Disclaimer: Not mine ~ don't sue
A/N: Ok, this is really messed up: I was originally gonna make this a story completely of my own creation, but I figured that I would get more reviews if I put it up here. So it's basically barely focused on the In a Heart Beat plot, but the characters instead, Jaime in particular. Oh yea, this is kind of based on the type of life I have, so some things in here might affect younger readers (cuss words, drugs, 420, ect.), so if that offends you this is your warning. And in case you all wanted to know, the characters that aren't from IaHB are based on real people, but names are changed. Also, many parts of this story actually have happened. Not all the parts though...you'll see. Ummm... what else? Well, I guess since I have already warned you about how offending this story may be, and about how different it is, then there's nothing left to say. See what I mean when I said this is really messed up? Please Review!
Chapter 1: Memories
"So I'll see you at around 7:00 tonight then?" Jaime Waite prompted while running a hand through his short and bleached hair. He was talking to Jade Ligori his best friend since kindergarten, forever friends actually. They had been through hell together, and survived to tell the tale. There kind of bond was different then any of the ones with his other friends. Everyone always thought that they would hook up, but that was never even an option for either of them. There friendship was too valuable to risk for anything. Not that she was ugly; she was really pretty actually. Hazel eyes and blonde hair, not exactly your typical Italian, and a tan slender figure to match. The kind of girl that someone like Jaime would never usually hang out with, but fate has a strange way of working stuff out.
"On the dot, our big blowout party" She answered, taking a puff from her joint and then passing it to Jaime, who followed suit. The party was going to be a hit. Everyone she and Jaime knew was going. They were well stocked too with plenty of everything. Wine Coolers... Hard Lemonade... Spiced Rum... all the favorites. Not to mention every trip you could ever want. Max was bringing everything from beans to XTC to weed to acid. The party was set. In a weird way Jade actually wished they had more stuff, after all, this was going to be there last time drinking or getting high. She and Jaime had decided a month or so ago that they wouldn't continue into there next year of high school on the drug path they had lived on for so long, and today was the last day of school, so they had to have as much fun as possible.
"Hey all" Max announced himself as he walked over to the two. Jaime hadn't him the joint casually and conversation, about nothing important at all. Max Spantrum was, in appearance, a pretty well built guy. Brown hair and brown eyes, and he was constantly at the gym, but even though his appearance made him came off as tuff, he was really the biggest softy in the world. Things continued this way until the bell rang for the last class of the day. Max's face lit up as he heard the bell then quickly pulled out a tiny grocery bag from his backpack. "You guy's ready?" Max asked. He really did seem like a tiny 5 year old when it came to pranks, although he did have reason to, they had a good one this year.
3 different hands reached eagerly into the bag and pulled out a surgeon's gloves and 2 smoke bombs each. "This is gonna be so tight" Jade cooed as she slipped the gloves on and headed towards the principle's building, with the others right behind her. You see, the school is set up as a series of buildings, each one numbered, and they each contain different classes. At first the school was just one building, but it quickly expanded, hence the extra buildings.
Without one word being exchanged, Jade and Max darted into the building, with Jaime handing them his smoke bombs and then locking the door behind them. Max and Jade then quickly set off all the smoke bombs. They knew the smoke took about 10 seconds to start, just enough time to pull the fire alarms. As the bells sounded Jade and Max ran towards separate exits, and locked them behind them. The only thing left now was to watch as kids ran out of their classrooms, only to be drenched in sprinkler water and gagged by the smoke bomb's stench. Jaime, Max, and Jade couldn't contain there laughter, the whole way home they argued over who's bomb the principle smelled first.
"Mr. Waite? Jaime? Jaime Waite!" Mrs. Matins cried in frustration at her daydreaming student. Jaime quickly sat up straight and tried to shake away his sleepy look and seem interested. Mrs. Matins just grinned, "Thank-you Jaime" she said and then promptly turned back to writing on the board.
Jaime didn't know what had come over him. He almost never daydreamed in class, slept maybe, but never daydreamed. And why about Max and Jade, they were parts of his life that had long since disappeared. Jaime ran a frustrated hand through his black, spiked hair. Jaime hated thinking about them, about everyone, about what happened...
"No! No!" Bobby Jargons cried out through mid laugh. "I can't take anymore! I'll puke!" He laughed out again. Chants arose of 'chug, chug, chug', but Bobby declined, knowing his limit.
