It was a Labor Day morning around 8:00 when Jesus was still fast asleep from a long night. He has been working at a local coffee shop and he had a lot to do that evening.
Then all of a sudden, his alarm goes off for about ten seconds before he slams it off as he sits up in bed. He rubs his eyes before he takes a brief look outnthe window.
"Who would be up on this holiday anyway?" Jesus mutters to himself.
Then out of nowhere Jude appears out of nowhere with a tray of food with a cheerful smile on his face.
"Rise and shine big brother," said Jude, with excitement. "Today is a beautiful day."
"Hey, how many times do I have to tell you not to come in here in a good mood," jokes Jesus, with sarcasm. "You suppose to moan, and groan, and complain about every little thing."
"Oh come on Jesus," Jude said as he puts the tray full of pancakes and fixings on the nightstand and walks over to the window. "We don't have time for your wise cracks right now. Now, you have to get up and eat your breakfast, we have a long day today."
He then ripped the window curtains apart making the room very sunny and bright. Jesus covers his face to prevent being blind.
"You're suppose to take me to the museum today, remember?" said Jude, plopping down on Jesus' bed bouncing up and down.
"The only museam trip you will be going on is the one in the living room on the couch in watching the history channel," said Jesus, as he pulls the blanket over his head.
"No! You can't back out now!" said Jude, yanking the covers off of him. "You promised! Besides we had a deal!"
"Well, maybe it's not to bad being without a car for a week," said Jesus, reminiscing back when Stef made him and Jude have a deal to spend one day with each other. And they both picked the museam. If Jesus doesn't fall through with his plans, he looses his turns for driving privalages for a whole week.
"Ah come on!" Jude said as he plops on top of Jesus. "We should be bonding anyways. The sooner we will get this day over with, the sooner we will get back to our seperate lives."
"Fine," said Jesus, forcefully. "If you can move your butt from crushing my spine, I may be able to walk in one piece to take you to that old runned down excuse of a place."
"its not old," Jude corrects him. "It was built ten years ago."
"Gee, that's something to talk about all day," said Jesus as he gets up out of bed.
"I made you some pancakes and eggs," said Jude, as he brings the plate toward him.
"Yeah, that's good," said Jesus, nonchalantly. "Why don't you take it back downstairs in the kitchen and I will eat it after I get ready."
"Okay," said Jude cheerfully, as he picks up the tray of food and rushes out of the room with Jesus slowly following behind him.
Just when Jude got to the door, it swung open unexpectedly causing the tray of food to knock over and spill all over Jude and crash onto the floor. Jesus rolls his eyes on the mess on the floor as one of his friends (Jamal) comes in.
"Wassup bro," said Jamal as he handshakes Jesus.
"My favorite green sweater!" exclaimed Jude. "It's all messed up!"
"Wow, you should eat less sloppy next time little man," said Jamal ruffling Jude's hair.
"But you just-," said Jude, words choked in his mouth. "Urgh!"
He goes to take care of the mess as Jesus chuckles to himself.
"Shouldn't he just eat in the kitchen like normal people?" Jamal asked.
"Couldn't say it better myself," said Jesus.
"So, today is Labor Day," said Jamal. "And you what that means. The mall is full of chicks for us to get some digits. You're still with me right?"
"As much as I like to see you drool at woman's feet," said Jesus. "I can't right now, I promise Jude I would take him to the museum today. But you're welcome to come, the kid's a whole bunch of free passes."
"Really?" asked Jamal. "The kid's a pro."
"Yeah, tell me about it," said Jesus. "It's probably worth the day though. Maybe we will learn something for once."
"Yeah," said Jamal.
Just then Lena comes into the room, and greets everyone.
"Oh good you're up," said Lena, looking down at the spilled food on the floor. "What happened here?"
"Looks like your boy has been eating up here again," said Jamal, with a smirk.
"Oh really," said Lena eyeballing Jesus. "After I reminded him a hundred times not to so, because we don't want a mice problem."
"He's talking about Jude," Jesus said, with sarcasm.
"Oh," said Lena looking surprised. "That's a first."
"Well, he did make the meal spacifically for me," said Jesus.
"So, you're taking Jude to the museum today, right?" Lena asked.
"Yeah, of course," said Jesus. "He literally dragged me out of bed a second ago."
"That's my boy," said Lena.
