I sat on the wooden steps of the deck hand holding up my chin as I watched a car pull up on the dirt driveway and then, The back door opened. I felt as my face lit up and I smiled brightly as Nick ran out of the back of the car. My smile slowly faded into a frown as I saw he was crying.

"Nick?" I asked standing up as my best friend hugged me, Feeling the only shirt I had brought with me turn into an ocean I pulled away, My hands still on his shoulders.

"What happened?" I asked watching him wipe away tears.

"U- Uncle Pete tried to make me shoot..." I waiting intensely squinting at him as he paused to catch his breath and cry more. "S- Sorry. I- Uncle Pete tried to make me shoot a..." He stopped again.

"A what?" I asked kneeling down slightly so I could look up at him as he stared down at the ground kicking the dirt driveway underneath him sending puffs of dirt and dust into the crisp air around us.

"A-... A-..." He began sobbing hard again.

"Shh, Shh, Shh." I said unable to think of anything else to try and comfort him. I pulled him back into a hug one hand on the back of his neck and the other on his back.

"It's fine, Everythin' is fine now. Right?" I asked a faint smile appearing on my face. He looked up from the ground, His face no longer hidden underneath his hat. A few more sniffles and tears and Nick started acting like his old self again.

"Ri- Right." Nick sniffled.

"What'd he try ta make you shoot?" I asked again now that Nick was calmer. I watched tears begin to well up in his eyes again. "Shh, Shh, Shh." I said sympathetically. "Here, C'mon. Lets head inside for a bowl of oatmeal." I said one arm around him as we walked up the steps and into the house. A deer. A deer was the answer. A deer he was told to shoot. And a deer was what he didn't.