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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘’When did you get in?’’. She asks.

‘’This morning, I took the red eye’’.

‘’You seen your folks yet?’’.

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

‘’Your dad….. He was so angry’’.

‘’My dad showing emotion?’’.

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

‘’After the incident’’. Adds Peter.

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

‘’What do you mean?’’.

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

‘’What was he doing there?’’.

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

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

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

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

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

‘’It’s only for a year’’.

‘’A year, just drawing’’.

‘’Its art school not kinder garden’’.

‘’So what else is there?’’.

‘’Painting’’.

‘’And’’.

‘’Shading’’.

‘’And’’.

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

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

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

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

‘’Hey I did my playing’’.

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

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

‘’Yeah, yeah full of street gangs’’.

‘’You watch too many films’’.

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

‘’That’s Baltimore not New York’’.

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

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

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

‘’No way’’.

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

‘’That doesn’t count’’.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘’You and Josh?’’.

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

‘’You going already?’’. She asks.

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

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

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

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

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

After dinner Peter helps his mother clean the dishes.

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

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

‘’And dad?’’.

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘’Promise me’’. She asks.

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

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

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

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

‘’Because it’s fun’’. Adds Peter.

‘’Yeah you just sit there’’.

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

‘’Silence?’’.

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

‘’Sounds boring dad’’.

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

‘’Why?’’.

‘’Yeah is it because your slow?’’.

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

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

‘’So why slow things down dad?’’.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘’ What the f**k!’’.

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

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

‘’Ask him’’. Says Peter.

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

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

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

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

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

‘’Yes, it as his own book’’.

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

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

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

‘’Yes Sir’’.

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

‘’Now Mr. Fisher’’.

‘’Look sir…’’.

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

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

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

‘’No, he wouldn’t do it’’.

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

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

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

‘’No you’re not because you didn’t’’.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘’Yeah well let them look’’.

‘’Why did you attack Coby?’’.

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

‘’Oh…’’.

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

‘’Not really’’.

‘’Claire tell me’’.

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

‘’Just tell me’’.

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

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

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

‘’Why who is she’’.

‘’You really want to know’’.

‘’Claire!’’.

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

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

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

‘’Why?’’.

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

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

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

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

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

‘’Yeah he would’’.

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

‘’But I can talk to Stacey’’.

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

‘’What about after school’’.

‘’Go to her home?’’.

‘’If I can find out where it is’’.

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

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

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

‘’Yes your brother showed me’’.

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘’And you say he wasn’t himself?’’.

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

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

‘’What’s wrong?’’.

‘’Dwayne Orton’’.

‘’What’s he done this time?’’.

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

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

‘’No wait’’. Says Josh.

‘’Why?’’.

‘’I don’t want you to do anything’’.

‘’I’m going to sort Dwayne out’’.

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

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

‘’No its fine’’.

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

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

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

‘’Laugh?’’.

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

‘’Just laugh?’’.

‘’Trust me it’ll work’’.

‘’Okay’’.

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

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

‘’You’ve found her address?’’.

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

‘’Ok then what is it?’’.

‘’Wait you can’t go tonight’’.

‘’Why?’’.

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

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

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

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

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

‘’Ok then, behind the library’’.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘’Does dad go to see him?’’.

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

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

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

‘’What do you want Coby’’.

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

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

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

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

‘’Peter what happened?’’.

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

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

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

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

‘’He’ll live’’.

‘’Lucy you did too with these cuts’’.

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

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

‘’No I’ll be fine’’.

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

‘’Yeah but I guess I had it coming’’.

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

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

‘’What if…..’’. And Claire pauses.

‘’What if what?’’.

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

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

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

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

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

‘’Josh left me behind long ago’’

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

‘’I’m sorry Peter’’.

‘’Me too’’.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘’ Yes, I just couldn’t sleep’’.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘’ So I heard about the fight’’.

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

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

‘’Yes but I guess I had it coming’’.

‘’Look I’m sorry….’’.

‘’Yeah thanks’’. Peter interrupts.

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

‘’I can’t’’.

‘’Come on it’ll be like old times’’.

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

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

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

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

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

‘’Oh he missed!’’.

