Chapter 2

I went into the kitchen looking for breakfast. But Mitch was looking for a fight.
“You’ve been checking the papers huh?”
“Yeah, I have the right to know.”
He laughs, “Reese if they blow off dad’s head, how are they supposed to know his name?”
“If you were smarter then you acted, you’d know they have dog tags.”
“Oh right….”
I roll my eyes then pull out the orange juice container.
“Reese, you’ve got attitude.” Mitch says with a frown.
“I do now?” I ask as I pour myself a glass.
“How did Macily put up with it?”
I immediately turned on him.
“Listen to me Mitch. Mom’s off at work and I’m already in a bad mood, try me, I dare you.”
“Oh yeah, what are you going to do?”
I swung around and grabbed a knife.
“Reese!”

I could hear the fear in his voice. My fingers rubbed up and down the knife’s end then I sigh and put it back. When I turned back around to him, he was still in some state of shock. I drank down my glass of orange juice then left. I knew he was going to tell. Mitch was a snitch. If he told mom, she’d believe him. She always knew I was the violent type. That meant I couldn’t go home . I ran down the street to school then slid into class right before the last bell.

The teacher started off on a lecture. So I dazed out.
“Reese. Reese!”
“Huh?” I ask as I still remained distant.
The class snickered.
I looked up to find the teacher handing me a pass.
“You’re wanted in the counseling office.”
I take the pass then under my breath say, “Thanks a lot Mitch.”

As I walked into the counseling office, it wasn’t Mitch sitting in the other chair. I didn’t even know the kid in the other chair.
“You wanted me?” I ask as I hand the counselor the pass.
“Yes, Reese this is Trevor.”
“Trevor? Trevor Ridge?”
He nods and stands up. Quickly I wrapped my arms around his neck. He hugged me back.
“I haven’t seen you in so long! Your so much older now and--”
“You do know, I was always older then you right?”
I laugh then held onto him even tighter.
“I’m going to give you two, some time.” The counselor got up from her seat then walked out.
“So what’s up?” I ask with a smile.
His eyes looked down at the ground.
“I’m the only Ridge left.”
“W-what do you mean?” I ask.
My smile faded.
He sighed then he says, “Annie died yesterday and Wes is dead at war--”
“Wes is not dead! I’ve been checking the papers!”
He smiles then shook his head. The same thing adults do to kids when they just don’t understand.
“Well, my mom was in the hospital the same night as Annie. She died a few minutes after her.”
“Wait, who died first?”
“Annie.”
I sigh then say, “Put yourself in Wes’s shoes.”
“Reese what does this--”
“Just do it, please.”
“Ok.”
He breaths in and out then closes his eyes.
“What would you do if I told you I was there on 23rd street and Oceanside?”
His eyelids flew open.
“You were there?!”
I nodded.
“But I thought you were at 32nd!”
“Would you hate me?” I ask.
I forced my eyes to look into his, and search his for the truth. He sighs, and his head dropped down.
“No, I wouldn’t.”
I wiped away my tears then hugged back onto him.

I had to return to class. But he promised to come back and take me out for lunch. During Spanish I checked my phone.
“My purpose is clear/but your not supposed to understand.”
“WTH?” I texted back.
“Put it away Senora, before you loose it.”
I look up to catch Senora Lucaz looking at me. I slid it into my pocket then listened to her. She walked around the classroom in a way to kind of hypnotize you. Every girl wanted to look like her when they grew up. Every guy wanted to marry her.
“Me gusta leer un libros, y pasar un rato con las amigas! Te gusta hacer la tarea?”
No. No, no, no!

I was so happy when the last bell for fourth period rang.
I ran out to the parking lot to see Trevor pulling up on his motorcycle. I ran and jumped on.
He looked up and over his shoulder, “Don’t I have to sign you out?”
“No they’ll live.”
“Reese I’m pretty sure--”
“Trevor,” I place my hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry.”
“Ditcher.” He mutters with a smile then hands me back a helmet.
I attach the buckle under my chin then say “Oh like you never have.”
He smiles back at me then starts up his motorcycle, I wrap my arms around his waist as we drove off.

“So you’ve got a job?” I ask.
He looks up from his menu, “No, why would you ask that?”
I answer him by looking around the restaurant that a normal teenager can’t afford.
“Alright let me state this clearly, my mom’s dead, Annie died, my dad’s off at war with Wes and everyone else’s dad. I think I’m getting a little inheritance.”
My smile disappeared. He noticed.
“What’d I say?” He asks as he touches over at my hand.
I pull my hand away then place it on my lap.
“Why does everyone think that their dad’s are dead? There’s a big chance that--”
“Reese, those men went off by force! We lost so many men that they had to start drafting grandpa’s I heard!”
“They weren’t fifty yet.” I say with a pout.
He opens his mouth to say something then shuts it again.
“Reese, just ‘cause I lost all hope doesn’t mean you have to.”
“I haven’t.”
“That’s good. Now can we enjoy ourselves at lunch?”
“Yeah.”
I lift the menu back up then realized I couldn’t read it, it was all blurred.

