of your guys, winner gets the court all day tomorrow’’.

 

‘’Okay I’m game’’. Replies Coby with a smile on his face as he takes off his jacket and then turns to Peter. ‘’Are you game?’’. He asks Peter who stands there for a few seconds before answering.

 

‘’Yeah I’m game’’.

 

‘’Okay then, let’s get the party started’’. And the four of them begin playing.

 

The game begins with Coby and his friend Rick slamming two hoops in quick succession and as they high five one another a small crowd begins gathering around the court, most of them just the sheep who follow the jocks wherever they go but in Peters head a few of them, just a few are there to see them fall on their asses and with that in his mind he picks up the ball and begins play. Coby chargers at Peter but he quickly throws the ball to Jamie and then spins before heading to the ring and receiving the ball back and scoring and as they do Peter hears clapping and looks up to see Claire watching on with a smile on her face but a frustrated Coby body checks Peter as he walks past him and warns him next time he’s his.

 

‘’Okay were back in it. Shouts Jamie as he throws Rick the ball and the game is now truly on.

As the game wears on it begins to become more and more physical and the crowd more enthusiastic. Several times Coby rams his elbow into Peters chest as the guards the ball and chargers his forearm into his stomach sending him to the floor as he tries to win the ball back but Peter doesn’t show that it’s getting to him, instead he just dusts himself off and carries on with the game much to the frustration of Coby

Coby and Rick lead by five points until Jamie managers to score a hoop and as the score grows tighter and Coby looks around at the gathering crowd to see more and of them are beginning to root for Peter and Jamie he takes out his frustrating by elbowing Peter in the mouth as he runs past him with the ball and Peter falls to the deck with busted lip as Coby grabs the ball and scores himself. Peter’s first reaction is to get up and knock Coby’s head off but as he looks at all of his Jock friends gathered around the court he knows he’d never have chance and that’s what Coby wanted anyway so Peter gets up once more and wipes the blood from his bottom lip.

 

‘’Was that a foul?’’. Asks a sarcastic Coby with a big grin on his face.

 

‘’No, no foul’’; Replies Peter as Jamie throws him the ball and the game begins again but this time as Coby chargers at Peter he sticks out his elbow and catches Coby in the stomach winding him and sending him to the deck and as Coby is down Peter goes on and then throws the ball to Jamie who scores and Peter then looks across at Coby who is getting himself back to his feet with a scowl now replacing his sarcastic smile.

The physical game goes on but Peter and Jamie still manage to draw the game level and the crowd is going wild.

 

‘’Okay next hoop wins’’. Says Jamie for the second time today and Peter looks across at Coby who looks determined to make sure it is his team who wins and he grabs the ball and heads straight for the ring. Peter closes down Coby who immediately throws out his elbows and he then fakes a shot before catching Peter on the temple with his elbow and as Peter staggers for a second dazed Coby uses the opportunity and throws the ball towards the ring. Peter turns around to see the ball is heading straight in but just before it does Jamie jumps as high as he can and blocks it with the very tip f his fingers and then comes crashing down to the ground grazing  his knee as he does, Coby looks on in shock Jamie blocked it and as he does Peter jumps up and grabs the ball quickly but Coby chases after him and Peter runs for the ring that now seems like it is miles away, he legs ache with pain but he won’t allow himself to slow down as he feels the breathe of the chasing Coby o the back of his neck and as Coby wraps an arm around the shoulder of Peter he throws the ball towards the ring just before Coby drags him down to the ground and the two of them then look on as the ball loops high into the air and then down into the ring. The crowd then begins cheering and Coby beats the floor with his fist as Peter looks around him with a smile on his face. Jamie then heads over and helps Peter up before the two hug and then high five on another. Sore loser Coby body checks Peter once more before heading off the court and through the crowd pushing people aside as he does.

 

‘’Man how good did that feel’’. Says Jamie to a smiling Peter who then looks across at the clapping Claire who gives him big thumbs up.

Peter spends the rest of the day in a positive mood and decides that this will be the night he finally goes to see Stacey so after visiting his brother in the hospital Peter heads to Stacey’s neck of the woods.

Peter stops his car outside the Reynolds Park not knowing which trailer Stacey lives in so he climbs out and heads inside before knocking on the first trailer……

Minutes later a huge woman answers the door in a long blue night gown.

 

‘’Err…. Hello Miss’’.

 

‘’You can call me Sandy sweet cheeks’’.

 

‘’Ok... Sandy. Err…… does Stacey live here?’’.

 

‘’Stacey Matthews?

 

‘’Yes I’m a friend of hers from school’’.

 

‘’Oh she lives over at number twenty but we don’t see her around here much’’.

 

‘’Okay thank you’’. Replies Peter.

 

‘’You want to come in for a drink of tea?’’. She then asks of Peter.

 

‘’No thanks, I need to catch up with some school work with Stacey.

 

‘’Okay’’. And Sandy smiles at Peter before closing the door and he then heads over to number twenty and knocks on the door. Peter can hear football loudly on the TV inside the trailer and minutes later a man in a scruffy t-shirt, wearing a trucker’s baseball cap and dark faded jeans answers and looks a million miles away from the posh looking man who answered the door at what Peter though was Stacey address.

 

‘’What do you want boy because I’ve paid all my bills’’.  Says the scruffy looking man as he scratches his stubble and spits on the floor and he reminds Peter of the mountain men from the film deliverance.

 

‘’No Sir, I not here for any money’’.

 

‘’So what are you here for boy?’’.

 

‘’I’m here to see Stacey’’.

 

‘’Why, you her boyfriend?’’.

 

‘’No Sir’’.

 

‘’So you some home schooling geek who’s going to pick her grades up?’’.

 

‘’No Sir’’.

 

‘’So what are you then because I’m missing the game and my beers getting warm’’.

 

‘’I’m a friend of daughters Sir’’.

 

‘’Friend? I don’t see any of them coming around here’’.

 

‘’My names Peter, Sir’’.

 

‘’Peter eh, Peter that?’’.

 

‘’Fisher Sir, Peter Fisher’’.

 

‘’Okay and what do you want with Stacey?’’.

 

‘’Just school stuff’’.

 

‘’School stuff eh, well she isn’t here’’.

 

‘’She’s not’’.

 

‘’No, just like most of the time, I’ve told her I’m going to rent her room out because she doesn’t use it’’.

 

‘’Do you know where she is?’’.

 

‘’Like hell I do, Stacey isn’t one to call home and tell me where she is and isn’t one to listen to it either’’.

 

‘’Okay Sir, thanks’’.

 

‘’Whatever’’. And Stacey’s father slams the door shut and gets back to his game leaving Peter standing there. Peter then heads back to his car and climbs inside but instead of driving home he sits there and decides to wait a while just in case Stacey does return home…

Peter waits and waits and waits several hours and glances at his watch and sees it is almost ten o’clock so he is just about to set off home when finally he sees Stacey walking into the trailer park so he jumps out of the car and rushes over to her before she can go inside.

 

‘’Stacey’’. He says quietly not wanting to scare her.

 

‘’Who is it?’’. She asks looking slightly scared.

 

‘’Peter, Peter Fisher from school’’.

 

‘’Peter, what the hell, are you following me?’’.

 

‘’No I was waiting here for you’’.

 

‘’Waiting, here!’’.

 

‘’it’s a long story’’.

 

‘’Dam right it is and look if you…’’.

 

‘’don’t worry I’m not here for any dirt on you and I don’t care where you live’’. He tells Stacey who looks very embarrassed that Peter knows where she really lives.

 

‘’So what do you want because right now you are seriously coming across as a creepy pervert’’.

 

‘’I’m here about my brother’’.

 

‘’Josh, I barely knew him’’.

 

‘’Know him’’. Peter corrects her.

 

‘’Yeah sorry, know him’’.

 

‘’Yes but he was helping you with your grades’’.

 

‘’So, Barry Quinn is helping me with my math’s and do you want to know about him too because he REALLY likes Star Wars and is driving me crazy’’.

 

‘’I just want to talk about Josh’’.

 

‘’Well I’m sorry but I can’t help’’. Replies Stacey but to Peter she doesn’t look at ease and looks slightly nervous and he can’t put it down to her knowing more or because Peter knows where she really lives and he needs to find out.

 

‘’Look I couldn’t talk to you at school because of Coby’’.

 

‘’Yeah he told me, you sucker punched him so he kicked your a*s’’.

 

‘’I just want to know about Josh, please five minutes and I’ll not bother you again I swear’’.

 

‘’Okay but if I tell you everything what I know about your brother which isn’t much at all you won’t tell anyone about this place?’’.

 

‘’I swear’’.

 

‘’Well I’ll warn you it isn’t much’’.

 

‘’Just whatever you know because I didn’t seem him for some time before the accident’’.

 

‘’Okay but not here, meet me tomorrow at lunch’’.

 

‘’Wait I can’t use the cafeteria because of Coby and his gang’’.

 

‘’I don’t either, the cleaners don’t wash up there, I swear there’s no chance of seeing your reflection in those spoons’’.

 

‘’Okay were then?’’.

 

‘’Joes Coffee shop a few street down from school’’.

 

‘’Okay I’ll be there’’.

 

‘And remember, this place…. It doesn’t even exist’’. And Stacey then heads inside leaving Peter finally feeling like he is getting somewhere.

Peter returns home about half past ten at night and when he does much to his surprise he finds Coby and several of his friends waiting for him. Peters first thought is that Coby possibly saw him with his girlfriend and maybe that’s what happened to his brother Josh.

 

‘’What do you want?’’. Asks Peter as he climbs out of the car.

 

‘’You enjoyed showing me up today at school didn’t you’’. Replies Coby who has clearly been drinking.

 

‘’I don’t have to show you up Coby, you do it fine all by yourself’’.

 

‘’ You shouldn’t have come back Peter. You see when you left all eyes turned to me. I was now the best football on the team and the coach made me new captain and with that comes more popularity and with more popularity comes power  but now your back and I won’t let you take it away from me!’’.

 

‘’Don’t worry Coby I don’t want it’’.

 

‘’Oh you tried boy’’. Relies Coby as he begins approaching Peter with his friends following. ‘’You tried today and now I’m going to teach you a lesson!’’. And as the drunk Coby and his friends zoom in on Peter suddenly Josh’s dog Max comes jumping over the fence and stands in front of Peter with all of his teeth showing as he growls at Coby and his friends and Coby immediately begins to back away.

 

‘’Wait man, get your dog to back the f**k up’’.

 

‘’Why don’t you ask him?’’. Replies Peter as Max barks viscously at Coby who begins backing up to his car.

‘’This isn’t over man’’. He warns Peter before climbing into his car and Coby and his friends then drive away and as they disappear into the night Max puts his teeth away and then trots across to Peter and licks his fingers and as he does Peter kneels down and strokes the dog.

 

‘’I guess me and you are friends now’’. He tells Max. ‘’Well what abut I take you for a walk before I go to bed’’. And Peter takes the dog down the street for a quick walk before he goes to bed. As Peter walks the dog down the street he passes and old house that is now empty that reminds him of being a kid……

 

A young Peter and Josh are playing with their ball on the road when Josh accidentally kicks it into Mrs. Gilby’s garden.

 

‘’Dam what do we do now?’’. Asks Josh as he turns to Peter you see the boys lived in a pleasant neighborhood. Everybody knew just about everyone and got along apart from one exception….. Mrs. Gilby you see Mrs. Gilby loved misery. She was old with long whispery grey hair, the kids swore she was a witch and she certainly acted like one, she had a permanent scowl on her face, she hated everyone and let them know it and if any of the kids toys found their way into her garden she never gave them back. Her cellar must have been filled with footballs and Frisbees from kids gone by as she stole them and locked them all up so none of the kids could play and would be miserable like her.

 

‘’You see her?’’. Josh asks Peter.

 

‘’No’.

 

‘’Watch out then because I’m going in’’.

 

‘’Are you crazy!’’.

 

‘’That balls new’’.

 

‘’So it’s not worth it’’.

 

‘’Just keep a look out and let me know if you see her’’ .Josh tells his brother as he begins to climb over the fence and into the overgrown garden. Josh then slowly makes his way through the garden towards the ball but as he does Peter spots Mrs. Gilby staring at them through the window.

 

‘’Josh she’s there’’. He tells Josh but before he can react she is standing at the front door.

 

‘’ Get out of my garden’’. She orders.

 

‘’ But Mrs. Gilby’’.

 

‘’One more step and I’ll phone the police’’. She threatens and the both of them know she will.

 

‘’Can I just grab my ball?’’. Asks Josh.

 

‘’One more step’’. She warns again so Josh turns around and walks through the long grass and out through the gate.

 

‘’So what now?’’. Josh asks Peter as they walk back home minus there football.

 

‘’I have an idea’’. Replies Peter…..

 

The next day Mrs. Gilby makes her routine trip down the local shop for a pint of milk and the newspaper. She made this trip every day and despite the fact the shop wasn’t far away it would take Mrs. Gilby some time because of her age.

 

‘’Okay, come on’’. Peter tells his brothers as the two of them watch from behind a car as Mrs. Gilby heads down the street to the shop.

 

‘’Okay, let’s go’’. And Peter leads Josh around to the back of Mrs. Gilby’s house.

 

‘’See, the window is open a little’’. Peter then tells his brother.

 

‘’You want us to go inside!’’.

 

‘’That’s were our ball will be now’’.

 

‘’But what if she comes back?’’.

 

‘’She takes forever to make it back from the shop and we’ll have plenty of time’’.

 

‘’Lets go then’’. And the two brothers then climb over the large fence and drop down into the overgrown grass before sneaking up to the slightly open window.

 

‘’Okay you first’’. Josh tells his older brother and Peter then opens the window wider and climbs in followed by his brother.  The two brothers then look around to see the place is filled with old wooden furniture and an old coal fire. Spider’s cobwebs hang from the roof and there are piles of newspapers in the corner of the living room.

 

‘’See I told you she was a witch’’. Josh tells Peter.

 

‘’Where’s the proof?’’

‘’Coal fire, she has a coal fire, who has them anymore’’.

 

‘’Mom says Mrs. Gilbys lived here for years so maybe she just never had the placed done up.

 

‘’More like she has a coal fire to warm up her witches pot where she cooks all the children she catches’’.

 

‘’What children, no one’s gone missing around here’’.

 

‘’What about Tommy Walters?’’.

 

‘’Tommy Walters moved away’’.

 

‘’That’s what the teachers said but I never so no removal van. Maybe his football landed in Mrs. Gilbys garden and she ate him all up’’.

 

‘’Come on, let’s just find the ball and get out of here’’.

 

‘’Yeah before she catches us too’’. And the both of them then head through the living room and into the old fashioned kitchen.

 

‘’Look’’ Says Josh as he points to some old steel pots sitting on a shelf but Peter ignores him and then finds the cellar door.

 

‘’Look it’s here’’. He tells his brother.

 

‘’Oh I isn’t going down there’’. He tells Peter.

 

‘’You lost the ball’’.

 

‘’Yeah but I’m not going down there for it’’.

 

‘’Why?’’.

 

‘’First off this is Mrs. Gilbys house, secondly it’s a cellar’’.

 

‘’So’’.

 

‘Can you remember when we stopped at Uncle Andrews house’’.

 

‘’Yes’’.

 

‘’And we sneaked downstairs in the middle of the night and watched the movie we weren’t allowed to’’,

‘’Oh yeah the guy with the mask made out of skin’’.

 

‘’Exactly and his big chainsaw and we both know what happens down in cellars now’’.

 

‘’That was just a movie Josh’’.

 

‘’Trying telling the victims that’’.

 

‘’Come on stop playing’’.

 

‘’Well if I’m going down there you are too’’.

 

‘’Come on then’’. And the two brothers slowly make their way into the cellar. Peter turns the light on but it is only dim and still makes the place look dark and scary.

 

‘’Come on lets hurry’’. Peter tells Josh as they make their way down the cold, hard concrete steps down into the cellar.

 

‘’Look down here!’’. Says Josh as they reach the bottom and find a huge pile of footballs, Frisbees and other kid’s toys that had made their way into Mrs. Gilbys garden over the years.

 

‘’This is like Santa’s grotto’’. Gushes Peter.

 

‘’More like the toys time forgot’’.

 

‘’Yeah just look at it all, let not played with and all those kids going home unhappy’’.

 

‘’We should call the police’’.

 

‘’Oh yeah, excuse me officer I broke into Mrs. Gilbys house with my brother and we found all the toys she’s stolen over the years’’.

 

‘’Your right, let’s just find our ball’’. And the two being looking. After five minutes of looking through the huge wreckage of Gilby’s collection Josh finally spots his football.

 

‘’Its here!’’. He gushes at Peter as he picks the ball up.

 

‘’Good, now let’s get out if this haunted house’’. And the two brother’s head back up the cellar steps and through the kitchen to the living room but as they do Peter spots Mrs. Gilby heading back down the drive.

 

‘’She’s back!’’. He whispers to Josh whose face turns to dread.

 

‘’Lets get out of here’’. He replies in fear and the two brothers then rush over to the window and Peter quickly climbs out and Josh passes him the ball before climbing out himself but as he does he gets the bottom of his trousers stuck on an old rusty nail.

 

‘’Quick hurry!’’. Gushes Peter as he hears the front door open and Mrs. Gilby walk into her house.

 

‘’I can’t, I can’t my trousers are stuck!’’. He tells his brother and the two of them then desperately to free him from the rusty nail before they are caught.

 

‘’Oh man she’s going to catch me’’. Josh tells his brother.

 

‘’No she’s not’’. Peter assures him as he pulls on his brother’s trousers but Mrs. Gilby had taken off her coat and boots and was now making her way into the living room.

 

‘’Quick she’s coming’. Says Josh as he looks behind him to see the doorknob to the living turning and Peter then pulls with all he has and managers to pull his brother free and out of the window to the outside. Mrs.  Gilby walks in and immediately looks at the window having not thought she left it so wide open so she walks across with her normal scowl across her face and stares out to her garden but there is no sign of anyone so she mumbles something and then slams the window shut and unaware to Mrs. Gilby both Peter and Josh are hiding under the window.

 

‘’That was close’’. Peter whispers to his brother.

 

‘’How shall I tell mom I ripped my trousers?’’. Josh then asks Peter.

 

‘’We’ll think of something, at least we have our ball back’’.

 

‘’Yeah tomorrow we’ll go and play in the park’’.

 

‘’Defiantly’’. And the two brothers then smile at one another before sneaking out of Mrs. Gilbys garden and heading home. ……..

 

As Peter stares at the now empty with a smile on his face Max approaches and licks his fingers.

 

‘’You ready to go home buddy’’. He then says before walking Max back home….

 

The next day all Peter can think about is his meeting with Stacey so he gets up early and heads to school watching the clock all day until it turns noon and he then drives over to the coffee shop and waits for Stacey. Peter takes a seat in one of the booths and waits for Stacey to arrive. He is sat there for ten minutes and begins to wonder if she will even show when suddenly she walks through the door dressed in a small white skirt and a tight black vest and all the men stare at her as she takes a seat opposite Peter.

 

‘’Good you’re here’’.

 

‘’Wait’’. The replies Stacey before putting up her hand and a waitress then approaches there booth.

 

‘’Can I have a skinny latté’’. Stacey tells the waitress.

 

‘’And you Sir?’’. The waitress then asks Peter.

 

‘’Just a regular coffee’’. He replies and as he does Stacey looks at him with one eyebrow raised.

‘

‘’Just a regular coffee, you come to Joe’s coffee shop and ask for a regular coffee’’.

 

‘’Yeah a regular coffee’’. He replies.

 

‘’You can have a regular coffee at home’’. Stacey tells him and then she looks up at the waitress. ‘’He’ll have same as me’’. She tells the waitress who then leaves to get there orders.

 

‘’So I’m here’’. Then says Stacey. ‘’What do you want to ask me?’’.

 

‘’My brother, he was paired with you to pull up your grades right’’.

 

‘’Yeah Coach Summers threatened to kick me off the cheerleading team if my grades didn’t improve and I’m the head cheerleader so that can’t happen’’.

 

‘’ And that’s where my brother comes in’’.

 

‘’Yeah, it is’’.

 

‘’So how did he feel about it?’’.

 

‘’He enjoyed it, he found’’.

 

‘’Finds’’. Interrupts Peter as he hates people to talk about his brother in past contents.

 

‘’Yeah sorry, he finds school work a lot easier than me and without sounding too big headed he got to hang around with the head cheerleader so it did a lot good for his popularity at school’’.

 

‘’Hang around with you?’’.

