Chapter Eight

Jessie was secretly grateful that Claire had interrupted her and Jonny. As the two of them entered the crowded kitchen Jessie actually found herself wondering what would have happened if they hadn't been interrupted.

This is stupid, Jessie told herself. Nothing would have happened. Jonny is just being a dork.

Jessie focused her attention back onto the crowd. Her green eyes scanned the faces as she looked for Michael and his friends.

They must be in the front room. Jessie turned to Jonny and he nodded to single he would follow her.

Jessie caught the site of Brooke as the girl glared in Jessie's direction in complete disgust. The blond whispered something to her friends and the small group all looked in Jessie's direction before laughing hysterically. The heat crawled up Jessie's spine and spread to her cheeks in an embarrassing blush. Hopefully, no one saw it.

Jessie and Jonny passed Brooke's group and stopped short in the doorway that lead from the kitchen from the living room. Claire was blocking the way as she carried on a conversation with a guy Jessie didn't know. Jessie watched them for a moment and realized that the guy was obviously interested in Claire. He would smile and look down at his feet sheepishly. Claire tilted her head to the side and laughed, the guy blushed and nervously ran his hand through his sandy blond hair. Jessie shook her head and smiled.

"Steve," Claire smiled brightly then caught Jessie and Jonny from the corner of her eye. She smiled and placed an arm around Jessie's shoulders. " Oh! Jessie, Jonny this is Steve."

"Hi Steve," Jonny replied dryly.

"Nice to meet you," Steve politely held out his hand and Jessie shook it. Steve had an incredible smile and Jessie found it contagious as she returned it warmly with a smile of her own.

"Steve? Do you attend Rockport?" Jonny asked from over Jessie's shoulder.

"No, I'm currently taking courses at the Community College," Steve answered evenly. His blue eyes went back to Claire. " I'll tell my dad about you and he'll have an application waiting for you at the store."

"Great! Thank you," Claire touched his arm and Jessie could swear Steve gasped slightly under Claire's fingers. Reluctantly, Steve walked away smiling at Jessie and Jonny as he went.

"What do you think?" Claire whispered excitedly in Jessie's ear.

"I think I want to know where Michael is," Jonny flatly stated.

"I think Steve was interested in you," Jessie ignored Jonny and peaked around the corner to see Steve glancing back longingly after Claire.

"Remember Michael?" Jonny continued without success.

"Only because his dad needs a cashier at his store and I just happen to need a job." Claire ran her slim fingers through her pink hair and frustration moved across her thin face causing her upbeat blue eyes to seem tired.

"I'm going to leave," Jonny mumbled under his breath.

"I didn't know you were looking." Jessie looked at her friend carefully. "Besides, he was blushing while he was talking to you."

"I'm gay," Jonny muttered.

"He's nice guy but not my type." Claire looked across the room in Steve's direction. "He's too . . . I don't know exactly."

"Gay, g-a-y."

"No," Claire's head snapped around and her large blue eyes instantly looked into Jonny's. " I'm sure Steve isn't gay."

"Look," Jonny held up his hand to hush Claire before she could interrupt. "I just want to know where Michael is."

"Right," Claire looked around the corner and gestured to the far side of the room, just down from where they were standing.

Jessie and Jonny casually entered the living room and glanced in Michael's direction. Michael stood confidently and smiled to people. His three friends seemed really tense as their eyes looked over the crowd carefully. Jonny's blue eyes lightened up as Maria actually approached Michael. Jonny looked at Jessie without saying a word and Jessie's mouth dropped slightly as the five of them walked down the hall to the bedrooms.

"Private conversation?" Jonny whispered in Jessie's ear.

"Looks like it," Jessie agreed. "We wont be able to hear a thing though. Even though the music is turned down there's just too many people. Someone would see us."

"Claire?" Jonny called as a large grin spread across his face. "I have a favor to ask."

Claire smiled.

Rockport Hospital

Room 107

9:03 p.m.

