BAD CUPID

Created By ; Snow Marisvega

CHAPTER 125.

"Can i ask you something?" Bruce asked as we walked at the edge of the school roof.

"What?" I asked with a smile and moved away from there, looking back at him with a smile.

"Do you think some people ever get happiness?"

"What do you mean?" I asked with a chuckle.

"I mean, people like me. Bad people. People who make bad decisions."

"Made." I corrected him. "Made bad decisions. And yes, they can get happy endings, i mean, the world is full of shitty people and sometimes good people get crappy ending and shitty people get ha-. No, actually, shitty people don't get happy endings." I said and he laughed, I laughed as well.

"You are like my only friend here. I know, yeah, i got Zach and Henry and sometimes Jaxton talks to me but yeah, I know he is still annoyed with me but you, you are the only one who really really do care about me. You and Quinn, you both saved my life."

I smiled. "And i hope we don't ever get in that situation again, Bruce. I will bring you back from hell, kill you and bring you back, then make you my very own Cerberus or something." I said and he snickered.

"That wouldn't be so bad."

"I'm not joking." I told him. "Anyways, let's get out of here, I don't think we should even be in school property, why are we even here?" I asked as i began heading for the door.

"Because you are trying to save me." He said and i turned to him with a snort.

"What do you—?" I trailed off once i saw him still standing at the edge of the roof, staring at me with sad eyes. "B-Bruce, what are you..." i chuckled. "What are you doing there? Get down, the wind might throw you off."

"I am...sorry." He sobbed.

"No, sorry about what? J-Just get down, Bruce, please."

Tears fell from his eyes suddenly and my heart started to best erratically. "Bruce."

"I know you tried to save me but not everyone can be saved."

"Bruce, what are you...Bruce, come on, g-get down!" I said as i slowly made my way towards him. "This isn't funny."

"Thank you, Dylan."

"Bruce, don't you dare. Don't you...don't you fucking dare do anything stupid. Bruce, get down and we'll talk."

"I don't wanna talk anymore, I'm hurting."

"Bruce. P-Please." I cried, my throat closing up. "We'll talk, you...you promised me that you wouldn't do that again, Bruce." I called, still slowly making my way towards him.

"Thank you." He cried. "Thank you so much." He still managed to smile.

"No. No. No." I reached for him but he let himself fall and my heart stopped.

I screamed as I sat up from the bed, all sweaty. Henry got up as well and looked at me with worry. "Dyl? Hey, are you okay?"

I placed a hand on my forehead as i suddenly had a terrible headache, I squinted my eyes in pain and hissed. "I...I have a headache, Henry." I whispered.

Henry nodded and quickly got out of bed, he returned with a glass of water and some pills. "Here, have this." He said as he gave them to me, i slowly took it from him to avoid movements that could have me in a parallel universe, my head was banging, aliens were in my head.

"Fuck, fuck." I cursed after taking the pills.

"You good?"

"No." He took the glass cup from me and kept it aside.

"It's only been thirty minutes since you woke up." He said and i gave him a confused look, i looked at the alarm clock to see it was three thirty three.

"Fuck." I sighed. "I'm sorry i woke you, just go back to bed."

"Hey, I'm not complaining." He said as he held my hand. "Did you have a nightmare?" He questioned.

I looked at him and nodded. "Yeah, i...i did."

"Wanna talk about it?"

I frowned for a couple seconds as i stared at him.

"I don't....i don't remember."

****

"Dylan," Jaxton called softly while I laid on my side and stared at the wall. "You should...you should get ready," He said, but i said nothing in reply. "I'll wait for you downstairs."

I heard the door open and shut and i held my blanket tighter. It had been three days since Bruce had killed himself, it had been the worst weekend of my life. I was hurt, I felt broken, destroyed and betrayed, but I also felt like a failure.

Like I couldn't save him.

Although Henry had told me severally that it wasn't my fault, Henry and my parents, I couldn't just believe them.

Maybe if i tried harder.

Maybe if i had checked on him every day.

I managed to drag myself out of bed and into the bathroom. I was class president and so i was to give a speech today to the students concerning the tragic death of Bruce, i was supposed to be the strong one.

I wasn't strong.

Deep down, deep down i knew he needed me, Bruce needed my help. Deep down, i knew he wasn't okay when he called, why didn't i just persuade him till he spoke? Why didn't i go over to see him? The way he went silent most times, he was crying, wasn't he?

He was crying and he didn't want me to know.

That was why i had that dream, because i knew something was wrong. When your mind or heart knows something isn't right, sometimes you see it in your dream and I didn't even remember mine.

Why didn't you share your problems with me, Bruce.

You were never a burden to me, never did i think of you as one.

Why?

I dressed up in a red hoodie and black track pants, i was about to leave my room when I remembered i had an interview today. Someone from Harvard was coming to see me today and I couldn't have an interview dressed up like this, even i knew.

I began taking off my clothes with an angry sigh, I put on a black plain pants and a black turtle neck, I brushed my hair backwards and stared at myself in the mirror.

He also deserved to go to college.

***

"Good morning," I greeted as i made my way to the dinning.

"Hey sweetie, how are you?" Mom asked, a small smile on her face.

"Good." I answered.

"You look amazing." Mom smiled.

"That outfit would give you twenty points already during your interview." Jaxton said with a grin and our parents chuckled but i just stared at them blankly.

"No jokes then." Mom cleared her throat.

"Do not let me spoil your happy mood this morning, I'm fine, really. I just....I'm still healing but I'm fine." I fake smiled.

"You sure you're okay?" Dad asked and I nodded.

"Yeeeah, I'm fine. Please, stop asking me that."

"I'm sorry, i just wanted to be sure."

"Baby." Mom called softly. "You do not have to give that speech if you do not wanna."

"Your mom's right," Dad agreed.

"No, no, It'll be fine." I faked a smile. "I have to do this, it's the least i could do for him now."

Mom nodded slowly. "Okay, love."

"Um, I'm just...i don't exactly feel so hungry right now, I'll just....get something at school."

"Are you sure? There's plenty to eat." Mom said.

"I just...I don't have an appetite."

"Dylan." Jaxton called softly. "You haven't even a proper meal throughout the weekend, just some fruits and-"

"I will be fine, Jaxton. I will eat something at school, I promise."

"Well, see you later, Sofía." Jaxton said as he got up from the dinning with his backpack.

"Bye, Jaxton. Bye, Dylan."

I smiled at her. "Goodbye, be a good girl at school, okay?"

She nodded with a big smile.

I walked outta the house and to the car. "Do you...Do you mind driving?" I asked Jaxton and he shook his head.

"No, no, of course not."

"Thanks." I said and handed him the keys.

We both got into the car and as Jaxton began to drive, I just looked out the window. This weekend it had been nothing but darkness , it still felt like a dream that he wasn't here.

