Chapter 4

First Love Gone

on an airplane

Mindy Crenshaw was in shock, she had a huge fight with her conservative parents over the phone

about leaving Harvard and coming back to San Diego. You'd think they would have wanted to see

their only daughter. You'd think they'd have uttered more than the obligatory "that's terrible"

concern when it was announced that Josh, Audrey, and Walter were dead. Now, it was clear why

she couldn't get what was probably her dead-end information to Megan. Somehow, Someway, the

Faux Prophet made sure of it.

She didn't know much of the details. She was unable to watch the news, hearing about people

discuss a families slaughter as if it were the "hot news item" made her sick to her stomach. Mindy

nervously folded a copy of Departures that was on her lap. She received a text message from Craig

Ramirez offering that he and Eric would pick her up at the airport so she wouldn't be alone.

Normally, Mindy would have been stubborn and stoic, but that would have been selfish. They were

also grieving a loss. She rested her head on the oval window and let a few silent tears fall down her

cheek. The naturally curious and inquisitive young woman didn't know what to think. Could she

literally hate Drake knowing that he wasn't himself and that any involvement was manufactured? He

wasn't the guy that enjoyed their ping-pong variety of insults and yet still made it possible for Josh to

profess his love for her at her bedroom window which seemed like a lifetime ago.

Josh who ached over his brother's safety and hopeful return to the family, if only he had a dorm

room at UCLA, if only he wasn't there. What was going to become of Megan, who were her legal

guardians going to be?

How come the police couldn't find this man? How difficult could it be? Where were all of the family

members of the rest of the kids that were manipulated into joining his 'church'? Not that Mindy

wanted anyone else to perish, but why was it only Josh's family that was singled out? Why them?

Audrey was more friendly then her own uptight Mother and it was nice to talk to her, Walter was

funny and made everyone welcome as long as you didn't mention his rival Bruce Winchell, and Josh,

he was her first love, her supposed to be only love, and now thanks to some psycho who thought he

was God that hope was gone.

It really wasn't Drake's fault. Drake Parker didn't exist anymore. He needed, they all needed an

intervention, to be deprogrammed, but when and if the police connected the dots, they probably

would all be arrested and thrown in prison. The whole situation didn't seem fair to Mindy. California

didn't have the death penalty so the only maximum that Cameron could receive was life in prison and

that seemed too good for a lowlife scum such as he. Her plane would be arriving in San Diego in a

few hours, but she hadn't been able to eat or sleep much since finding out her whole world was

shattered. Why couldn't Josh have gone to Princeton with her? She was going to miss his goofy

laugh, his knowledge of random facts like avocados were fruits, his need to keep a word of the day

calendar, and his special dishes that he made in the kitchen. His elementary school winning

fudgie-boo brownies, his chicken piard, and his homemade limeade was better than anything you

could purchase in the store. Mindy would never be able to watch an episode of Oprah ever again.

She would never be able to cuddle with him on the sofa and make out instead of watching the movie.

Not her Josh. She took her white handkerchief out of her purse and wiped her eyes. It was no one's

business that she was crying, but she couldn't help it. She loved Josh Nichols with all of his heart and

now he was gone. Her first love was gone and for such a useless reason. In her heart, she was

already dead.

Later:

Mindy appreciated not having to put on any false pretenses for Eric and Craig. She didn't feel like

phoning her parents that her plane safely landed. What was the point? She'd deal with them later.

After the hugs and the bags put in the trunk on Eric's safe and practical navy blue Mercury Sable

and Mindy's refusal for stopping to get a bite to eat there was nothing left to do, but to talk about the

recent events that left a family changed forever.

"How's Megan holding up?" Mindy asked, she couldn't bear to hear one more "I'm sorry", no

matter how sincere and earnest, she just did not want to hear it.

"We don't know ," Eric sighed, "We couldn't get any information because we aren't family

members. We were assured that she's with relatives."

"That doesn't assure me."

"Or us," Craig added, "Do you want to go to our apartment….?"

"NO! I want to go the house."

"They have it blocked and the police are keeping watch to keep the onlookers at bay." Eric advised

"I'm NOT an onlooker!"

"I didn't mean that you were, Mindy."

"No offense taken, Eric," She sighed, "Park a few blocks away. We'll walk the rest of the way."

Neither man wanted to say the obvious. They could get in trouble if they were caught trespassing.

What good what it do? What was Mindy looking for? Josh was gone. Yes, it was horrible and sad,

but it was a reality. It's not like their bodies were still there. Craig didn't mention the crime scene he

photos he accidentally came across on some faux edgy opinionated commentary website. They were

made to look like marionette puppets with stories to tell. The bored housewife (which wasn't true),

the haggard husband (another lie), and the obedient son who went to school (not true in the context

they made it). Craig exited out, but not before he saw Audrey's posed dead body hanging in the

kitchen, smiling (but not really) as she was created to be mixing ingredients in a bowl. The woman

who made the most wonderful stuffed mushrooms reduced to someone's sick and twisted fantasies.

He couldn't hit the back button soon enough, but not quickly enough to catch someone hiding behind

the username

BeAuTiFuLKiLlInG wrote: What a beautiful murder scene. They look so serene.

Plz put up more pics.

"Mindy," Eric spoke, "I don't see the point on going to the house…."

"Fine! Then just drop me off here!"

"Eric," Craig winked, "He didn't mean it. We'll all go together."

"Looks like others have the same idea." There was a huge mass of young people walking in the

direction that they were driving. The kids that beat up their classmates who took band, the people

who cut themselves when life got rough, the kids who thought that a family being murdered was

"cool".

"We better park here then." Mindy advised pointing the available in front of them.

There was nothing much that Eric and Craig could do, but to keep an eye on Mindy and to make

sure she didn't do anything that would get herself arrested.

"Thank you. I don't mean to sound rude guys."

"Don't give it a second thought, Mindy." Craig replied

"We're here for you." Eric added

The last thing the police should be doing Mindy thought as she exited the car was to guard the house

on Marigold Drive, when they should be looking for that cold-hearted, psycho who was as about

religious as her pinky finger.

Why wasn't Cameron DePalma arrested?

"Thanks again. How long is it going to take the police to find this jerk?" Mindy whispered

"I don't know." Craig walked ahead of Mindy as Eric walked along side of her.

"That's encouraging."

"He'll be caught someday."

"Eric, I really don't mean to get on your case today, but someday is not fucking good enough for

me," She held his hand because she felt like she could faint at any second, "I miss Josh…I just miss

Josh. I love him!"

"And wherever he is," Eric advised, "he misses and loves you too."

Her soul was ripped apart. Nothing mattered anymore. Not really.

Mindy chose not to verbalize a reply. It just wasn't fucking good enough.

Josh was dead.

Her first love was gone.