"People!" Jade cried over the chant of her friends, quickly quieting them. "Our friend Bobby" she began, stumbling and laughing through each word, "has reached his limit for the night. But I know someone who has no limit! Jaime Waite! Will you take the challenge?" She cried over to a laughing Jaime.
"Give me the bottle!" Jaime cried, and proceeded to down as much as he could while the chants ran through. Even though bottle was still very full when he brought it away from his lips, his friends still cheered.
The party went this way all night, until only Bobby, Max, Jade, Carol Binton, and Kris Chamberlin remained. Everyone was fully plastered, hardly capable of walking, but it was still time to go. Jaime had his motorcycle, and knew that he could walk it home with him if he wasn't up to driving, but he didn't know about the others. Max was only other one with a car and he wanted to drive everyone home, but you can never argue with Max anyway.
Jaime shook his head and leaned up against the lockers. He couldn't think about this, the past is the past. Jaime saw Tyler and Val approaching him and gave a forced grin.
"Hey Jaime" Val announced in her always up beat tone, followed by a patented 'Tyler nod'. "What's wrong? You don't look so good." She continued.
"I'm fine. Really" He lied easily. No point in telling them or anyone else about what's going on. No one here knows the Jaime from 2 years ago, and that's the way it's going to stay.
"You sure man?" Tyler put in. Jaime definitely looked like he had something on his mind, and Tyler was becoming more and more determined to get what it was out of him.
"I said I'm fine!" Jaime snapped at Tyler, and then quickly regretted it. "Sorry man" he apologized.
"It's ok" Tyler said. He was about to continue, but Jaime had left before he could get out another word.
"That was odd" Val observed from beside Tyler.
"Yeah" Tyler agreed, "Very odd."
Jaime hadn't meant to be rude, but he couldn't take questions right now, so he did the only thing he could think of, he ran. The bleachers were cool and they felt good in the hot sun. Jaime had decided not to bother with class and to just stay there alone all day. He wanted to clear his head, but he knew it wasn't that easy.
"Come on Man, just give me the keys" Jaime asked Max as seriously as possible, but failed and burst out into laughter. He had been trying to get the keys from him for the past 10 minutes, and the others had found it amazingly hilarious.
"Nuh-uh" Max replied in a singsong voice. They had left the house about 20 minutes ago or so, and were now all just walking through an old park to try to help beat off some of their buzz. But so far it had done no good. "Alright, that's enough, it's like 2:30 almost and I want to go home. Back to the car!" Max cried through laughter.
Max half chatted with Kris and Carol on the way back, while Jade, Bobby, and Jaime all talked together. "Ya know Jaime" Jade suddenly put in at a moment of silence. "I love you. I really do. You are the best person I know, and the only one I trust" She finished with a warm smile.
Jaime couldn't help but smile back. It's funny how open people tend to get when they're drunk. "You know I love you to Jade" he answered back at her. "And you know were the best forever friends ever." He stated.
"Not just here either" Jade said, "Like, even on Mars, or the Moon, or where ever else there are people, were the best there to" She added with laughter and hand motions.
"Suuure" Jaime replied sarcastically, only to be met with a playful punch. Their conversation continued, even though Bobby was mostly silent, all the way to the car.
"Ok, everyone in" Max chanted as he unlocked the car. Carol, Kris and Bobby piled into the back seat, but Jaime grabbed Jade's arm before she could walk to the passenger door.
"Don't go" Jaime told her, not even thinking. "I have a bad feeling" He added.
"Jaime," Jade began, pulling herself from her friend's grip. "You have a motorcycle, and he has a car. I think I'm gonna go with...oh...I don't know... the car" she joked.
"I'm being serious Jade, he's too drunk" Jaime pleaded with her.
"Jaime" Jade started, but was cut off by Max honking the horn. "Listen, I've got to go. I'll see you tomorrow, don't worry." With that she hugged him and hopped into Max's car. Jaime just watched as the car sped off, leaving him with an incredibly empty feeling.
***
It had been exactly 3:02 in the morning when Jaime's phone rang. He had just gotten home and finally managed to collapse into bed. "Hello?" He called groggily.
"Jaime..." Jade's tearing voice quivered over the phone and Jaime immediately shot out of bed.
"What's wrong?" He pressed as he fumbled to get dressed.