 

‘’Yeah as well as lessons we were paired to do homework together you see I’ve never been very good at keeping my concentration for too long but with Josh helping me it worked’’.

 

‘’So he would go to your house?’’.

 

‘’Yeah but not the one you saw’’.

 

‘’Yeah he went to the real posh estate I guess’’.

 

‘’Yeah ad he never knew different’’.

 

‘’So who is the posh looking guy at the house who pretends to be your father’’.

 

‘’He doesn’t pretend, if you asked him out right he’d tell you the truth but if you don’t why should he go blabbing to any stranger who turns up’’.

 

‘’Okay so who is he’’.

 

‘’I don’t understand what this has to do with your brother’’. She replies sounding as if she doesn’t want to talk about it.

 

‘’Okay I’m sorry, I’ll just stick to the subject’’.

 

‘’Thank you’’.  And the waitress then return with their coffees and Stacey dips her finger in the froth and sticks it in her mouth.

 

‘’So Coby’’.

 

‘’What about him?’’.

 

‘’Well what did he think about you spending time with my brother’’.

 

‘’I’m not going to lie to you because Coby didn’t like it, he’s the jealous type you see’’

 

‘’Yeah I know Coby remember’’. Having played on the same football team together.

 

‘’Right and he did warn your brother that I was his girl and to keep his hands to himself blah, blah like all cavemen do’’.

 

‘’So did he?’’.

 

‘’Are you trying to say I cheated with your brother!’’.

 

‘’ No I’m just asking’’.

 

‘’Well we didn’t, Josh was just helping me with my grades that’s all’’.

 

‘’And Coby accepted that?’’.

 

‘’Yes he did and he didn’t hurt your brother. Coby is….. Well like I said he’s a caveman and he wouldn’t do anything like that’’.

 

‘’What do you mean like that?’’.

 

‘’I know why you’re here Peter, you don’t think Josh jumped’’.

 

‘’No I don’t’’.

 

‘’So what about the suicide letter?’’.

 

‘’The simple words I’m sorry written in smudged ink, anyone could have done that’’.

 

‘’With no prints?’’.

 

‘’Yes with gloves’’. And Stacey stops because she knows she won’t change Peters mind so she takes a sip of her coffee.

 

‘’So what was my brother like’’.

 

‘’What do you mean?’’.

 

‘’How was he? Was he happy, sad?’’.

 

‘’I don’t know, he was okay I guess’’.

 

‘’You guess, well how did he come across to you’’.

 

‘’He came across as being okay’’.

 

‘’So you think he went from being okay to throwing himself off a building roof’’.

 

‘’I know it sounds strange and if I was you I’d have plenty of answers but I’m sorry but I don’t have the answers’’. And the two of them then go quiet until Peter break the silence.

 

‘’I’m sorry. I’m sorry for coming on a little strong’’.

 

‘’No its fine, I understand your on edge after what happened’’.

 

‘’Yeah and it makes it a whole lot worse not being around when it did’’.

 

‘’Josh talked about you a lot you know’’.

 

‘’He did?’’.

 

‘’Yeah, he really looked…. Sorry looks up to you. He was saying how it must have been scary for you moving to Paris all alone’’.

 

‘’Yeah he asked me not to go’’.

 

‘’That’s only because he’d miss you but he told me he was really proud of you, going out to the big bad all alone chasing your dream’’.

 

‘’Yeah, I guess’’.

 

‘’So what about now, you still drawing’’.

 

‘’No since…..’’.

 

‘’And what about Paris because it looks so beautiful’’.

 

‘’It is, but I’m not going back’’.

 

‘’Well that’s a shame’’. And Stacey takes another sip of her coffee before standing up.

 

‘’Look I best be getting back, I have practice’’.

 

‘’Yeah, thanks for talk’’.

 

‘’I’m sorry I wasn’t much help’’.

 

‘’No, thanks for the time’’. And Stacey then smiles at Peter before leaving and Peter then sits there wondering where he goes from here. Did Coby let jealousy get the better of him? Did his brother really like Stacey that much and the fact he couldn’t have her got to him? Or maybe there was something else Peter didn’t even know about but right now he had nowhere else to turn and his head was still full of questions.

Peter finishes his coffee and the stands up and places his money on the table but as he does he sees that Stacey had forgotten her purse so he picks it up and puts it in his pocket to give to her the next time he sees her after she took the time out to talk to him about his brother.

Peter returns to school but can’t get near Stacey because of Coby and the jocks so he decides to post it through the locker but when he gets there he once again finds Coby who looks like he is waiting for her.

 

‘’You looking for someone?’’. Asks Claire as she taps him on the shoulder.

 

‘’No, I was just daydreaming’’. And Peter smiles at Claire before going on his way…..

After school had finished Peter headed straight over to see his brother for a few hours and the returned home to find his mother cooking tea.

 

‘’You staying in for tea?’’. She asks him.

 

‘’Yes, I’ll be here’’. And Peter smiles at his mother before setting the table. After dinner Peter heads to his room to do his schoolwork and as he lies on his bed with his headphones in doing his work Peter looks up and sees Stacey’s purse sticking out of the pocket of his jacket and knows Stacey’s probably worrying were it is so he puts down his homework and heads out to his car. Peter drives over to Stacey’s real home with the Intention of simply posting it through the door as she’s probably not even there but as he climbs out of the car and heads to her trailer Peter can hear screaming coming from inside and knows it is Stacey and her father. Peter reaches the door and simply places the purse down on the doormat so someone sees it as they open the door but as he does the screaming from inside becomes louder followed by the smashing of glass and Stacey then screams at her father to stop and to let go of her so Peter opens the door and rushes in to find Stacey stood with her father holding her tightly by the wrist. Stacey’s back eye makeup is all smudged down her cheeks from crying and her father is drunk.

 

‘’Get out of my house!’’. Stacey’s father shouts at Peter in a drunken manner.

 

‘’Just let go of her’’. Asks Peter.

 

‘’Peter I’m fine, just go’’. Pleads Stacey who looks embarrassed.

 

‘’Yeah Peter, just go’’. But Peter won’t leave Stacey with a drunk like him.

 

‘’Just let her go man’’. He asks again. ‘’That’s your daughter’’.

 

‘’Exactly, my daughter!’’. He screams.

 

‘’Just let go of her wrist’’. Asks Peter again as he approaches him.

 

‘’Why, you going to make me?’’. He taunts and Peter then steps closer.

 

‘’Just let her…..’’. And before Peter can finish Stacey’s father picks up a half empty bottle of beer from the side and smashes it over the side of Peters head sending him to the floor out cold…….

 

Several hours later Peter wakes up in hospital with the worst headache of his life and Stacey and a doctor sitting over him.

 

‘’Ah Mr. Fisher your awake’’. Says the doctor.

 

‘’My head’’.

 

‘’Yes you took some blow to the head. Your friend here brought you in, she said you were attacked by muggers?’’. And Peter then looks across at Stacey whose face is full of fear and he knows she wants him to lie for her.

 

‘’Yeah, I was mugged’’.

 

‘’Well you’ll have to give a statement to the police and we’ll have to keep you in overnight for observation’’.

 

‘’All night?’’.

 

‘’You can’t be careful with blows to the head Mr. Fisher’’.

 

‘’Okay, thanks doc’’.

 

‘’Do you want me to call your parents?’’.

 

‘’No, thanks, my friend will’’. Lies Peter who doesn’t want them to know’’.

 

‘’Okay, the police will be here shortly, if you need anything or eel unwell just press your buzzer’’. And the doctor then leaves.

 

‘’So I was mugged’’. Peter says to Stacey.

 

‘’I had to lie, they’d threw my father in jail’’.

 

‘’And that’s a bad thing’’.

 

‘’He was drunk, he didn’t know what he was doing’’.

 

‘’So that gives him an excuse to put his hands on you and attack me?’’.

 

‘’He’s never hit me and tonight he only had hold of me’’.

 

‘’Well he did more than hold me’’.

 

‘’I know, and I’m sorry’’. And Stacey’s eyes begin to fill up with tears.

 

‘’He embarrasses me so much and every time… every time he picks up the bottle all I want to do is pack my bags and leave. Why o you think I’m not there so much’’.

 

‘’So why don’t you?’’.

 

‘’Because I’m all I have ad without me he’d drink himself into the ground and how could I live with that?’’.

 

‘’So you’re supposed to take all that s**t’’.

 

‘’Like I said, I’m barley there, I just go home to clean up and throw his stashes of beer away and make sure all the bills have been paid’’.

 

‘’And to everyone else you live at that posh estate’’.

 

‘’Yes’’.

 

‘’So how is it because I think I deserve that?’’.

 

‘’His name is Miles Duncan or Mr. Duncan to most and he lets me stay at his house whenever I want, I even have my own room and whenever people come over they just simply assume he’s my dad plus he works long hours so he’s not there that much and I just went along with it because it was a whole lot better than the truth’’.

 

‘’Why, why does he let you?’’.

 

‘’He had a wife and a daughter the same age as me, we were best friends and I was always at their house growing up escaping the arguments at my house. But his wife and daughter were killed in a car crash and Mr. Duncan simply fell apart. He had no other family to turn to and he was on the brink but I helped him come to terms with it and we grieved together, him losing a wife and daughter and me losing a best friend of years and after that he treated like his daughter, it was as if he replaced the daughter he lost with me’’.

 

‘’Sounds good’’.

 

‘’I know what you’re thinking and that’s one of the other reasons I didn’t tell anyone the truth’’.

 

‘’Why, what am I thinking?’’.

 

‘’That I’m taking advantage, that I only go there because of his money. But I’m not, I never have and never will ask for anything from Mr. Duncan, but he has given me more support and love than my father ever has’’.

 

‘’Well don’t worry, your secrets safe with me’’. Peter assures her.

 

‘’And you won’t tell the cops about my dad?’’.

 

‘’Not this time, but I swear if he even looks at me again’’.

 

‘’He won’t I swear’’.

 

‘’So your fathers never hit you?’’.

 

‘’No, and he never would, sure you saw him grab me but that’s as far as it would ever go and if it did go further I’d walk out of the door and never look back’’.

 

‘’Sounds like he doesn’t deserve anything you do for him anyway’’.

 

‘’Maybe not, but he’s my father’’. And Stacey then stands up and Stacey then leaves to get them both a cup of coffee…..

 

He next morning Peter wakes in his hospital bed and is surprised when he sees Stacey had stopped all night and was asleep in the chair beside him.

As Peter eats his breakfast Stacey finally wakes up.

 

‘’Morning’. Says Peter.

 

‘’Man I was out’’. Replies Stacey.

 

‘’Yeah you really were. You were drooling and everything’’.

 

‘’No I wasn’t’’.

 

‘’No, I’m kidding’’. Replies Peter. ‘’You want a slice of my toast’’. He then asks.

 

‘’No I’m fine thanks, I best be going’’.

 

‘’You didn’t have t stop the whole night’’.

 

‘’it’s the least I could do’’. And Peter is surprised that despite her looks, popularity and her reputation around school Stacey was actually quite a nice person.

 

‘’I’ll wait and give you a ride home’’. Stacey tells Peter but before he can answer a nurse pops her head around the door.

 

‘’Mr. Fisher your father is here’’.

 

‘’My father’’.

 

‘’Yes, I’ll send him in’’. And the nurse then disappears.

 

‘’One of the nurses must have called him’’. Stacey tells Peter.

 

‘’Well this should be fun’’. Replies Peter and Stacey then leaves the two of them to it.    

Minute’s later Peters father walks into the room and looks at Peter without saying a word.

 

The car ride home is more than a little awkward. Peter tries to break the silence by turning on the radio but his father quickly turns it back off much to the frustration of Peter and as they stop at a red light Peter lets some of that frustration out.

 

‘’So you going to ask me how I am?’’. He asks his father.

 

‘’The doctor told me’’.

 

‘’Really, and your concerned how it happened at all?’’.

 

‘’They told me that too. You were mugged’’. And Peter then reaches over in anger and turns the car off before pulling out the car keys.

 

‘’What are you doing were in traffic!’’. His father asks.

 

‘’Talk to me dad, just talk to me! Tell me you hate me or your disappointed at me or maybe you blame me for laving Josh alone but just talk to me!’’.

 

‘’Yes, yes!’’. Says his father in a low voice.

 

‘’What dad!’’.

 

‘’You should have been there for him’’. He replies once again in a low manner and the car then goes silent and as the red light turns to green the cars behind them begin beeping for them to move as Peter stares at his father who had hurt with hat he had said.

 

‘’You really think it was my fault?’’. Asks Peter as his eyes begin to fill with tears and his father simply looks straight ahead and doesn’t reply.

 

‘’Here’’.  And Peter throws car keys on his father’s lap before jumping out of the car and weaving through the traffic which beeps at him before heading down a back alley and away from his father and when he is far enough away Peter stops, his eyes full of tears and he kicks several steel trash cans and shouts out in anger at what his father had said……

Peter doesn’t return home until dark and when he does both his parents are already in bed so he grabs and sits in the backyard still hurting from what his father had said to him and as he sits alone in the darkness drinking his beer, Max approaches and lies beside Peter placing his head on Peters knee and it is as if Max knows he is upset and all alone right now and just needs someone to be there for him and Peter strokes the dog as the two sit in the darkness.

The next morning is a Sunday and Peter quickly gets out of bed before his parents and heads down to tow to see Mike Milligan. Mike owned the local grocery store and both Peter and Josh knew him well and would do odd jobs around the store for him when they needed some money so Peter headed over to his place to see if there as any work going.

 

‘’Hey long time no see’’. Says Mike with a smile on his face as Peter walks into his large store.

 

‘’How you doing Mike?’’.

 

‘’Good business is doing well’’. He replies and it always did because Mike had the biggest grocery store in town and he sod just about everything.

 

‘’Hey I’m sorry about your brother’’

 

‘’Me too’’.

 

‘’I sent over a bunch of flowers to your house as soon as I heard’’.

 

‘’Thanks man’’.

 

‘’So what can I do for you?’’.

 

‘’I was just wondering if there was any spare work going’’. He asked as Peter knows that the cost for keeping Josh in the hospital was taking its toll on his family and when he wasn’t at school he wanted to help out as much as he could.

 

‘’Your in luck because there is’’.

 

‘’Good, so what do you want me to do?’’.

 

‘’How do you feel about packing shelves?’’….

 

Peter begins stocking up the shelves at Mikes store and around an hour later Stacey walks in giggling with several of her friends. Peter puts down his head and continues to pack the shelves as Stacey and her friends grab several things and then head to the counter. The girls then pat for their items having still no seen Peter and then head back out of the shop but as they do Stacey sees Peter packing the shelves.

 

‘’Peter?’’. She asks and Peter reluctantly lifts his head to look at her.

 

‘’Hey’’.

 

‘’I didn’t know you worked here’’.

‘’I don’t really, I just help Mike out for extra cash’’.

 

‘’Stacey are you coming’’. One of her friends then shouts.

 

‘’I’ll be seeing you around then’’. She tells Peter.

 

‘’Yeah see you around’’. And Stacey then leaves with her friends.

 

‘’Cute girl’’.  Comments Mike as the girls leave.

 

‘’ I guess’’. Replies Peter before going back to packing the shelves.

 

An hour later Peter is sat out round the back on his break and as he sits there reading the newspaper a hand holds a bottle of coke in front of him and as he looks up he sees Stacey stood over him.

 

‘’Here, I bought this for you, and yes it is from Mikes’’.

 

‘’You didn’t have to’’.

 

‘’Well I still like a owe you’’. Replies Stacey as she sits beside him.

 

‘’Where’s your friends?’’.

 

‘’Oh they went to watch a movie I’ve already seen’’.

 

‘’ I can’t remember the last time I went to the movies’’.

 

‘’Oh I love to go’’. Replies Stacey as she takes a sip of her drink.

 

‘’So how’s the head?’’. She asks.

 

‘’Sore but I’ll get over it’’.

 

‘’I hope it doesn’t scar because I feel bad enough’’.

 

‘’No I hope it does, I need some war stories’’. And the two laugh.

 

‘’ So why here?’’. Asks Stacey.

 

‘’I’ve known Mike for years and its expensive keeping Josh in the hospital ere he is so I want to help put as much as I can’’.

 

‘’That’s really nice of you’’.

 

‘’He’s my brother’’.  He replies and the conversation suddenly falls silent for a minute until Peter speaks up.

 

‘’Where’s Coby?’’. Asks Peter who secretly hopes he finds the two of them talking so he could see how he reacted and therefore she how he would have reacted to his brother, after all in Peter’s mind Coby was still not free of guilt.

 

‘’Oh he’s probably in the gym or practicing. Him and his football!’’. And Peter can sense the frustration in her voice.

 

‘’I guess you two don’t get to spend much time together’’.

 

‘’Only when were at school and when we are together its football, football, football’’.

 

‘’That’s what you get for dating the star quarter back’’.

 

‘’Hey you were once the star Quarterback of Pine Oaks’’.

 

‘’Yeah but it seems like a lifetime ago now’’.

 

‘’All the girls wanted to date Peter Fisher’’.

 

‘’Wanted to?’’.

 

‘’Yeah, for some girls it’s all about a power trip. You know what it’s like, the quarterback being one of the most popular guys in school and everything that comes with that, Girls just like to hang off the arm of the popular guys’’.

 

‘’And what does that say about you and Coby?’’.

 

‘’Well thanks’’. Replies Stacey as she slaps Peter on the arm.

 

‘’No, I’m sorry, I’m only joking with you’’.

 

‘’Good’’.  And Stacey smiles at Peter before standing up.

 

‘’I best be getting off before Mike gets out here’’. She then tells Peter.

 

‘’Yeah and thanks for the drink’’.

 

‘’Were even now’’. She tells Peter before walking away.

 

That night as Peter arrives home he finds his mother sat at the kitchen table staring at an old photo of him and Josh and Peter can see had been crying but she tries to hide it and quickly wipes her eyes when she hears Peter come in.

 

‘’Aunt Sarah sends her love’’. She tells Peter.

 

‘’She gone home then?’’.

 

‘’Yes, she has to take care of her daughter but she’ll be back’’.

 

‘Yeah I hope so’ Peter thinks to himself, knowing his mother needs her right now and he then looks outside to see his father once again sat out on the porch all alone.

 

‘’You had anything to eat?’’. Peter asks his mother.

 

‘’No but I’m okay’’.

 

‘’But about a ham sandwich?’’. He asks her.

 

‘’I’m fine dear’’.

 

‘’Tell you what, I’ll make us both one and a cup of tea and you can tell me how Josh was today’’.

 

‘’Okay’’. She smiles and Peter heads to make them both a sandwich.

 

The next day is Monday morning and Peter is up early and heads to school and at noon as he sits eating lunch alone Claire arrives to give him some company.

 

‘’So Stacey doesn’t know anything?’’. Says Claire as Peter fills her in but he keeps his promise and doesn’t tell Claire about Stacey’s real father and real home.

 

‘’No, I don’t think she does, Josh helped her but from what I can read it didn’t go any further than that’’.

 

‘’And Coby?’’.

 

‘’Coby’s all muscle and not much brains. I’m not saying he couldn’t have done it because he could have and maybe he did get jealous of his girlfriend spending so much time with my brother but to try and murder someone for that? I don’t know’’.

 

‘’So what now?’’.

 

‘’Now….. I just don’t know’’……

 

As the school days go on all Peter can think about is his brother. He had tried all he could but so far he hadn’t found anything concrete to prove his brother didn’t throw himself off the building and he just knows, he knows Josh didn’t throw himself off the building or maybe, maybe he hopes………

 

Peter heads straight from school to see his brother, his head full of confusion and doubt.

Peter arrives at the hospital and once again finds his brother sat at the window staring out and Peter heads and sits beside him before turning his brother’s chair around to face him.

 

‘’Josh…. You’re my brother and I love you more than anyone else but you have to let me know…. You have to somehow let me know what happened because it’s killing me, it killing me inside this entire unknown. I have the cops telling me you jumped, I have everyone giving me this look like they’re saying why bother because we all know he jumped but I know you didn’t, I know someone pushed you and you need t let me know please’’. Pleads Peter who is desperate but as he looks at his brother all his receives is a blank expression. Josh’s eyes are open and he can see his brother in his eyes but he has no way to communicate and maybe he can’t even hear his brother and Peter knows that and despite being desperate he also feels terrible for talking to his brother like he had and as Peter sits with his head in his hands a nurse approaches and grabs the back of Josh’s wheelchair he is sitting in and begins moving him away.