After my panic attack at the auditorium, we had gone to the hospital where Quinn was, she had been crying her eyes out and had no one to hold her at the hospital, so when i got there, i wrapped my arms around her and all i wanted to do was console her but i was also broken and so i cried as well. She was devastated, she could barely make some words out without choking on them, she was a mess, filled with so much pain that she felt she would lose herself.

We had seen him at the hospital morgue and i lost every balance in my body, i almost fell to the ground at the sight of his lifeless, cold, pale body with a gunshot wound to his head but Henry caught me. I screamed, cried for God to take me back to that night so i could head over to his place and help him.

Apparently, his parents had heard the gunshot go off sometime around 3:30 and 3:37am that morning.

3:33am.

That was when i had that nightmare I couldn't remember.

Grandma Athena once told me, when you have a special connection with someone, a bond so strong, you can tell when the person is in danger, you can tell when something is wrong. Sometimes it comes like a dream, it could be something falling from your hand and breaking all of a sudden. She said people thought it was just superstitions and old people crap but it wasn't.

It really wasn't.

I wish i could have done more to save him.

I suddenly felt a hand on mine, i looked at it and then at Jaxton who kept driving.

"It's okay, I'm here for you." He said and that was when i realised i had been crying.

*****

"Hey," Henry made his way towards me once he saw Jaxton and i walked through those doors.

"Hey." I replied and hugged him tight.

"You good?" He asked as he kissed my head.

"Mmhmm, I am." I replied as he rubbed my back and kissed my head again.

"Been waiting here for you." He said and i just hugged him and placed my head on his chest, he was the comfort i needed.

"Come," he said and gently pulled away, he held my hand and began leading me down the hall. I was confused, until i saw a couple students surround Bruce's locker. There was a little memorial that had been done for him, they moved aside for me and i stared at the framed photo of Bruce in his jacket and a big smile on his face. There were so many flowers and notes.

"You did this?" I asked Henry.

He shook his head. "Raven and the others did." He said and i looked over at Raven who smiled at me.

"Hey." She made her way towards me and hugged me.

"Thank you." I told her softly.

"No," she shook her head. "I think we should all be thanking you instead for being there for him when he needed someone."

I shook my head. "if only i believed that." I said as i pulled away.

"I know you tried your best, babe. Sometimes, some people's demons are so loud and they keep reproducing and their voices keep getting louder and louder, and you just....wanna keep them silent." Henry said and i looked at him.

How would he know that?

Except if he had thought about it before.

I was about to ask him when I noticed Quinn dressed in a white dress and black heels, her hair in a bun. She was just staring at his locker and not moving an inch.

"Excuse me." I said and made my way towards her. She didn't even see me till i touched her shoulder and she flinched.

"Dylan, hey."

I flashed her a smile and hugged her. "You okay?"

She nodded. "I'll be fine." She said as she wiped her tears and we pulled away from each other. "Have you even slept?"

"I'll be fine." I told her.

"You did this? The memorial?" She inquired

I shook my head. "Raven did."

"Wow. Well, remind me to thank her later, just this one time." She said and I chuckled.

"Sure, I will."

"You're giving a speech today, right?" Quinn asked me. I looked down at my shoes, swallowed and nodded.

"Mmhmm."

"Will you be able to? I mean, will you be able to stand there and do that when you should be healing because you were his only real friend here?" She asked me and I shrugged.

"That is why i wanna do it, why i have to do it. I don't think anyone here knows him better like you and I do, they would probably act like they care, i mean some do but you know what i mean."

Quinn nodded. "Yeah, I do." She said with a sigh.

"You'll be at his funeral tomorrow, right?"

I nodded. "I wouldn't miss it."

"Good, cause i need you by my side tomorrow." She said and looked at me.

I smiled and held her hand. "I've got you."

****

"We lost a fellow student of ours to suicide, you all know him, Bruce Hills. I know a lot of you are still in grieve and it feels like this is all a dream, i know how you all feel and trust me when i say this is one of the hardest, scariest, and saddest moment of your teachers life and i know your lives as well. Having to hear that  a student in your classroom has passed away is hurtful, its sad, soul crushing even. Bruce Hills was a good kid, he tried to be before he took his own life." Principal Evans said, addressing the students in the auditorium during assembly.

While principal Evans addressed everyone, i remained backstage with Henry and waited for him to call me out.

"Hey," Henry placed both hands on my shoulders. "You'll do okay."

I placed a hand on his and smiled with a nod. "Yeah, i know." I said and squeezed his hand tight.

"Hey," Henry spun me around to face him. "Breathe, okay?"

I took in a deep breath. "Sorry, i am just....."

"Tensed. I know, love." Henry gave me a comforting smile. "I understand."

I gave him a smile. "Be here, okay?"

"I am not moving an inch." He said and kissed me.

"And now, your class president will say a few words." Principal Evans said and i spun around again.

I took in a deep breath and made my way towards him, he moved aside for me and with a big fake smile, i turned to the students.

"Hello, everyone. As we all know and as Principal Evans has said, this is a hard time for everyone of us." I swallowed. "I um, Bruce was..." I swallowed, my heart racing. For a second, I thought i had seen him sitting and looking at me, waiting to hear me speak nut what did i want to tell them when even I hadn't accepted his death. "I...I um," my hands were shaking.

I had this.

I had this.

Don't cry. Don't cry.

I looked at the crowd and I spotted Quinn, she gave me a small nod, she looked concerned. I needed to say a few words, for him, for her. I looked at Henry who seemed concerned as well, he gave me a smile and then a thumbs up and i nodded.

I swallowed the lump in the throat and looked back at them as i squeezed my hands. "I...I am just gonna say a few words and i hope every one of you do listen to me. Bruce wasn't perfect, i am not perfect, you are not, but we expect a lot from people, forgetting that they are humans like us. Just because we can do certain things doesn't mean everyone can, we are all different but we are all human. I know a lot of you did not like Bruce even after he became...a good person and I don't blame you, he did hurt a lot of you. Bruce was going through a lot at home, all of you know his secret and that was something he was so ashamed of that he decided to be a dick so no one would ever find out and make fun of him for it. Bruce was an asshole because he didn't want anyone to know what went on behind closed doors, he didn't have the best parents." I shrugged. 

"He became who he was because of the pain he felt in his heart, why him? Why did everyone had to have a 'perfect family' and he did not? So he decided to become the new messenger of the devil. No, i am not saying all these justifies him bullying you, it doesn't justify the pain he caused you all and the anxiety and you name it." I chuckled. "It doesn't." I shook my head. "But he t-tried to be good." I swallowed once my voice cracked.

"Bruce um, Bruce is the nicest guy when you get to know who he really is and a lot of you didn't give him that chance after he changed. I understand you didn't want to forgive him even after he apologised, but we are all humans." I shrugged. "You know, when Quinn and I found out his secret had been exposed, we went over to his house because we feared he was gonna do something awful. We weren't friends then, no, i hated him and so did Quinn, but that didn't stop us from getting worried about him. We ran over to his, banging on his door but no answer. I broke the door down and Quinn made a joke about how a bottom had that amount of strength." I said with a small chuckle and half the students laughed.