"It's Max," she began, still chocked back by tears. "Were on the back roads...by the barn. Max wrecked the car... a..and I think Kris and Carol might be hurt pretty bad... they're not moving." She continued. Jaime could hear Max yelling in the background, "I don't know what to do. Bobby wants to call the police, but Max wont let him. I..I didn't know who else to call" she admitted through sobs. "Jaime... I've never seen Maz like this..." she added in a low whisper.
"Don't worry, I'll take care of you." Jaime reassured her, "Are you, Max, and Bobby OK?" He asked.
"Well..."she began, "Bobby is acting really weird. He keeps repeating things or falling over. A..and Max is bleeding on the side of his head... but I don't think he knows that." She answered, glancing back every once in a while.
"What about you? Are you alright?" Jaime asked, voice filled with worry as he tore through his room in search of his keys.
"I..I don't know," She admitted, her voice full of fear. "I can't feel my arm, and there is blood... b..but I don't know how? A..and..." Jaime could hear her hyperventilating on the phone.
"It's ok" Jaime quickly cut her off before she could became too panicked. "I'm on my way, just sit tight." Jaime announced as he lifted his keys and ran out the door. He heard a shaky goodbye and a click from Jade.
***
"You called Jaime?!" Max screamed at Jade, who was sitting done on the ground sobbing by an unconscious Bobby. The argument he was having with Max must have been too much for him and he had collapsed.
"I had to call someone!" Jade screamed back. "Carol and Kris could be dead for all we know!" She cried.
"Don't you see Jade?!" Max cried, "I'll go to jail for this. I'm only 16, and I was driving drunk and underage with a bunch of other underage drunks!" He screamed, not more then an inch from her face. "Do you want me to got to jail?! Do you?!" He screamed, but was suddenly pulled backwards.
"Back off Max!" Jaime warned his friend. Then turned to Jade and gave her a reassuring nod. Since Jaime was the only one with at least some medical knowledge, he was the one to call... after the cops of course. Jaime quickly checked for a pulse on Bobby, and then on Carol and Kris, and then again on Carol and Kris, and again. The pulse was dead in them both. "There dead." Jaime announced and returned to embrace a sobbing Jade.
"No!" Max cried "What am I gonna do?! If the cops find out they'll charge me with murder or something!" He added frantically. "You didn't call the cops too, did you?!" He screamed at Jade, but being careful not to get to close for fear of an attack from Jaime. Jade just rapidly shook her head no.
"I did Max." Jaime admitted, "they'll be here soon" he added.
"What? No!" Max screamed, "What kind of a friend are you?!" He yelled at Jaime.
"Max! You all need to get to a hospital! You can't sit around and just hope people wont die!" Jaime screamed. Max advanced toward him threateningly, and Jaime would have fought him right there too, had it not been for Jade's faint grip on his arm. Suddenly sirens could be heard echoing in the distance.
The night passed in a haze. Jamie was questioned and the others rushed to the hospital. When Jaime finally was allowed to leave the scene and go to the hospital they were handcuffing Max and reading him his rights. Jaime tried to slip right by him, but heard him call out.
"Jaime!" Max yelled, "Is this what you wanted?! Well?? Your gonna pay for this! You ruined my life! I wont forget it was your guys' fault!" He screamed as he was forced into the police car. Jaime just turned and walked in the hospital.
During the course of the night, Carol and Kris had received the title of 'death on impact'. Bobby had died later during that night of internal bleeding. None of them got to even see their parents before they died. Jade's condition was critical. Her arm had been broken, and glass shards had pierced her body, causing uncontrollable bleeding. They didn't think she would make it through the night, and Jaime wasn't even allowed to be with her. She didn't have any parents; both had died a few years back. The thought of his friend dieing alone terrified Jaime. Somehow, however, fate took pity on Jade, and she lived. Right after she was released, however, court took place, and she and Jaime both had to testify against Max. It was horrible. Two days after Max received a sentence of 5 years, 2 for probation, Jade's grandmother made her move away with her. That last day in court was the last day Jaime had seen Jade.
Jaime didn't want to cry, he was too strong for it, but he couldn't help it. He sobbed freely, alone on the bleachers. That's when Jaime realized the cause of all his painful remembering, Max was to be released on probation on Wednesday, and it was already Monday. Now Jaime felt another emotion, separate from the pain, he felt fear. Fear for his new happiness, fear for his friends, and fear his and Jade's lives.