 

‘’Hey what you doing?’’. Asks Peter as he raises his head.

 

‘’I’m moving Mr. Fisher Sir’’.

 

‘’Why?’’. He asks as the nurse places him beside several old men who most are asleep and drooling.

 

‘’Mr. Fisher can’t sit on his own all the time’’.

 

‘’But he likes the window, he likes to look out of the world’’.

 

‘’We don’t know that for sure Sir’’.

 

‘’Bullshit we don’t, the doctor says it’ll be good for him!’ Replies an angry Peter who grabs hold of his brother’s chair and places him back in front of the window.

 

‘’Sir its Mr. Newman’s turn in front of the window’’ .She replies as she grabs hold of an old man’s chair who is asleep and wearing only one slipper.

 

‘’Mr. Newman, he’s asleep!’’.

 

‘’The patients must take turns sir’’.

 

‘’Screw your turns the old guys asleep so my brothers staying here!’’. Shouts Peter.

 

‘’Mr. Fisher is going to sit with these gentlemen for no’’.

 

‘’These gentlemen, look at them! There asleep! My brother shouldn’t even be here! He’s young and not lived a life like all these old men you surround him with! He can’t sit in his chair and just think about his life because he hasn’t lived it yet! He needs to sit at the window and watch other people live there’s so cut him some slack!’’. Shouts Peter even louder as he becomes more upset.

 

‘’Sir, if you don’t move your brother back I will call for security’’.

 

‘’Good, call them and I can tell them what mean b***h your being!’’.

 

‘’Right that’s it’’. And the nurse calls for security.

 

‘’Good, bring them all but my brothers staying at this God Dam window!’’. Shouts Peter and two bug security men then walk in the room.

 

‘’Can you please escort this young man off the premises’’. The nurse asks the security men.

 

‘’Escort me off! My parents pay your wages and its going to be you who is escorted off!’’. Shouts Peter as the security men approach him.

 

‘’No, all I want is for my brother to stay where he God dam wants!’’. He screams and the two men then grab him by an arm each and Peter immediate begins struggling.

 

‘’Leave my brother there!’’. Screams Peter as the nurse begins to move Josh back and he is escorted off the premises. ‘’Put him back!’’. He barks once more before the security guards escort him outside and to the parking lot.

 

‘’I’m going to have you all fired!’’. Screams Peter as the security men head back inside and he then heads across to his car and slams his fist on the roof of the car before climbing in and Peter sits there for a few minutes just while he calls himself down and he then drives home.

When Peter arrives back home he slams his car keys down on the kitchen table and then heads up to Josh’s room and throws himself on the bed. He lies there still angry at everything and as it all goes running through his head Peter spots something hidden under Josh’s desk and Peter climbs off the bed before reaching under the desk and finding Josh’s diary………

 

Josh is sat on his bed writing in his diary when Peter walks in the room with a smile on his face and jumps on the bed beside him.

 

‘’What you writing about?’’. He asks.

 

‘’Nothing, it’s personal’’.

 

‘’Come on, we both know it’ll be about either girls or football’’.

 

‘’So what if it is’’.

 

‘’Come on, let’s see who you like’’. And Peter playfully reaches for the diary but Josh pulls it away.

 

‘’I’m writing about how annoying my older brother is’’.

 

‘’Come on, let’s take a look’’. Jokes Peter as he reaches for the diary again.

 

‘’No way, get your own’’. And Peter then jumps off the bed with a smile on his face.

 

‘’Fancy a play around with the basketball?’’. Peter asks his brother.

 

‘’Yeah okay, I’ll be done in two minutes’’.

 

‘’Ok, I’ll be waiting bro’’. And Peter smiles at his brother before heading downstairs……

 

Peter looks at the diary and is unsure whether to read it or not but after much debating he decides to read the last few entries just encase it gives Peter any clues to how he was feeling or what he was doing leading up to the fall and as Peter begins to read he is shocked as to what he comes across and his eyes widen in disbelief before he jumps off the bed and heads straight out to his car.

Peter drives straight over to were Stacey pretends to really live and bangs on the door with his fist and minutes later Mr. Duncan answers the door.

 

‘’Were she!’’. Demands Peter.

 

‘’ And who will you be referring to young man?’’. Asks Mr. Duncan in a polite manner.

 

‘’You know who, Stacey!’’.

 

‘’Stacey is not here right now but I can take a message if you like’’.

 

‘’don’t give me the bullshit Miles, I know you’re not her father’’.

 

‘’And I never made out to be Stacey’s father but I do not appreciate you shouting at me on the doorstep’’.

 

‘’Well I don’t appreciate your wannabe daughter lying to me!’’.

 

‘’You kids always falling out, if there’s anything I can do’’.

 

‘’I’m waiting for Stacey to come back’’. Replies a very angry Peter who tries to step into the house uninvited but Mr. Duncan grabs him by the arm and twists it around his back forcing Peter down to his knees.

 

‘’That was a step too far young man’’. Replies Mr. Duncan, once again in a calm manner.

 

‘’Let the f**k go!’’.

 

‘’Not until you calm down’’.

 

‘’Were she!’’.

 

‘’Out and don’t ask were because I won’t tell you’’.

 

‘’Well tell her…’’.

 

‘’I won’t be telling her anything, in fact I won’t be telling her you were even here’’. Mr. Duncan tells Peter as he walks him to his car still holding his arm behind his back. ‘’And if I hear you have harassed Stacey in any manner, me and you will be having a talk’’. He tells Peter before slamming him against his car and then letting go of his arm.

 

‘’Now leave and don’t ever come back here’’.

 

‘’I will speak to her’’.

 

‘’I’m sure you will after all you do go to the same school but you won’t upset her’’.

 

‘’Or what!’’.

 

‘’Well we’ll just have to wait and see wont we’’. And Peter looks Mr. Duncan straight in the eyes before climbing back into his car and speeding away.

 

‘’What did you expect him to do!’’. Jamie tells Peter as the two sit in his garage drinking a beer.

 

‘’You turn up on his doorstep screaming in his face so all his neighbors can hear you and your talking about someone he classes as his own daughter’’.

 

‘’Yes but she isn’t’’.

 

‘’Even so man, how did you expect him to react?’’.

 

‘’Well I could see it in his eyes. He isn’t the calm and collected gentlemen he makes out to be’’.

 

‘’I don’t know man, everyone has a limit’’. Says Jamie as he sits beside Peter.

 

‘’What did you want with Stacey anyway?’’.

 

‘’She lied to me’’.

 

‘’About what?’’. He asks and Peter looks at Jamie.

 

‘’Come on, you can trust me. Remember it was me who told you about Stacey real family’’.

 

‘’Yeah your right. Stacey she was having a fling with my brother’’.

 

‘’No way’’.

 

‘’Yep, it’s in his diary’’.

 

‘’So what now?’’.

 

‘’I don’t know, maybe Coby found out and just went crazy but then why did Stacey lie?’’.

 

‘’Maybe she’s covering up for Coby, maybe he just saw red and pushed your brother off and then turned up on Stacey’s doorstep crying and full of regret and remorse so Stacey helped him cover it all up. Like you said Coby isn’t got the brains but Stacey has and she could have helped him make it looks like attempted suicide’’.

 

‘’Your right!’’.

 

‘’No man, I’m not saying that’s what happened and I’m not saying either Coby or Stacey had anything to do with it but maybe they had reason’’.

 

‘’Of course they did, Coby saw red, Stacey helped cover it up. Plus Stacey wouldn’t want anyone knowing something happened between her and Josh because it would harm her reputation and we both know how much that means to her’’.

 

‘’Be careful with this Peter, you don’t have any proof’’.

 

‘’Not yet but I’ll get it’’.

 

‘’ I don’t know yet, but I’ll figure it out…….’’.

 

The next day after school Peter heads over to Claire’s house and fills her in on everything that had happened before asking for her help. Peter wanted Claire to find out as much as she could on Mr. Miles Duncan because if he was going to accuse Coby and Stacey of plotting his brothers downfall he wanted to make sure first there was nothing off about Mr. Duncan so he could rule him out all together, after all he did have reason to be angry at Peter after he came to his house shouting and balling.

 

‘’So you want me to get info about This Mr. Duncan?’’. She asks Peter.

 

‘’Yes, just see if there’s anything of about him, see if he is as clean cut as he makes out. I can give you his name, address and tell you what happened to his wife but that’s it’’.

 

‘’And what is he to Stacey again?’’. Asks Claire as Peter had kept his promise and not told anyone about Stacey’s real father.

 

‘’He’s just a family friend of hers’’.

 

‘’And there not related?’’.

 

‘’No, she just knows him well’’.

 

‘’Okay then I’ll take a look but I can’t promise anything’’.

 

‘’I only ask for your best’’.

 

‘’That’s what I worry about’’. And Claire then gets to work on her computer.

Just over an hour later Claire calls Peter to the computer screen.

 

‘’So this is the guy right?’’. She asks Peter as the computer screen displays a black and white photo of Mr. Duncan.

 

‘’That’s him, what’s the picture about?’’.

 

‘’Just an employee picture from his company. Mr. Duncan looks like your run of the mill rich guy. Sadly his wife and daughter died in a car crash but he wasn’t involved in fact the only time he has been in hospital was to have his appendix out. He has a very good job for a leading firm that I’m sure pays him very, very well. He didn’t marry again nor have any more children.  He lives in a nice neighborhood, drives an environmentally friendly car and prefers cats over dogs’’.

 

‘’How did you find all this?’’.

 

‘’Tapped into his work bio. Good job I’m good at not getting caught’’.

 

‘’Yeah for both of us’’.

 

‘’So this Miles Duncan, there’s nothing there out of the norm’’.

 

‘’I guess so’’.

‘’So can I stop now’’.

 

‘’Yes and thanks again Claire’’.

 

‘’Don’t mention it’’. And Claire turns off her computer.

 

‘’So what now?’’. She asks Peter as she spins around on her chair to face him.

 

‘’Now? No I turn my attention to Coby and Stacey’’.

 

‘’So you really think they did it?’’.

 

‘’No, I know they did it, I just have to find the proof’’. And as Peter sits back down on the bed Claire assures him she will help in any way she can…..

 

The next day Peter stays behind at school to catch up on some school work and after he had finished he heads out to his car to find the sky’s had opened and rain was pouring down fast and as he races across to his car he also sees Stacey stood out in the pouring rain completely wet through as she tries to change the tire on her car. Peters first reaction is to run over and smash her head into the side of the car screaming at her why she did what she did but he knows that if he is going to get to the truth he has to keep his temper and true feelings bottles while he gets closer to her and hopefully the truth so Peter runs over to give her an hand.

 

‘’What happened?’’ He asks the wet through Stacey.

 

‘’Some a*****e has let all the air out of my tire’’.

 

‘’So why not call a tow truck?’’.

 

‘’I’m not exactly up to date with my assurance payments’’.

 

‘’Doesn’t Miles pay it for you?’’. Quickly quips Peter as he slips for a second.

 

‘’Like I said it’s not like that between us, I don’t take handouts’’.

 

‘’So why don’t you call Coby or a friend to give you a lift?’’.

 

‘’My phone got wet in the rain’’.

 

‘’S**t out of luck then’’.

 

‘’Tell me about it’’.

 

‘’So do you want me to call someone for you?’’.

 

‘’How about helping me change the tire? If I leave it here it might get jacked and I ant afford another car’’.

 

‘’You know there is a school bus that runs every day’’.

 

‘’Come on help me’’. Replies Stacey as she passes Peter her wrench and as the rain falls hard on the two of them they change the tire on Stacey’s car.

Half an hour later the tire is changed but the two of them are drenched to the bone.

 

‘’I best be off then’’. Peter then tells Stacey.

 

‘’No wait, I have to pay you back’’.

 

‘’No its fine’’. Replies Peter and he then turns to head to his car.

 

‘’Wait come back to mine’’.

 

‘’Yours?’’. Asks Peter as he turns back around.

 

‘’Well not mine but Mr. Duncan’s’’.

 

‘’No thanks’’.

 

‘’Come on, I can dry your clothes for you, I swear his dryer makes your cloths feel brand new again and if you like coffee wait till you taste his, he has it shipped from Italy’’.

 

‘’No, I don’t think Mr. Duncan wants me hanging around his nice house dripping everywhere’’. Says Peter as Mr. Duncan warned him not to come back again.

 

‘’He’s away on business for the next few days, he’ll not even know’’. Ad Peter knows this could be an opportunity to quiz Stacey one on one as he doesn’t get the opportunity at school with Coby and hiss jocks always hanging around her.

 

‘’Ok then’’. Says Peter and he follows Stacey in his car.

When they arrive Stacey grabs a dry pair of cloths for Peter.

 

‘’Here she says’’. Passing him a t-shirt and a pair of tracksuit pants. ‘’Thereare just spares. The bathrooms the first on the left if you want to go and get changed, just bring your wet cloths don and I’ll put them in the dryer.’’. She tells him.

 

‘’Thanks’’. And Peter heads up to the bathroom to change out of his wet cloths and when he returns he finds a coffee waiting for him and Stacey had changed into a pair of black shorts and a big white t-shirt.

 

‘’I made you a coffee’’.

 

‘’Thanks’’.  Replies Peter as he sits down and tries the coffee.

 

‘’Wow it is good’’.

 

‘’I told you. Shipped all the way from Italy’’.

 

‘’Milan?’’.

 

‘’Yeah how did you know?’’.

 

‘’I know my coffee’’. And the two smile and continue to talk over there coffee……

 

‘’So what’s it like being back at school?’’.  Asks Stacey.

 

‘’Same old I guess’’.

 

‘’But…’’.

 

‘’But what?’’.

 

‘’Before you were’’.

 

‘’A lot more popular’’.

 

‘’I guess so but now you don’t seem to care’’.

 

‘’I don’t because I know popularity doesn’t mean s**t’’.

 

‘’But for some it makes them feel better about yourself and gives them more options’’.

 

‘’Maybe so but I don’t care about all that’’.

 

‘’Why don’t you play football anymore?’’.

 

‘’Oh I’m sure Coby and his jock friends would love me trying out for the team again’’.

 

‘’They couldn’t stop you’’.

 

‘’Trust me, Jocks run the lockerooms not the coaches’’.

 

‘’So you’re scared’’.

 

‘’Me scared of Coby? Never I just don’t want to play anymore, I don’t get the passion from it anymore and to be honest just before I left I was tiring if the game, it just didn’t do it for me anymore’’.

 

‘’And your drawing did?’’.

 

‘’Yeah it did’’.

 

‘’So what now?’’.

 

‘’I haven’t drawn since I returned from France’’.

 

‘’Because of your brother?’’.

 

‘’I just don’t feel like it right now’’.

 

‘’Do you think your brother will want you to stop doing the thing you love?’’. She asks and Peter is unsure as to if Stacey is generally being nice or just trying to knock him off the scent.

 

‘’What do you think he’s want?’’. He asks and Stacey looks into the eyes of Peter for a few seconds before getting up of the stool without saying a word and leaving the room. Peter sits there wondering what she is doing when Stacey returns with a large pad of white paper and a couple of pencils and places them down in front of Peter.

 

‘’This is what I think he’d want’’. She tells him.

 

‘’I don’t have anything I want to draw’’.

 

‘’Then just draw your emotions’’.

 

‘’what?’’.

 

‘’Whatever your feeling right now, anger, hurt, guilt darkness whatever it is just draw it’’.

 

‘’This is stupid, you’re not my art teacher Stacey’’.

 

‘’Just give it a go’’. She insists looking deep into the eyes of Peter.

 

‘’Okay, whatever’’. And Peter looks down at the large blank piece of white paper and begins to draw…..

 

A young Peter and Josh are on holiday with their parents and playing on the beach. Their father is sat in a deckchair with his sunglasses on taking in the sun’s rays while there mother builds sandcastles with them.

 

‘’Come on, let’s play in the sea’’. She then tells her two boys.

 

‘’But we can’t swim’’. Says Josh.

 

‘’Yeah dad was supposed to take us for lessons before we come’’.

 

‘’Well you can’t go back home without feeling the sea water between your toes’’. And the boy’s mother begins taking off her sandals and the boys follow suit.

 

‘’So what we going to do?’’. Asks Peter.

 

‘’Were going to play a game I played with my mother when I was young’’. She tells them. ‘’We all hold hands and stands in a line and we walk out into the water, as far as we dare’’.

 

‘’But we might drown’’.

 

‘’And the waves are splashing’’.

 

‘’The waves will only come to your belly’s and I can swim, I won’t let either of you go I promise’’. And both the boys take one of their mothers hand each and slowly begin to walk out to the water. Both the boys naturally scared of the water with their inability to swim but there mother assures them they’ll be okay and when they step further out and the water rushes around there toes the two brothers look at one another with smiles on their faces.

 

‘’I told you you’d like it’’. Their mother tells them. ‘’Here it comes’’. She then says as the first wave approaches.

 

‘’Hold on tight’’. Asks a scared Josh and the two brothers both stand in fear as the wave hits and comes up to their stomachs but as it gathers back down to their ankles both boys have huge smiles on their faces.

 

‘’I loved it!’’. Shouts Josh.

 

‘’Yeah me too!’’. Gushes Peter.

 

‘’Can e go out further?’’.

 

‘’Okay then’’. Their mother tells them and the three of them walk out further as another wave hits them and they all laugh and smile at one another……

 

‘’Is that you and your brother’’. Asks Stacey as she peers over Peter’s shoulder at his picture.

 

‘’Yes and our mom’’.

 

‘’What about your father?’’.

 

‘’He’s in the crowd somewhere, not involved as normal’’.

 

‘So what you doing?’’.

 

‘’Me and Josh were scared of the water. Back then neither of us could swim and my mom played a game with us were we held her hand and walked out to the water and let the waves hit us up to our stomachs, the sun was shining down on us and it was one of the best and most happiest time of my life’’.

 

‘’You look happy’’.

 

‘’Because we were’’.

 

‘’I was expecting you to draw something dark’’.

 

‘’No, me and Josh always said to one another whenever our life’s were filled with darkness or sadness we always return there, even if it’s just in our heads’’.

 

‘’So this is your safe spot’’.

 

‘’Everyone needs one’’. And as Peter stares down at the drawing his eyes begin to slowly fill with tears so he stops drawing and stands up off his stool.

 

‘’Were you going?’’. Asks Stacey.

 

‘’I need to go’’.

 

‘’But your cloths aren’t dry yet’’.

 

‘’I’ll call for them later’’. And Peter heads for the door but as he reaches for the handle Stacey steps in front of him to stop him from leaving.

 

‘’Wait, your upset about your brother I understand that but you can’t keep running from it because it’s in your head. You need to let it all out and I’m here to listen’’.

 

‘’Why? Why Stacey? Why are you here to listen?’’. Peter snaps back.

 

‘’Because I know how much you love your brother’’.

 

‘’Yes I do!’’. Shouts Peter.

 

‘’So tell me about him’’.

 

‘’Why, you never cared about my brother!’’. Shouts Peter even louder.

 

‘’Your brother is a good person’’.

 

‘’So why!!!!!’’. And Peter them smashes his fist into the wall straight by Stacey’s head and she looks at Peters fist in the wall so close to her head and then looks straight into the eyes of the very highly charged Peter and the two of them are breathing heavily, adrenalin pumping through their bodies and the two then passionately kiss, Peter slamming Stacey against the door an holding her tightly by the hips but seconds later he pulls away.

 

‘’I can’t do this’’.

 

‘’Why?’’. Asks a heavily breathing Stacey but Peter doesn’t reply and instead he moves Stacey away from the door and heads down the drive to his car.

 

‘’Why Peter?’’. Shouts Stacey and he then turns and marches back up the drive and into Stacey’s face.

 

‘’Because I can’t trust you’’. He spit’s at her before turning around once more and heading to his car leaving Stacey stood out on the porch.

 

Peter pulls up his car outside his parents house and jumps out and as he does his phone begins to ring so he reaches into his pocket and pulls out his phone and sees it is Stacey who is ringing him but before he has time to do anything about it someone hits him hard from behind across the back with a baseball bat and as Peter falls to the floor he is hit again and again…….

 

Peter wakes up in the hospital. His left forearm is in a cast and his back in pain as he tries to sit up in bed his mother walks into the room having gone out for a cup of tea and when she sees her son is awake she rushes over to his bedside.

 

‘’Your awake!’’. She gushes. ‘’Are you okay, is there any pain because the doctors said….’’.

 

‘’No I’m okay mom’’. He assures her.