"We ran up and uh, we...we found him hanging from the ceiling fan." I said and there were a lot of gasps and murmuring. "I had never been more scared, the only time I remember being that scared was when my baby brother died and when i was in a coma and thought my life was a lie. He wasn't breathing and i...i was trying everything to help him." I said as a tear fell down my left eye. "I begged him to wake up and when I thought he was finally dead, he woke up." I smiled. "He was surprised Quinn and I saved his life, especially me because we hated each other. We talked for hours and he apologised so many times for all he did to me, i had told him to make things right with everyone he hurt."

"Bruce was...he was a beautiful soul and I...I thought i could help him, i thought...i thought i was doing everything right but," I shook my head as I quickly wiped my tears and faked a smile. "I wasn't, and I regret not knowing he needed me that night. I regret not hearing it in his voice that his demons were winning and getting louder." I shrugged. "I failed him." I said and looked away from them for a couple seconds before looking back at them.

"Eastwood high students have gone through a lot of horrible things. But this is when i need you all. Everyone, please, always check up on your friend, always! Do not make them think they are bothering you every time they come to you with their problem, don't make them think their problem is small because someone had it worse. You can't tell someone who got sexually assaulted not to feel depressed because they didn't get raped. No." I shook my head. "It doesn't work that way. So check on your friends, listen to them, pay attention. Sometimes all they want is for you to listen to them, not to make it about you, not to turn it into a competition of who had it worse. Your friends need you, they need you to understand them, to hear them cry even when their lips are closed. To see the tears behind their smiles." I told them. "Because trust me, when you lose them, that guilt will...it will eat you up from the inside like a virus because you knew you could have stopped it but you didn't because you didn't pay attention or because you were too busy to care."

"And, to everyone struggling with their mental disorder, to everyone who feels so depressed, like their world is crashing, like they can't breathe. To everyone who is trying to stop the voices of their demons through suicide, please, please do not because believe it or not, a lot of people do care about you. I care about every student in this school even if i do not know all of you, i wanna make sure everyone who goes here is happy, graduates happy and remember they got out with a big smile and a lot of happy memories and that can't happen if some of you keep being a jerk. Just because you are jock does not give you the right to play with people's feelings and bully them. Just because you are a cheerleader does not mean you are better than the girl in chess club, it doesn't give you the right to treat them like shit and slut shame your fellow woman. Women should be there for each other, you should be your very helpers but it's funny how its women who tear each other down in this school and in the world." I chuckled.

"I know what it is like to wanna end your life, i know what it is like to feel like you are unloved, like the best thing to do is hurt yourself, end yourself, but it is not the best thing. You will regret it and you will cause a lot of pain on the people who love it and I know a lot of you do not want that. This is s fucked up world, people will disappoint and betray you but, they shouldn't determine how your life should be. Your demons also shouldn't, don't let them control you, you should control them."

"Sadly, Bruce couldn't and i wish I could have done more." I felt my throat tighten. "I loved Bruce, I loved him as a friend, he was one of the best and he just wanted to go to college, become a doctor and have a wife, kids and forget his past. He just wanted to be happy but, he....he never got the chance to." I wiped my tears. "So please, if you feel like your world is crashing down, talk to someone. We have a guardian councillor but i also know nobody wants to talk to them because apparently they can't be trusted and even i know that. You tell them something and before you know it, your not so understanding parents know about it or your principal and next thing, you are hating yourself for trusting them." I said and looked at the guardian councillor sitting in the front roll. "I'm sorry but it's the truth, and so, if you wanna talk to anyone, anyone at all, you can talk to me." I smiled. "You can talk to Jaxton, my brother. He would never judge you, Jon, Gwen, Zach, all my friends are here to help you, they are here to listen." I said.

"Please, n-no more deaths. Suicide is not the answer, it is never, never the answer." I really didn't want anymore deaths, I didn't want anyone thinking they didn't deserve it all.

After a few seconds of silence , when they realised I wasn't saying anything else, they all began to clap and I faked a smile at them. I was glad that they paid attention, that they listened but it also hit me right there that Bruce was really really gone, I wasn't dreaming. Quinn had been sobbing in her seat and trying to hide it.

He really was dead.

Bruce was actually dead.

I felt my heart race again and I began to breathe heavily, I left the stage and went backstage and to Henry who was smiling and clapping.

"You did great, love." He said but I just wrapped my arms around him and cried. He was startled by my reaction but still wrapped his arms around me. "It's okay, babe."

"H-He's dead, Henry." I cried. "Bruce is dead." I sobbed on his chest and he just held me tight.

"Let it all out."

****

"Oh, there you are." Principal Evans smiled widely as i walked over to him, he was standing outside a guardian councillor's office.

"You called for me?"

"Yeah, uh, I forgot to tell you nice speech earlier, during the assembly, it was beautiful."

I smiled. "Thanks."

"And I am really sorry about Bruce. You both became friends at a short time and then this happened ." He said and I nodded.

"I'll be okay." I told him. "Um, is there a reason you called me?"

"Yeah, uh, your interview, it starts in ten." He said and my eyes widen.

"Wait, really?"

"Yeah, she's right in there and I'm gonna go talk to her for a while and when i come out, You'll go in, so just wait out here, okay?" He said and I nodded.

"Yeah, sure, I didn't want to be in class anyways."

He nodded. "I understand, I'll be out before ten minutes." He said and walked into the office.

"Sure." I muttered.

"Dylan?" An unfamiliar voice called, I turned to see a boy standing beside me.

"Um, who are you?"

"I uh, I was one of the kids Bruce bullied."

"Oh, hi." I smiled at him. "What's your name?"

"Cole."

"Hello, Cole." Cole was a biracial kid, he had curls and freckles. He was a skinny kid like i was and wore glasses as well.

"Um, so, i was one of the students Bruce bullied and he did apologise to me. I didn't forgive him instantly but, he did everything he could to help me and to gain my forgiveness w-which he did and we became friends." He smiled softly. "The day after....after Bruce had died, i noticed i had two new emails." Cole said and I frowned, confused. "Two emails from him, well he first apologised for what he had done and told me to make sure I graduated next year with good grades and get into a good school. Then he asked me to give you and Quinn something, he wrote you both a later, i printed it out for you and Quinn separately. I would have just emailed it to you or given it to you at your house but, I wasn't over what had happened."

"I understand." I swallowed.

"I'm sorry, i did read the letters, they were in my email after all." He said as he handed me an envelope. "This one's for you." Cole smiled.

I stared at the envelope for a few seconds before taking it from him and faking an unsteady smile at him. "Um, T-Thank you, Cole."

Cole nodded. "Anytime, oh and great speech this morning." He smiled. "Bruce would definitely be smiling wherever he is." Cole said with a shrug. "I'll see you around, I guess."

