Chapter 2-Worst Day Ever

I sat at lunch with my friends Heather and Mary. Heather was my age but Mary was older than I. "So," Heather said, "How did it go?"

"Terrible," I answered, "I only spoke to Dr. Brennan for two seconds, and then she had to leave. I'll be back there though." I explained.

"Cool," Heather responded moving her bleach blonde hair out of her face. Heather was the exact opposite of me. She was blonde, I had jet black hair. She had blue eyes, my eyes were such a dark shade of brown that until sixth grade people thought I was a demon spawn because of my "black eyes."

Mary looked at me, "Aren't you going to tell her?"

I looked at her questioningly.

"You know," Mary sighed, "about your theory."

"Oh," I sighed, "That."

"Ooooo," said Heather, "Do tell."

I sighed, "You guys remember Zack Addy right?"

"The name rings a bell, but I don't remember everything about every person that I've every heard of." Heather answered.

"You know. . . Dr. Brennan's old assistant…Apprentice to the Gormogon serial killer." I explained.

"Oh," she said in realization, "him"

I nodded, "Yeah. Well, I met him yesterday."

"Creepy," Heather said.

"Get this," I said, "I don't think he actually murdered that person."

Heather laughed.

"What?" I asked. I couldn't see any humor in this serious situation.

Heather caught her breath, "Well, why would someone confess to a murder that they didn't commit?"

"I don't know," I sighed, "That's just the problem."

She looked at me oddly, "You're actually serious about this! Aren't you?"

I nodded, "I don't think he did it."

"Layne," Heather said sternly, "No one in their right mind would confess to a crime they didn't commit."

I sighed, "I just know he didn't do it."

"No, Layne," Heather said, "You don't."

"Please," I sighed, "just trust me on this one."

Heather turned to Mary, "Please tell me you don't honestly believe her."

Mary shrugged, "I guess anything's possible."

Heather sighed, and turned back to me, "Well if you're right, I'll take back everything I said, but let's say for argument's sake he didn't do it. That isn't a very sane thing to do, so either way he belongs in the loony-bin where he is now!"

"If you had met him you'd understand." I said.

"Maybe," Heather said, "but I'm looking at this situation as scary Layne! You met a murderer and now you're on his side!"

"I'm not on his side," I sighed, "I just don't think he did it!"

"What did your brother say about this?" Heather asked.

I laughed, "I didn't tell him about this . . . not completely."

"What does that mean?" Heather asked.

"It means, I asked him if he thought Zack did it and he gave me the exact answer that you did!" I explained.

"Then maybe you should listen to me!" Heather insisted, "If a professional psychologist agrees with me, you should too."

I shook my head, "I disagree."

"Well, maybe you shouldn't." Heather pressed.

"Well I do." I responded.

She sighed, "Layne, you're way too trusting. This guy stabbed a man in the heart!"

"That's what people think he did. However-"I began.

"Stop right there!" Heather yelled, "He was convicted of that crime so as far as I'm concerned he did it!"

I gave her a disapproving look.

"What?" Asked Heather, "If I said 'Hey guys guess what, I met this murder and I think he's innocent' you'd slap me!"

"Not true," I said, "I'd hear you out."

"That is such a lie!" Heather said.

"No," I argued, "I would listen."

"Liar." Heather smirked. She was right and I knew it. However, that didn't change the fact that I knew that Zack didn't kill anyone. I just needed to prove it. Heather's heart was in the right place. I just wasn't going to admit it. Heather rolled her eyes, "Let it go."

"I can't," I sighed, "I'm convinced that Zachary Addy, didn't kill anyone!"

"I've decided," Heather announced.

"Decided what?" I asked very confused.

"That your brother is very wrong!" Heather answered, "You won't be a psychologist. You need a psychologist."

"If you met him, you'd understand." I repeated myself.

She gave me a disapproving look, and then she sighed, "Just do me a favor and don't get yourself killed. Zack has already killed one person too many. Do not become the second."

"I won't," I answered her, "because Zack hasn't killed one single person. I know it."

"No," Said Heather, "you don't know it. You think it. There is a drastic difference."

I shook my head, "Nope, he didn't kill anyone and that's a fact."

"No, it's a theory!" Heather argued, "If you prove it then I will believe you, but if I'm right, then you need to believe me."

I sighed, "Fine, and when I'm right, you need to apologize to Zack!"

"Absolutely not!" She argued, "I'm not going to apologize! Even if he didn't do it, he confessed to it, so people are generally going to think he murdered someone!"

"Fine," I said grudgingly, "but you need, to apologize to me."

"Fine," Heather said, "but if I'm right, then you apologize to me."

"Agreed," I answered, so Heather was obviously a lost cause. Mary kind of believed me but not really. I had to find someone who completely believed me. However, most of my friends were a lost cause.