‘’Down a can’’.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘’And what you going to ask her?’’.

‘’I’m not too sure yet’’.

‘’Well if you need anything’’.

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

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

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

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

‘’Yes I’m err… looking for Stacey’’.

‘’Stacey, and May I ask why?’’.

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

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

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

‘’ Oh okay’’.

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

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

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

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

‘’Coby?’’.

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

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

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

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

‘’Wait posh looking?’’.

‘’Yeah why?’’.

‘’No it’s nothing’’.

‘’Come on man, what is it’’.

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

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

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

‘’Okay, okay’’.

‘’I mean It Peter’’.

‘’Okay I swear. What is it?’’.

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

‘’Why do you think that?’’.

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

‘’Why?’’.

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

‘’doesn’t sound like the guy I saw’’.

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

‘’And what happened?’’.

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

‘’Were?’’.

‘’Reynolds Park’’.

‘’Trailer trash neighborhood!’’.

‘’Exactly’’.

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

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

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

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

‘’I don’t blame you’’.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘’I know, it’s hard to see’’.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘’Mom doesn’t let us drink’’.

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

‘’Err….’’.

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

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

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

‘’Do you like it?’’. She asks.

‘’Yeah….. Good’’.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘’What?’’.

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

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

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

‘’But how can you…’’.

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

‘’Thanks Aunt Sarah’’.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘’Okay’’.

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

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

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

‘’Well I guess not’’.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘’Yep, sure is’’.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘’I don’t care, were ready to play’’.

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

‘’Were playing now’’. Coby tells him.

‘’Okay, what about we share’’.

‘’Share?’’.

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

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

‘’Yeah I’m game’’.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘’Err…. Hello Miss’’.

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

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

‘’Stacey Matthews?

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

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

‘’Okay thank you’’. Replies Peter.

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

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

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

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

‘’No Sir, I not here for any money’’.

‘’So what are you here for boy?’’.

‘’I’m here to see Stacey’’.

‘’Why, you her boyfriend?’’.

‘’No Sir’’.

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

‘’No Sir’’.

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

‘’I’m a friend of daughters Sir’’.

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

‘’My names Peter, Sir’’.

‘’Peter eh, Peter that?’’.

‘’Fisher Sir, Peter Fisher’’.

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

‘’Just school stuff’’.

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

‘’She’s not’’.

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

‘’Do you know where she is?’’.

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

‘’Okay Sir, thanks’’.

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

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

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

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

‘’Peter, Peter Fisher from school’’.

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

‘’No I was waiting here for you’’.

‘’Waiting, here!’’.

‘’it’s a long story’’.

‘’Dam right it is and look if you…’’.

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

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

‘’I’m here about my brother’’.

‘’Josh, I barely knew him’’.

‘’Know him’’. Peter corrects her.

‘’Yeah sorry, know him’’.

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

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

‘’I just want to talk about Josh’’.

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

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

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

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

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

‘’I swear’’.

‘’Well I’ll warn you it isn’t much’’.

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

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

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

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

‘’Okay were then?’’.

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

‘’Okay I’ll be there’’.

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘’Don’t worry Coby I don’t want it’’.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘’You see her?’’. Josh asks Peter.

‘’No’.

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

‘’Are you crazy!’’.

‘’That balls new’’.

‘’So it’s not worth it’’.

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

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

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

‘’ But Mrs. Gilby’’.

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

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

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

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

‘’I have an idea’’. Replies Peter…..

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

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

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

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

‘’You want us to go inside!’’.

‘’That’s were our ball will be now’’.

‘’But what if she comes back?’’.

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

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

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

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

‘’Where’s the proof?’’

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

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

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

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

‘’What about Tommy Walters?’’.

‘’Tommy Walters moved away’’.

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘’You lost the ball’’.

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

‘’Why?’’.

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

‘’So’’.

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

‘’Yes’’.

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

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

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

‘’That was just a movie Josh’’.

‘’Trying telling the victims that’’.

‘’Come on stop playing’’.

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

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

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

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

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

‘’More like the toys time forgot’’.

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

‘’We should call the police’’.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘’Good you’re here’’.