"Yeah, y-you too."

"And, Bruce's death, isn't your fault." He said and I looked away from him. "He definitely knew you would think that." Cole said and i looked back at him.

"What do you mean?"

"Read the letter, bye Dylan." He said and walked away.

I opened the letter that had printed texts on it and, my heart on my sleeve, and then i read.

"Dylan, hey.

I know you are currently mad at me for what i did, if you are reading this then yeah, i am dead. And I know you probably feel like it is your fault and that you could have done more but, you can't save everyone, Dylan.

I am really, really sorry that i broke my promise to you. Believe me, i tried, i really tried to hang on. For you, for Quinn, for me. I wanted a happy family, a happy life, i really did try because i actually had friends who cared, i had friends who wanted something for me. But it is hard, Dylan. It is fuckinghard.

Suddenly, it started to feel like i was under water and unable to breathe. I didn't want to hurt you, i really wanted to stay alive but the voices were too loud and i am sorry i did this.

You really did try your best, you did everything you could to save me. Jesus, you saved my life once. You made me a better person, you made me see the pain i had caused so many people, you changed my life and i wish i could have kept that promise. It really is hard to talk about how you feel when you just wanna kill yourself, just stop breathing.

You gave me happiness, you taught me what it was like to actually smile, to actually be happy. You were and are everything anyone could ever wish for in their life. I used to think i would beat this, this depression and become better, i would get out of this shitty town and be happy but who was i kidding? I don't deserve happiness, I don't deserve anything good. I don't even deserve you.

You're the best thing that could happen to anyone, your parents are lucky to have you, your friends too because i know i was damn lucky to be your friend. Thank you for introducing me to your world, I'm glad i met your parents, they were loving even though they knew i was a dick to you. You know, your mom gave me a huge portion of cake and food to take home on your birthday and didn't want anyone to know so they wouldn't ask for theirs, this made me crack a smile right now even with these stupid tears. She is the best and she raised an amazing son.

I know what i am going to do is selfish, i know it is the most selfish thing anyone could do but i am mentally and emotionally exhausted. I just need to rest, i have been a fucking asshat to a lot of people, maybe this is what i actually deserve.

I didn't want to tell you cause I knew you would throw a fit, the abuse at home didn't stop, it got worse and i got beaten by my step dad. He burnt my back with a hot iron and told me how much of a nuisance and abomination i was, the pain kept getting worse, the abuse and I couldn't take it anymore. Do you remember at your party you asked me if i was really okay? I was scared you would find out, I kept asking myself if I didn't hide my pain so well but you are Dylan, you always know when someone who matters to you is in danger, that is why i had to do everything i could to make sure you didn't waste your time trying to save me.

Tonight was it, I can't take it anymore. I know you wanted to get my stepdad to jail but I couldn't let you do that while i was alive , his kids , I didn't want them growing up without a dad. I am sorry for the pain i caused you, fuck, i am a crying mess right now and i really want you to forgive me for what i did.

I just don't want anymore pain, I don't wanna be in this world anymore. I am really sorry.

I love you, Dylan. And thank you for being my best friend, thank you for caring about me. I know you will make a fine ass lawyer and you make sure you get into Harvard, okay? You deserve it.

Thank you for trying to save me, Dylan.
You did everything you could.

Love, Bruce.

I didn't know till i had read the letter completely that i had been crying until i saw some parts of the paper had tear drops on them. I wiped my tears but it didn't stop me from feeling like a mess, my chest tightened and while i tried to hold back my tears, I felt suffocated. A little sob escaped my lips and i placed a hand over my mouth as i whimpered. My walls were collapsing the more and i was choking on my own tears.

I quickly ran off and went straight for the bathroom, i slammed the door shut and walked over to the sink. My sobs had been stifled at first since i tried to hide my pain, my grief, but then after reading his letter, i was overcome with a wave of emotions, all my defences had been broken down with tears. I tried to hold it in, i tried to push it all down but I couldn't this time. The pain i felt in my chest, in my heart, came out like an uproar from my throat in the form of a silent scream. I punched my chest as it all became blurry due to the tears that gathered in my eyes as a result of how heart broken i felt, salty tears dripping into my mouth. My chest felt heavy and all i did was sob harder, the tears rolled down my cheeks and came together at my chin, then dripping on the sink.

"Dylan?" The door opened and I quickly wiped my tears before turning to principal evans with a fake smile. "Are you...Are you okay?"

"Of course, i uh, i am."

Principal Evans face softened. "Dylan."

"I just....He had so much demons." I said as i cried. "I wish i could have helped him."

Principal Evans walked over to me and placed a hand on my shoulder. "I know you did your best to help him." He said and i began to sob all over. He pulled me into a hug and i cried harder.

****

"I finally get to meet the famous Mr. Dexwell." The interviewer said, she was a woman in her forties, blonde hair tied in a perfect bun, she was dressed in a black suit, a white inner shirt and white pearls laid perfectly on her neck. Her lips were red and her eyes hazel, she looked almost too perfect but also like she could kill you. And her name was Laurel, she just wanted me to call her Laurel.

I smiled. "Thanks for....this opportunity." I had almost forgotten what to say, i mean what was i supposed to say? Maybe i should have just smiled.

"We have heard a lot about you, even from your principal and we have also seen a lot. You have been on TV for a couple months now, it's always one thing after the other." Laurel said and i forced a smile.

"All you've seen on tv is just me being a good friend and saving the people i love from rapists and pedophiles." I answered.

"It is pretty admirable, actually. I mean, i find it admirable." She smiled perfectly.

"Thank you."

"So tell me, Mr. Dexwell. What do you like about being a lawyer?"

"Um," i intertwined my hands under the table. "Justice. The fact that lawyers can bring justice and put the people who deserve to be behind bars, behind bars. Being a lawyer, you have the power to help people, not because of the money you might get from it but because now it is your duty, you have the power to help people only using your mind and skills. You can stand up for people and do great things." I answered and she gave a slow nod.

"Interesting." Laurel began to write on her notepad. "I see you have been an amazing student, good grades, you don't miss school unless you are in the hospital."

I miss school almost all the time.

I nodded. "Yeah."

"Your grades are phenomenal," she chuckled. "Do you have any secrets?"

I shrugged. "Concentration, focus, that's all about it. You know where you are headed in the future and you do what it takes to get there." I answered.

Her brow furrowed and she smiled. "Hmmph."

I just really wanted to go home at this point, i was mentally exhausted but this was my chance and Bruce had told me to make sure i get into law school. I had to.

"With all the things that have been happening, i know you must be traumatised, and your principal told me you lost a friend to suicide, i am so sorry."

I shook my head and faked a smile. "It's...I'll be okay."

"What has the experience been like? You know, with all you've been through?"

"I can say proudly that i have gone through more shits than a lot of lawyers have because i needed to get justice for certain people. I realised people will lose their trust in you, betray you, make you feel like you are wasting your time but, as long as you know what you need to do. As long as you don't let them distract you from getting that justice, you're good. It isn't easy, but you'll survive in the end."