 

‘’What happened?’’ She asks and Peter begins to think about the incident….. He looked down at his phone to see Stacey was ringing and just then he was hit hard over the back with a baseball bat and as he fell to the floor he was hit again and again, Peter curled into a ball as much as he could as the hits rained in and as he looked through his fingers he saw whoever was attacking was dressed all in black and wearing a black balaclava to hide their identity.

 

‘’I don’t know mom, it was dark’’.

 

‘’You had nothing in your pockets’’.

 

‘’I did before’’.

 

‘’What?’’.

 

‘’Wallet, phone, car keys’’.

 

‘’So you were mugged?’’.

 

‘’Maybe. What about my car?’’.

 

‘’No, your car wasn’t taken, but maybe they got scared off, maybe they so someone and ran with your wallet and phone’’.

 

‘’Maybe’’. And Peter knows too well it could have been a mugging but maybe someone took his phone and wallet to make it look like that and maybe the attack was for something completely different.

 

‘’Who found me?’’.

 

‘’Your father’’.

 

‘’Were he now?’’.

 

‘’In the hallway, he said he needed some air and a coffee’’. And Peter knows he won’t have spent two minutes in the room.

 

‘’don’t worry mom, I’m okay’’. Peter assures her as he grabs hold of his mother’s hand.

 

‘’I can’t lose you’’.  She tells her son. ‘’I won’t lose you’’.

 

‘’don’t worry mom, I’m not going anywhere’’. And Peter smiles at his mother.

 

The next day Peter is allowed home and is picked up by his friend Jamie.

 

‘’So what happened man?’’. He asks on the car ride home.

 

‘’I don’t know, I just arrived home and wham’’.

 

‘’You think it has something to do with…’’.

 

‘’My brother?’’.

 

‘’Got to ask man because I know how much he feel he didn’t jump and if someone did have something to do with it and they know your trying to find out maybe it was them’’.

 

‘’There’s only one person who did this’’.

 

‘’Who?’’.

 

‘’Coby. I said he didn’t have the brains to get away with attempted murder but attacking someone with a baseball bat is right up his street, plus that night I’d been with Stacey’’.

 

‘’Been with Stacey?’’.

 

‘’Not like that, I helped her change her tire but we did spend time together and we know ho Coby doesn’t like anyone spending time with his girl’’.

 

‘’Remember this is all speculation man’’.

 

‘’And the last thing, the very last thing I said to Stacey was I don’t trust you. Now if she reported that back to her boyfriend then he’s going to get scared and his Brian cells don’t stretch any further than picking up a baseball bat’’.

 

‘’Just be careful, let the police deal with it’’.

 

‘’I didn’t give them Coby’s name’’.

 

‘’What!’’.

 

‘’Like I said, whoever attacked me was wearing a balaclava. Plus I want to deal with this myself’’.

 

‘’You have to be careful Peter, Josh wouldn’t want you tearing yourself up like this’’.

 

‘’And he wouldn’t want to be sat in a hospital in a vegetated state but he is’’. And Jamie stops the car outside Peter’s house.

 

‘’What about your car?’’ He asks.

 

‘’I have a spare copy’’.

 

‘’Well if you need anything, just call’’.

 

‘’Thanks man’’. And Peter then climbs out of the car.

 

‘’And Peter’’.

‘’What?’’.

 

‘’Remember what I said… be careful’’.

 

‘’I will’’. And Jamie then leaves and Peter heads inside.

 

After a few hours of resting and sleeping Peter decides to go and see his brother. He hadn’t been since the incident there when he kicked off about Peter being moved from the window but time had passed since then and he had to see his brother so Peter went with the intention of apologizing to the nurse involved.

 

‘’So like I said….. I’m sorry’’. Peter tells Nurse April as the two sit on the level floor with a cup of coffee. ‘’It hasn’t been easy since my brothers accident and coming here and seeing him like that, well it breaks my heart’’.

 

‘’I understand Mr. Fisher, and I understand that I can not be easy seeing someone you love so much in a place like this but you have to control your emotions, you can’t come in here and acting like that, it’s not good for fellow patients or your brother’’.

 

‘’I understand’’.

 

‘’Well what about we forget the whole thing’’.

 

‘’Sounds good to me’’. And the two stand up.

 

‘’What happened to your arm?’’. Asks Nurse April.

 

‘’Football practice’’. Lies Peter.

 

‘’Well be careful next time’’.

 

‘’I will’’. And Peter says goodbye and heads over the elevator to see his brother but when he reaches the floor his brother is on and walks inside he finds his brother already has a visitor……

 

‘’What are you doing here?’’. He asks Mr. Duncan who is dressed in a smart suit and has a smile on his face.

 

‘’Hello Peter’’. He replies in a smug manner and Peter walks across to him and looks straight into Mr. Duncan’s face.

 

‘’What are you doing here’’. He asks again this time with more aggression in his tone.

 

‘I’m visiting your brother’’.

 

‘’You don’t know my brother’’.

 

‘’And that’s what I’m trying to change, you see I told the nurse how I am a member of the school board and I take great pride in all our students and felt it was my duty to personally come and visit student Joshua Fisher and see how he is and how he is coping with his incident’’.

 

‘’You come here again and…’’.

 

‘’And what Peter, you going to thank me?’’. He asks in a calm tone and as the two look into one another’s eyes a nurse approaches to check on Josh.

 

‘’Hello Peter’’. She says. ‘’Mr. Duncan here has donated a sum of money to the hospital’’.

 

‘’Oh please, I don’t want people think I’m looking for attention’’. Replies Mr. Duncan as he smiles at the nurse.

 

‘’And he says your school paper will have an article on your brother, showing how his progress is and how he’s doing in here’’. Adds the nurse before she checks on another patient.

 

‘’I don’t want no paper article’’. Demands Peter.

 

‘’And I don’t want anyone snooping into my personal life’. Adds Mr. Duncan.

 

‘’What do you mean?’’.

 

‘’Come on, I know you’ve been looking at my personal files on the internet. Hacking into files you shouldn’t to find out about me, I don’t why because trust me I am not at all that interesting but still, it’s an invasion of privacy and don’t want it to happen again’’.

 

‘’I haven’t looked at any personal files’’.

 

‘’I’m not stupid Peter. Your friend Claire Hall, she hacked into my files from her house. The same Claire Hall you have known for years now what a coincidence that is’’. And Peter doesn’t reply.

 

‘’I could always report this Claire Hall because I’m sure the police prosecute computer hackers. In fact I’ll phone now and give r her name and address.’’.

 

‘’No don’t’’. Asks Peter.

 

‘’Exactly, because you were behind it’’. And Mr. Duncan puts his phone away.

 

‘’That’s why I’m here, because if you insist on getting to know me better than I must do the same back because this can’t be a one sided friendship Peter’’.

 

‘’Stay away from my brother’’.

 

‘’You stay out of my life Peter….. And I’ll do the same back’’. And Mr. Duncan smiles at Peter before saying goodbye to Josh and then walking away.

After spending a few hours at the hospital with his brother Peter arrives home and finds his friend Jamie waiting for him and Peter fills him in on everything that had happened.

 

‘’Wow so this Miles guy is pretty pissed at you’’.

 

‘’Yep. He’s not the calm and collective gentlemen he makes out to be’’.

 

‘’You going to tell Claire?’’.

 

‘’No, she’ll flip and I don’t want her to worry. Plus Mr. Duncan made it clear if I stay out of his life he’ll stay out of mine’’.

 

‘’So you going to do?’’.

 

‘’For now’’.

 

‘’Man you have it form all angles’’.

 

‘’I don’t care just as long as I get down to the truth’’.

 

‘’Well I found something out for you’’.

 

‘’You do?’’.

 

‘’Yeah, I got thinking about the whole Coby and Stacey thing and you being so sure they did it’’.

 

‘’I still am’’.

 

‘’Well I got some information on Stacey’s real father’’.

 

‘’You did?’’.

 

‘’Yeah, my cousin Barney works down at the station remember’’.

 

‘’Yes’’.

 

‘’Well I asked him to look up his files, just to see if he had any convictions’’.

 

‘’And?’’.

 

‘’There were a few, all violence related’’.

 

‘’Any towards Stacey?’’.

 

‘’No, but from the sound of it this guy has a short fuse’’.

 

‘’ So you think he could have?’’.

 

‘’I’m not saying anything and I’m not saying he did it. I just thought you should know just in case you start hassling Stacey for information and he comes knocking at your door’’.

 

‘’Thanks for the heads up’’.

 

‘’Anytime’’. And Jamie pats his friend on the shoulder.

 

‘’Hey can I sign your pot?’’.

 

‘’If you have a pen’’……..

 

That night while Peter is sleeping he dreams of his brother. The two of them are on the beach from their childhood and Josh is walking out into the water just as they did with their mother. But Josh walks too far out and the waves begin to splash up over his chest and onto his face.

 

‘’Brother!’’. Calls out a scared Josh as the waves begin rising and Peter runs into the water and tries to reach Josh.

 

‘’Brother help me!’’. Shouts Josh but the further Peter runs out the further away Josh seems to become and it is impossible for Peter to reach him.

 

‘’Peter!!!!!’’. He shouts.

 

‘’I’m coming for you!’’.

 

‘’Help me….. Help me please’’.

 

‘’I’m coming!!!!’ Shouts a panicking Peter but no matter how fast he moves through the water Josh just appears further and further until finally he is out of sight as a wave crashes up over him.

 

‘’Josh! Josh!!!!!!!!!’’. Shouts a scared Peter and just then a huge wave appears in front of him and comes crashing down on his head…..

 

Peter wakes up in bed breathing heavily and his whole body wet through. He sits and takes a drink of his water as he goes over his nightmare in his head again and again……

 

The next morning Peter is up and has breakfast with his mother before heading to school but as Peter places his books in his locker Coby appears behind him and grabs hold of Peter before ramming his head into the steel locker. Coby then turns Peter around and punches him in the stomach again and again followed by a punch around the face that sends him to the floor. Peter retaliates by kicking Coby in the shin and he then stagers to his feet and chargers at Coby slamming him back first into a locker as a crowd begins to gather. Peter then punches Coby across the face several times but Coby retaliates by punching Peter in the ribs and then jumps to his feet before grabbing hold of Coby by the collar of his shirt and slamming his back into a locker again and again  Coby then let’s go and aims a punch at Peter but he quickly moves out of the way and Coby’s fist smashes into a locker behind Peter who then swings as hard as he can with his left arm which is plastered in a cast and he catches Coby on the side of the head which sends him crashing to the floor and before the two of them can continue the fight they are jumped on by several teachers who drag them both away.

 

Both Coby and Peter once more find themselves sat in the principal’s office who looks less than pleased.

 

‘’What did I tell you both’’. He says but neither answers.

 

‘’Fighting in the halls, causing damage to school property. I could throw you both out of this school and there wouldn’t be a dam thing you could do about it!’’. He shouts. I don’t care what you were fighting over, I don’t care if it involved a girl or if it had something to do with the football team or anything else because these action will not and listen clear boys WILL NOT happen again I can guarantee you that!’’. And the office then goes silent.

 

‘’Coby, your suspended for the rest of the week’’.

 

‘’But Sir we have a game on Friday’’.

 

‘’Well I’m afraid you’ll miss that’’.

 

‘’But Sir…’’.

 

‘’Do not argue with me!’’. He demands of Coby. ‘’ I’ll also be contacting your parents on why you are going to be home for the rest of the week and when you return next week you will be on hall duty as punishment for the damage to the lockers so get out of my office and go home!’’. He demands and a grim faced Coby who is sporting a huge bruise at the side of his head were Peter’s cast hit him strops out of the principal’s office but just before he glances back at Peter with anger in his eyes.

 

‘’And now to you Mr. Fisher’’. Says the principle. ‘’Once more I find you in my office having not listened to a word I said last time’’.

 

‘’Coby attacked me’’.

 

‘’Yes, yes I spoke to the witnesses but don’t lie and tell me he had no cause’’.

 

‘’He didn’t’’.

 

‘’You two have clashed ever since you returned to this school and I don’t know why and to be honest I don’t really care anymore. I have suspended Coby for the rest of the week to allow him to cool his temper and missing the game on Friday will be punishment enough but you… your different’’

 

‘So what you going to do with me Sir?’’.

 

‘’First off I will be contacting your parents to aware them of the situation today. Plus you will stay behind every day to help the cleaners as punishment for the damage to the lockers’’.

 

‘’But Sir that’s when I go to see my brother’’.

 

‘’I’m sorry Peter but you will have to delay by half hour’’.

 

‘’No I can’t…. I won’t’’.

 

‘’This is not negotiable Peter’’.

 

‘’Neither is my brother’’. And Peter stands up to walk out.

 

‘Okay you want to play it like that. You’re suspended for the next two weeks and I will be informing your parents as to why.  You are also banned from trying out for the school football team for the rest of the year’’.

 

‘’I didn’t intend to’’.

 

‘’Well now you can’t change your mind’’. And Peter heads for the door but the principle isn’t finished. ‘’And Peter I meant what I said. I am very, very sorry for what happened to your brother and if there is any way the school can help you we will. But what happened today will not happen again’’. And without replying Peter leaves.

 

‘Why did he attack you?’’. Asks Claire as she takes care of Peters new wounds.

 

‘’I don’t know, maybe he found out I suspect him’’.

 

‘’But how?’’.

 

‘’Maybe he’s scared, maybe he’s ready to crack’’.

 

‘’Well whatever it was he sure was pissed’’.

 

‘’Yeah don’t I know it’’.

 

‘’Do you want me to take you to the hospital because your cast has a crack in it and your lip…’’.

 

‘’No, I can’t go back there. If I go back so soon there going to ask questions and they’re going to keep a look out on me and I don’t need that right now. Just do the best you can’’.

 

‘’Well I can try pouring a little glue in the crack on your cast and I’ll do what I can with your lip’’.

 

‘’Thanks’’. Replies Peter.  ‘’Do you have any aspirin?’’. ‘’Yeah sure’’. Replies Claire before leaving and returning with two aspirin tablet and a glass of water.

 

‘’My head is killing me’’. Peter tells her as he takes the tablets.

 

‘’You can’t keep putting your body though this Peter. Look at you, you’re a wreck right now’’.

 

‘’Well I can’t stop now. I need to find out why Coby attacked me and see if he’s ready to crack’’.

 

‘’Oh and if he did do something he’s going to reveal all to you’’.

 

‘’I don’t care who it to, just as long as he does and the police find out about it’’.

 

‘’Well just be careful because….’’. Claire is then interrupted as Peters new phone vibrates and he looks to see it is a message from Stacey asking him to meet her tonight at her real house.

 

‘’Who is it?’’. Asks Claire.

 

‘’Stacey’’.

 

‘’What does she want?’’.

 

‘’I don’t know, but I’ll soon find out’’……

 

Later that night Peter does go to see Stacey at her real home and as he knocks on the door Stacey answers.

 

‘’What do you want?’’. He asks.

 

‘’Please come in’’. She insists looking slightly scared and Peter enters. Inside the place is littered with many empty beer bottles and pizza boxes. The ash tray is full to the brim with old cigarette stubs and the place doesn’t smell that good either.

 

‘’Before you say or think it I know. The place is pig sty. That’s why I’m here to clean up’’.

 

‘’Why doesn’t he clean it himself’’.

 

‘’Because my father would be happy living in his own s**t but I’m not’’. And Stacey clears somewhere for the two of them to sit.

 

‘’How did you get my number?’’. Asks Stacey.

 

‘’Jamie gave me it at school. I told him we needed to speak’’.

 

‘’Ok then, what is it’’.

 

‘’I know why Coby attacked you today’’.

 

‘’You do. Why?’’. Maybe Stacey was about to crack first and reveal all.

 

‘’It’s because I finished with him last night’’.

 

‘’You did, why?’’.

 

‘’Partly because I finally realized I was only with him because of popularity’’.

 

‘’So why attack me?’’.

 

‘’Because he found out me and you had spent some time together and he put two and two together and came up with five and he thinks I am seeing you behind his back and that you’re the reason I finished with him’’.

 

‘’But how did he find out?’’.

 

‘’I don’t know, someone must have saw us. In the coffee shop or maybe in the car ark when you fixed my tire’’.

 

‘’Well I have to put him straight’’.

 

‘’No, just stay away from him because it’ll only make things worse’’.

‘’So why Stacey, why now. Why now have you suddenly diced that the head cheerleader and the star quarterback don’t fit together?’’.

 

‘’Me and Coby were never really a couple; it was all because of the popularity not just for me but for him too. He loved having me hanging off his arm on a Saturday night after a win and I loved the attention that brought’’.

 

‘’ Sounds like love to me’’. Peter sarcastically replies.

 

‘’Me and Coby we never…..’’.

 

‘’You never what?’’.

 

‘’We never slept together’’.

 

‘’After all this time. I’ve heard Coby brag about, even before I left for Paris’’.

 

‘’ I know but we never did people just assumed we did and Coby went along with it’’.

 

‘’So what did you tell him?’’.

 

‘’That I wasn’t ready. Sure we kissed and did other things but we never slept together’’.

 

‘’And Coby was okay with that?’’.

 

‘’Not always. We rowed over it.  Coby would say I didn’t find him attractive or accuse me of seeing someone else but it wasn’t the case’’.

 

‘’So what was?’’.

 

‘’I just…. I just didn’t feel that way with him. Not to give myself to him like that it just never felt right’’.

 

‘’ So why are you telling me Stacey?’’.

 

‘’Because….’’. And Stacey’s eyes begin filling up.

 

‘’It just seems like you’re the only one who I can talk to this about. All my friends at school, there all cheerleaders like me and most of them date Coby’s friends and if I told them about my real feelings for Coby and the fact we never slept together they’d abandon me because there superficial……. Like me’’.

 

‘’Well…’’. And Peter feels torn. He does feel some sympathy for Stacey and he realizes she is not the girl everyone thinks she is. She is not a stuck up head cheerleader who looks down on everyone else and cares only for her appearance and popularity. Sure she had made mistakes to keep the mask intact but she had real feelings, real insecurities just like everyone else.

 

‘’Well if you need someone to talk to…’’.

 

‘’Your just like him’’.

 

‘’Who?’’.

 

‘’Your brother’’.

 

‘’I wish more people would give him a chance like they have me. Just because I was good at football and he was good at computers I was the popular one and that’s bullshit’’.

 

‘’ I gave him a chance’’.

 

‘’What do you mean?’’. Asks an intrigued Peter.

 

‘’I lied to you Peter. Me and your brother we did become close and we….. We started seeing one another’’.

 

‘’You and Josh!’’.

 

‘’I’m sorry for not telling you. I just….’

 

‘’Yeah, yeah, yeah afraid of your popularity’’.

 

‘’And I was scared, scared of what Coby what do it would do to me’’.

 

‘’I really feel sorry for you’’.

 

‘’I don’t want to stay in this town forever. I want out, I want out make a life for myself and to do that I need a cheerleading scholarship so I can apply to be a gymnastic teacher or maybe even teach cheerleading and if the school had of found out I would have been out of the cheerleading team’’.

 

‘’Well don’t I feel sorry for you!’’.

 

‘’ I’m sorry Peter, I really am’’. Cries Stacey.

 

‘’So what happened. And I want to know everything!’’.

 

‘’Me and your brother were spending more and more time together because of our studying and during that time we got to know one another. I’ll admit in normal circumstances I wouldn’t have spent that time to get to know your brother but because we were forced to work together I did and I realized just what a good guy he was…. Is’’.

 

‘’So did you sleep together?’’. Asks Peter and Stacey pauses for a minute before answering. ‘’Yes……. We did’’…….

 

Stacey is sat on her bed with Josh at Mr. Duncan’s as they go through her homework.

 

‘’So your cheerleading teachers a real b***h I guess’’.

 

‘’Real b***h? More like the devil dressed in a seventies tracksuit I swear her whistle is glued to her mouth’’. And the two laugh.

 

‘’Thanks for helping me with this Josh, I just look at all those numbers and my brain hurts’’.

 

‘’Its okay, if you break them down it’s a lot easier to work out’’.

 

‘’Well you’re the genius’’. And Stacey then spots a CD sticking out of Josh’s bag and she looks to see it is the band Nirvana.

 

‘’This your brothers?’’. She asks as she grabs the CD looking for any excuse to take a minute’s break from her maths.

 

‘’No its mine’’.

 

‘’Really? Oh my God I love Nirvana’’.

 

‘’You do?’’.

 

‘’I know what you’re thinking. What’s the dozy cheerleader who needs help with her math’s doing listening to Nirvana hen I should be listening to some cheesy boy band who mime and can’t dance to save their lives’’.

