Anthony's POV
I looked at my friends dead on the ground it was something I would feel guilty for, for years to come. "David's dead!" Matt was blank now. "He was suicidal!?" I shrugged then he sat down again as the men put a gin to us. I sat on the other side of the 4 rows of chairs "So you are the 2 that get to live...lucky you would think!" I shook my head now crying harder than I ever have in my life. I was looking at Ian, my best friend from middle school and now he was dead because of one ass-hole's mistake. The men didn't see my response so they kicked and punched my chest and face to get my attention. The blows broke my nose and I'm sure a few ribs. The pain made me not move then there was a gun shot. It didn't end up in my head it ended up in my leg! I screamed out and held my calf. "Please let us live we've learned you've killed all of our friends you've done what you needed to do!" The man threw me to the floor and kicked my gut. "We're not done with you! You don't deserve the fame you have you don't deserve anything!" When I tried to get up and lift myself up he kicked my arm. I felt the bone snap and my skin rip. It was a fracture that broke my bones and ripped out my skin. "Please!" My body was now dead mentally. I just held the wound in my shirt begging for them to kill me.
I heard Matt being kicked and shot again. As that was going on the other man grabbed me and threw me into a wall and then onto the floor. He kicked my head some more then he took out a knife and turned me over. I felt only numb white pain. They carved the word "Fag" into my stomach then ripped his knife through my entire side.
The 5 gunmen walked out and were arrested. I drug myself from the floor grabbing my stomach and arm limping to Matt. He pulled himself up. His leg was broken and it was clear we both had broken ribs. "Anthony please forgive me!" I nodded then supporting each other we walked out. It was something like a movie. The police put their guns down and one person broke the crowd that made me loose everything. "ANTHONY!" Kalel came speeding past the ambulance into my arms. She buried her face into my chest crying so hard "Babe we need to get married soon." She laughed then looked around with the police "Where are the others!?" I kept sobbing and Matt said with a tight throat "Dead...all of them were murdered by the men that walked out." I cried to the love of my life as she held me like a child.
~20 years later~
Matt's POV
It was shocking Anthony actually invited me to their wedding. We both had scars from that day, he had his arm and his leg. My shoulder never worked the same and the guilt that I felt everyday made me attempt suicide 3 times before I talked to Anthony again. The wedding was great. But instead of a best man Anthony had a portrait of Ian. A few weeks after the wedding I got a call "Hello? Is this Matt Sohinki?"
"Yes...it is." the person on the other end then took a breath "This is Anthony Padilla...I was wondering if you wanted to meet me at the local cafe we need to speak."
I drove to the cafe and sat down across from my old friend he was much different then at the wedding but it was still Anthony "What did you want to talk about?" He looked me over then said "I wanted to ask you about that day." I gulped I knew that he was going to ask why I kept talking, why I let his best friend die. "Okay..." He looked at me and said "I still own the building. It was hard to keep it but no one would buy it and I thought it was a great way to remember them." he let me drive with him to the site where my friends were murdered. When the door opened the sent of flowers was first! He game me a look as I walked it. All along the sites where there was once a body were flowers, cards and little treasures. In each room there was a portrait as well as the story of how they died. When I went into the room where the main crimes were I saw Josh's memorial. I looked at it for a long time then placed a small picture of the Clevergames crew in the small pile. Anthony was next to me and he handed me a key. "I just need a hundred bucks a month from you if you want to keep being able to come here." I took the key and our front gave him a thousand "No words or money can describe how I feel. These people are all dead because of me." Anthony just hugged me no words. He walked away and the doors closed.
I went to the same room where I sat before the entire ordeal. I sat in the same corner and listened for the same thud or something to pull me out of the world. I fell asleep and woke up in a new world! "Matt..." It was my best friends! "JOSH! DAVID! MARI! IAN!" Mari flew into my arms and Ian patted my back then the 2 friends I felt the worst about. Josh and David. They looked at me with kindness even though it was my fault that they were dead. My fault that Josh would never have kids, my fault that David would never be married. "I'm so sorry all of you! I should have kept quiet." Ian had us all sit down "We gave this same message to Anthony, you shouldn't feel guilty we died to protect you. I know you are remorseful you have tried to join us but failed." I didn't understand then Josh said "We forgive you." They all gave me a hug then said "We will be with you until you join us just think that we want you to live a full life."
I woke up and just smiled. I walked out and called a therapist.
~5 years later~
I kept in touch with Anthony and learned he named his first son Ian, and his daughter Mari. We met every now and then but I now had a wife and 2 sons. My 2 sons were David and Josh Sohinki.