"Hmm. That makes a lot of sense but you haven't been in a real court, do you think you have what it takes to defend people?"

"I know i have what it takes to defend people, if I didn't you wouldn't be here, right?"

Her left brow slowly rose. "Maybe."

"If i asked your friends to describe you, Mr. Dexwell, what would they say?"

I looked up at her and faked a smile, putting my shaking hands on my leg. "How my friends would describe me?" I huffed. "I guess you could say they would say i was—"

I furrowed my brows at her. "Determined. Focused. Goal driven."

Laurel smiled as she continued to write on her notepad. I looked at the notes and then at my hands. "They would also say other things," I said and she looked up at me with a cock brow.

"Like what?"

I smiled this time, for real. "Manipulative."

Laurel gave me a confused look and leaned closer. "Care to explain?"

"Sometimes to get what you want, you need to be a little manipulative. For a good cause, you might need to play with their thoughts for a while and let them do what you need without asking."

Laurel cocked her head to the side. "Go ahead."

"Especially the people you are trying to persecute or get evidence from, there is nothing like getting into their heads. And sometimes your family and friends will take you trying to be a good friend as being manipulative, but it's okay, as long as you are being a good friend, it doesn't matter what they think."

Laurel smiled. "You wanna know something, Dylan?" She asked and I cocked my brows at her. "I like you."

I smiled.

"I think you have what it takes."

"Thank you."

"One more question, what's the most important thing to you?"

"My friends. My family. They are the most important people to me and I would do anything for them." I answered without hesitation. "And making sure people get justice, that has always been it for me. When you come to me with something, you are assured that i will take care of it and make sure i get solid evidence to give you that justice."

Laurel hummed. "Like the Joshua case, the boy from your school."

"How did you know about that?"

Laurel chuckled. "I have my ways." She said as she closed her notepad. "Anyways, I have someone who wants to see you, he's a professor in our school and he has been in town since Thursday last week," she smiled. "Ken?" She called out and the door opened. "I think he was also here during the game." She said and I stood up.

I turned around with a fixed smile to greet whoever Ken was but then my smile vanished as soon as it came and my heart froze.

"Ken, meet Dylan. Dylan, Ken." Laurel said as she stood up.

It was the same man i had yelled at during the game on friday.

I swallowed hard.

The man smirked once he saw me. "Hello, Dylan." He said and thrust his hand out for me.

"H-Hi." I shook his hand.

"Anyways, Ken will have a few words with you in private, I'll be outside." She flashed me a smile. "Ken, I think this one is promising."

Ken snorted. "Oh, let's see."

Laurel left me and Ken alone, once she was gone, i turned to him and he sat on the office chair with a sigh and began to laugh while i stared at him.

"Oh, look at us. Don't you wanna sit?" He asked with a laugh and I did.

"So, what are we gonna start with? Are you gonna apologise now that you know how important i am?"

Now, I could have easily said i was sorry but the way he laughed at me, I had a huge pride and I was damn not gonna apologise to him.

I stared at him for the longest of time. "I didn't do anything wrong." I bluntly told him.

His brows flew up. "Didn't you speak to me rudely?"

"Gee, I wonder why."

"So, you are gonna act smart with me."

"For the record, you should apologise to me. You were wrong in the first place."

"And you think your way of handling that was right? The way you spoke? You might be a king here, Dylan, but only here. You should be careful who you speak to because that person could have a power over you."

"No one has a power over me, Mr. Ken." I told him and he looked at me in shock. "I should apologise for how i spoke to you, i would have handled that better, but, I'm not gonna apologise for standing my ground. You were wrong first and i did speak to you calmly about it but your arrogant a—"

Ken cocked his brow at me.

"I meant, you started it and was rude first, I only returned the gesture."

"So, you won't apologise?" He asked and I swallowed the lump in my throat for the thousandth time today.

"No. Can we just get straight to the interview, please?"

Ken huffed. "We are done here, Mr. Dexwell."

I frowned. "What?"

"We are done here, thank you for your time."

"But—"

"Goodbye."

My throat tightened, I got up with a nod and walked out of the office.

Yeah, i know. I'm screwed.

****

NEXT DAY

"Hey, you." Raven walked over to me as Jaxton and I got out of my my Dad's car. We were at a church, which was where we were holding Bruce's funeral since his stepdad just wanted to burry him without a proper funeral. The man had said he wasn't paying for any damn thing and so our parents helped with this.

We were all dressed in black of course, Dad and mom had come with us and so we got into their car, i didn't want to be behind a steering wheel.

"Hey." I hugged Raven. She was dressed in a black flay dress and a black clutch purse in her hand.

"We've been waiting for you." Raven said as she went over to hug Jaxton and then to hold Sofía.

I walked to where my friends were and gave them a small wave. "Hey, losers."

"Heeey." Jon walked over to me and hugged me.

My friends were all putting on their football jacket on their corporate outfits to honour Bruce since he was also in the team. I made my way towards Henry and wrapped my arms around him.

"You okay?"

I nodded.

"Are you sure?"

I shook my head. "But I'll be fine."

Henry knew about the interview thing and how it didn't go well for me, or how it did until that ugly shit head walked in. Why did he have to be important? I swear to God, this universe does not like me.

We all went into the church, it was a big catholic church with three rows that had lots of seats. I haven't been to church in a while, it wasn't that I didn't think God existed or didn't believe in him but, I wasn't just a church person. It's the same as mentioning lucifer's name a couple times, it doesn't mean i attend a satanic church, although I wouldn't mind.

There were already a couple people inside; most of them were from school and some were the student's family. My parents and siblings were sitting at the fifth seat on the third row. Bruce's coffin was at the alter, it was a white one and there were a couple flowers around it. His picture from school was framed, a picture of him smiling, it was definitely recent because he was standing right in front of the building his therapist worked in. His photo was surrounded with chrysanthemums, often called the golden flower. I guess it was a perfect choice.

Henry, Raven, Zach and I sat at the forth bench in the second row while Jaxton, Dominic, Jon and Gwen sat behind us. I looked ahead and spotted Quinn sitting in the second row, even with the black hat on her head, I could tell it was her.  She was the only one sitting there and i felt i had to be there with her.

"Hey," I patted Henry's hand. "I'm sorry but I'll have to go sit with Quinn, I don't think she should be alone."

Henry nodded. "Of course, I understand." He said and kissed my forehead

"Thank you." I smiled at him. I got up and walked over to where Quinn was and i sat beside her. "Hey."

Quinn turned to me once i had sat down. "Hey, you're here."

"You are here alone?"

Quinn shrugged. "You are here, aren't you?" She said and I smiled.

Quinn was dressed in a black long dress, she had a scarf around her shoulder and a black hat to match. It suddenly didn't feel like she was at a funeral but at a 'wear just black' party. She had her eye liner drawn perfectly and her lips were also painted black, talk about slaying at a funeral.