 

‘’No, no am just…’’.

 

‘’Go on say it’’. She laughs.

 

‘’Okay just a little surprised, but I bet your just as surprised with me’’.

 

‘’I would have been, few weeks back but not now, not now I know you’’. And the two look at one another until the slightly awkward feeling Josh breaks the tension but does it by mentioning the one person he doesn’t want to.

 

‘’ So where’s Coby?’’

 

‘’Some games on TV so him and the guys are watching it with their pizza and beers. I told him I’m not coming round and playing maid to them all’’.

 

‘’You two don’t seem to spend much time together after school hours’’.

 

‘’Were both busy with football practice and cheerleading practice plus…..’’. And Stacey quickly stops what she is saying.

 

‘’Plus what?’’.

 

‘’No, you know what he’s like with the gym and everything’’.

 

‘’Come on, you can tell me’’.

 

‘’Tell you what?’’.

 

‘’It just seem like you were going to say something else’’.

 

‘’Well I wasn’t’’.

 

‘’Okay’’. And the room goes quiet for a few minutes and Josh feels very awkward.

 

‘’Okay but you can’t tell anyone’’. She tells Josh as she sits on the bed beside him.

 

‘’I swear and even if I did Coby would kick my a*s’’.

 

‘’Well just promise me’’.

 

‘’I promise’’.

 

‘’Its just….. Sometimes I feel like he cares more about his football and his sick pack than me and he spends more time with his jock friends than he does with me’’.

 

‘’And that upsets you’’.

 

‘’It use to. But not now’’.

 

‘’So what changed?’’.

 

‘’You came along’’.

 

‘’What?’’.

 

‘’Me and Coby, were not really a couple, we never have been in fact we haven’t even slept together and at first I was fine with it all. Star quarterback dating head cheerleader, it makes sense. Plus I loved the attention and I loved the popularity it gave me, all my friends envious that Coby wanted to be with me and seeing everyone’s face as I hung off his arm. I felt….. I felt special I felt wanted not like at home because to my mom I was never special and with my dad I wasn’t wanted’’.

 

‘’You have Mr. Duncan’’. Says Josh who knew about the situation with Stacey’s family.

 

‘’It’s not the same and it’s not as good as people think’’.

 

‘’Well you have me….. If you ever need anyone to talk to’’.

 

‘’I used to think all that bullshit at school meant something but it doesn’t. My mom was voted the most beautiful girl in school two years in a row and look where it got her. Addicted to drugs and abandoning her family’’.

 

‘’Your not like her, and you’re not like those other airheads at school’’.

 

‘’No I’m worse, because I’m a wannabe and I want it even more than them all’’.

 

‘’No you don’t’’. Insists Josh. ’’I’ll admit, I thought you were just the same as all those girls and when I was told I had to help you up your grades I wasn’t looking forward to it, I wasn’t looking forward to hear you talking about different shades of nail polish and how much your hair extensions cost  or going on about Coby and the Jocks again and again but you didn’t and it really surprised me. You’re a really nice person Stacey and I’m glad I got to know you’’. And the two then look into one another’s eyes and slowly draw closer together until they share a tender kiss. Stacey then pulls away and looks deep into Josh’s eyes as she takes off his glasses and then kisses him again and Josh then wraps his arm around Stacey as the two continue to kiss………

 

‘’So how long did it go on for?’’. Asks Peter.

 

‘’A few weeks’’.

 

‘’And no one found out?’’.

 

‘’No’’.

 

‘’So what happened after a few weeks?’ Asks Peter…….

 

 

Josh is stood down below Stacey’s bedroom window at Mr. Duncan’s house in the pouring down rain as he shouts her name and after ignoring the first few calls Stacey opens her bedroom window and looks down at the wet through Josh who is at least relieved that the rain hides his tears.

 

‘’Why Stacey, why?’’. He asks.

 

‘’We just can’t’’. She pleads.

 

‘’don’t say it, don’t say you love Coby because you don’t’’.

 

‘’Me and you…..’’.

 

‘’Fit Stacey, we fit’’.

 

‘’It’s just not right’’.

 

‘’Who for? Everyone at school, the cheerleaders, the Jocks. Your just scared of what people would say, your just scared of losing your status at school, losing all that popularity because your dating a guy like me’’.

 

‘’No, it’s not’’.

 

‘’Yes it is!’’. He shouts as he chokes back the tears.

 

‘’I like you Stacey, I like YOU. Not the Stacey at school, not the cheerleader or the popular girl or the one all the guys stare and drool at but you and not many people can even say they know the real you but I do and I love you for it’’.

 

‘’You don’t love me….. You shouldn’t love me’’.

 

‘’I do Stacey and I don’t care what anyone says’’. He pleads as the rain falls down hard on his face.

 

‘’I just…….. I just can’t’’.

 

‘’Cant or don’t want to?’’. Asks Josh which is followed by a brief pause.

 

‘’Both’’. And Stacey then quickly closes the window and rushes over to her bed as she digs her head into the cover and begins to cry while Josh stands there tears masked by the rain as he stares up at the window and then outs his head to his hands before shouting out in pain and hurt……..

 

‘’Why…. Why did you break his heart?’’. Asks Peter as Stacey’s eyes fill with tears.

 

‘’Because I’m shallow and insecure’’.

 

‘’Did Coby find out and threaten you or threaten to hurt my brother?’’.

 

‘’No Coby never found out’’.

 

‘’So you dumped Josh just because of what people would say at school?’’.

 

‘’Yeah, yeah I know’’. Shouts Stacey as she stands up and wipes away her tears.

 

‘’I’m a b***h, I’m fake I’m a wannabe, I am all the bad things your thinking and I can’t argue with that, Josh listened to me, he talked to me like no one ever has and I cared more about what other people would think rather than what I thought and that makes me one shallow b***h!’’.

 

‘’Well you said it’. Replies Peter as he stares at Stacey and just then the door swings open and Stacey’s father walks in looking more than a little worse for wear.

 

‘’What you doing here?’’. He slurs at Peter as he spills bottle of beer everywhere.

 

‘’Nothing’’. And Peter then heads to leave but as he passes Stacey’s father he grabs Peter by the arm.

 

‘’I asked you a question boy’’.

 

‘’And I told you’’. Replies Peter before pulling away from Stacey’s father and heading for the door.

 

‘’Do you want to end up in the same place as your brother boy’’. He then says and Peter stops and turns around looking very angry.

 

‘’What did you say!’’.

 

‘’Nothing, he’s drunk’’. Adds Stacey as she grabs her father by the arm but he pulls away from Stacey and stares at Peter.

 

‘’I said do you want to join your brother because it can be arranged. I remember him hanging around my daughter like some weirdo but he isn’t anymore’’. And as Stacey’s drunken father laughs Peter chargers at him and knocks him to the floor before punching him around the face but Stacey quickly pulls Peter away.

 

‘’Stop it stop it!’’. She screams.

 

‘’I’ll kill you!’’. Shouts Peter but Stacey stands in front of her father who lies on the floor still laughing and very, very drunk.

 

‘’You want him you’ll have to knock me out of the way first’’. She tells a very angry Peter.

 

‘’He’s, he’s…..’’.

 

‘’He’s a drunk’’. Stacey tells Peter. ‘’But please, he’s still my father’’. And Peter looks down at Stacey’s drunken father before looking up at Stacy and then storms out and to his car.

Peter slams his fist in anger on the bonnet of his car before climbing in but before he can set of Stacey climbs in the passenger’s seat.

 

‘’What do you want?’’. He asks.

 

‘’Will you take me to Mr. Duncan’s’’. She asks.

 

‘’Why?’’.

 

‘’Because I don’t feel like cleaning up after my father anymore and we can talk on the way’’.

 

‘’After the way you treated my brother and how you father just spoke to me?’’.

 

‘’Like I said… we need to talk’’. And Peter looks at Stacey before setting off.

 

Peter stops his car outside Mr. Duncan’s house…

 

‘’Thanks for the ride’’. Says Stacey.

 

‘’Why Stacey?’’.

 

‘’Why what?’’.

 

‘’Why did you tell me about you and Josh. What do you get out of it?’’.

 

‘’A clear conscious for a start. Plus I’m sick of living a lie. I’m sick of trying to be this image that so many people see as perfect when really it’s not’’.

 

‘’So what now, you going to go around school and tell everyone what happened between you and Josh and lose your  popular status?’’.

 

‘’No, but at least you know’’.

 

‘’And what stops me telling everyone?’’.

 

‘’Because I know you’re not like that. You’re him….. you’re like your brother. And I’m sorry for everything that happened and I’m sorry for breaking his heart. Your brother is a good person and would be a great boyfriend but me and him weren’t meant to be. We will always be good friends and if you don’t mind I’d like to visit him’’.

 

‘’Yeah sure’’. Replies Peter.

 

‘’Thank you’’. And Stacey leans over and kisses Peter on the cheek before climbing out of the car and heading up the drive to Mr. Duncan’s house while Peter drives home.

 

The next morning Peter has his breakfast and then takes Max for a walk before going to work for a few hours and as he packs the freezer section Coby walks in wearing his football jacket and with a smirk spread across his face. Coby picks up a pack of red bulls and heads to the counter to pay. Coby then makes his way towards Peter and stands in front of him as he opens up a can of red bull and takes a big drink before pouring the rest at Peter’s feet.

 

‘’Hey!’’. Shouts Mike but Coby does not stop until the can is empty.

 

‘’Clean up on aisle three’’. Smirks Coby as he stares into the eyes of Pete for a few minutes before walking out of the shop.

 

‘’Hey if you don’t clean that up…..’’.

 

‘’It’s fine I’ll do it’.  Says Peter as he interrupts Mike.

 

‘’Who was that a*****e?’’.

 

‘’Just someone from school’’.

 

‘’Is he the one who busted your arm?’’.

 

‘’I don’t think so, I was mugged remember’’. Replies Peter who doesn’t want to tell Mike too much.

 

‘’Well whatever it is I would stay out of his way for now’’.

 

‘’Yeah maybe’’. And Peter heads to the back to grab a mop and bucket.

 

After cleaning up the mess Coby caused Mike tells Peter he can go home so Peter grabs his jacket and heads over to see his brother but when there he finds Stacey who is wearing a big pair of black sunglasses.

 

‘’Oh, err…… I didn’t know you’d be coming now’. Says Stacey who looks a little shocked to see him.

 

‘’Yeah there was no more work so Mike told me to call it a day. Why aren’t you at school?’’.

 

‘’Oh err….. Baggy eyes. I had too much coffee last night and couldn’t sleep’’.

 

‘’Yeah I’ve been there’’. And Peter then takes a seat beside his brother.

After spending an hour with Josh the two of them say their goodbyes and Peter drives Stacey home as she took the bus to the hospital.

 

‘’So when do you get the car fixed?’’. Asks Peter as they pull up outside her house.

 

‘’Tomorrow hopefully’’ Says Stacey.

 

‘’Are you sure you want dropping here. I can take you to Mr. Duncan’s’’. He asks.

 

‘’No, I’m….. I’m going to tidy the place up a little’’.

 

‘’But what about your father?’’.

 

‘’He’s at work, I’ll be gone before he’s home’’.

 

‘’Well thanks for visiting Josh, it means a lot’’.

 

‘’don’t mention it’’. Replies Stacey as the rain begins to fall.

 

‘’Well there goes the sun’’. Says Peter.

 

‘’Yeah I better get inside’’.

 

‘’You don’t need them anymore’’.  Says Peter as he reaches across at Stacey’s big sunglasses.

 

‘’No!’’. Says Stacey but before she can stop him Peter pulls off her sunglasses and exposes her black eye.

 

‘’What happened?’

 

‘’Nothing, I did it at cheerleading practice’’.

 

‘’Your lying, your father did it’’.

 

‘’No he didn’t I swear’’.

 

‘’That’s it, I’m calling the cops’’. Insists Peter as he takes out his phone.

 

‘’No don’t’’.

 

‘’Why?’’. He attacked me with a glass bottle and now you, the low life needs putting behind bars’’.

 

‘’No!’’. And Stacey snatches the phone form Peter’s hands.

 

‘’Why Stacey. Why?’’.

 

‘’Because he didn’t do it I swear’’.

 

‘’So if it wasn’t him it was Coby, did he do this because you broke up with him?’’.

 

‘’No’’.

 

‘’Because I swear if he….’’.

 

‘’It was Mr. Duncan!’’. She screams and the car then goes silent for a minute as Peter takes it in.

 

‘’Mr. Duncan?’’.

 

‘’Yes and everything’s okay now’’.

 

‘’Everything’s okay? That a*****e gave you a black eye and everything’s okay?’’.

 

‘’Yes, it was a misunderstanding’’.

 

‘’Has he ever hit you before?’’.

 

‘’No and he ever will again’’. And Stacey jumps out of the car and heads towards her house.

 

‘’Stacey…….Stacey!’’. Shouts Peter but Stacey doesn’t turn back around and heads straight into the house leaving Peter in shock………

 

‘’Duncan hit her!’’. Gasps Jamie as Peter sits in his room explaining everything.

 

‘’Yep he hit her’’.

 

‘’Why?’’.

 

‘’I don’t know yet but I will’’.

 

‘’So you really like Stacey then’’. Asks Jamie.

 

‘’What’s that supposed to mean?’’.

 

‘’I don’t mean like, like I just mean your opinion seems to have changed of her because the last time you were here you had her down as having something to do with your brothers accident’’.

 

‘’Well I don’t think she did now. Coby maybe but her… I don’t think so’’.

 

‘’Just be careful man’’.

 

‘’What do you mean’’.

 

‘’What I mean is Stacey is hot and can lure most guys into believing what she wants them to believe’’.

 

‘’What you trying to say Jamie?’’.

 

‘’Nothing it’s just the whole dumping Coby thing, confessing all about her and Josh and the black eye. She’s really ruling herself out here’’.

 

‘’So you think she’s playing me?’’.

 

‘’Like I said before Peter, I’m not saying she or anyone else had anything to do with what happened to your brother. All I can give is my opinion and unlike yours mine is drenched in emotion’’.

 

‘’I still think Coby could have had something to do with it. Maybe he found out about the pair of them and just flipped, he could have chased Josh up there and pushed him off. Got scared and written a simple suicide letter. It doesn’t take much and it doesn’t take a lot of thinking really’’.

 

‘’Well maybe but…. You have to keep it as a possibility’’.

 

‘’Keep hat as a possibility’’.

 

‘’That your brother jumped and no one was involved’’. And the room goes silent.

 

‘’Maybe’’.

 

‘’Look man I love Josh and the two of you are like brothers to me but you can’t find anything if nothings there that’s all’’.

 

‘’Well until I know Coby had nothing to do with it I’ll keep on looking’’…..

 

Stacey is sat on her huge bed at Mr. Duncan’s house listening to music on her iPod when Mr. Duncan knocks on the door and waits to asked in and as Stacey tells him to enter Mr. Duncan walks in holding a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows.

 

‘’I made you this’’. He says placing the hot chocolate down on her dressing table.

 

‘’Thank you’’. Replies Stacey.

 

‘’And this’’. Adds Mr. Duncan as he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a cube of cream.

 

‘’it’s the best they had at the chemist. It’s for bruises, the good lady there said it helps takes down swelling and speeds up recovery time’’.

 

‘’Thanks’’. And Stacey takes the cream.

 

‘’I swear Stacey it’ll never happen again’’.

 

‘’I know’’.

 

‘’I just, I just got so mad………’’.

 

Mr. Duncan is stood in the kitchen cleaning the dishes when he sees a car pull up outside and he looks on as Stacey sits talking to Peter. Mr. Duncan continues to wash the dishes as the two talk in the car wishing he could hear what they’re saying and then suddenly Stacey leans over and kisses Peter on the cheek not in a way you would casually kiss a friend and as she does a glare appears in the eyes of Mr. Duncan and he tightly squeezes  the plate in his hands until it cracks into two pieces and cuts his finger but Mr. Duncan still look on until Stacey pulls away and he then looks down at the sink water to see it is pierced with the red of his blood so he takes his hand out of the water and wraps a kitchen towel around it and as he does Stacey walks through the door.

 

‘’Hey I was just…..’’.

 

‘’Look what you made me do!’’. Shouts Mr. Duncan as he interrupts her and he then slaps Stacey with the back of his hand around the face sending her to the floor and as soon as he does he is filled with guilt and he too drops down to the floor and his eyes fill with tears.

 

‘’Stacey…….Stacey I’m…..’’. But before he can finish the crying Stacey gets to her feet and runs up to her room and Mr. Duncan climbs out his feet and looks out at Peters car with anger on his face and he then wipes the tears from his eyes before storming to the door to confront Peter but as he opens the door Peter is just driving away……..

 

‘’I overreacted and I’m sorry’’. Mr. Duncan adds.

 

‘’I know you are, and I’m sorry too’’.

 

‘’It’s just….’’. Says Mr. Duncan as he strokes Stacey’s hair behind her ear. ‘’Its just I know what boys that age are like, there only after one thing and there just boys, not yet men and you mean so much to me, if you ever got hurt I…’’.

 

‘’I know, and I won’t let them’’ .Stacey assures him.

 

‘’You’ve always been there for me Stacey and if it wasn’t for you I wouldn’t be here right now, you remember that night don’t you’’.

 

‘’Yes’’.

 

‘’That night you came over and caught me with half a bottle of brandy and a full tub of tablets and if you hadn’t come along I’d have swallowed every single one and I wouldn’t be here no but you… .You stopped me and showed me there was something to live for’’.

 

‘’Well you’ve always been there for me’’.

 

‘’Were there for each other Stacey, for each other’’. And Mr. Duncan then leans over and kisses Stacey and then lays her back on the bed and kisses her further………

 

That night Peter is asleep in bed hen a noise from his room wakes him up and he opens his eyes to see his brother sat on the edge of his bed.

 

‘’Josh’’.

 

‘’Peter’’.

 

‘’But how…..’’.

 

‘’You have to be careful Peter, you can’t trust everyone’’.

 

‘’But who can I trust?’’.

 

‘’I can’t tell you that brother, you have to work it out yourself’’.

 

‘’So you and Stacey eh’’.

 

‘’Like she said, she’s not the girl everyone thinks she is’’. 

 

‘’I really miss you Josh, I miss talking to you on a night, I miss arguing about football with you’’.

 

‘’Debating remember, mom always calls it debating’’.

 

‘’Right’. And the two smile.

 

‘’You can still talk to me brother’’.

 

‘’But it’s not the same’’.

 

‘’Trust me I’m listening, I’m listening to everything you tell me. Remember Cousin Tony hen the doctors told him he’s never walk again after he slipped off his house roof on that ice’’.

 

‘’Yes pretending to be Father Christmas’’.

 

‘’Well what was he doing the next year?’’.

 

‘’Walking and dressed as Father Christmas’’.

 

‘’Exactly. Sure he has a limp but he walks and he proved all those doctors wrong and I’m  going to do the same, I’m going to get better brother’’.

 

‘’I hope you can’’.

 

‘’I will, you just need a little faith’’. And Josh grabs hold of his brother’s hand and smiles at him.

 

‘’I love you Josh’’.

 

‘I love you too’’. And the two brothers hug and as they do Josh whispers in Peter’s eyes reminding him not to trust everyone and when he finishes Peter wakes in his bed alone and when the reality of that kicks in a tear from each eye slowly rolls down his cheeks as the pain of missing his brother hit hard……..

 

As Stacey lies asleep Mr. Duncan climbs out of her bed and puts his cloths back on before leaving the room and as he closes the door behind him he thinks about how angry he was when he saw Peter with Stacey just like when he saw his brother crawling around her…….

 

Mr. Duncan is sat in his living room reading a book when suddenly he hears someone screaming outside and as Mr. Duncan stops reading to listen he can hear the screaming is close so he stands up to take a look and as he does he sees a young man stood outside his house screaming up at Stacey’s bedroom window and Mr. Duncan doesn’t turn the light on and stands in the darkness as he listens to what the young man is saying……..

 

‘’Me and you…..’’.

 

‘’Fit Stacey, we fit’’.

 

‘’It’s just not right’’.

 

‘’Who for? Everyone at school, the cheerleaders, the Jocks. Your just scared of what people would say, your just scared of losing your status at school, losing all that popularity because your dating a guy like me’’.

 

‘’No, it’s not’’.

 

‘’Yes it is!’’. He shouts as he chokes back the tears.