Randy could hear the nurses talking just outside of his room. They didn't even bother to hold their voices down. They were talking about him.

"Poor kid," one said. "He doesn't remember a thing. It must have been devastating to not remember."

"I imagine so," another voice responded. "Attacked in his own home with a club."

"Did you see those marks on his legs?" a male voice questioned. "It wasn't a club, it was something with an edge to it. Terrible. He's lucky he isn't crippled for life."

Randy opened his eyes and looked down at his two broken legs. He could barely breath without pain rushing up from his injured limbs. He tried to focus on the white ceiling of his hospital room but it didn't help. He closed his eyes.

He deserved what had happened to him. He knew he did.

"Rule number one. . ."

It was something their fathers had done.

"No girls allowed."

It was what their father's fathers had done.

"Rule number two. . . "

It was what they were to teach their own sons one day.

"The group comes first."

The group. The group had been started in 1930. Its purpose was simple.

"Rule number three. . ."

The men pledged to support one another and this would not only strengthen the founding members but in so doing would help maintain order to help insure success for future generations.

"Always defend your brother."

Randy's dad had done it and Randy was prepared to do it.

"Rule number four. . ."

All Thomas had to do was pass the initiation.

"Never rat out your brother."

Thomas was willing and excited. They all were excited.

"Rule number five. . ."

They were going to be brothers. They were going to be joining a secret society that would protect them and their family for life.

"Never talk about the meetings."

The initiation was something thought up by another member. It was just away for them to show how dedicated and brave they were.

"Rule number six. . ."

No one was supposed to get hurt.

"Be willing to die for the group."

Thomas was willing it just wasn't supposed to happen.

Randy and Thomas were best friends. They told each other everything. Thomas even told Randy when he saw his mom kissing another guy. Randy and Thomas had been that close. Thomas knew that Randy would tell no one.

Joining the group through initiation was a new idea. They had wanted to do something daring, something their parents had not done. They wanted to do something to show how dedicated they would be for each other. Randy never did. That's what the group did for one another. They kept secrets and even lied.

It had been a clear night, slightly cool and with a few stars over-head. They decided to meet and midnight in the park. Thomas was going to be first. Michael brought his dad's gun and they each took turns. They would say the number and Thomas would say the rule.

/Click/

In the end, Thomas was dead. Shot in the head.

The others ran to Thomas' side. Randy stood in shock and complete disbelief. Until that moment, he had never even heard a gun go off before let alone seen one. Now he had seen its results first hand and he wanted to die.

Maybe he had died at that moment.

He looked up in the unchanged sky when movement caught his eye and he saw

someone running away. It was a small person wearing a baseball cap. Randy blinked and they had disappeared.

Someone had been watching.

The group waited. They waited for the sound of the sirens to pierce through the night. They waited for neighbors to come out of their houses.

The police did not come.

Their fathers were the ones to arrive. Their fathers told them what to do. Thomas was dead and Randy was expected to lie. As his best friend he had lied to help protect the group. He did it because the members had decided that was what they were to do.

They had been bonded together by the secret not the society. It was a bitter pill Randy had swallowed when he realized they had tainted everything the original brotherhood had stood for. They made it dirty and stained.

For all his secrets, he deserved what he got and maybe the others did as well. Especially, the one who had pulled the trigger.

Randy shuddered in his hospital bed. He was suddenly cold. The chills made him move and his legs reminded him of the pain.

Funny, he sighed heavily. It didn't hurt this much when it was happening.

Randy took a deep breath. His heart was beating fast and the pain was nauseating. Again, he opened his eyes and looked at the white ceiling.

Randy choked on his tears and tried to hold them back. They poured out of the side of his eyes anyway and ran down his cheeks.

"Do you need something stronger for the pain?" a concerned nursed softly asked him.

"No," Randy swallowed hard and took a deep breath. "I can take it."

He didn't care anymore. The others were on their-own.