"Your speech yesterday," she said and looked at me with a small smile. "It was beautiful."

I smiled back. "Thanks, it only hit me after i had said that, that he was really dead."

Quinn nodded. "I saw the look on your face and then you practically ran out, so yeah." She chuckled softly.

"The flowers, were they your idea?"

She nodded. "You like them?"

"They are beautiful."

Quinn nodded and took in a deep breath. "I don't know how i am supposed to go back to living my life the way i used to, he's not here anymore."

I held her hand in mine. "It'll be okay, we couldn't help him but, we tried."

"You know, he asked me to take care of you." Quinn said with a chuckle as she wiped her tears.

"What?" I frowned.

"I got a letter, a kid gave me one yesterday at school, Bruce asked him to because if he did it himself then we might have read it instantly and stopped him from doing what he was doing because seriously, how many teenagers actually sleep at night."  She sighed.

"What did...yours say?"

"He apologised," she wiped her tears again. "And um," she cleared her throat. "He told me he cared about me and really wanted to spend his life with me but....the voices wouldn't stop and....and he didn't know what to do. The trouble at home wouldn't stop even after what we had told his step father, the abuse didn't." She sniffed. "And, he didn't want to bother us with his burden, stupid asshat. He said, maybe he deserved it, he had hurt a lot of people and he didn't think he deserved to be happy, he thought....he thought this was God's plan for him. Like what the fuck? Why would he—" Quinn sobbed and I pulled her into a hug.

"He said he tried but failed, he wanted to live on but his stupid family wouldn't let him. They have to pay, Dylan, they took his life from him."  She cried.

"Hey, hey," I wiped the tears which I didn't realise had escaped from my eyes. "It's okay, i will make sure that happens, I promise."

****

The priest had said some words about Bruce, he had talked about how he didn't know the boy but could tell from the amount of people here that he was somewhat a good soul. He spoke about suicide, spoke about bullying, he spoke about envy and about togetherness, about being there for each other. He spoke about love, how far hate could take a man, he spoke about death, spoke about how Bruce was in heaven in God. It was funny how they always talked about how the deceased was with God when he could be in hell having tea with the devil or dancing in fire, but then i also knew it was to comfort the ones grieving. 

He spoke for over an hour or even more and I wasn't bored, every word he said had meaning, every word he said was something everyone needed to know. I could tell he was pained that Bruce had committed suicide, he talked about how much he could have done and how sometimes we can't control the demons in our head when they come.

When he was done, it was time for people to say a few words to Bruce and the first person to come out was the boy whom had handed me the letter yesterday.

"That's him, the boy who gave me the letter." Quinn told me.

I nodded. "I know, his name is cole and he gave me one too." I replied. Quinn turned to look at me but said nothing afterwards.

Cole was dressed in a suit and his curly hair was packed in a pretty bun, he really was an innocent looking boy. "Hi, i uh, my name is Cole and i um, i go to school with Bruce. Um, Bruce was...Bruce wasn't always good, i mean everyone who went to school could tell he was a jerk hundred percent of the time, he made me feel horrible about existing," he said and i looked away for a second and back at him.

"Bruce made me scared of him, e-everytime i would see him in the hallways I would get so scared and want to run away and i hated him for making me feel so scared. But that wasn't whom he really was," Cole shrugged. "Bruce changed, he wasn't always a bad person from the start, i guess we can all blame circumstance. He felt horrible for the way he made a lot of us feel, he began going around apologising to everyone he ever hurt. He came to me and...and I told him no, I told him I couldn't forgive him for the way he made me feel, for the way he shoved me against the lockers and made me so vulnerable, so how could i forgive him?" He paused.

"But, he didn't stop. He didn't stop asking for my forgiveness and he said he would literally do anything for me to forgive him. He helped with my homework, he got rid of some white boys on my way home who kept making fun of how my hair was, he was doing everything just for my forgiveness. Bruce changed, he was a better person and I couldn't keep punishing him. We became friends, he'd tell me some stuffs and would help me with some of my homework." Cole chuckled. "He cared about me and he was a good friend, he was a good person and everyone who didn't give him a chance screwed up, he deserved to be happy, he deserved everything good. He fucked up, yes, but all he ever wanted was to make things right and he—" Cole trailed off and the church became silent.

"I miss him." Cole said with a cracked voice. "I do miss him and i feel like I don't say it enough." Cole flashed us a fake smile as he wiped his tears and walked down from the altar.

While Cole walked back to his seat, the next person to talk about Bruce was Mrs. Phillips, the woman fate had destroyed her life.

Mrs. Phillips, Eric and Joshua's mother wore a black knee length dress and had pearls around her neck, her hair neatly tied in a bun as well.

"I have known Bruce for years, he was my son's best friend and he was a really good kid. He used to like the food i made for him and even when my kids wouldn't want them, he would gladly eat them." She smiled. "I didn't understand why....i never even asked." She said, her voice breaking. "I uh," she wiped her tears with her white handkerchief. "Bruce was indeed a troubled kid, if only i saw through him, if only i saw how much he had been suffering all these years, i...i could have helped him." She swallowed. "I failed as a mother, not once, not twice, three times because Bruce was always at my house, he was literally part of my kids but i never....never looked past that smile he'd give when he'd come over."

I wiped my tears as quickly as they fell while she spoke. "You know," she sniffed. "I think Bruce wouldn't be dead now if it wasn't for me, if i had paid attention then maybe...maybe i would have stopped this from time. He wouldn't have caused so many kids pain if he had not met my son, Eric was not...was not the cure he needed, Eric was not the one to save him but of course he didn't know that, no one did." The tears fell from her eyes as she spoke. "Eric was the demon i gave birth to, the first demon that i pushed out of me and...Bruce who needed someone to listen, to love him, confided in that demon. Did Eric really care about Bruce?" She chuckled. "I don't have the answer to that, but what i know is, if Bruce had never met Eric, the boy who taught him how to become what he was, maybe he would have met some nice kid?" She shrugged.

"Every child makes a mistake, but the most beautiful thing is them acknowledging when they've made a mistake and try to change. Bruce tried to and he needed everybody by his side but he never said a word, i guess that is what depression does to you, it eats you from inside and makes you think no one would care about you, but i wish he could see the people here who loved him." She wiped her tears. "I had seen Bruce last week, he was so excited about college." She smiled. "He wanted to be at the game and talk to some scouts but....he never got the chance and i wish he did, i wish he told me everything because i was ready to listen to him, i was ready to listen to him because he was like a son to me. I loved him and I'm sorry i was never there for him when he needed me."

Mrs. Phillips speech had made me tear up a couple times because i knew how broken she was. She had lost all of her kids, all three of them. She had divorced her husband, she got half his property and the house itself, was she happy? Yes. But she was also sad, heartbroken that after all her efforts, after everything, this was what she got at the end.

Fuck you, Eric.

Fuck you, Joshua.