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

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

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

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

‘

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘’Yeah, it is’’.

‘’So how did he feel about it?’’.

‘’He enjoyed it, he found’’.

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

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

‘’Hang around with you?’’.

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

‘’So he would go to your house?’’.

‘’Yeah but not the one you saw’’.

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

‘’Yeah ad he never knew different’’.

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

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

‘’Okay so who is he’’.

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

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

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

‘’So Coby’’.

‘’What about him?’’.

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

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

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

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

‘’So did he?’’.

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

‘’ No I’m just asking’’.

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

‘’And Coby accepted that?’’.

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

‘’What do you mean like that?’’.

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

‘’No I don’t’’.

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

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

‘’With no prints?’’.

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

‘’So what was my brother like’’.

‘’What do you mean?’’.

‘’How was he? Was he happy, sad?’’.

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

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

‘’He came across as being okay’’.

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘’He did?’’.

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

‘’Yeah he asked me not to go’’.

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

‘’Yeah, I guess’’.

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

‘’No since…..’’.

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

‘’It is, but I’m not going back’’.

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

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

‘’Yeah, thanks for talk’’.

‘’I’m sorry I wasn’t much help’’.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘’Just let go of her’’. Asks Peter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘’My head’’.

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

‘’Yeah, I was mugged’’.

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

‘’All night?’’.

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

‘’Okay, thanks doc’’.

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

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

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

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

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

‘’And that’s a bad thing’’.

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

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

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

‘’Well he did more than hold me’’.

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

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

‘’So why don’t you?’’.

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

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

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

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

‘’Yes’’.

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

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

‘’Why, why does he let you?’’.

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

‘’Sounds good’’.

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

‘’Why, what am I thinking?’’.

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

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

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

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

‘’He won’t I swear’’.

‘’So your fathers never hit you?’’.

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

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

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

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

As Peter eats his breakfast Stacey finally wakes up.

‘’Morning’. Says Peter.

‘’Man I was out’’. Replies Stacey.

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

‘’No I wasn’t’’.

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

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

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

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

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

‘’Mr. Fisher your father is here’’.

‘’My father’’.

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘’The doctor told me’’.

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

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

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

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

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

‘’What dad!’’.

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘’How you doing Mike?’’.

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

‘’Hey I’m sorry about your brother’’

‘’Me too’’.

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

‘’Thanks man’’.

‘’So what can I do for you?’’.

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

‘’Your in luck because there is’’.

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

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

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

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

‘’Hey’’.

‘’I didn’t know you worked here’’.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘’You didn’t have to’’.

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

‘’Where’s your friends?’’.

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

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

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

‘’So how’s the head?’’. She asks.

‘’Sore but I’ll get over it’’.

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

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

‘’ So why here?’’. Asks Stacey.

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

‘’That’s really nice of you’’.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘’Wanted to?’’.

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘’Yeah and thanks for the drink’’.

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

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

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

‘’She gone home then?’’.

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

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

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

‘’No but I’m okay’’.

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

‘’I’m fine dear’’.

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

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

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

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

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

‘’And Coby?’’.

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

‘’So what now?’’.

‘’Now….. I just don’t know’’……

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

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

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

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

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

‘’I’m moving Mr. Fisher Sir’’.

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

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

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

‘’We don’t know that for sure Sir’’.

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

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

‘’Mr. Newman, he’s asleep!’’.

‘’The patients must take turns sir’’.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘’What you writing about?’’. He asks.

‘’Nothing, it’s personal’’.

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

‘’So what if it is’’.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘’Were she!’’. Demands Peter.

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

‘’You know who, Stacey!’’.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘’Let the f**k go!’’.

‘’Not until you calm down’’.

‘’Were she!’’.

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

‘’Well tell her…’’.

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

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

‘’I will speak to her’’.

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

‘’Or what!’’.

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

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

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

‘’Yes but she isn’t’’.

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

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

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

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

‘’She lied to me’’.

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

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

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

‘’No way’’.

‘’Yep, it’s in his diary’’.

‘’So what now?’’.

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

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

‘’Your right!’’.

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

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

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

‘’Not yet but I’ll get it’’.

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘’And there not related?’’.

‘’