A/N: Ok, this is really messed up: I was originally gonna make this a story completely of my own creation, but I figured that I would get more reviews if I put it up here. So it's basically barely focused on the In a Heart Beat plot, but the characters instead, Jaime in particular. Oh yea, this is kind of based on the type of life I have, so some things in here might affect younger readers (cuss words, drugs, 420, ect.), so if that offends you this is your warning. And in case you all wanted to know, the characters that aren't from IaHB are based on real people, but names are changed. Also, many parts of this story actually have happened. Not all the parts though...you'll see. Ummm... what else? Well, I guess since I have already warned you about how offending this story may be, and about how different it is, then there's nothing left to say. See what I mean when I said this is really messed up? Please Review!
Chapter 1: Memories
"So I'll see you at around 7:00 tonight then?" Jaime Waite prompted while running a hand through his short and bleached hair. He was talking to Jade Ligori his best friend since kindergarten, forever friends actually. They had been through hell together, and survived to tell the tale. There kind of bond was different then any of the ones with his other friends. Everyone always thought that they would hook up, but that was never even an option for either of them. There friendship was too valuable to risk for anything. Not that she was ugly; she was really pretty actually. Hazel eyes and blonde hair, not exactly your typical Italian, and a tan slender figure to match. The kind of girl that someone like Jaime would never usually hang out with, but fate has a strange way of working stuff out.
"On the dot, our big blowout party" She answered, taking a puff from her joint and then passing it to Jaime, who followed suit. The party was going to be a hit. Everyone she and Jaime knew was going. They were well stocked too with plenty of everything. Wine Coolers... Hard Lemonade... Spiced Rum... all the favorites. Not to mention every trip you could ever want. Max was bringing everything from beans to XTC to weed to acid. The party was set. In a weird way Jade actually wished they had more stuff, after all, this was going to be there last time drinking or getting high. She and Jaime had decided a month or so ago that they wouldn't continue into there next year of high school on the drug path they had lived on for so long, and today was the last day of school, so they had to have as much fun as possible.
"Hey all" Max announced himself as he walked over to the two. Jaime hadn't him the joint casually and conversation, about nothing important at all. Max Spantrum was, in appearance, a pretty well built guy. Brown hair and brown eyes, and he was constantly at the gym, but even though his appearance made him came off as tuff, he was really the biggest softy in the world. Things continued this way until the bell rang for the last class of the day. Max's face lit up as he heard the bell then quickly pulled out a tiny grocery bag from his backpack. "You guy's ready?" Max asked. He really did seem like a tiny 5 year old when it came to pranks, although he did have reason to, they had a good one this year.
3 different hands reached eagerly into the bag and pulled out a surgeon's gloves and 2 smoke bombs each. "This is gonna be so tight" Jade cooed as she slipped the gloves on and headed towards the principle's building, with the others right behind her. You see, the school is set up as a series of buildings, each one numbered, and they each contain different classes. At first the school was just one building, but it quickly expanded, hence the extra buildings.
Without one word being exchanged, Jade and Max darted into the building, with Jaime handing them his smoke bombs and then locking the door behind them. Max and Jade then quickly set off all the smoke bombs. They knew the smoke took about 10 seconds to start, just enough time to pull the fire alarms. As the bells sounded Jade and Max ran towards separate exits, and locked them behind them. The only thing left now was to watch as kids ran out of their classrooms, only to be drenched in sprinkler water and gagged by the smoke bomb's stench. Jaime, Max, and Jade couldn't contain there laughter, the whole way home they argued over who's bomb the principle smelled first.
"Mr. Waite? Jaime? Jaime Waite!" Mrs. Matins cried in frustration at her daydreaming student. Jaime quickly sat up straight and tried to shake away his sleepy look and seem interested. Mrs. Matins just grinned, "Thank-you Jaime" she said and then promptly turned back to writing on the board.
Jaime didn't know what had come over him. He almost never daydreamed in class, slept maybe, but never daydreamed. And why about Max and Jade, they were parts of his life that had long since disappeared. Jaime ran a frustrated hand through his black, spiked hair. Jaime hated thinking about them, about everyone, about what happened...
"No! No!" Bobby Jargons cried out through mid laugh. "I can't take anymore! I'll puke!" He laughed out again. Chants arose of 'chug, chug, chug', but Bobby declined, knowing his limit.