Fuck you, Mr. Phillips.

Quinn was the next to speak, I couldn't bring myself to say anything anymore. At this point i was a bag of sadness, i wanted to say some things about Bruce because he was my friend but then, I couldn't get me to stand up and say anything.

"Um," Quinn cleared her throat. "I first want to thank all of you for coming," she said with a small smile. "Bruce was...he was a beautiful soul, a lot of you might hate him but, like Cole said, he is the sweetest being in the world." She paused.

"Bruce was the first boy to ever cuddle me instead of just having sex with me like i asked him to, because he sensed that something was wrong, he sensed that i was sad and stopped me instead. He listened to me sob and just cuddled me, he didn't force me to talk and we weren't even friends then. We became friends when Dylan and I saved him from committing suicide the first time at his house, I had my parents help pay for his therapy because he needed it. I thought everything was.....everything was going fine but it wasn't." Her voice went low as she cried.

"I...I loved him." She said and i felt a tear at the prick of my eyes. "I loved Bruce, he was the first guy to ever care about anything i was thinking. He never called me plastic and didn't like me because i was Quinn Lopez, he liked me for me. He loved me for me and I loved him too. He made me feel like i mattered in this world, like in this damn town there was something worth living for, him." She shrugged.

"Bruce was an amazing soul, he made me laugh countless times and showed me what love felt like. He was my f-first love and now he's gone." She said as she cried. "I thought it was all g-gonna be better finally but, but it wasn't. I lost him, i lost the one person who mattered to me. Who cared about me and i...I don't know what to do with my life. I don't know what do do. How to go back to being me. H-How do i do that without him?" She sobbed. "This isn't right because....because i had our future planned, he liked Paris but had never been there and I wanted to take him there with me during summer, I wanted to show him that there was life, light, outside the darkness he lived in but, now he'll never see it. He'll never get to know what living outside this shitty, godforsaken, bad, evil town is like." Quinn sobbed, losing control of her emotions and i found myself trying to hold my tears in my seat but failed woefully, my throat tightened and the tears fell uncontrollably.

"Why did you leave, Bruce? Why? Why? Why? Why?" She cried. I looked behind me and saw Raven's head on Zach's shoulder while Zach rubbed her shoulder. There were a couple people who were trying to hold back their tears, Jaxton had red eyes and then covered his face as he sobbed. My mom quickly wiped her tears, her eyes fixed on Quinn who just cried.

I got up from my seat after wiping my tears and made my way towards her quickly. "It's okay." I told her as i helped her down the altar and to our seats, she placed her head on my shoulder as she cried and i held her close.

****

"Hey,"

I looked up from my seat and standing in front of me was Henry. I wiped off my tears and flashed him a fake smile. "Hey."

"Ready to go? They are heading to the cemetery, we gotta go and say goodbye." Henry said and I nodded.

He gave me his hand and once i took it, he gently lifted me up and pulled me into a hug. "You're gonna be okay, okay?"

I nodded. "I will be."

Henry and I both walked out of the church and joined our friends. "Come on, I'll drive you there." Henry told me but before i could reply, i spotted someone familiar. it was Bruce's stepdad approaching the coffin, all dressed in a suit. "What is he doing here?"

"Who?" Raven asked me.

"That bald asshole."

"Who is he?" Jon asked as i pulled my hand away from Henry's.

"Bruce's fucking step father." I said as i approached him. "HEY!! NO!! NO!! You do not g-get to fucking be here!!!" I yelled at him.

"Dylan, wait." I heard Henry say.

"Do not fucking go close to him or i swear to God, i will pull out all your teeth." I said as i pushed him backwards. "What the fuck are you doing here, huh? What the fuck are you doing here?"

"Dylan, Dylan, calm down." Dad said as he tried to pull me back.

"No." I pushed him off and pushed the man backwards again. "You do not have any right to be here, you filthy old fuckard, so fucking get lost. He's dead! He's finally dead, you killed him."

"No, no, i just...he's my son." The man said and my brows knitted in shock. "I just wanna say my last res-"

I lost it.

I had slapped him across the face because hearing him say the word "son" hurt me.

"Dylan!" Henry pulled me back.

"Son? Son? You fucking murdered him. You said he was never your son in the first place! You abused him. You h-hit him every day! Every fucking day! Because of you, he took his own life. You never called him your son, not one day in your miserable life but now he's dead, you wanna claim him, huh?"

"Dylan , calm down." Mom said.

"You didn't want anything to do with the funeral." Quinn said from behind me and was suddenly standing beside me. "You didn't want him to have a funeral, you wanted to cremate him and scatter his ashes anywhere. You never cared about him, so what is it? You want donations? You wanna use him to open a GoFundMe? What exactly are you FUCKING DOING HERE?" Quinn screamed at him.

"Get lost. Get out!" I screamed at him. "You abused him and i do not want you anywhere near him."

"I never fucking abused my son!!" He screamed back and i angrily pushed Henry off me and jumped on him. I pushed him down, got on him and punched him continuously in the face.

"Dylan! Dylan! Stop." Jon and Henry tried to pull me off but i shrugged them off, holding this collar way too tight and up to his neck as i punched him until i saw blood.

"You. Do. Not. Deserve. To. Be. Here." I told him, every word accompanied with a punch.

"S-Stop! Stop!!" Mr. Hills screamed and then Henry pulled me off and held me tight while i screamed for him to let me go. The man spat out blood and moved backwards.

"What is wrong with you?!" Mr. Hills asked as he stood up. "I didn't even fucking come here for him because I couldn't give two shits if he was dead!" He screamed to our hearing. "I never loved him and yes, he was never my son, he was the son of a freaking rapist!" He shouted. I tried to go for him but Henry wasn't having it this time, he held me tighter. "I only disciplined him like a fucking parent would!!"

"You are so shameless." Mom said. "You hurt that poor boy!"

"No child should ever have a grow up with you as a father." I said.

"Get lost." Dad said to him. "Get lost or I'll have these boys beat you the fuck up and trust me, you won't have legs anymore."

The man spat blood right in front of us and sneered, instantly Quinn took off one of her shoes and threw it at his face and he groaned in pain. "You took the one person who mattered to me away. You killed him and i hope one day you get punished."

"Oh, that day will be today." Two men said from behind us and marched up to Bruce's stepdad.

"Mr. Hills." One of the men said. "I am Detective Rick and he is my partner, Detective Monroe." He introduced as they brought out their ID cards.

"You are under arrest for the abuse of the late Bruce Hills," Detective Monroe said as he walked behind Mr. Hills and handcuffed him.

"W-Wait what?"

"Whatever you say or do will be used against you in the court of law, so I'd advise you to shut up." Detective Monroe said.

"No. No. No. T-This isn't —". Mr. Hills began to look around as if searching for someone. "No! No! This wasn't....this wasn't the deal!! No!" He screamed as the cops took him away and we watched.

