Chapter 3

"Come on J man. You know this. It is."

"We the people?"

"Dude. You got it."

I gave my best friend a hug as he smiled about getting the question write.

"See, all it takes is a good book."

"Hey man, you get it. Words come easy to you."

"Jesse, my brother, it's so not that hard." I stood up in his room and looked around. The new empty halls made me wonder about what was really going on.

"Jesse?"

"Yeah?" He asked from his computer. He had been creating an interface for our web site called Blazen.

"What's going on?" I asked, a hint of sadness in my voice.

"Nothing." He answered in his typical, I'm-hiding-something-I-Don't-want-to- tell-you voice.

"Jesse, I've known you since we were in diapers. Telling me that nothing is going on and taking down all your Rage posters and painting the room back white does not add up." I walked behind him, wrapped my arms around his neck and rest my cheek against his. "Come on."

"It's my mom. The doctor said she's getting worse."

"What?" I sat down on his bean chair that sat next to his computer desk.

"Yeah. I was planning on going to the hospital after we're done."

"Well come on, let's go."

"What about your Pre cal work?"

"My godmother is sick. It can wait."

Jess stood and turned off his comp. He took my hand and led me down the familiar stairs and out the house.

"Can I drive?" He asked.

"Okay, I guess." I tossed him the keys and stood by the passenger side, waiting to get in. He unlocked the door and turned on the car.

"So, where is she?"

"She's at Long Beach Memorial." He pulled onto the 110 freeway.

"Why didn't you call me when you found out?"

"I was just a little upset, alright?"

"True. I just need you to know that whenever something happens, good or bad, I want you to know that I'm here for you."

"I know."

I sat back and watched the scenery as we drove to Long Beach in silence. *************************

"That's the way love goes. That's the way that love goes." I sang on key at Torretto's as I worked on a NOS program. Their computer was near extinction and there I was trying to squeeze what little life out of it as I could.

"Hey, Emerald?" Dominic called.

"Yeah?"

"Come look at this?"

I got up and went to the car.

"What is it?"

"This is the beginning of my work of art."

I giggled and moved in for a closer look. I could feel Dominic's hip against my side.

"What's so funny?"

"It's just the thought of you saying "my work of art". You don't seem like the artsy type." I stood up and faced him. We were only inches from one another. For the first time, I could see him through his eyes. They seemed to have seen things and been through a hell no person should have to go through. I felt love and pity for him.

"I've never been one for art no how."