 

‘’I like you Stacey, I like YOU. Not the Stacey at school, not the cheerleader or the popular girl or the one all the guys stare and drool at but you and not many people can even say they know the real you but I do and I love you for it’’…….

 

And as Mr. Duncan listens on he can feel the rage building up inside him and he waits and waits fists clenches until finally he hears Stacey shut her window and the young man who stands in the pouring down rain screams out in pain and then stands there for a few minutes before walking away and as he does Mr. Duncan chargers out of the house in his robe and slippers and tackles Josh to the floor from behind onto the wet grass and he then turns Josh over and grabs him tightly by the collar of his shirt looking very, very angry.

 

‘’You insect, you filthy little insect!’’. He spits in his face. ‘’Placing your grubby hands on my Stacey!’’. And Mr. Duncan clenches his fist to punch Josh but just before he does he looks up to see several neighbors are noising through the cracks of their curtain so the very private and proud Mr. Duncan unclenches his fist and lets go of Josh.

 

‘’I’ll see you again boy’’. He warns Josh before smiling at him and then helping him to his feet as an act to the neighbors and to make things look even more convincing  Mr. Duncan shakes Josh’s hand who is very, very confused.

 

‘’But Sir I….’’.

 

‘’Just shake my hand and then leave’’. Warns Mr. Duncan who talks through gritted teeth and a smile as the neighbors look on.

 

‘’ But me and Stacey….’’.

 

‘’I’ll deal with you later boy, now leave and never come back here’’. And the confused Josh pulls his hand away from Mr. Duncan and walks away from the house as Mr. Duncan waves him off in the pouring down rain as he continues the act. The next day Mr. Duncan went around to all the neighbors baring gifts and told them the story of how he thought young Josh Fisher was trying to break into his house but as soon as he recognized him he helped him to his feet and saw him on his way with many apologizes but that was far from the truth……

The next morning Peter heads out to his car to go and see Josh and as he climbs in the driver’s seat Josh’s dog Max sits in front of the car.

 

‘’Go on Max, go back’’. Peter shouts out of the window but Max doesn’t move. ‘’Max, go on, I’ll take you for a walk later’’ But still nothing and as Peter looks at the dog sitting there he has an idea.

 

‘’Max, you want to go see Josh?’’. He shouts and Max’s tail immediately begins wagging and runs towards the car before jumping in the back seat and Peter then sets off.

 

Mr. Duncan is carrying breakfast on a trey.

 

‘May I enter?’’. He asks outside Stacey’s room.

 

‘’ Yes’’. She replies and Mr. Duncan walks in with the trey in his hands and a smile on his face.

 

‘’ I made you breakfast’’.

 

‘’You shouldn’t have’’.

 

‘’No I insists’’. He tells her as he places the trey down on the bed.

 

‘’You don’t have to take another day off work’’. Stacey tells him.

 

‘’ I’ve taken the full week off so for the next five days look at me as no more than your personal servant’’. He jokes. ‘’Now eat your breakfast and I will go and take a shower’’. And Stacey smiles at Mr. Duncan until he leaves her room and the smile across her face quickly disappears and tears fill her eyes.

 

Peter arrives at the hospital and heads to the elevator but as he reaches Josh’s floor a security is waiting for him and won’t allow him to go any further.

 

‘’No animals’’. The security guard informs him.

 

‘’Okay cool it rent a cop it’s for my brother. Five minutes and I’ll take the dog home’’ He insists but still the security guard will not let him pass.

 

‘’didn’t you hear me boy’’….

 

‘’I’ve got this Tom’’.  Nurse April tells the security guard and he then steps aside as the nurse talks to Peter.

 

‘’What you doing Peter?’’. She asks.

 

‘’This is Max, its Josh’s dog and he’s been pining for Josh ever since the accident and this dog means the world to Josh so I thought it would good for him and the dog to see each other’’.

 

‘’Peter we have strict put in place and animals have germs’’.

 

‘’He’s had all his shots, he’s flee free and I bath him once a week with the garden hose. Just let him see Josh for five minutes that’s all I’m asking’’. Pleads Peter.

 

‘’He’s up to date with all his shots?’’.

 

‘’Yes’’.

 

‘’And when as the last time you bathed him?’’.

 

‘’Yesterday I swear’’.

 

‘’You have two minutes and I’m timing you’’.

 

‘’Thank you’’. And Peter then heads across to Josh with Max and as soon as the dog sees his master he jumps up at Josh and begins licking his hand as his tail wags from side to side and Peter can see just how happy the dog is to see his master again and to smell his smell and the dog fuses with Josh until he has to go.

 

‘’Okay say goodbye’’.  Peter asks and Max once more licks Josh’s hand before he is taken away and as Peter takes the dog out he once more passes Nurse April.

 

‘’ Thank you again’’.

 

‘’don’t mention it. Your mom has told me many times about Josh and his dog’’.

 

‘’Yeah it means the world to him’’.

 

‘’Well I’m going to go and give Josh a shower now, just to be careful’’.

 

‘’Well thanks again’’. And a smiling Peter then heads to take the dog home….

 

As Peter pulls his car onto the drive he sees his father who looks in a frantic mood.

 

‘’What’s wrong?’’.  He asks as he climbs out of the car and hen his father looks up he sees the dog and shouts him over.

 

‘’Max, come here boy’’... He shouts and as the dog run over Peter’s father gets down on one knee and holds the dog tight and strokes its fur.

 

‘’I took him to see Josh’’.  Says Peter.

 

‘’Go on, go inside now’’. Peter’s father then tells the dog before turning his attention to Peter.

 

‘’You stupid boy!’’. He shouts and Peter is immediately taken back to hear his father speaking to him never mind shouting and showing any kind of emotion.

 

‘’What were you thinking!’’. And Peter’s father then turns around and marches into the house but Peter follows him in.

 

‘’I took the dog to see Josh’’.

 

‘’Do you know how long I’ve been looking for him! Can you imagine how worried I was’’.

 

‘’You worried? You are caring about someone other than yourself. No I can’t imagine that’’.

 

‘’That dog is the only part of my son I have left! I see that dog and I see them both, I see them both playing in the yard and Josh taking him for a walk and you took that away from me!’’.

 

‘’What about me dad! Where are my feelings? When are you going to start worrying about me!’’.

 

‘’I don’t need to worry about you. You’re here safe while your brother slowly rots in that hospital!’’.

 

‘’Yeah, yeah, yeah and it’s my entire fault isn’t it!’’.

 

‘’Yes it. You left him behind! Josh has always needed you, always. Josh knew that, I and your mother knew it and more importantly you knew that but there you were packing your bags thinking of only you!’’.

 

‘’I have a God dam life too dad and I was following my dreams, walking my path and Josh as more supportive of that and pushed me harder than anyone else to go!’’.

 

‘’Because he felt guilty that he was holding you back. He told your mother, he told her he didn’t want you to go to Paris and he was worried how people would treat him no at school and he was right and now, now I don’t have my boy!’’. And Peter’s dad begins filling up.

 

‘’You know what, I’m going to go. You don’t want me here and you blame  me for what happened so I’m just going to leave, crash at Jamie’s for a while’’. And Peter heads for the stairs.

 

‘’No wait….’’. Says his father as he wipes his eyes.

 

‘’I’m hurting. I’m hurting so much and when it happened I didn’t…… I didn’t know how to deal with it so I bottled it up deep inside and cut myself off from the world but now…. Now it just keeps spilling out and I don’t know what to do’’. And Peter’s father drops down to the kitchen floor in tears and Peter heads across and sits beside his father and wraps his arms around him.

 

‘’I haven’t been there for your mother and I haven’t been there for you because don’t know how to, I have never known how to. So many times I’ve wanted to be like other fathers who hug their sons and tell them they love them but I choke on my words and bottled it all up and eased my conscious by buying you gifts but deep down all I wanted to do was tell you I loved you’’. He cries.

 

‘’And that’s all we wanted too dad’’.

 

‘’I’m sorry son, I’m so, so sorry. I don’t blame you, I never blamed you I just felt so much pain and I had to find a way to let a little out and I used you’’. He cries a he grips hold of Peter. ‘’In so, so sorry for doing that to you son, I’m so, so sorry’’.

 

‘’Its okay dad… I love you’’.

 

‘’I love you two son, I’ve loved you since the first time I set my eyes on you and I will never stop loving you’’. He cries. ‘’Please don’t go, I can’t lose another one of my boys’’.

 

‘’I’m not going anywhere’’. Peter assures him as he holds his crying father tightly….

 

Later that day as Peter sits going over his brother’s diary once more he reads the part about him and Stacey and then thinks about Stacey’s black eye and just why Mr. Duncan would hit her. Stacey seemed really upset about the incident and maybe, just maybe there was more to the story. Maybe Mr. Duncan wasn’t who he made out to be after all and maybe Stacey was having more problems than she made out so Peter put down the diary and headed out to his car.

 

Stacey is sat outside in the sun with a glass of orange juice and a magazine when Mr. Duncan appears wearing a sun hat and sits beside her.

 

 

 

‘’What you reading?’’. He asks.

 

‘’Oh just celebrity gossip columns’’.

 

‘’Ah, who’s dating who and what’s in celebrities handbags’’.

 

‘’Something like that’’. Replies Stacey and Mr. Duncan then places his hand on Stacey’s knee.

 

‘’Stacey I need to ask you something’’.

 

‘’What is it?’’

 

‘’You weren’t….. Sleeping together were you?’’.

 

‘’I told you we weren’t’’.

 

‘’It just….. I know what boys are like and especially the Jocks’’.

 

‘’Me and Coby it was all for show. Holding hands and some kissing but nothing more I swear’’.

 

‘’I know, I know and I apologies for asking again’’.

 

‘’Its okay, I know you’re only looking out for me’’…

 

Peter pulls up outside Mr. Duncan’s house and immediately hears Mr. Duncan’s voice in his head warning him not to come back here again but if Stacey is here Peter wants to talk to her and see she is okay so Peter climbs out of his car and heads up the drive but just before he knocks on the door he can hear voices coming from the backyard and the voice he hears sounds just like Stacey so Peter walks around the side of the house to the backyard hoping to catch Stacey alone so he can talk to her but as he opens the back gate and steps inside he finds Stacey laid out on a sun lounge with Mr. Duncan leaning over and kissing her and Peter leaves before anyone sees him and quickly heads back to his car in shock and Peter sits in his car going over again and again what he had just seen.

 

‘’Wait you saw what!’’.  Gasps Jamie as Peter reveals all.

 

‘’Stacey kissing Mr. Duncan!’’.

 

‘’But why….. How!’’.

 

‘’I don’t know, I didn’t stay to ask questions’’.

 

‘’So they didn’t see you?’’.

 

‘’No, I don’t think so’’.

 

‘’So what does this all mean?’’.

 

‘’It means Stacey is a liar. And maybe, maybe Coby had nothing to do with it all. Maybe Coby was a pawn all along’’.

 

‘’What do you mean?’’.

 

‘’Maybe it was Mr. Duncan who was jealous with rage. Maybe it was him who found out about my brother and Stacey and pushed him off the building. Think about we both said all along Coby didn’t have the brains to do it right’’.

 

‘’Right’’.

 

‘But Mr. Duncan. I’ve already seen his rage when he twisted my arm and I’ve seen other sides of him like when he turned up at the hospital and he’s a educated man, he’s an intelligent man and he has the know how to cover this up and make it stick And let’s not forget he gave Stacey a black eye, he can even push himself to hit women!’’.

 

‘’So you think Mr. Duncan did it?’’.

 

‘’I know he did. He must think Stacey is some kind of possession of his. He lost his family and now she is all he has so he’ll protect it with all he has’’.

 

‘’So what does Stacey get out of sleeping with an old man?’’.

 

‘’Everything. He mother abandoned her. Her father is a drunken bum who pushes her around and doesn’t give a s**t about her. She has no other family, she’s popular at school but she’s living a lie and despite the popularity she’s doesn’t have any close friends. Her and Coby was just a lie and she has nothing else. She wants to be the popular, rich cheerleader but really she has nothing but not if she has Mr. Duncan. He has the money, he has the house she can show off he can give her whatever she dreams, he can buy her all the things the rich popular kids get at school he can give her everything she craves’’.

 

‘’Man this is deep’’.

 

‘’I have to go to the police’’. Says Peter as he stands up and heads for the door.

 

‘No wait’’.

 

‘’Wait. Why?’’.

 

‘’You have no proof’’.

 

‘’So I’ll explain everything’’.

 

‘’But it’s just words’’.

 

‘’What about Stacey’s black eye’’.

 

‘’She’ll lie and they’ll believe her’’.

 

‘’So I just sit around and let them get away with it?’’.

 

‘’No’’.

 

‘’So what then?’’.

 

‘’Talk to Stacey’’.

 

‘’She’s a liar’’.

 

‘’If you get her alone she might break or she might slip up’’.

‘

‘But they’ll be no one who matters there to hear it’’.

 

‘’You don’t need anybody’’. Says Jamie as he heads to his brothers bedroom and Peter follows.

 

‘’What you doing?’’ .Asks Peter.

 

‘’Looking for something’’. Replies Jamie as he rumbles through his little brothers belongings and minutes later he finally finds what he is looking for.

 

‘’Here it is’’. He says as he pulls out a wire with a small battery pack attached to it.

 

‘’What is that?’’.

 

‘’A wire. Yeah it’s a kids one but it still works’’.

 

‘’A wire?’’.

 

‘’Yeah my little brother used to use it to spy on me and my girlfriends’’.

 

‘’Girlfriends?’’.

 

‘’Okay girlfriend. He used to hide it under my bed and listen after’’.

 

‘’So you plant it somewhere?’’

 

‘’No it’s really a wire you wear and when you finish you plug it into your computer and listen to the conversation. So wear this and see what you can get out of Stacey. Maybe she’ll slip up. Maybe she’ll say something about Mr. Duncan or your brother or maybe Coby. Or she just might be a girl obsessed with money and popularity and sleeping with Mr. Duncan because he can give her that like you said. Neither of them may not have anything to do with your brother, maybe it’s just a sick old man who’s bought himself a girl, you just don’t know and remember you still can’t rule out no one having anything to do with it’’.

 

‘’I know’’.

 

‘’So you want to wear it?’’. Asks Jamie.

 

‘’And we can listen to it after?’’.

 

‘’Every word’’.

 

‘’Okay then, but I have to get her on her on’’.

 

‘’Rules out school’’.

 

‘’Mr. Duncan’s too because he’s taken the week off work’’.

 

‘’What about her real father?’’.

 

‘’So only ever goes there now and again to clean up’’.

 

‘’Ask her to meet you then. Remember neither of them know you saw them kissing so if she does have something to hide she still thinks your onside’’.

 

‘’Your right’’. And Peter takes out his phone and rings Stacey.

 

‘’Hello she says as she drives in her car.

 

‘’Stacey its Peter. I was wondering if you fancied grabbing a coffee together’’. He asks.

 

‘’I’m just on my way home’’.

 

‘’Home?’’.

 

‘’My real home. Meet me there’’. And Stacey hangs up.

 

‘’Got her’’. Peter tells Jamie…..

 

Fifteen minutes later Peter pulls up outside Stacey’s real house and knocks on the door to hear Stacey shout for him to come in and when he does he finds Stacey franticly packing the rest of her things up.

 

‘’What you doing?’’. Asks Peter.

 

‘’I’m moving in to Mr. Duncan’s permanently. I’m taking the rest of my belongings and never coming back here’’.

 

‘’Why?’’. Asks Peter as Stacey looks at him…….

 

Mr. Duncan leans over and kisses Stacey as she lies on the sun lounge.

 

‘’You are such a beautiful young women’’. He tells her as he lifts his head and Stacey smiles at him before the to hear a noise and Mr. Duncan quickly turns around to look and sees it is just the gate that is open both of them unaware that Peter had just been watching.

 

‘’I better close that’’. Says Mr. Duncan as he stands up and heads to the gate and as he does Stacey’s smile quickly disappears to be replaces with a look of sadness……..

 

Later that day as night falls Stacey is sat on her bed having taken a shower and going over in her head her relationship with Mr. Duncan. Mr. Duncan meant a lot to Stacey and he had done a lot for her but she knew what they were doing was wrong and she didn’t want to do it anymore. She didn’t want to live a life of lies anymore and wanted things to change so Stacey reached under her bed and pulled out her suitcase and began filling the suitcase with the things but as she did someone began banging loudly on the front door and as Stacey looked out of the window she could see it was her father so she raced downstairs to answer.

 

‘’What do you want daddy?’’. She asks as he stands there drunk and swaying from side to side.

 

‘’I need you to come home. Right now’’. He demands and then takes a swig of his beer.

 

‘’Why?’’.

 

‘’Because……. Because I’m hungry’’. He tells her.

 

‘’Daddy this is why I bought you the ready made pizzas. Just put them….’’.

 

‘’I don’t want no pizza!’’ He shouts at her. ‘’I want something real so get home and…’’.

 

‘’What’s the problem’’’. Interrupts Mr. Duncan.

 

‘’You’’. Says Stacey’s father with a scowl on his face.

 

‘’Hello Frank’’. Says Mr. Duncan.

 

‘’She’s coming home with me’’. Frank tells Mr. Duncan.

 

‘’Frank I think all you need right now is your bed and a good night’s rest to sleep all that alcohol off’’.

 

‘’don’t you dare look down at me’’. He slurs at Mr. Duncan.

 

‘’Stacey, get your shoes and come on’’.

 

‘’Here’’. Says Mr. Duncan as he holds out some money to Frank.

 

‘’Call a cab and go home. You can call Stacey in the morning’’.

 

‘’You don’t tell me when I can talk to my daughter. My flesh and blood’’.

 

‘’Frank your upsetting Stacey’’.

 

‘’I’m upsetting Stacey’’. Slurs Frank ‘’ did you hear that everyone’’. He shouts with arms held out. ‘’I’m the one upsetting my little girl not this wealthy pervert!’’.

 

‘’That’s enough’’.  Says Stacey.

 

‘’Just grab your shoes and come home. Now!’’.

 

‘’No daddy, not tonight, not when you’re like this’’.

 

‘’I isn’t asking girl’’. He then says and grabs Stacey by the arm and drags her out of the door into the cold of night and as Stacey screams Mr. Duncan pulls Frank off of her and helps Stacey back inside before standing in front of her.

 

‘’I’m not asking anymore either’’. Mr. Duncan tells Frank as Stacey cries behind him.

 

‘’Get off my property right now!’’.

 

‘’Or what!’’.

 

‘’Or I’ll stop paying your mortgage’’. Threatens Mr. Duncan and Frank suddenly goes quiet as if he is embarrassed and his manhood had been bruised.

 

‘’Yes Frank, call me all the names you wish but it is my hard work that keeps a roof over your head while you drink the very little money you earn away. It is me who pays your outstanding bills and me who keeps you from being homeless like the dogs you see roaming the streets but I don’t do it for you. I do it for Stacey because for some unknown reason she still loves you and she still worries about you and anything that effects her effects me too!’’. He tells Frank and Stacey realizes right there that she cannot leave. She cannot leave because if she did Mr. Duncan would get even. He would stop paying her father’s bills and he would be thrown out on the streets in a week and from there she knows he wouldn’t last much longer and it would all be done to her. It would all be down to her thinking about herself and she just could not live with the idea of that.

 

‘’So go Frank. Go and leave your daughter in peace!’’. Demands Mr. Duncan and Frank then back away from the door before turning and leaving and as he does e finesses off the rest of his beer and throws the empty bottle onto Mr. Duncan’s front yard and then leave and as Mr. Duncan closes the front door he turns to Stacey with a smile on his face.

 

‘’don’t worry, I’ll look after you’’. He assures her.  ‘’But you can’t keep letting him do this to you. He’s a grown man Stacey, he’s big enough to make his own mistakes’’.

 

‘’He’s still my father’’.

 

‘’You have me now’’. He tells her as he puts his arm around her…

 

‘’So that’s it, your cutting him out of your life?’’. Asks Peter.

 

‘’Mr. Duncan will still help him financially but I’m not going to be here to clean up after him anymore. I’m not his maid who takes s**t off him and cleans up after’’.

 

‘No your Mr. Duncan’s’’. Quickly replies Peter as he slips up.

 

‘’What’s that supposed to mean?’’.

 

‘’You and Mr. Duncan. You’re so close. It’s almost as if he wants you all to himself.  I bet he was just like that with Josh when the two of you got close’’.

 

‘’No Mr. Duncan isn’t like that. I did have a boyfriend remember’’.

