Wowzers, the beginning took so many chapters, but the in-story week has gone really quickly… This story is nearly finished now. Ah well, this one's good fun :)
"John-boy?" called John.
John-boy, still leaning on the tree, did not answer. John walked up to him and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Mind telling me what just went on here, son?"
"Yes. I'd mind mightily."
"John-boy, we heard some of what you said. No matter what Jason's done, he's still your brother. Your little brother, at that."
"Yeah, well, I have a lot of little brothers."
"John-boy?"
He turned around, tears streaming down his purple and green bruised face. "You don't understand, Daddy!" he shouted. "You don't know -" He stopped, collecting himself. "You don't know what he did," he finished, more quietly.
"Alright. Then how bout you tell me?"
"No. He might not be my brother anymore, but I'm not gonna sell him out. But Daddy, you just gotta believe me, I didn't think even the worst people in the world were capable of doing what he done. Not even the fellas who beat us up."
"Oh, so it's about that, is it?"
"No," said John-boy, angrily. "No. You just don't understand at all." He stormed back up to the house and went straight to bed.
"John-boy please, we're gonna be late," said Ben in exasperation.
"No."
"John-boy -"
"I'm not driving out of here with that no good traitor. Mary-Ellen, get in the car."
"If I get in the car, you'll just drive away without Jason."
"It's your boyfriend, Mary-Ellen," said John-boy, calmly. "It's up to you if you want to be late."
Mary-Ellen unfolded her arms. Her voice was desperate when she spoke. "Please John-boy. Don't do it as a favour for Jason, do it as a favour to me, I'm begging you."
John-boy looked at his sister's pleading face. "Nngh. Okay. But not for him, y'understand?"
The majority of the journey there was an uncomfortable silence.
"You two better be more civil when we get there," said Mary-Ellen.
John-boy snorted. Jason, sitting in the back, said nothing.
"Man, I thought this was meant to be fun," said Ben.
John-boy pulled up a little dusty driveway. Mary-Ellen immediately leapt out of the car and up to the door of the house. Ben followed quickly, eager to leave his sulky brothers behind.
John-boy turned around to face Jason. "Alright, I'll speak to you today for Mary-Ellen's sake, but if you even think that -"
"John-boy!" Jason was staring at a point just above his brother's shoulder. John-boy turned around. His jaw dropped. Mary-Ellen's boyfriend had opened the door.
It was the large man from the alleyway.
Neither of the boys moved for a moment. The man hugged Mary-Ellen a rough hello, and turned to shake Ben's hand in introduction. John-boy and Jason warily got out of car, standing with their hands on the still open doors. The man looked up from Ben, hand still outstretched to meet his girlfriend's next brother. He saw Jason. He saw John-boy. He froze.
For ten seconds, the world seemed to stand completely still. Even the birdsong was muffled. Then, when the world started again, it seemed frighteningly sped up. The man burst into an instant sprint down the road. John-boy and Jason pursued, the former several metres ahead, leaving Mary-Ellen and Ben standing in the doorway of the house.
"Well what the heck's going on?"
"Oh I don't know Ben, I'm not psychic. Think we should follow them?"
"It sure looked interesting," said Ben, almost gleefully, beginning to run.
The chase entered the woods. Mary-Ellen's boyfriend weaved through the trees. John-boy hurdled the stumps and trees, and shouted over his shoulder.
"Why you chasing him anyway y'coward? What are you gonna do when you catch him, lie down?"
But Jason was again staring at a point just over John-boy's shoulder.
"John-boy, look out!"
But John-boy was too slow. Jason threw himself forwards, placing his hands square on John-boys back. At the same instant, there was the crack of a gunshot. Both boys fell to the ground.
Mary-Ellen screamed and stopped running, her hands over her mouth. A second later, she heard the thumps of bodies hitting the ground.
"Ben!" she called after her still-running brother. "Ben, Ben they've been shot!"
"I know!"
She ran after him.
Sorry for the awkward cut off point, but I think this is long enough. Please R&R!