I looked up to see if Trevor was looking. When I saw he was reading the menu I quickly wiped my eyes with my sleeves. My pocket started vibrating, making it loud enough for him to hear. I excused myself with a gentle smile to him then reached back and pulled out my phone.
“Dating? When we have a boyfriend?”
Trevor tried to peek his head over the table.
“Who is it?” He asks
“An annoying friend of mine.”
Before I could hit the reply button I got another text.
“So now we’re on the same side? Well alright.”
I barely typed in a few letters when Trevor’s buttery fingers slipped my phone from me.
“Hey now, were at lunch, we. Let’s talk. You can talk to--”
He looked down at the phone. My heart stopped.
He looked up at me, “What Reese? Have so many friends that you just start putting in random names for them?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Unknown.”
“Oh--well that’s his--her nickname.”
He raises his brow at me.
“That my other friends gave them.”
“Them?” He asks with a side laugh.
“Oh never mind Trevor. I’ll put it away can I have my phone?”
He smiles, “Yeah, here.”
He hands it across the table then it starts vibrating in his hand. He hesitates then takes his hand back and then looks down at the phone.
“Reese….”
“Trevor, please stop reading!”
He looks up at me then back down at the phone. I get up and out of my seat then snatch it from him. When I read the first few words, my heart died.
“Mitch is dead.”

Trevor drove me from the restaurant to home at my apartment building. Mitch wasn’t there. I called his cell phone but it immediately went to voicemail. When I was about done freaking out, the house phone rang. I ran to get it.
“Hello? Hello! HELLO?!”
“Hello, yes is this Mrs. Moore?”
I cover the phone then clear my throat.
“Yes, it is. Are you calling about my son?”
“Not today Mrs. Moore. We’re calling about your daughter Reese--”
“What’s going on? Is that Mitch?” Trevor asks as he stepped over.
I shushed him then say, “I’m sorry, continue.”
“Yes she’s been marked as absent but was here earlier today. You may want to call her, and get her here before school is over before it is marked on her record as a Verified Ditch.”
“Oh of course, I’ll try my best to get her there.”
“Ok thank you Mrs. Moore.”
“Excuse me! One last thing, is my son Mitch in today?”
“Of course he is, Mrs. Moore. Would you like to speak to him?”
“Could you?”
“Of course, please hold.”

Trevor takes the phone from me, then holds it away from me.
“Reese! What’s going on?”
“That’s what I’m trying to figure out!”
“Why is your friend texting you crap like that?”
“I don’t know!”
“Reese stop lying. If you have something to say just say it!”
“Ok!” I yell.
“Ok?”
“Yes,”
In the silence we heard a distant, “Hello? Hello?”
Trevor hands me back the phone, “Hello! I’m sorry, what is it you were saying? Were you able to get him?”
“Actually he’s in the middle of a test right now but as soon as he’s done, I’ll have him call you.”
“Oh ok, thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
I put the phone back down on the receiver then let out a big sigh.

Trevor asks, “Everything alright?”
“Yeah, apparently he’s in the middle of taking a test.”
“Oh that’s good.”
“Yep,”
I walk over to the couch then collapse onto it. Trevor comes and sits next to me, resting his face in his hands.
I rub his back then say “Thanks for rushing me home.”
“I don’t see why you think he’d be home anyway.”
“I know…I panicked. Home is the--the uh--first place I go when I’m scared.”
He looks at me, “Where’s your first place?”
I look down in my lap then say, “Annie’s apartment. It was home.”
“Want to tell me what happened there? What happened with your friend? What happened to Macily what--”
The phone rang. We both craned our necks to see it.
“I’ll get it.”
“Well Mr. Moore is off at war, so I don’t see why I would.”
I roll my eyes then get up from the couch to answer it.
“Hello?”
“Yes I’m--I’m terribly sorry Mrs. Moore.” Her voice was frantic.
“What do you mean? Why?!”
“It seems to have been some mistake. Your son is being rushed to the hospital currently. It’s believed that he might not make it--no one was really paying attention and--”
I hung up the phone then ran towards the door.
“Reese! Where are you going?” Trevor yelled after me, but I kept running.