 

‘’Coby wasn’t a boyfriend. That was just for show and we both know that and probably Mr. Duncan too. But Josh, that was different, that was real and maybe he found that out’’.

 

‘’So what you saying Peter. You think Mr. Duncan had something to do with your brother’s accident?’’.

 

‘’ Maybe. Yes’’.

 

‘’Well he didn’t’’.

 

‘’How do you know? How do you know he didn’t find out and get all jealous or maybe think Josh was taking advantage and did something about it’’.

 

‘’If Mr. Duncan was to do something about it he would have talked to Josh not pushed him off a building. He wouldn’t put everything on the line and go to those extremes because I had a boyfriend!’’.

 

‘’Even for the girl he loves?’’.

 

‘’Mr. Duncan loves me as a daughter you know that already and you know all about how he lost his family’’.

 

‘’Yes but he didn’t gain a daughter did he Stacey’’.

 

‘’What do you mean?’’.

 

‘’I mean I saw the two of you. I saw kissing him!’’.

 

‘’But I….’’.

 

‘’don’t feed me anymore of you lies or your bullshit Stacey because I’m not listening anymore and I don’t care’’.

 

‘’Wait, it’s not what it looks like’’.

 

‘’Yes it is Stacey. What are you Duncan’s live in w***e!’’.

 

‘’don’t you ever call me that!’’. She screams as she gets in Peters face with her finger pointing.

 

‘’You haven’t a clue of the sacrifices I have made!’’.

 

‘’Really. Nice house, nice cloths anything you want. Sounds like some sacrifice’’.

 

‘’You don’t know the half of it Peter’’.

 

‘’Really, because from where I’m standing it really looks like Duncan bought you. Bought you like all the other expensive s**t in his life’’. And Stacey then slaps Peter across the face.

 

‘’Violence eh. Is that what you did to my brother when he questioned you and Mr. Duncan because I know he will have found out’’.

 

‘’No Peter’’.

 

‘’Did he threaten to tell everyone. Did he threaten to ruin your little perfect lie of an existence so you pushed him of the building!’’.

 

‘’No I didn’t!’’.

 

‘’So did Duncan do it. Did he push my brother!’’. He shouts.

 

‘’No!’’. Screams Stacey.

 

‘’Did Duncan have something to do with what happened to my brother!’’.

 

‘’Duncan didn’t even know your brother!’’.

 

‘’Really because find that hard to believe Stacey. To Duncan all you are is a possession. An item that is his and when anyone threatens that’’.

 

‘’You’ve got it all wrong’’.

 

‘’Coby was never a threat and neither as anyone at school and your father’s too drunk to care but Josh. He was real, he felt for you and you for him and Duncan found out’’.

 

‘’No, that didn’t happen and I know it’’.

 

‘’Duncan pushed my brother off the building and made sure it looked like attempted suicide. He must have been scared when Josh survived but when he saw what he was like after all that fear will have gone away but I’m here to get the truth and I’m going to make sure that posh son of a b***h rots in prison for the rest of his life!’’.

 

‘’I want out!’’. Screams Stacey before dropping to the knees and crying and the room then goes silent.

 

‘’You want to tell the truth?’’. Asks Peter as he feels like he is getting somewhere and Stacey is cracking.

 

‘’I just want to stop living in this bubble of lies’’.

 

‘’So tell the truth Stacey. Tell me what happened and I swear I’ll help you’’.

 

‘’It doesn’t have anything to do with your brother’’.

 

‘’What?’’.

 

‘It’s Mr. Duncan’’.

 

‘’He did it?’’.

 

‘’No. Mr. Duncan had nothing to do with what happened with Josh and neither did I, I swear to you. I’m talking about me and him’’. She cries

 

‘’Your relationship?’’.

 

‘’Yes. After Mr. Duncan lost his family he was wreck, a broken man and I helped him get over his grief. I owed Mr. Duncan that because he and his family gave me the love and support I never received at home. My mom left me when I was just a little girl.  My mom was keen on motorcycles ever since she was young. She was a member of a motorcycle club and one day she just packed up and jumped on the back of a bike never looking back. At first she would send Christmas cards and birthday cards but they only did more harm than good and as a few years past they all but dried up. My dad turned to the bottle for condolence and just got worse and worse. I would sit watching him drink a bottle of Jacks dry while he called my mother all the names under the sun for abandoning us. She was out there living the life she always wanted to in her twenties and I was stuck with a drunk for a father. And then I met the Duncan’s. I met Charlotte his daughter at school. She was polite and well spoken so unlike me and then she told me all about her family and I was so, so envious. Most little girl’s reaction would have been to pick on Charlotte out of pure jealousy but I wasn’t like that and the both of us became good friends. I began speaking better as I copied Charlotte and she became more street wise thanks to me. And then she took me home one day after school for tea and I met her mother and father and they were just as polite and kind as Charlotte was. Her mother Mary would wash my cloths and run me a bath and Miles would listen to my day and help me with my homework, it was the childhood I had always dreamed of. Looking back now I know they did most of those things out of pity for the life I had back home but I don’t care because I needed them so, so much and they were there for me and as time went on I spent more and more time with the Duncan’s and my father didn’t care. The spare money he had from not buying me food or cloths he could spend on more beer and the Duncan’s took care of my every need right off of their own backs. I went on holiday with them, I stayed over most nights and m tea was always on the table beside Charlotte and the two of us were like sisters and them my parents’’.

 

‘’So what changed between you and Duncan?’’.

 

‘’After the car crash Duncan was a broken man. He didn’t want to live anymore but I helped him. I helped him get through it but he still wasn’t completely the same after. With no family to come home to all of his attention and love was fixed on me’’.

‘’So how did a relationship that was just like father and daughter turn sexual?’’

 

‘’It happened one night……..’’.

 

Stacey is moping Mr. Duncan’s kitchen floor when he arrives home from work with his briefcase and a bottle of red wine.

 

‘’You didn’t have to do that’’ .He tells Stacey.

 

‘’Its fine. I finished cheerleading practice early and just wanted to keep busy’’.

 

‘’No Coby tonight?’’.

 

‘’No, he’s got a big game tomorrow so he’s needs an early night’’.

 

‘’More fool him then’’. And Mr. Duncan places down his briefcase.

 

‘’Here I bought us this to share’’. He tells Stacey holding out the bottle of wine. ‘’I thought we could order a takeaway and put a movie on if you like?’’.

 

‘’Sounds good’’.

 

‘’I just wanted to thank you for everything you’ve done for me the last few months because if it wasn’t for you……’’.

 

‘’I know, I did it because you’ve always been there for me’’. Smiles Stacey at Mr. Duncan…..

 

A few hours later the two of them are sat on the huge couch in front of the TV with empty takeaway pots on the table in front of them and the movie just coming to an end.

 

‘’ Wow this wine is going straight to my head’’. Says Stacey as she takes another sip.

 

‘’Yes he storekeeper did say it was strong but the taste is delicious’’.

 

‘’Should be with the price’’.

 

‘’Only the best for you Stacey’’. Replies Mr. Duncan as he looks into her eyes and Mr. Duncan then leans over kisses Stacey but she quickly pulls away

 

‘’Mr. Duncan I….’’.

 

‘’I’m so sorry’’.  Interrupts Mr. Duncan. ‘’The wine, I…..’’.

 

‘’Its okay’’. Replies Stacey and she quickly stands up before rushing to the kitchen as Mr. Duncan holds his head in his hands and when inside the kitchen Stacey immediately heads to the spirits rack and grabs a bottle of whisky before taking a gulp and when she turns around Mr. Duncan is standing there.

 

‘’Whisky eh’’.

 

‘’My dad always said it was good for shock’’.

 

‘’I’m sorry Stacey, it’s just your such a beautiful young women, inside and out and the boys at school they don’t know how to treat you, they don’t know how to respect you and give you the time and attention you deserve’’. And as Mr. Duncan goes on Stacey knows there is some truth in what he is saying because most of the boys she knew were only after one thing and never treated their girlfriends with respect like Mr. Duncan treated his wife.

 

‘’Your so special Stacey in every way’’. He tells her as he draws closer.

 

‘’Kind, considerate, interesting. You have it all’’.

 

‘’Most people see me at school as just the pretty cheerleader’’.

 

‘’Oh, you’re so much more’’. He tells her as he brushes her hair behind her ear. There’s sides to you they’ll never see because there too shallow but I’m not and I see them and it is all beautiful’’.

 

‘’You really think I’m a good person and just some bubblegum cheerleader?’’. She asks.

 

‘’I know you’re not Stacey…. You’re so much more’’. And Mr. Duncan leans down and kisses Stacey and this time she kisses him back.

 

The next morning Stacey wakes in Mr. Duncan’s bed. Her head is thumping form all the wine and as she turns over she finds herself alone but she hadn’t forgot what happened and Stacey sits there her eyes filling with tears as she goes over her night spent with Mr. Duncan but just then she hears him coming up the steps so she quickly dries her eyes.

 

‘’I brought us breakfast’’.  He tells her as he walks into the room carrying a silver tray of food.

 

‘’Toast, cereal, fruit, coffee, orange juice we have it all’’. He tells her but as he sits down on the bed he can see a hint of regret and sadness in Stacey’s eyes.

 

‘’You feel bad don’t you’’. He asks her.

 

‘’Yes’’.

 

‘’Well look here’’. He tells Stacey as he pulls out a piece of paper from his dressing gown pocket.

 

‘’I set it up this morning’’.

 

‘’ What is it?’’.

 

‘’Your fathers mortgage on his house, you said he was struggling with payments and I know it was getting you down so once a month the payments will come out of my bank. All I need is your fathers signature and I’m sure you can get that’’.

 

‘’Why are you doing this, you don’t even know my father’’.

 

‘’For you Stacey. I know how much you worry for him and how you would feel if he was made homeless so I’ll help all I can because I love you’’. And when Stacey hears Mr. Duncan say he loves her she immediately feels safe in his presence.

 

‘’You really do love me don’t you’’.

 

‘’Always have, always will’’. And Mr. Duncan smiles at Stacey before asking her a very difficult question.

 

‘’So me and you Stacey, were do we go from here?’’.

 

‘’I err…….’’.

 

‘’I want to be with you Stacey, you’re a very special and beautiful young women and you make me happy. If you wish to remain friends then I will reluctantly agree but if there’s a part of you no matter how small it is which wants more than I’m more than willing to’’.

 

‘’What would we tell everyone?’’.

 

‘’Nothing….its none of their business’’.

 

‘’So we just make out things are the same’’.

 

‘’Exactly’’.  Replies Mr. Duncan ‘’I want to treat you like the princess you are’’. He tells Stacey who had never been loved and is brainwashed by Mr. Duncan’s smooth talking.  Her parents didn’t love her. She had no other family to love her. Her friends at school didn’t know her but Mr. Duncan….. He loved her and respected her or at least that’ how Stacey saw things and she then leant over and kissed Mr. Duncan once more……….

 

‘’So you were dragged in by his fancy words and lies’’. Peter tells Stacey.

 

‘’He loves me!’’.

 

‘’No, All he saw was an unloved and valuable young women and he took advantage’’.

 

‘’No he didn’t!’’.  Cries Stacey as he franticly packs her bags.

 

‘’Stacey you can’t move him with him, he’ll trap you forever just open your eyes and see it!’’.

 

‘’I can!’’. She screams as she stops packing and looks at him. ‘’But I have no other choice’’.

 

‘’Yes you do’’.

 

‘’No I don’t. I don’t have any family, my mother is gone and my father is a drunk. Mr. Duncan is all I have and if I left he would stop paying the bills for this house and both me and my drunken father would be on the streets and not long after that he would drink himself in the ground and then I would be alone. Alone without anyone, without any home, any family, my friends at school would all find out I was living a lie and desert me, they would kick me off the cheerleading team and therefore destroy my future career. I would be left with nothing! He is all I have and without him….’’.

 

‘’He’s brainwashed you Stacey. He’s made you believe all those things, he’s made you believe that he is all you have and without him you have nothing because then he has all the power and he has you as an possession and I believe he saw my brother as a threat. Someone who came along and saw the real you and got to know the real you and liked you even more for it and Duncan he felt threatened. He didn’t like the fact that he may no longer be the centre of your world and did something about it…. He pushed my brother off the building!’’. And just then Stacey’s real father Frank comes barging through the door once more heavily under the influence of alcohol.

 

‘’what you doing here!’’. He barks at Peter before looking across at his daughter and seeing she is packing the rest of her possessions into a suitcase.

 

‘’What you doing Stacey’’. He asks.

 

‘’I’m leaving daddy, I’m moving in with Mr. Duncan’’.

 

‘’For good?’’.

 

‘’Yes daddy, for good’’.

 

‘’But you can’t, I won’t allow it!’’.

 

‘’How you going to stop me daddy? You can’t do anything because you’re too scared of spilling your beer’’.

 

‘’If I say you’re not going, you’re not going!’’. He shouts as he smashes his half drunk bottle of beer against the wall.

 

‘’Look maybe we should….’’

 

‘’I didn’t ask for your opinion boy’’.  Frank interrupts Peter.

 

‘’Stacey you’re not going anywhere!’’.

 

‘’Dad I practically live at Mr. Duncan’s anyway so I’m just taking the rest of my…’’.

 

‘’I said you’re not going!’’. He shouts. ‘’And from now you’re staying here every night!’’.

 

‘’Why dad, to watch you drink yourself to death? To tidy up and wipe up your sick?’’. She asks and Frank stands there for a minute slightly waving from side to side because of the alcohol before he answers his daughter.

 

‘’I’ll change, I’ll cut down this time’’. He protests.

 

‘’How many times have I heard that daddy. I got you the leaflets I set up the meeting and I poured your whisky down the drain but you never changed, you threw away the leaflets, never turned up to the meetings and just went out and somehow bought more whisky and there I was time after time cleaning up after you and I just can’t do it anymore’’.

 

‘’He’s threatened you hasn’t he’’.

 

‘’Threatened me?’’.

 

‘’That posh prick. He’s said that if you don’t move in with him he’ll stop paying my mortgage’’.

 

‘’No, he hasn’t’’.

 

‘’What else? Is he going to stop helping with the bills because I don’t need his money!’’.

 

‘’Yes you do daddy and you need more help too’’. And Frank then mutters something under his breath before heading to the cupboard and pulling out a half empty bottle of whisky.

‘’No point stopping now then’’. He says as he takes a huge swig of the whisky.

 

‘’I’ll still see you daddy, I’ll still be here’’

 

‘’No you won’t, you’ll end up just like him, looking down at your noses at people like, thinking your better than me but you’re not! And you… your just like your mother walking out on your family!’’.

 

‘’The day my mother walked out on us you should have followed her out of the door daddy because you’ve haven’t been here since she left’’.

 

‘’Really, so it wasn’t me putting a roof over your head and food on the table!’’.

 

‘’No, it was the Duncan’s’’.

 

‘’don’t you ever!’’. And Frank then swings his arm and hits Stacey across the face with the back of his hand.

 

‘’Hey!’’. Shouts Peter as he pushes Frank away.

 

‘’No!’’. Shouts a crying Stacey so Peter backs down and consoles the crying Stacey who she wipes the blood from her lip and as Frank looks down at what he had done his eyes begin filling up and he almost begins pulling at his own hair.

 

‘’What have I done! What have I become!’’. He cries as he drops to his knees.

 

‘’A drunk that’s what!’’. Replies Peter.

 

‘’No, Peter don’t’’. Asks Stacey.

 

‘’I can’t go on like this’’. Says Frank. ‘’I can’t take the pain any longer…. And if you won’t be my little girl you can’t be his’’.  And Frank then smashes his bottle of whisky against the fire before throwing his lighter against it causing a huge burst of flame which catches he curtains and begins spreading fast.

 

‘What have you done!’’. Screams Stacey.

 

‘’Ending the pain’’. Protests Frank as he quickly locks the front door and then throws the keys into the growing fire.

 

‘’Quick back door!’’. Shouts Peter as he grabs Stacey’s hand.

 

‘’We can’t use the back door its jammed shut’’. She tells him so Peter heads over to one of the windows and smashes it with his elbow before trying to help Stacey through but as he does Frank rushes over and pushes Peter out over the way and he falls back banging the back of his head on the kitchen table. Frank then pulls Stacey back into the house and as he does she cuts her leg on the smashed window and screams out in pain as the glass stabs into her leg. Frank then throws his crying daughter down to the floor and pulls a cabinet in front of the broken window.

 

‘’No one leaves!’’. Protests the drunk Frank as he then begins covering the rest of the windows as the fire grows around them and smoke begins filling the air making the three of them cough and Peter knows if he doesn’t do something soon the three of them will either burn or pass out with the smoke so he gets to his feet and chargers at Frank slamming him into the wall and Frank’s head smashes against the wall cutting his forehead. Peter then throws him onto the couch before trying to clear a window to escape but as he moves the cupboards Frank is back up again and punches Peter twice in the ribs and throws him to the floor and as he does Peter’s arm that is plastered in a cast drops directly into the fire and the cast begins burning around his arm but Peter managers to pull it out and then quickly move as Frank tries to stamp on his chest with his huge boot but as Peter rolls out of the way Frank managers to kick him in the ribs and then the back before picking him up and throwing him against the wall and then grabs him by the collar but just then from behind Stacey hits her father over the back of the head with an empty bottle of vodka and knocks him lean out to the floor. Peter looks down at Stacey’s bleeding leg and can see she is in pain as the smoke makes them cough even more so Peter staggers to his feet and then  begins clearing a window to try and escape as the fire grows even more and Peter managers to move a cupboard out of the way and then smashes the window before helping the bleeding Stacey out and to safety as they can hear the fire engine approaching in the far distance and after helping Stacey out Peter jumps out of the broken window and to the dirt floor coughing profusely as the smoke fills his lungs but when he had finally got his breathe Peter looked across at Stacey’s who’s leg was still bleeding badly.

 

‘’ The emergency service is on its way’’. He tells her between the coughs.

 

‘’My dad’’. She gasps.

 

‘’They’ll go in for him’’.

 

‘’There isn’t time’’. She cries before staggering to her feet, blood dripping from the deep cut on her leg caused by her father.

 

‘’You can’t go back in’’. Peter tells her.

 

‘’I have to he’s my father!’’. She cries.

 

‘’Wait’’. And Peter staggers to his feet before telling Stacey he will go in to save him so Peter staggers back through the broken window with the flames burning high and the smoke thick the air so Peter covers his mouth with his shirt and staggers through to Frank and he then wraps Frank’s arm around his shoulder and picks him up off the floor and then begins dragging him across to the window but the smoke is making it almost impossible to see and Peter can feel the flames burning his flesh but he still drags Stacey’s father to the broken window and then pushes him out to the dirt floor before climbing out himself and dropping down to the floor coughing violently from the smoke.  Peter then begins to feel dizzy and his eyes close as the ambulance approaches and he passes out…..

 

Peter wakes in the hospital to find his mother and his father sat beside him.

 

‘’The nurse says one more visit and you’ll have your own ward’’. Jokes his father who is relieved to see his sun awake.

 

‘’Are you okay’’. Asks his worried mother.

 

‘’Yeah I’m okay mom’’.

 

‘’What happened?’’.

 

‘’It was just an accident mom’’.

 

‘’Well from now on I’m not letting you out of my sight do you hear me’’.

 

‘’Yes mom, I hear you’’.

 

‘’Well it’s good to see you your okay son’’. Adds his father.

 

‘’Where’s Stacey?’’. Asks Peter.

 

‘’She needed stitches in her leg, it was pretty cut up’’.

 

‘’And her father?’’.

 

‘’I don’t know son, last we saw he was talking to some officers’’. And as he father finishes Peter begins coughing so his mother passes him his oxygen mask.

 

‘’The doctors say you inhaled a lot of smoke Peter, you’ll be like this for a few days’’.

 

‘’At least everyone got out safe’’.

 

‘’Thanks to you’’. Adds his father.

 

‘’When they were wheeling Stacey up for stitches she told us how you pulled her father out of the burning house. Two minutes later the thing was almost burnt to the ground’’.

 

‘’I couldn’t leave him there’’.

 

‘’That’s because you’re a good person’’. Adds Peter’s dad as he grabs hold of his sons hand……

 

A few hours later when his bed had gone home for the night Peter went to see Stacey in her room.

 

‘’How you feeling?’’. He asks as he finds Stacey laid out on her bed.

 

‘’Sore’’.

 

‘’Me too. The smoke really kicked my a*s’’.

 

‘’Yeah and you would expect the flames to be the worse’’.

