Chapter 1

"Can he see us?" Kale asked his dad as he threw his fishing rod forward into the water so that it fell in front of a fish that was swimming downstream.

"No, he can't see us." The fish jumped out of the water and grabbed Kale's hook, and as his dad shouted intructions he did his best to follow them.

"See, you're talking to me, you're messing me up."
"It's ok, just let him take it."

But the fish let go of the hook, and Kale slammed his fishing rod down in frustration.

"You've gotta be kidding me..."

"It's ok." His dad assured Kale, his tone urging him to remain patient," It's ok. You'll get him next time."

"If I can't catch a fish then I don't know what I'm doing out here." Kale said, as he took the bottle of Coke his dad was outstretching to him.

"Relax, you'll get him next time. You know... I really appreciate you bailing on your friends to spend some time with you old man."

Kale smiled, in slight disbelief that the conversation had changed so fast," It's not like you forced me to be here, Pop."

"Still, I appreciate it."

"I appreciate it." Kale replied as he they clinked their glass bottles together.

"It beats working, right?"

"What?" Kale asked, taking his attention off the fish that was swimming past his boot.

"I said,' It beats working.'"
Kale laughed and replied," You're a writer. You work from home. You don't have it that tough."
His dad chuckled and then cleared his throat almost nervously," Is there anything, uh... anything you wanna talk about?"

Kale grinned in amusement," Is this that moment?"

"What?"
"The moment where I tell you..."

"Never mind..." His dad replied, trying to change the subjects before things got awkward.

"No, I'm in, I'm in."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I'm in. You have a keen eye for this." He paused, trying to think of the most dramatic thing to talk about," You gonna tell Mom?" That would make it sound convincing; if he was afraid of his mother finding out.

"No." His dad replied honestly.

"Ok, I'm having a kid."

His dad laughed once, but Kale continued before he could respond.

"Yeah, your little boy's growing up. I got a girl pregnant, now I have to go visit her. She lives in Reno, so I don't know how I'm gonna get there, but I bet I'll have to take Mom's car. Her name's Shirley, she's real great."

"Good." His dad replied, trying not to laugh as he played along," She cute?"

"Of course!" Kale responded as though this should be obvious."
"Good. That's all that matters." He laughed and said under his breath but so Kale could hear him," Smart ass." They both laughed and picked up their fishing rods," Let's fish."

Julie heard the door open and close, and she smiled when she heard her sixteen year old daughter's voice.

"Mother!" She sang loudly as she walked into the kitchen, toting about seven bags from all the different stores in the local mall.

"Hey baby." Julie greeted her, turning around just to look at her briefly, and then turning back to the steaming pot on the stove.

Lina jumped up on the counter beside Julie and asked in an obnoxious voice," Whatcha makin'?"

Julie laughed and replied," Spaghetti."

"Sweet." She smiled gigantically and Julie knew one of her long stories was coming," Mom, you should have seen the mall today. It is ridiculous. There are million sales going on, and I just couldn't help myself. So my entire hundred dollars that I left out of my paycheck has been spent on clothes, clothes, clothes."

"Which I have to wash now..." Julie replied rolling her eyes jokingly.

"Mother... shut up and be happy for me! Everything I got is so adorable, you'll love it."

"Will I?" Julie asked with faux strictness," What did you buy, dare I ask?"

"I bought all clothes. I'll show you them later."

"I know you bought clothes, honey. What kind of clothes did you buy? Will I aprprove?"

"No." Lina replied surely and Julie hit her in the leg lightly as she laughed.

"How did I know? Any shoes, which was your main intention for going to the mall in the first place?"

"Yeah! Two pairs. And I know you'll borrow them because they are so adorable."
"How did you get all of this with just a hundred dollars?" Julie asked as she poured the spaghetti into the boiling, steaming water on the stove.

"Mom, major sales!! At Payless, there was a sale, buy one, get one half off! So I did! It was fantabulous!"

"I'll bet. Did you get that awesome 'Oh my God, I just saved money feeling?'" It was a feeling that both Lina and Julie often got when they went shopping and didn't spend as much as they thought they would.

"Yeah." Lina sighed dreamily.

Julie laughed and looked into her daughter's beautiful blue eyes that mirrored her own. It was strange; Kale looked like his father and Lina looked like her. Kale was a year and a half older than Lina but unlike most siblings, who fought constantly, Kale and Lina were best friends. Julie stroked Lina's face and Lina smiled.

"What?" She asked.

"Nothing." Julie replied, also smiling," I just love you."

"I love you too, Mommy." Lina replied as she got off the counter and laid her head on Julie's shoulder.

The phone rang and Lina gasped and ran for it, but Julie was closer so she answered it.

"Hello?" Julie said.

"Mom! It might be Tony!" Lina whined, stomping her foot the way a three year old does when they're denied a toy.

"Oh God, is she whining over that dooshbag she's dating?" Kale asked his mom as he and his dad laughed; they both hated Lina's boyfriend Tony, but she was crazy about him. Julie wasn't too fond of him either but Lina was a sixteen year old girl who didn't want to listen to anyone except herself.

"Of course she is." Julie replied," But anyway... how was fishing."

"Mom, you wouldn't believe it. We caught so many freakin' fish... Dad and I are like fishing... masters."