I asked the front desk if they knew where he was.
They told me that he wasn’t in a room. That he was currently in the middle of a rescue surgery. They told me that they’re afraid, that the blade hit a major artery and they might not be able to stop the bleeding. They told me, my brother was dying.
I didn’t care how many people tried to stop me, I rushed back into the surgery room. I saw as pints flew from my brother. I didn’t understand. My phone vibrated.

“I know who did it. Do you?”
“IDC who did it! I care y they did it!”
I sent it then watched in horror.

No one noticed me for the longest time. But the doctors started walking off, one by one. Their scrubs stained in blood. They gave me sad glances, but when there was only one left I ran up to Mitch and took his hand. It was obvious he was unconscious. The doctors came back and tried moving me away. But I screamed, I hollered, I kicked. I would not leave. I tried to be as loud as possible hoping that Mitch would pop up, and yell at me to shut up. I was hoping he’d tell me I was over reacting. I was waiting for the brother that would push you from a hug after he got hurt saying, “I’ll be fine.”

“Reese! Reese.” I noticed Trevor was helping them.
“Your helping them?!” I shriek.
“Reese they’re taking you out of here because Mitch is going to be fine.”
“He’s what?” I ask as I look up at the doctors.
“Your brother was knocked out because he lost so much blood. We returned it, and were able to stop the bleeding.”
“So it didn’t hit an artery?”
“No it didn’t.”
I felt a smile grow.
“Do you know when he’ll be up again?”
The doctor shrugged.
“In a couple of hours maybe.”
“Ok.”
“Ok?” Trevor asks. He was talking to me like I was some maniac. But he had the right.
“Come on, this way.”
His touch was something I haven’t felt since Wes. When he wrapped his arm around me to reassure me I was fine, that Mitch was fine, that the whole world was fine I realized I’d be fine.

We sat waiting for hours. Finally I was allowed in his room.
“Hey Mitch, you up?” His eyes glanced over at me. He was drugged.
“Who did it?”
He sighed heavily.
“You know who.”
I laughed. It felt inappropriate after it came out but it was too late to take it back.
“The school thought it was a gang. No one apparently saw.”
“You know they saw. They just couldn’t tell. That whole school is involved with this. The whole school is going to get plucked one by one, until everyone but us is dead.”
“I’m just happy your alive.”
“It’s not by luck, Reese. So don’t just be happy. They were trying to scare you, scare us. If they wanted to kill me I would’ve been dead like Macily.”
I stopped breathing.
“That’s how they killed her right? They stabbed her in the middle of 32nd street?”
“You want to know what happened?”
“Yeah.”
The vibration was in my pocket.
I pulled it out and read it, “I wouldn’t tell if I were you.”

Mitch was on his death bed. Regardless of what the doctors said he could die at any minute. He had the right to know. And I may not tell him all of it, but I’d tell him some of it.

“Ok brace yourself Mitch.”
“Shut up Reese. Just tell the story.”
I cut my eyes at him then remembered it, like it was--because it was-- yesterday.

Sunday mornings used to mean, Mom would take us to church. And I’d see all my church friends. And Mitch would play for all the church teams. But when my dad went away to war, my mom had to get a job. And with almost all the moms in the U.S. needing jobs, jobs became scarce. So instead of being able to take full time, my mom took three part time jobs. This meant, no break for Mom. In the beginning Mitch and I would go without her. But after a while less and less families went. I guess because they believed God had given up on them, so they might as well give up on Him.

We told Mom we went. She never asked the Pastor. And sometimes we really did go, if we didn’t have plans for the weekend. So Mitch and his friends staid home this Sunday, and me and him would go next Sunday. I called up Macily and asked her to come pick me up. I told her let’s go do something. She held the phone. I told her that if she didn’t have enough money I’d cover for her. She talked. She said she wasn’t leaving her house because they were after her.

I told her they wouldn’t bother her if she were with me. She said I was lying and just being selfish. I told her that hiding in her apartment couldn’t save her. She scolded me on how a horrible thing that was to say to her. I realized it was pretty bad. I apologized then tricked her. I said that I would save her. She listened closely. I told her I’d save her family. She asked me how, and I told her I couldn’t tell. She told me that if I was lying, her blood would be in my hands. With a shrug, I accepted that.

She hung up the phone, and came to pick me up. I got in the car, and she asked if the thing was done. I lied and told her it was. She eyed me and said with scared eyes, “Please Reese I’m serious. They’re after me. I can’t be risking my life for you.”
So I asked her why she was so afraid of dying, of death. She told me, she couldn’t tell me. I insisted that I needed to know. She sighed and searched my eyes. I smirked when she opened her mouth, but screamed when she did. We had gotten in a car crash. The guy behind the wheel looked pretty angry.