I told my friend Antonia Medici about it in Spanish class earlier that day. She looked at me like I needed to be institutionalized. "Are you high," She asked me, "Drunk?" When I told her no, she laughed so hard I was surprised that we didn't get kicked out of Spanish class.

I began to think that none of my friends were going to take me seriously. Why wouldn't they just believe me? Although, I did sound crazy, my friends should've had some faith in me. At the same time I knew that they were somewhat right. I shouldn't have been poking around in things that weren't my business. Part of me feared that they were completely right. That Zack did really kill someone. It was a frightening thought. As my friends asked me how it went. All I thought of were Zack's brown eyes. Starring. That really scared me. Why did I think of him out of all the people that I had met the previous day? Why? Why? Why? I did not know the answer to that question but it did not take long for me to be able to answer it. However, I knew that finding the answer wouldn't solve anything. The reason why Zack Addy was in my head had nothing to do with proving his innocence. So I tried asking some of my other friends.

My friend from softball, Marie "Jedi" Laddie, came over to me. "Howdy partner." She greeted me.

"Hi," I said not thrown off my Marie's odd behavior.

"So," she asked, "How was it talking to my people . . . the insane?

"Lovely," I told her, "In fact, I'm pretty sure that one of 'your people' was institutionalized for a crime that he didn't commit."

Marie thought I was joking, "Cool, I love my people. We're so miss judged!"

"I'm serious." I stated.

"Oh," said Marie, "Cereally?"

I nodded; again I remained unfazed at Marie's odd behavior.

"Well," Marie sighed, "Don't get killed." With that Marie stood up and left.

My friend Josie Landers took Marie's empty seat, "So," Josie said, "Can we hang out this weekend?"

"Why?" I asked, skeptically. Normally Josie didn't plan ahead of time, just the day of.

"No reason." She said, "Can it be at your place? My mom doesn't like having people over."

"Right," I said, "This wouldn't have anything to do with Timmy would it?

"No," said Josie pretending to be appalled, "It has absolutely nothing to do with your foster brother who is way hotter than your real, biological, brother."

"Can we please refer to Lance as my brother, and Timmy as . . . Timmy?" I asked curtly.

Josie looked down, and then to me. I was crying. I tried not to but I couldn't help it this time. "Hey," she said soothingly, "what happened?"

"Oh gee," I said sarcastically rude, "I don't know, my adoptive parents, whom I consider my real parents, are dead! I absolutely hate my foster brothers, oh and I never see my real brother, who is the only family I've got! That's what happened."

"Layne, calm down," Josie told me, "It's been over a year, and you always seem fine, like nothing happened."

Just then the last person I wanted to see showed up. Timmy. "Well, well, well, Layne, crying again? Well, you need to get over it, whatever it is."

"Get out of here," I yelled, "no one asked you!"

Timmy rolled his eyes, "Poor princess Layne didn't get something that she wanted."

"Leave me alone!" I yelled at him, "You don't know anything about me!"

"Whose fault is that?" Timmy asked, "Who locks herself in her bedroom every night? Who doesn't talk when she's not in her bedroom? Oh yeah, the answer to both of those questions is you!"

"Well," I said pulling myself together, "Since you don't know me, you shouldn't be talking about something that you don't know anything about!"

"Whatever," Timmy said. He finally left.

Josie opened her mouth to speak, but I just stood up and walked away. Josie followed me and brought me back to the table, "Hold on a second, you do call your foster parents mom and dad, and so does your brother, which makes no sense."

"First of all," I said solemnly, "I don't enjoy talking about this. So this is a one time only conversation."

Josie nodded.

"I call Kathy and Larry, mom and dad, because they've opened up their home to me. They're letting me stay there until I graduate high school, and they're helping me pay for college. Above all, they love me like I am their daughter; the least I can do is return the favor. My brother calls them mom and dad for my sake. I think he feels that this way I'll know no matter what, people who I love and who love me, he'll love. Also, I think this way, he's telling me that, no matter who I'm with, he's my brother. He's my family."

Josie nodded.

"Anymore questions?" I asked, "Because after this conversation I'm not talking about this ever again." My eyes were now flooded with tears. I hated this: my emotional side.

"Yeah," Josie said, "What's the deal with your biological parents?"

"Oh," I said. That was a situation that had no affect on me, "Well, I don't remember them. But what I do know is that they abused my brother. My brother told someone when he was six, he got moved to my adoptive parents' house."

"But Layne," said Josie, "you weren't born at that time."

"Let me finish." I tell her, "My parents' trial got postponed for years! However, the second that the prosecutors found out my biological mother was pregnant with me, they contacted my adoptive mother and she offered to take me without a second thought. The day I was born, was the day I was legally my adoptive parents'."

Josie nodded yet again.

"Anything else?" I asked.

Josie shook her head.

"Okay," I sighed, "So we're not ever going to talk about this again."

"Yeah," Josie sighed, "totally."

I walked away, one thing, which shocked everyone, was that I felt nothing when people asked me about my biological parents. I supposed it was because I had no memories of them. I bet Lance got emotional when anyone asked him about it. I wouldn't know, I never asked him about it.

