Brad killed Mr. Tulley. Not injured him but killed him as in dead. I knew for a fact that he had a wife and three kids. Why his wife stayed with him after all of this happened is beyond me.  Maybe she thought it wasn't true, like everybody else. After we left the parking lot was pretty much empty except for a few police officers putting up tape. I figured they were going to do an all out investigation. I don't know that I personally see the point. It  seemed pretty black and white to me. Guy is dead. Guy is caught with a gun. What's to investigate. Killing somebody is wrong nine times out of ten.

                       "Ready to head home?" Devin asked taking my hand and squeezing it. I nodded still unable to process what had really happened.  I heard sniffling coming from behind me and abruptly turned around. There was a woman with balled up Kleenexes in each hand. She had brown hair that was cut short and standing on end. Her mascara and eye liner had long since rubbed off and was running down her rosy cheeks.

                        I jumped alarmed. "No, no don't be afraid I need to talk to you." I looked at Devin. He shrugged.  "Mam are you ok?" Asked Devin. "No, no I'm not... That boy with the gun did you know him?" "Brad? Yea he's been coming to group with us all summer." I said. "The rumors...there true aren't they?" "Look no offense, but this isn't my business to tell. What goes on in that school stays in that school." 

                       "Please I need to know...did Gerald do stuff to that poor boy?" I tightened my grip on Devin's hand. By this point I was getting a bit scared. You don't just go up to people you don't know and ask stuff like that. "Look lady, your starting to scare my girlfriend and your starting to scare me." The fact that Devin actually used the G word would of excited me under normal pretenses but considering the circumstances it didn't faze me.

                      She started to fall a little as she took a step towards us. We backed up. "Mam there are cops over there, don't try anything." I said trying to make my voice sound tough. Although on the inside I was scared as heck. "No no please I'm not going to hurt you. Gerald is my husband." She said finally standing up tall. She wiped her face with the Kleenexes. Then all the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. She had no clue what had happened. Her husband hadn't told her a thing. The cops called her up here because her husband was now dead and she heard people talking. I couldn't imagine being so blindsided. I actually felt bad for her.

                        "Look I'm sure you two think I'm nuts, but my husband just died. and I find out maybe he was raping a young boy this is a lot for me to take in." She said composing herself. "We are very sorry for your loss. I am sure you are very confused. Let us treat you to a coffee and we can tell you what we know. And after that you can decided what you will." I said. She nodded her head. "Thanks kids I really appreciate this." She got in her car and followed us to Banana Joes.

                         Devin whipped out his cell phone. "He called his Grandmaw to let her know we'd be skipping group today. I could hear her loudly on the other, end she was worried. I even think I heard her ask 'how is Jess.' We pulled into the shop just as he was hanging up. We got in line and Mrs. Tulley joined us. We ordered, then sat in a booth in the back.

                           "I had no idea any of this way goin on." Mrs. Tulley said taking a sip from her coffee. "Until people started talking that is. I mean once the rumors were flying I just didn't believe them. I mean I am married to this guy, you don't think he's capable of something like this. He's somebody you trust." "We know all about that." I said gesturing to me and Devin. She nodded "Right, well when all of this surfaced we all just assumed Brad was crazy and trying to get better grades or maybe even that he had a crush on him, but now that my beloved Gerald is dead, I think there's more going on that I can see. I just don't know what that is. Surely in group he's said something."

                                 "Look Mrs. Tulley, if you want to know what Brad said during group therapy I can't really give you any of the details but  I can tell you that Brad did get rapped, It was obvious in his voice." Said Devin. "It was apparent that was scared." I said. Talking to her almost made me sick. She spoke about her husband as if maybe he was on vacation and he was going to come back. Like she needed to decide weather to forgive him or not. "I just can't believe this is true, I mean why would somebody go listen to stories of people with an ugly past if they too weren't a part of that past." She shook her head. "It's just all so sudden." She said patting her hair down.

                               "I haven't even had a chance to tell the kids yet." I saw a glint in her eye as if maybe she was just going to come up with some elaborate lie. "Well there going to find out eventually, you don't want them hating you for lying to them do you?" She looked up at me quickly as if I had read her thoughts. "Right well, I suppose your right, Thank you for the coffee I better get home so I can talk to them." She waved as she left. "That is a strange woman." I said. Even for a girl who was traumatized. Our conversation was short. But I guess just that little bit helped her see something she was looking for.

                              Devin let out a sigh and leaned his head back against the booth. "Can this year get any more wierder?" He slammed his coffee cup down and coffee sloshed out. "You're talking about a weird year but yet your mad? I don't get it." "I just...i dont want to say poor poor pitiful me, but can you believe everything we've been through? I thought things were going to finally start getting better. I had been in a loving home i found the girl of my dreams, then Brad just goes off on a rampage and now your thinking about leaving."

                          "Devin look i know you don't get why I'm thinking of leaving but its my family, they can love you like no other. You have that with your grandparents, I don't. I just want that." "I do get that but what about me and my family we love you." I thought back to how easy it was to meld into there family. We even had family game nights that ended with us eating ice cream, Usually in fits of laughter. But the truth was at the end of the day when all was said and done they werent my family. I guess i just felt after everything that happened i wanted to prove to myself that not all of my family was bad.

                           "Look i had a crappy life with my mom and Carl and even my aunt, there has to be some of my family out there thats not complely insane. I need to find that. Like you did." "Ok then take a vacation to tenn and i'll see you in a week. You'll see your family is nice and you'll come back to my loving arms." "Not so fast lover boy. If I go it's for good." "Yup and again we're avoiding the giant elaphant, i don't know if maybe we just wanted to have the last few weeks together be good or what but were going to have to talk about us."

                              "I guess." "So, how do you feel about wranglers." I turned to him. A slight smile on my face. Considering what happened today this is a big feat. "Well only if there on you." He wrinkled up his nose. It was to cute. I leaned in and kissed him on the end of it. "Look i don't want to date anybody other then you. I'm not going to go away and find some big sweaty cowboy with boots and a hat...well actually..." I grinned. He hit my arm. "That's not funny." "Ok but for real. Your the first guy i've really let in. That is a big thing for me. I don't want to have to do it all over again. I complelty trust you and love you more then you or i may even know." "Well like the song says love will keep us together." He paused then opened his mouth again. But i put my hand over it. "No singing please." He nodded and i moved my hand. He stood up and jumped on top of the table and started singing. People at nearby tables all turned and stared. I tugged at his pants leg. "Please get down this is a serious converstation." He started to wobble and the coffe started spilling out of the cups. Finally he jumped down.

                             "I'm serious, what do you want?" I asked taking his hand. He looked into my eyes. The fantest smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. "I want to be with you, no doubt it will be hard, but we'll call and we'll E-Mail, and tennesse isnt that far away i'll come up and stay i'll get a hotel if i have to i just know that i want to be with you, no matter what." "I agree. At first this was so scary but i'm really glad i gave it a shot." I said smiling. "Me to." I had been in touch with Ms Jean. She had asked me to call her and let her know when my last group was. "If you me to help convince you to stay just let me know." He said winking. "Oh ok, you got it." I said as I finished the last drops of my coffee and we left.