“Get out and talk to him!” She yelled.
“I’m not the one who crashed into him! You did,”
“You know I’m in hiding. I can’t get out.”
“Fine, he doesn’t look that bad. He can’t be one of them.”

I throw open my car door and he stepped out too. His voice was so kind and friendly. His face no longer showed any sign of anger. I talked to him like I would any adult.
He kept looking back at the car, and I did too. Macily was hiding under the wheel so no one could see her.

“You weren’t driving. I know you weren’t.”
“Well my friend--” I say as I wave at the car, “Has this thing with strangers.”
“That’s alright.” He looks back at the front of his car. “I just want her insurance number.”
“Ok, that’ll be easy.” I ran back then slid into the car.
“Macily you’ve got to stop worrying. He just wants your insurance agency.”
“Well ok….” she unbuckled her seatbelt then stepped out.
He smiled then says, “Hey, so I just need the number.”
“Alright it’s uh…”
“Wait, hold on…” he pulls out of one of his business suit pockets a tissue. “Let me go get a pen.”
“Ok.” Macily was tittering.
I rolled my eyes on how ridiculous she was acting.
“I don’t seem to have one, can you get me one?” He admits.
“Umm yeah, I’ll just get one from Dunkin Doughnuts.” I say then start to walk off.
“Let me go get it, Reese.” Macily says.
Her back was to him. And she was sending me signals not to leave her with him.
“Umm…or I’m sure the three hundred people walking by will have one. I’ll just go ask them.”
“Reese, no!”
“Macily stop it. He just wants a pen!”

I turned my back for what had to be less then a minute. I ran to the crowd of people and asked for a pen. They all looked over me. Their faces flinching, crying, pale. I just thought that the car accident was too ghastly for them to look at. But I finally got a pen from a hotdog stand guy. I ran back to hand Macily the pen, but Macily was on the ground, on her knees, folded over. His car was gone, he was gone. I yelled her name so many times. But calling her name didn’t stop the blood from flowing a puddle around her.
“Macily!”
I knew it was the thirteenth time I called her, but it was her last time she heard it. She was dead. They had killed her.

I didn’t cry because I couldn’t. I didn’t yell for help because it was too late. But one lady, called. And she would’ve been the hero if she had been the one to do it five minutes earlier.

Mitch looked at me. His eyes were barely staying open but they pierced me.
“Why did you leave her?”
“I didn’t--”
“Why did you lie to her?”
“It’s ‘cause I--”
“Why did you watch her die? There was nothing you could do Reese?”
“No Mitch there wasn’t! He stabbed her right in the stomach!”
“You know where you’re stabbing me? Right through the heart Reese!”
“Alright, but at least I’m here.”
“Mom’s break has ten minutes left. Where is she?”
“Umm, Mom doesn’t know you’re here yet.”
“How did you know?!”
“I got home early and answered the phone--”
“And you didn’t have the time to call her?! What kind of a person are you? Don’t you think Mom would have liked to spend her last few minutes with her dying son?! Reese I hate you! I hate you! You’re not a human being! You don’t have a heart! You’ve changed. They’ve changed you. And in a horrible, awful way.”
“Mitch you’re just saying that.”
“No Reese. Do you want me to really prove it?”
“No please.”
“Then get out of here! I don’t want to see you here, in my room.”
“No-no Mitch! You can’t get mad at me! You can’t not trust me! You’re going to end up dead--”
“Good.” I looked at him, and he looked at me. “I’d rather be dead then have to pretend I trust you, and that I like you.”
I wipe my tears away then say, “Fine. But I didn’t have to come.”
“No one asked you to.”
“I could’ve killed you!” I cried. “You could’ve been dead this morning! If they had really changed me, you wouldn’t be here. You wouldn’t be breathing! Be lucky--no be happy that you are still living!”
“Get out of here, Reese!”
“Fine!” I began to whimper, “Fine.”
I walked out and slammed the door after me. Trevor saw the tears and ran to the rescue. As his shoulder covered my face, my mom ran in. Panicking. I don’t know who told her. But I was glad that she came.

Trevor closed the door to his room then motioned for me to sit on his bed.
“You know, I’m a really good listener.”
I sniffed then rubbed away more tears.
“I won’t act like your brother did. I just want to know what happened to my sister.”
I look away.
“Can you tell me Reese? Please?”
“How badly do you want to know?”
He sits next to me.
“More then anything.”
“Ok,” I wipe my nose with my sleeve then start.