"Mom," said Jesus with a forceful smile. "I know you turned him into your little spawn.
"Well, I'm glad that it worked," said Lena, as she walked away.
Jamal chuckles as Jesus shakes his head and starts to get ready.
A while later, in the kitchen, Jamal was helping Stef getting breakfast ready for everyone.
"I was telling myself the other day that I was so glad my friend's mom is a cop," said Jamal, proudly.
"Yeah," said Steph. "Just don't get yourself in trouble."
"Oh of course," said Jamal. "We all don't want that."
Both of them chuckled as they continued what they were doing.
"Hey," said Stef. "I want to thank you for being there for Jesus. It's just that before you, he didn't really had friends to hang out with and to set him examples."
"Well, school and life can be hard on young people like Jesus and I," Jamal goes on. "People like us need to stick 's what matter."
"Well, I think that's a very good thing to me," said Steph. "So, are you going to go to the museum with him and Jude."
"Yeah," said Jamal. " I was going to take him with me to the mall and look at girls and stuff. But I figured that the museum was a better option anyway."
"Yeah, that's for Lexi's sake said Steph.
Then Jesus and Lena came down the steps discussing about the trip.
"Now, I'm giving Jude forty bucks for lunch and for a souvenir or something," said Lena.
"Hey, you never gave me that much money for trips," said Jesus almost frowning.
"I did Jesus," said Lena. "In fact I gave it so you in advance but when it was time to go to a field trip you spent over a half of it on crap that you didn't even need."
"Oh yeah, I did forgot about that," said Jesus, as Lena agrees. "It's a damn good thing I doing better now."
"Yeah at least you are not kissing your sister's ass for five bucks," chuckled Steph.
"Hey, that was a one time thing," said Jesus, embarrased in front of Jamal. "Besides, I was deperate. I had to swallow my pride."
"Where is Jude anyway?" asked Lena. "I thought he was ready five minutes ago."
Everyone shrugged.
"Jude?" called Lena. "Come out here please, I got your stuff packed and ready to go!"
There was no answer.
"Where could he be?" asked Steph.
Then all of a sudden they heard a loud gunshot that came from outside of the house. Seconds later there was shouting. Everyone ran to tne front of the house where the door was opened.
There, laying on the walkway in a pool of blood was Jude's lifeless body with two gang members standing in front of him. When they saw everyone they ran off in both directions.
"Oh my God!" Jesus exclaimed frantically.
"JUDE!" Lena and Steph shouted in terror as they all ran toward him.
Lena goes and sits him up right as her and Steph tried to speak to him. Jesus quickly calls 9-1-1. All of them tried to revive him at the same time. But it was too late.
Later that night Jesus sat on the porch alone shatterd and distraught. He couldn't believe that Jude was dead and he couldn't get over it. He then let his emotions get tje very best of him. Both Lena and Steph goes out on the porch and comforts him.
"Callie, was so devasted and hysterical," cried Jesus.
"I know," said Steph, sadly.
"Why? cried Jesus. "Why would somebody be so cruel, so evil?!"
"I don't know," said Lena, with tears in her eyes. "This world is filled with a lot of them."
"Its just not fair," cried Jesus. "I didn't even get a chance to say goodbye. All I did was ignored him, and push him away. I just think that if I would've gotten to know him, none of this would've-."
"No," Steph said strongly. "Don't talk like that. That's not true and you know it."
Jesus agrees as he hugs her.
"Sometimes, life is just isn't fair," Steph said. "All that we can do now is to be strong for him, and I bet that's what he wants us to do. Now it is time for us to grieve, reminisce, and start to live our lives again."
"It would be alright," said Lena, as he rubbed Jesus' back, as he wepts on Steph's shoulders.
The next morning, Jesus' alarm clock goes off again. But this time something very strange happens. When Jesus shuts off the alarm, he accidently hit the radio button.
"Good morning Californians on this rocking beautiful Labor Day Monday of September 1, 2014."
Jesus jumps up as the people on the radio keep on talking about the holiday.
"What?!" said Jesus in shock.
Then all of a sudden Jude comes busting in the room like he did before with a tray full of food. Jesus gasps with his mouth open.
"Rise and shine big brother," said Jude, with excitement. "Today is beautiful day."
Jesus then stares at him like he has three heads stuck on one body.