"People!" Jade cried over the chant of her friends, quickly quieting them. "Our friend Bobby" she began, stumbling and laughing through each word, "has reached his limit for the night. But I know someone who has no limit! Jaime Waite! Will you take the challenge?" She cried over to a laughing Jaime.
"Give me the bottle!" Jaime cried, and proceeded to down as much as he could while the chants ran through. Even though bottle was still very full when he brought it away from his lips, his friends still cheered.
The party went this way all night, until only Bobby, Max, Jade, Carol Binton, and Kris Chamberlin remained. Everyone was fully plastered, hardly capable of walking, but it was still time to go. Jaime had his motorcycle, and knew that he could walk it home with him if he wasn't up to driving, but he didn't know about the others. Max was only other one with a car and he wanted to drive everyone home, but you can never argue with Max anyway.
Jaime shook his head and leaned up against the lockers. He couldn't think about this, the past is the past. Jaime saw Tyler and Val approaching him and gave a forced grin.
"Hey Jaime" Val announced in her always up beat tone, followed by a patented 'Tyler nod'. "What's wrong? You don't look so good." She continued.
"I'm fine. Really" He lied easily. No point in telling them or anyone else about what's going on. No one here knows the Jaime from 2 years ago, and that's the way it's going to stay.
"You sure man?" Tyler put in. Jaime definitely looked like he had something on his mind, and Tyler was becoming more and more determined to get what it was out of him.
"I said I'm fine!" Jaime snapped at Tyler, and then quickly regretted it. "Sorry man" he apologized.
"It's ok" Tyler said. He was about to continue, but Jaime had left before he could get out another word.
"That was odd" Val observed from beside Tyler.
"Yeah" Tyler agreed, "Very odd."
Jaime hadn't meant to be rude, but he couldn't take questions right now, so he did the only thing he could think of, he ran. The bleachers were cool and they felt good in the hot sun. Jaime had decided not to bother with class and to just stay there alone all day. He wanted to clear his head, but he knew it wasn't that easy.
"Come on Man, just give me the keys" Jaime asked Max as seriously as possible, but failed and burst out into laughter. He had been trying to get the keys from him for the past 10 minutes, and the others had found it amazingly hilarious.
"Nuh-uh" Max replied in a singsong voice. They had left the house about 20 minutes ago or so, and were now all just walking through an old park to try to help beat off some of their buzz. But so far it had done no good. "Alright, that's enough, it's like 2:30 almost and I want to go home. Back to the car!" Max cried through laughter.
Max half chatted with Kris and Carol on the way back, while Jade, Bobby, and Jaime all talked together. "Ya know Jaime" Jade suddenly put in at a moment of silence. "I love you. I really do. You are the best person I know, and the only one I trust" She finished with a warm smile.
Jaime couldn't help but smile back. It's funny how open people tend to get when they're drunk. "You know I love you to Jade" he answered back at her. "And you know were the best forever friends ever." He stated.
"Not just here either" Jade said, "Like, even on Mars, or the Moon, or where ever else there are people, were the best there to" She added with laughter and hand motions.
"Suuure" Jaime replied sarcastically, only to be met with a playful punch. Their conversation continued, even though Bobby was mostly silent, all the way to the car.
"Ok, everyone in" Max chanted as he unlocked the car. Carol, Kris and Bobby piled into the back seat, but Jaime grabbed Jade's arm before she could walk to the passenger door.
"Don't go" Jaime told her, not even thinking. "I have a bad feeling" He added.
"Jaime," Jade began, pulling herself from her friend's grip. "You have a motorcycle, and he has a car. I think I'm gonna go with...oh...I don't know... the car" she joked.
"I'm being serious Jade, he's too drunk" Jaime pleaded with her.
"Jaime" Jade started, but was cut off by Max honking the horn. "Listen, I've got to go. I'll see you tomorrow, don't worry." With that she hugged him and hopped into Max's car. Jaime just watched as the car sped off, leaving him with an incredibly empty feeling.
***
It had been exactly 3:02 in the morning when Jaime's phone rang. He had just gotten home and finally managed to collapse into bed. "Hello?" He called groggily.
"Jaime..." Jade's tearing voice quivered over the phone and Jaime immediately shot out of bed.
"What's wrong?" He pressed as he fumbled to get dressed.