My chest felt so heavy, i turned to Henry and hugged him tight as i sobbed in his chest while Gwen comforted Quinn who cried.

This was fucked up in many ways.

****

"I am sorry I punched you in the face by mistake when fighting with Mr. Hills." I said.

Henry chuckled and shrugged softly. "It's okay, it hurts as hell but, it's okay." He said and I smiled. "You are a very strong when you are angry."

I chuckled softly. "I'm hulk."

"Ah, of course. Except you don't turn green."

"No." I laughed.

He shook his head and laughed as well.

"Will you be okay tonight?" Henry questioned. "I can stay with you if you want."

"Henry," I shook my head with a small smile. "I'll be okay, I'll just head over to Quinn's, she probably needs someone to be by her side tonight."

Henry nodded. "I understand. Just take care of yourself for me, okay? I'll see you tomorrow."

I smiled. "Of course, I'll see you in school tomorrow."

"And I'll make you some Henry's special mistake." He said and my smile grew.

"Looking forward to it."

"Good." He tapped my nose gently. "I love you," he said as he cupped my cheeks. "And if you need anything, you just call me, okay? Anything. Anyone to talk to, if you wanna cry, whatever it is, call me."

"I will." I nodded.

Henry kissed me for a long time before pulling away. "Goodnight, marshmallow."

I chuckled. "Goodnight."

Henry and I were right in front of my house, i let go off him and he waved right before he got into his car and drove off. Once he had gone, my smile vanished and i began to walk away from my house.

There was one place i needed to go to.

****

I knocked on the door for the second time and then she spoke from inside. "Yes, I'm coming."

The door opened and once she saw me, she looked at me with a confused express. "I'm sorry, do i know you?"

"No, I don't think we have met. Hi, I'm Dylan, i was a friend of Bruce from school." I said with a smile and her face got filled with shock and fear. "Do you mind if i come in, i was at the funeral earlier."

"O-Oh, um, sure, do come in."

"Thank you, Mrs. Hills." I said and walked in. "You have a lovely home. I wonder why Bruce never let me in." I said as i looked around and spotted two kids; a little boy and a little girl watching television.

"So um, would you like some tea or?"

"No, thank you." I turned to her. "I just came to speak with you, i wanted to know how you were since you lost your son."

"Yeah," she tucked her hair behind her ear. "Um, it's been really....i mean, losing your child, it's something you can't ever get over." She said as she folded her arms.

"I understand." I said and looked at her kids. "Poor kids, they lost their brother." I said and looked back at her. "Why didn't you come to his funeral?"

Ms. Hills blinked. "Um, I wasn't feeling....too well."

"Ah, poor you, i hope you are better now."

"A little, yeah." She faked a smile.

"You know what would have been funny, if it killed you."

Her smile slowly disappeared. "Excuse me?"

"Poor Bruce," I sighed, looking straight at her. "He was so unlucky to be given such a family."

"W-What are you saying?"

"You hated your son. I know you could barely stand the sight of him because his father raped you and you couldn't get rid of him." I said and she swallowed. "Yes, he told me everything before he died, after his loving mother and step father. Damn, you are such a great mother, hating on your son and letting your husband maltreat him, beat him and abuse him the way he wanted."

"You don't...." she looked at her kids. "Can we...can we talk somewhere else, please?"

"Why? Why not here? Why not in front of them? Let them know what their mother is like, a killer."

"K-Kids, go upstairs now." She stuttered. They both got off the couch and ran up the stairs.

"Get out or i will call the cops." She said once they were out of sight.

"You do not deserve to be a mother, Ms. Hill. Because of the hate you had for him, you drove him to suicide."

"N-No." she shook her head. "I didn't want that for him."

"You didn't want your kids associating with their brother, you treated him like he was nothing. All Bruce wanted was love from his own family, his own mother and you all drove him into depression and treated him like he didn't matter. You made him think he was worthless and deserved death, you made him cause pain to some many other kids, you made his demons kill him. No," i shook my head. "The one thing that killed him, the demon that killed him was you."

"I didn't—" she shook her head continuously.

"You did! You killed your own fucking son and i hope you can live happily knowing that you stole his future from him because of your hatred, you drove him to an early death, you are a murderer." I said and took a couple steps close to her. "I could have exposed your husband for abuse a long time ago but Bruce begged me not to, Bruce asked me not to say a word and so I didn't. But he's dead now," I said and furrowed my brows at him. "So, I did what i had to do."

Ms. Hills looked at me with teary eyes, confusion as foundation on her face. "What do you mean?"

"I promised Bruce i was gonna take care of your husband and i did."

And then it hit her, her jaw slowly dropped as she pointed at me. "It was you. Y-You called him to come to the funeral, didn't you? You were the one who t-threatened him on the phone."

I rose my head up with pride. "No child should ever have to grow up with such a father. No one. Your husband will get ten or more years in jail as he should, it's what he deserves." I flashed her a smile. "I could have easily given him to the police, but i wanted everyone to know the kind of man he was before he got arrested. So, do have a nice life, Ms. Hills."

I walked past her and she gripped my arm. I frowned once i felt her touch me, i slowly turned to look at her with a sinister look.

"How dare you do such a thing? Do you know what you have d-"

"Take your hand off me, Ms. Hills." I cut her off. "Do not let me repeat myself." I warned her, glaring daggers at her.

She slowly took her hand off my arm and i smiled. "Don't ever do that again." I said and turned to her. From this day forward, you will only know suffering. You drove your son to suicide and now you have no husband, make sure you raise those kids upstairs right, but trust me when i say your days of suffering and guilt have begun on this very day." I said and her throat tightened, i could see the shock and fear in her eyes as her lips trembled.

"I will always have Bruce in my heart, how are you gonna make it up to him now that he is dead?" I asked and a tear fell from her eye. "He loved you like a mother, but you couldn't love him back, you judged him with the sin of his father and that killed him, congratulations."  I said and walked out of her house.

*****

The door opened and I smiled at the blonde girl dressed in a black dress. "Hey,"

Quinn frowned. "What are you....what are you doing here?"

"We came here to hang with you tonight, I don't think you should be alone tonight." I said and she smiled as tears rolled down her eyes.

"Sorry," she chuckled and wiped off her tears. "Wait, we?"

"Mmhmm." I nodded and Raven, Jaxton and Gwen came out of their hiding places.

"I might not like you but we are cheerleaders and cheerleaders are sisters." Raven said with a shrug and Quinn smiled.

"And yeah, i know we are the last group you wanna hang out with since we hate you and you hate us but, let's put our hate aside for now." Jaxton said and Quinn chuckled.

"Of course."

"I brought snacks." Gwen said, shaking the bag she was holding.

"I hope you brought ice cream too." Jaxton said and Gwen rolled her eyes.

"Shut up." She said and Quinn chuckled.

"Thank you guys," Quinn said with a smile as she cried as well.

"Come here." I said and pulled her into a hug, and the others joined.

R. I. P. Bruce.