 

‘’Burn me any day just keep away the smoke’’. Says Peter as he takes his seat and he can clearly see Stacey is upset.

 

‘’What’s happened with your father?’’. He asks.

 

‘’The cops asked me what happened and at first…….. At first I wanted to lie, I wanted to say it was an accident but I couldn’t, I couldn’t lie anymore, I couldn’t keep protecting him from himself so I told them, I told them how he was drunk and how he started the fire, I didn’t tell them how he tried to keep us locked inside but they know everything else’’.

 

‘’So what happens now?’’.

 

‘’When he’s able they’ll arrest him and it’s my entire fault’’.  Says Stacey as he eyes begin to fill with tears.

 

‘’No its no, if you kept protecting him and something happened then yes you would be to blame but now he’ll get help not just with his alcohol but with his anger too and the bitterness he still holds from your mother walking out on you both’’.

 

‘’I hope so’’.

 

‘’They will’’. Promises Peter. ‘’So what now, you going to live with Duncan then?’’.

 

‘’No’’.

 

‘’Your not!’’.

 

‘’No, like I said…. I’m sick of lying and I need to start over, I need to start doing what I really want to do not what other expect, people at school might not like it and its going to ruin my popularity but I don’t care anymore’’.

 

‘’What about Duncan. Does he know yet?’’.

 

‘’Yes….. I rang him’’.

 

‘’And?’’.

 

‘’He was upset and tried to talk me out of it’’.

 

‘’I bet he did’’.

 

‘’I just hope he’s okay because he doesn’t have any family’’.

 

‘’Remember Stacey, it’s about you now, what was happening between the two of you wasn’t right’’.

 

‘’Your right and I could always try and track down any family of his and see if they can visit’’.

 

‘’You can look it up on the net’’.

 

‘’Yeah I will’’.

 

‘’So were you going to go now? You’re not going to Duncan’s and your fathers place is burnt to the ground’’.

 

‘’ All I care about right now is getting better and seeing what they do with my father and then I’ll take it from there and maybe me and you can be friends?’’. She asks.

 

‘’Yeah….. I hope so’’. And as Peter smiles at Stacey a nurse pops her head around the door.

 

‘’Mr. Fisher I’ve been looking for you’’. She says. ‘’Come on you need your rest, the both of you do’’.

 

‘’Yes nurse’’. He replies before saying his goodbyes to Stacey and heading back to his room.

 

The next morning Peter eats his breakfast and is then examined by the doctor who tells him he can go home as long as he takes things easy so Peter agrees and grabs his belongings. He then heads over to see Stacey ho had been advised to stay in another day because of the nasty cut on her leg.

 

‘’I’ll bring you some magazines earlier’’. Peter tells her.

‘’Thanks because it gets so boring in here’’.

 

‘’Well I best be getting home for a shower and a change of cloths’’.

 

‘’Go on, rub it in how you have a home to go to’’.

 

‘’No I was…’’.

 

‘’I’m kidding’’. Adds Stacey.

 

‘’Well I’ll see you later’’. He tells her before heading out the front doors were both his parents are waiting to take him home.

When Peter arrives home he takes a shower and then lies on his bed and his eyes slowly close……..

 

Half an hour later Peter wakes up and sits up on his bed and finds his brother Josh sat at his desk reading his own diary.

 

‘’I can’t believe you read my diary’’. He says to Peter as he looks up with a smile on his face.

 

‘’don’t worry, I didn’t read it all’’.

 

‘’Yeah yeah’’.

 

‘’Really, I was just trying to find any clues’’.

 

‘So you still don’t think I jumped?’’.

 

‘’I know you didn’t’’.

 

‘’Then wake up’’.

 

‘’What?’’.

 

‘’Wake up brother’’. And Peter’s eyes then open and he finds himself laid on his bed with his phone ringing by his side.

 

‘’Hello’’.

 

‘’Peter its Jamie, you okay?’’.

 

‘’I’ll be okay’’.

 

‘’Good because I need to see you’’.

 

‘’ See me?’’.

 

‘’Yes, it’s important’’. And Peter can immediately tell something is wrong.

 

‘’What is it Jamie?’’.

 

‘’Just come over to my house whenever you can’’.

 

‘’I’ll be there in half an hour’’. And Peter hangs up before climbing off his bed but he then realizes that his parents won’t want him going out of the house and will worry if he does so he needs to sneak out without them knowing.

Peter sneaks down the stairs as quietly as he can and when he reaches the bottom he sees his parents both sat at the kitchen table talking so he quietly heads to the living room and climbs out of the front window and to Jamie’s.

 

Peter knocks on the front door and Jamie answers.

 

‘’You look like s**t’’. Jamie tells him.

 

‘’Thanks. So what is it you have to tell me?’’. He asks and Jamie’s face expression quickly changers. ‘’Come up to my room and I’ll show you’’. So Peter follows.

 

‘’What is it?’’.

 

‘’The wire you wore’’.

 

‘’To record Stacey’’.

 

‘’Yes’’.

 

‘’It was damaged in the fire, and Stacey didn’t do anything I know that now’’.

 

‘’I know but I found another wire’’.

 

‘’Another?’’.

 

‘’Yes and I…..’’.

 

‘’You what?’’.

 

‘’Okay don’t get mad but I planted it on your brother’’.

 

‘’Josh!’’.

 

‘’I went to visit him and I just thought it would be a god idea’’.

 

‘’Why?’’.

 

‘’Well you were more than confident that either Stacey or Duncan had something to do with it and when you told me how you found Stacey sat with your brother I fought she might slip up n front of him, she might apologies to him and try to ease her conscience and guilt or maybe say something about Duncan because she knows Josh can’t repeat anything that’s said. I thought she might try to explain things to him and in some way ease her own pain so I planted the wire’’.

 

‘’And?’’.

 

‘’Some else visited him’’.

 

‘’Who?’’.

 

‘’Here…… listen to the tape’’. And Jamie switches the volume of his computer on……..

 

Josh is sat by the window in the hospital when Claire comes and sits beside him.

 

‘’Hello Josh’’. She says. ‘’ I brought you one of your favorite comics’’. She says placing a watchman comic down on the table. ‘’I thought I could read it to you maybe’’. And Claire then looks round the room to see if anyone is listening in on their conversation and when she realizes they are not the topic changers very, very quickly.

 

‘Why did you do it?’’. She asks Josh. ‘’We were best friends, we did everything together and then….… then that b***h came along and I was thrown to the side like rubbish. She didn’t listen to you, she didn’t feel for you like I did but you, you were taken in by beauty and beauty only and that made you look so, so shallow Josh. You probably wonder…. Wonder why I come here and talk to you and you probably think it’s some sick game I’m playing or me just torturing you even more but it’s not, it’s because every single night I have nightmares, nightmares of that night up on the roof and I wish….. I wish I could go back there and change it but I can’t but your just as much to blame as me because you left me behind Josh, you didn’t care for my feeling, you didn’t care that I lost my best friend and felt all alone and depressed just because some cute girl fluttered her eyelids at you. I was always there for you Josh, always but you deserted me, you tossed me aside and that hurt like hell and I’m going to keep coming back here and trying to make you understand why I lost my temper that night, I wish I didn’t God knows I would change it but it happened and I have to live with the regret and the pain just like you do because like I said Josh, We are both to blame….’’. And Claire then picks up the watchmen comic and begins reading it to Josh……

 

The tape comes to an end and Jamie immediately looks across at Peter whose face had turned drip white.

 

‘’Peter……’’. He says to no reply as Peter rushes over to Jamie’s bedroom window and begins to be sick and after he had finished Peter begins crying and smashing his fist against the window pane again and again and Jamie looks on no really knowing what to do as Peter suffers in his pain…….

 

Peter is sat in the police station with his head bowed down when both his parents walk in and his mother who had been crying ever since she heard the news rushes over and grabs hold of her son and his father who is also teary eyed wraps his arm around his son as the three of them console one another. After Peter had spoken to the police all the family immediately head back home and Peter sits on his bed waiting for some news.

 

‘’What did they say?’’. Asks Peter as his father knocks on his bedroom door and walks

In.

 

‘’I called and they said they hadn’t found her yet’’.

 

‘’Hadn’t found her?’’.

 

‘’They went to her house and her parents said she was going to the library but she wasn’t there either’’.

 

‘’Do her parents know yet?’’.

 

‘No not yet, the police want to talk to Claire first and run some more tests on the tape you gave them’’.

 

‘’But how would she know to stay away?’’.

 

‘’She doesn’t son, she’ll have just stopped somewhere else, don’t worry they’ll get her’’.

 

‘’Well I can’t wait’’. And Peter stands up and grabs his jacket.

 

‘’What you doing?’’.

 

‘’I’ll find her myself, I know where to look’’.

 

‘’Son that’s not a good idea’’.

 

‘’I need to dad I need to find her’’. And Peter heads for the door but his father stands in his way.

 

‘’Dad move I need to find her!’’.

 

‘’Son your angry and hurt right now and if you do find her you might do something you might regret’’.

 

‘’Trust me dad I wouldn’t regret it!’’.

 

‘’Son I can’t let you go’’.

 

‘’Dad!’’.

 

‘’Please son, I’m trying……so please let me help you’’. And Peter’s eyes begin to fill with tears, tears of hurt and anger.

 

‘’I want to kill her’’. Peter tells his father.

 

‘’Al these years, all these years of knowing her and she does this, she takes my brother away from me because she’s jealous of another girl and I’ll…. I’ll never have my brother back because of her, I won’t have someone to share my secrets with, I won’t have someone who I can stay up all night talking to again I won’t have….. I won’t have that person I can always turn to because of her!’’. Cries Peter and his father then grabs hold of his son and holds him tight.

 

Peter walks into the hospital and once again can see his brother sat at the window looking out at the world. He heads across and is shocked when he sees his brother fully awake and aware with a smile on his face.

 

‘’Josh!’’.

 

‘’Peter’’.

 

‘’But your okay, you’re…..’’.

 

‘’Just like before’’.

 

‘’Yes!’’.

 

‘’And that’s how you have to remember me brother, as just like before, for you for mom for everyone, I want you telling stories to everyone about how I was before, don’t let them see the now’’. And as Josh talks Peter’s eyes fill with tears.

 

‘’don’t cry Peter. You know I’ll always be here for you, I’ll always be listening to everything you tell me’’.

 

‘’I love you so much Josh’’.

 

‘’I love you too brother’’. And as Josh smiles at Peter the sun shines bright through the window and Peter wakes up on his bed and then looks up at an old photo of him and his brother standing together on a skiing holiday and as Peter remembers how much fun they had his phone suddenly rings and Peter is shocked to see the caller is Claire.

 

‘’Hello?’’. He asks not expecting it to really be her’’.

 

‘’Peter its Claire’’.

 

‘’Were are you’’. He demands to know’’.

 

‘’Meet me where it happened, and if you want answers you’ll come alone, bring the cops and I’ll never say a word a swear’’.

 

‘’I’m going to…’’. But before Peter can finish Claire hangs up and Peter one again looks at the photo of him and his brother and grits his teeth before grabbing his jacket and heading out of the door.

 

Peter arrives at the building were his brother fell and looks down at the spot where he landed before grabbing hold of an old rusty steel pipe and then heading inside and up to the roof. When there Peter finds Claire stood out on the ledge.

 

‘’You’re here’’. She says and Peter looks at her with so much hate and anger in his eyes as he grips the steel pipe tightly.

 

‘’I know you want to kill me’’. She says. ‘’And I don’t blame you’’.

 

‘’Why Claire….. Why all this over a girl’’.

 

‘’Your brother abandoned me!’’.

 

‘’It was never like that between you two!’’.

 

‘’He didn’t even spend time with me after her met Stacey, it was all her, her, her that bimbo b***h!’’.

 

‘’Why didn’t you talk to him, why didn’t you explain how you felt’’.

 

‘’He wouldn’t have listened, he was blind and stupid on her, she was all he has and thought of!’’.

 

‘’So that’s it, something so simple leads to you trying to murder someone you’ve known for years’’.

 

‘’I was pushed over the edge Peter, I couldn’t stand to see the two of them together anymore and then…. Then you caught the bug, you became obsessed with her’’.

 

‘’Because I thought she tried to kill my brother!’’.

 

‘’Yes and I tried to help you but you never told me about Stacey’s real family, you never told me about her father, you lied and kept secrets for her just like your brother!’’.

 

‘’ I was trying to get to the truth!’’.

 

‘’Well it made me very angry and that’s why I attacked you with a baseball bat, I just saw red and….. And I attacked you’’.

 

‘’Saw red… just like with my brother you physco b***h!’’.

 

‘’I loved Josh, I was always there for him, I listened to him, we shared the same interests, we liked the same lessons at school but just because I didn’t look like her he ignored me, he threw me to the curb! And I was angry, I was angry and sad and alone and it just all boiled over……..

 

Josh is on the rooftop looking out at the world when Claire appears not looking very happy.

 

‘’How did you know I was here?’’. Asks Josh who had clearly been drinking.

 

‘’You always come here to think’’.

 

‘’Right, you know me well’’.

 

‘’What happened?’’. She asks.

 

‘’Stacey she….… she just dumped me for no reason’’. An upset Josh tells her. ‘’For no reason at all and I love her Claire, I really do’’.

 

‘’I told you she’d hurt you’’.

 

‘’There’s more to it, there’s something going off and her father…..’’.

 

‘’She’s a cheerleader Josh and you’re not the star quarterback’’.

 

‘’No, we were deeper than that and she’s not like that, not really’’.

 

‘’Yes she is, they all are and I told you that Josh but you didn’t listen and now look at you’’. She tells Josh as she approaches closer.

 

‘’I should have listened to you before’’.

‘’Yes you should but ever since you got with her all you’ve done is ignore me, cast me aside like someone you’ve only known for five minutes’’.

 

‘’I’m sorry Claire; it just got so wrapped up in it all. I loved her so much but she hurt me so bad ’’. And Claire then wraps her arms around Josh and holds him tight.

 

‘’Maybe we can…. We can work’’. Suggests Claire as she buries her head into Josh’s chest.

 

‘’Claire you’re my best friend, my best friend in the world and lately I haven’t treated you like that and I need to make it up to you but me and you…. I see us as just good friends, the best but just friends and I hope that doesn’t hurt your feelings’’ Says Josh and Claire lifts up her head and look up at him and the look on her face quickly turns and she pushes Josh away from her a hard as she can and as she does Josh staggers and trips on his shoe laces and then falls back off the rooftop and crashes to the floor below them. At first Claire stares down at his lifeless body in complete shock at what she had done. Tears stream down her cheeks and her whole body shakes with fear but she knows, she knows she can’t take the blame, she knows she can’t go to jail and throw her whole life away so Claire quickly pulls out a notepad from her bag and rips out a sheet of paper before steadying her hand and then writing a small suicide letter as if it is from Josh and then places it down on the rooftop floor and runs as fast as she can away from the crime scene.

 

‘’You left him there… you left him alone and in pain!’’. Shouts Peter as he steps closer to Claire.

 

‘’It was an accident!’’.

 

‘’Bullshit! And even if it was you ran! You left him to die!’’.

 

‘’He left me!’’.

 

‘’No Claire this is different and you know it’’. And as Peter steps closer his grip on the pipe becomes tighter.

 

‘’Step any closer and I’ll jump’’. Warns Claire. ‘’And my death will be on your conscience’’.

 

‘’Believe me I won’t have regrets’’.

 

‘’But you’ll go to jail because the cops will think you pushed me, they’ll think you were seeking revenge for your brother’s demise and came here to do to me what I did to him and then you’ll go to jail and your parents truly will crack’’.

 

‘’Claire I swear to you’’…..

 

‘’ I don’t care what you have to say Peter. You’re a liar just like your brother!’’. Scrams Claire.

 

‘’I’m invisible, invisible to everyone, my parents, everyone at school, you but with Josh I wasn’t, I was someone, until she came alone and ruined everything!’’.

 

‘’No Claire, you ruined everything, you ruined my brother’s life!’’.

 

‘’Well mines ruined too because every time I sleep, every time I close my eyes all I see is him lying there and I can’t take it anymore’’. And Claire steps further off the edge.

 

‘’I can’t take the nightmares anymore, I can’t take the lying anymore and when I saw those officers outside my house I knew what they were there for, I knew they were there to put me behind bars and lock away the keys, to shut me in a dark room and leave me to die with my own thoughts but I won’t do that, I can’t do that!’’. And a teary Claire steps off the rooftop ledge but Peter dives and just managers to grab hold of her arm before she crashes to the ground below.

 

‘Let me go!’’. She creams.

 

‘’No!’’. And Peter tries and tries to pull her up but Claire resists.

 

‘’You want me dead so let me die!’’. She creams at Peter but he doesn’t and he pulls Claire up back onto the rooftop and to safety and when Claire is safe on top of the rooftop Peter grabs her by the collar and then picks up the steel pipe and holds it over his head ready to crash it down on Claire. He holds the steel pipe tightly in his hand and all he wants to do is end the life of Claire and spill her blood in revenge for his brother.

 

‘’Go on do it!’’. She screams as the rain falls heavily on them. ‘’Do it!’’. She screams and Peter tightens his grip around the pipe ready to pounce.

 

‘’Go on, end it, get your revenge!’’. She screams. ‘’Do it!!!!!’’. But just before Peter brings the steel pipe crashing down something stop him… the thought of his brother, the thought of his brother sat in the hospital with all his pain knowing he will never be the same again and he knew killing Claire would mean all her hurt and pain would die with her and she would suffer no longer unlike his brother did for the rest of his life.

 

‘’ No, because you dying puts you out of your misery. You dying takes away all the pain and guilt and I don’t want that, I want you sat in a dark, cold lonely cell slowly die second by second with the guilt and pain of what you did to my brother eating away at you until it kills you!’.  Spits Peter at his brothers attacker before dragging Claire to her feet and marching down off the rooftop and to the police.

 

One more Peter is embraced by his parents at the police station as they all cry together, some tears out of relief the nightmare is over but most over the nightmare Josh is still living all because of the jealousy of his best friend.

 

‘’Claire confessed everything’’. His father tells Peter. ‘’She just broke down in there’’.

 

‘’Good I hope she suffers’’.

 

‘’We all are’’. Adds his mother.

 

‘’Come on son, were taking you home, Josh will want us to get on with our life’s now. You never gave up, you never stopped until you got to the truth and me and your mother are proud of you for that’’. And Peter’s father places his hand on his sons shoulder as tears roll down Peters cheeks…..

 

‘’Wait, I’m going to go and see Stacey first’’. He tells his parents

 

‘’But son….’’.

 

‘’I won’t be long I promise, I just need to tell her’’.

 

‘’Okay’’. Replies his father. ‘’I’ll drop you off their’’.

 

‘’Thanks’’. And the three of them head for the car and as they do Peter looks through a small window on an interview door and inside he sees Claire who stares right back at him her face emotionless and her cheeks stained with many, many tears.

 

‘’I hope you rot’’. Peter whispers to himself before walking away.

 

‘’Ok thanks’’. Peter tells his parents as they drop him off at the hospital.

 

‘’don’t forget, ring me when you want picking back up’’. His father tells Peter.

 

‘’I will I promise’’. And Peter says his goodbyes before heading inside.

 

‘’Hey, I’m here to see Stacey’’. Peter asks a nurse who he had seen and spoken to before’’.

 

‘’Stacey, she isn’t here’’.

 

‘’She isn’t?’’.

 

‘’No, her father took her home about half an hour ago’’.

 

‘’Her father what did he look like?’’.

 

‘’Smart looking guy, grey hair, expensive suit, he was carrying ID’’. But Peter knows it is Duncan, the man who she had left with was Duncan and as he stands there in the middle of the hospital rubbing his head he wonders why Stacey would leave with him and were they would go after everything that had happened and how Stacey had told Peter she wanted out………

 

In the dark of night a silver car pulls out on an lonely road side and out of the car climbs a Mr. Duncan. He checks his watch and stretches his legs and as he does something bangs from inside the boot so he opens it up and inside is Stacey, her hands tied together along with her legs and a gag is strapped around her mouth as she struggles to break free her face full of fear.

 

‘’What did I tell you’’. Says Mr. Duncan. ‘’When we get there I’ll untie you I promise’’. He tells her. ‘’don’t worry dear, where were going people will accept, people will understand out love for one another and there will be no silly little boys sticking their noses in and spoiling things between us’’. He tells her but Stacey is shaking her head.

 

‘’don’t worry, we belong together’’. He then tells her with a sadistic smile on his face as he slams the car boot down shut………

 

         Fade to Black…….