"Oh really? You guys actually caught a fish?" Julie asked, looking at Lina as they both dropped their jaws in jocular shock.

"That's new." Lina giggled as she opened up the US Weekly that was sitting on the counter with the rest of the mail. She opened the chillled Pepsi she had taken from the fridge, and started reading.

"Oh, ye of little faith..." Kale said, shaking his head as he brought the car to a halt to let a car come out in front of him," I will have you know, Mother dearest, that we drained the entire lake."

Julie laughed again and replied," You're kidding."

"No, I'm not kidding. Oh, look at this guy." Kale said in disgust as a huge black SUV swerved in front of him," Jackass!"
"Hey!" Julie exclaimed, half jokingly, half seriously.

"Sorry. But seriously, every fish in that lake is now in the trunk right now."

"Yeah, are you sure you two aren't stopping off and buying fish like you did the last time?"

Lina and Julie both looked at each other and nodded, knowing that they probably had.

Kale chuckled, and Daniel looked at him.

"What'd she say?" Daniel asked, as he put his seatbelt on. They were about to pass a State Trooper, and he knew the dumb road slogan," Click it or ticket."

"She asked if we were stopping off and buying the fish like last time." They both laughed again, and Kale said," No, we know you're too savvy for that, Mom. Oh, Dad wants to talk to you."

"Hey baby. You should of seen him today. We've got enough fish for a week." Daniel told her, and to that she laughed.

"How long do you think you'll be?"

"I don't know." Daniel looked at Kale and answered," An hour?" Kale nodded his agreement," What's Lina Bean-a doing?"

"She's sitting here reading her magazine."

"Is she paying attention to anything you're saying?"

"Probably not. She barely knows where she is when she's reading the tabloids."

"I know where I am." Lina replied, laughing," Ew, Britney Spears got fat."

"Let me talk to her for a second." Daniel said.

"Ok." Julie handed the phone to Lina and said," Dad."

"Hey Daddy!" Lina exclaimed excitedly and for the first time ever, Julie saw her divert her attention away from the magazine that kept her so engrossed for the hour it took her to read it, that she could completely sound out everything in the room," When are you and Kale getting home?"

"About an hour. What are you up to, Turtlebug?" He asked her.

"Sitting here reading US Weekly and watching Mom cook. Making sure she doesn't slip us any rat poison."
"Good girl." Daniel replied, laughing.

"I happen to be fresh out of rat poison. You guys are just gonna have to deal with arsenic for the night." Julie told them as she put spices into the sauce that she was stirring. Daniel and Lina both laughed and Lina replied," We'll deal, Mom."

"Of course you will. Oh! Let me talk to him really quick." Julie said, reaching for the phone.

"Dad, Mom needs to tell you something so I guess I'll see you two when you get here."

"Ok, sweetheart, I love you."

"I love you too, Daddy. Here's Mom." Lina went to hand the phone over but then she gasped," Oh, Dad! Tell Kale... it is on when he gets home."

"For what?" Daniel asked, smiling.

"Soul Calibur."

"Oh, it is on like Donkey Kong! It is SO on, Lina!" She heard Kale exclaim in the background.

She giggled again and said," Ok, here's Mom."

She gave Julie the phone and Julie said," Honey, I forgot to tell you... don't take 95 home. Lots of traffic according to the news."

"Ooh, thanks for the heads up, honey. I love you."

"I love you too." Julie replied and then she heard Daniel shout," Kale!"

Then there were sounds of grinding metal, loud bangs, and then the phone went dead.

Julie was frozen, fear taking over her. She had no idea what had just happened, but her gut instinct told her it was something horrific, and that one of them wasn't coming back alive, but she didn't know who.

"Dan..." She gasped out," Dan..."

"Mom, what happened?" Lina asked, looking up from her magazine, worry clear on her face.

"Oh my God. Oh my God..." Julei broke down into tears and Lina ran to her quickly and caught her before she collapsed to the ground.

"Kale..." Julie sobbed, barely able to make words or even breathe because she was sobbing so hard.

"Mom... Mom..." Lina put both of her hands on Julie's face and tried to get her to focus," Shh... You have to tell me what happened."

"But all Julie could do was sob. Lina continued to hold her shaking sobbing mother and in both of their hearts, they knew the worst possible thing had happened; either Kale or Daniel had died.

The car had flipped when Kale sweved violently to avoid a stopped car. It landed upside down, and he and Daniel had remained conscious. Then another car slammed into the passenger side; Daniel's side.

Kale pushed himself out of his broken window, pain shooting through his body. His leg was snapped, his shoulder was dislocated and his entire face was cut up and bleeding with shards of glass still stuck in the skin. But all he could think about was getting around to the other side of the car, and making sure his dad was ok. He had to be ok. He had to be ok.

"Dad!" Kale called desperately as he made his way around to the passenger side of the car. He gripped the top of the car in an attempt to steady himself and remain on his feet but his legs buckled out from underneath of him, and he collapsed onto the glass-ridden ground right beside the passenger side window. Once he saw his father's mangled, bloody, unrecognizable body, he knew he was gone.

He couldn't move, couldn't think, couldn't breath. All he could do was stare at the lifeless body of his father, his hero, his best friend.