"It's Max," she began, still chocked back by tears. "Were on the back roads...by the barn. Max wrecked the car... a..and I think Kris and Carol might be hurt pretty bad... they're not moving." She continued. Jaime could hear Max yelling in the background, "I don't know what to do. Bobby wants to call the police, but Max wont let him. I..I didn't know who else to call" she admitted through sobs. "Jaime... I've never seen Maz like this..." she added in a low whisper.
"Don't worry, I'll take care of you." Jaime reassured her, "Are you, Max, and Bobby OK?" He asked.
"Well..."she began, "Bobby is acting really weird. He keeps repeating things or falling over. A..and Max is bleeding on the side of his head... but I don't think he knows that." She answered, glancing back every once in a while.
"What about you? Are you alright?" Jaime asked, voice filled with worry as he tore through his room in search of his keys.
"I..I don't know," She admitted, her voice full of fear. "I can't feel my arm, and there is blood... b..but I don't know how? A..and..." Jaime could hear her hyperventilating on the phone.
"It's ok" Jaime quickly cut her off before she could became too panicked. "I'm on my way, just sit tight." Jaime announced as he lifted his keys and ran out the door. He heard a shaky goodbye and a click from Jade.
***
"You called Jaime?!" Max screamed at Jade, who was sitting done on the ground sobbing by an unconscious Bobby. The argument he was having with Max must have been too much for him and he had collapsed.
"I had to call someone!" Jade screamed back. "Carol and Kris could be dead for all we know!" She cried.
"Don't you see Jade?!" Max cried, "I'll go to jail for this. I'm only 16, and I was driving drunk and underage with a bunch of other underage drunks!" He screamed, not more then an inch from her face. "Do you want me to got to jail?! Do you?!" He screamed, but was suddenly pulled backwards.
"Back off Max!" Jaime warned his friend. Then turned to Jade and gave her a reassuring nod. Since Jaime was the only one with at least some medical knowledge, he was the one to call... after the cops of course. Jaime quickly checked for a pulse on Bobby, and then on Carol and Kris, and then again on Carol and Kris, and again. The pulse was dead in them both. "There dead." Jaime announced and returned to embrace a sobbing Jade.
"No!" Max cried "What am I gonna do?! If the cops find out they'll charge me with murder or something!" He added frantically. "You didn't call the cops too, did you?!" He screamed at Jade, but being careful not to get to close for fear of an attack from Jaime. Jade just rapidly shook her head no.
"I did Max." Jaime admitted, "they'll be here soon" he added.
"What? No!" Max screamed, "What kind of a friend are you?!" He yelled at Jaime.
"Max! You all need to get to a hospital! You can't sit around and just hope people wont die!" Jaime screamed. Max advanced toward him threateningly, and Jaime would have fought him right there too, had it not been for Jade's faint grip on his arm. Suddenly sirens could be heard echoing in the distance.
The night passed in a haze. Jamie was questioned and the others rushed to the hospital. When Jaime finally was allowed to leave the scene and go to the hospital they were handcuffing Max and reading him his rights. Jaime tried to slip right by him, but heard him call out.
"Jaime!" Max yelled, "Is this what you wanted?! Well?? Your gonna pay for this! You ruined my life! I wont forget it was your guys' fault!" He screamed as he was forced into the police car. Jaime just turned and walked in the hospital.
During the course of the night, Carol and Kris had received the title of 'death on impact'. Bobby had died later during that night of internal bleeding. None of them got to even see their parents before they died. Jade's condition was critical. Her arm had been broken, and glass shards had pierced her body, causing uncontrollable bleeding. They didn't think she would make it through the night, and Jaime wasn't even allowed to be with her. She didn't have any parents; both had died a few years back. The thought of his friend dieing alone terrified Jaime. Somehow, however, fate took pity on Jade, and she lived. Right after she was released, however, court took place, and she and Jaime both had to testify against Max. It was horrible. Two days after Max received a sentence of 5 years, 2 for probation, Jade's grandmother made her move away with her. That last day in court was the last day Jaime had seen Jade.
Jaime didn't want to cry, he was too strong for it, but he couldn't help it. He sobbed freely, alone on the bleachers. That's when Jaime realized the cause of all his painful remembering, Max was to be released on probation on Wednesday, and it was already Monday. Now Jaime felt another emotion, separate from the pain, he felt fear. Fear for his new happiness, fear for his friends, and fear his and Jade's lives.