"So," Josie said, "Looking forward to your softball game?"

I shrugged, "Kind of, I'm pitching today."

"Coolie," Josie noted, "So is your- Timmy coming?"

I made a face, "I hope not."

"Okay," said Josie changing the subject, "When does it start?"

"Right after school," I answered.

Josie nodded, "I'll try to make it."

I smiled, "That would be totally awesome."

Josie nodded again, "I got to run. See you later!" Josie left. I considered leaving too. However, I stayed put for the time being. I sat there, and thought. I thought about the conversation I had with Josie. I saw my mom's face in my head smiling. I tried to feel my dad's hugs that always gave me comfort. I opened my eyes, and I found myself alone in the crowed cafeteria. Heather and Mary were starring at me emotionless. They had heard me talk to Marie, and to Josie, and even to Timmy. "What?" I asked them.

Heather opened her mouth, but I spoke before she could say anything. "If it's about what I said to Josie, I am not going to talk about it again."

Heather shut her mouth. We sat in silence until the period ended.

The rest of the school day was a mere blur to me. I was there physically but not mentally. When school ended I immediately went to the locker room, and got into uniform.

"What time is the game?" My friend Via Lily asked me.

"In a few minutes I think." I answered her.

"Throwing partners, right?" She asked me.

"Totally," I answered, "we always are." So Via left my locker and went to her locker.

"Hey," a girl with shoulder length brown hair said, "You've got helmets this week."

I nodded, "I remember Bella." Bella Rose was an outfielder and one of my friends.

When I was walking out of the locker room, with the helmets of course, I heard someone calling after me.

"Layne!" I turned to around and there was Kelsie Byers. "Wait for me!" She yelled.

I groaned, "Hurry up!"

"I am," Kelsie yelled as she ran over to me.

Kelsie was my running buddy, we were both pretty slow, so we ran together.

We headed out to the field. I stood in the pitchers circle. I began to pitch randomly. We were the only ones on the field and I had my own ball. That was until Leslie Clarke showed up. She was another one of my friends on the team. Actually I had nothing against anyone on the team.

"Hey," said Leslie. "What are you two doing out here already?"

"Warming up," I explained.

"Cool," Leslie said, "We better kick ass!"

"Amen," I laughed.

Leslie laughed along with me and so did Kelsie. I left the pitchers circle and waited for the rest of the team to come out.

When a majority of the team was out, the coach told us to run, and of course I ran with Kelsie, around the field.

We warmed up until the other team got there. The game began, but the important part is what happened in the fourth inning. I was pitching. I was doing quite nicely actually, until my foster mom showed up. She was just trying to be nice, I lover her for that. "Layne, Lanie!" She cheered. I was no longer at my softball game. I was at a completely different game. My mom mom was there cheering.

"Layne, Lanie!" I hear several voices yelling from the real game, not my memory. But I was not leaving my memory. "Layne! Layne! Are you okay?!" Suddenly everything goes black. No more voices, no more mom mom, just black. Eventually I hear beeps. Even little beeps. I open my eyes.

I am in the hospital. I sit up. My foster mom embraces me. I don't even acknowledge her, "Where is Lance?"

"Lanie calm down, he's on his way." She tried to explain.

"Why isn't he here? Did you call the second whatever happened, happened? Where is my brother?" I ask frantically.

"Layne, he's on his way, he'll be here shortly." My foster dad tried to soothe me.

"What happened?" I finally ask.

"You fainted on the field, at the game." Johnny, my younger foster brother informs me.

I nodded, then realization hits, "THE GAME! I need to get back-"

"It's over Lanie. When they had to call an ambulance the umpires called the game." My foster mom explained.

I groaned. Lance ran into the room.

"Hi, Lance." My foster mother greeted him.

"Hi, Kath-mom" Lance hugged her. I wished that he didn't feel that he needed to call her mom. Lance hugged me, "Lanie, you gave me a heart attack!"

I hugged him back tightly, "If that were true, and you really did have a heart attack, you would've gotten here a lot sooner!"

"Hey," He said, "blame my secretary; she didn't give me the message right away."

"Well, then maybe you should fire her!" I suggested bitterly.

"You're just a ray of sunshine, aren't you?" Lance smirked.

"I'm sorry," I said, "I', just scared."

Lance sighed, he patted my back, "It'll work out. You'll be fine."

"You're probably right." I answered him.

"I got a little surprise for you." Lance said. "Close your eyes!"

I obeyed, having no clue what the surprise was.

"Open up."

I open my eyes, and there is his ex-girlfriend Daisy. My jaw fell half-open. I was very confused. I finally find the nice happy word to use, "I thought she was engaged."

"It was a huge misunderstanding!" Lance said, "And I remembered how much you liked Daisy, so I thought I'd bring her."

Great I thought as if my day couldn't have gotten any worse.