Chapter Twelve
The next afternoon Mercedes knew something was up. As she pulled up to the house after school, everyone's car was parked in the driveway or on the street. "That's funny," she commented out loud. The driveway and street should be empty because the team should all be at work. Parking on the street, she made her way to the house and in the front door.
Once inside, she could see everyone gathered in the family room off to the right. She slowly walked into the room. Her eyes first locked onto Mia, sitting on the loveseat with Jesse. Mia's face was obviously tear stained. Jesse had his arm around Mia as he comforted her. Vince was standing in the doorway to the kitchen, arms folded across his chest, starring blankly in Mia's direction. On the recliner, Leon looked up to lock his sad eyes with Mercedes' as she walked in the room. Dom and Letty were occupying the couch. Letty's legs were drawn up to her chest as she was leaning into Dom. His arm around her shoulders, eyes fastened to the floor. Hearing footsteps after the door closed, Dom slowly looked up and saw Mercedes standing in the entrance to the room.
"What's." Mercedes started looking around at everyone, puzzled.
Dom took a deep breath. "Ceds, sit down babes," he patted the seat next to him on the sofa.
Shaking her head, she dropped her book bag on the floor. "No.I. uh. I don't want to sit," she stammered.
"Something happened last night," Dom started. Mia immediately started to sob again, and Jesse pulled her into his chest. "Brady was involved in an accident."
"What kind of accident?" she asked in an uncertain voice, not sure if she really wanted to know.
"A car accident," Dom told her simply, not knowing any gentle way to break the news. He stood up from the couch and took a step towards his youngest sister. Mercedes immediately put her hands up to signal to him that she didn't want him to come near her.
She shook her head slightly in disbelief. "No. no way," she spoke quietly, not believing that this was actually happening.
Taking another slow step towards her, Dom started to lift his arm to embrace Mercedes. "The police said he was killed instantly, sweetie. No pain, no suffering," he informed his sister as he took another step closer.
"Dom, don't," she said in a panic, taking a step backwards into the doorframe in an effort to get away from her brother. If he touched her, if anyone touched her, she knew she would lose it and break down.
Dom saw the terror and sorrow in Mercedes eyes and stopped his advance. Staying where he was, he waited for his sister to say something. Looking over at Mia, he could see her crying uncontrollably again. Jesse even had a tear running down his cheek. Letty's eyes were welding up with tears as she rested her chin on her knees. Vince and Leon still had blank, solemn expressions on their faces.
"Was. it Brady's fault?" Mercedes asked quietly, obviously holding back her tears.
Dom sighed and lowered his head to the floor. This is the part he had dreaded the most telling Mercedes. "No. a car crossed the lanes of traffic on the coastal highway late last night. He was hit. head on. The other car was going extremely fast. So fast that. the impact killed them both instantly," Dom replied as he kept his eyes on the floor.
Now Mercedes eyes filled with rage as she took a deep breath and asked, "Was it a racer?"
Dom didn't answer, just lifted his head and looked regretfully into her eyes.
"Was it a racer?" Mercedes yelled as a sob managed to find it's way out of her mouth at the end of her question.
All Dom could do was shake his head slowly 'yes.'
"Who, Dominic? Who? I want to know what son of a bitch did this! Did we know them?" Mercedes choked out, her voice filled with anger and grief.
Dom again shook his head 'yes' and muttered, "Edwin's cousin," unable to think of anything more appropriate.
One lone tear fell from the corner of Mercedes eye as she shook her head and a small queer smile escaped her lips.
"See." she started in as calm as a voice as she could manage at a time like this. Raising a hand, she pointed at Dom, and then around the room, "You're all murderers. If not yet. then you will be soon. You're no better than Miguel! He killed himself and someone else by his dumb fucking street racing! Is that what you want to do? Kill someone's son or best friend? Better yet, kill yourselves?" Mercedes yelled as she looked around the room quickly, then starred directly at Dom. Another tear dripped down her cheek.
No one answered. They knew it was a rhetorical question. Mia buried her head in Jesse's chest as she began to cry harder. Letty, too, started to cry as she buried her face in her knees. Vince turned his body to face away from Mercedes. Not moving, Jesse and Leon avoided eye contact with Mercedes as well. Dom continued eye contact with his sister.
"I'm so sorry, Ceds. I really."
"Don't, Dom. Just fucking don't!" Mercedes angrily interrupted as she quickly exited the house.
Chapter Thirteen
Later that evening, Mercedes returned home. She hadn't gone to the Matheson's because Mia had called there looking for her. Her face was tear stained, hair wind tossed, and the life looked like it was sucked right out of her body. Closing the back door slowly behind her, Mia rushed in to see who it was.
"Thank God," Mia let out a sigh of relief as she hurried to give Mercedes a hug, which she didn't return. Mia pulled away and pushed a piece of loose hair out of Mercedes' face.
"Ceds. where did you run off to? Are you ok? Do you need anything? " Mia bombarded her with questions. Not answering, Mercedes just stepped around her sister and slowly trudged up to her room.
The next afternoon Mercedes knew something was up. As she pulled up to the house after school, everyone's car was parked in the driveway or on the street. "That's funny," she commented out loud. The driveway and street should be empty because the team should all be at work. Parking on the street, she made her way to the house and in the front door.
Once inside, she could see everyone gathered in the family room off to the right. She slowly walked into the room. Her eyes first locked onto Mia, sitting on the loveseat with Jesse. Mia's face was obviously tear stained. Jesse had his arm around Mia as he comforted her. Vince was standing in the doorway to the kitchen, arms folded across his chest, starring blankly in Mia's direction. On the recliner, Leon looked up to lock his sad eyes with Mercedes' as she walked in the room. Dom and Letty were occupying the couch. Letty's legs were drawn up to her chest as she was leaning into Dom. His arm around her shoulders, eyes fastened to the floor. Hearing footsteps after the door closed, Dom slowly looked up and saw Mercedes standing in the entrance to the room.
"What's." Mercedes started looking around at everyone, puzzled.
Dom took a deep breath. "Ceds, sit down babes," he patted the seat next to him on the sofa.
Shaking her head, she dropped her book bag on the floor. "No.I. uh. I don't want to sit," she stammered.
"Something happened last night," Dom started. Mia immediately started to sob again, and Jesse pulled her into his chest. "Brady was involved in an accident."
"What kind of accident?" she asked in an uncertain voice, not sure if she really wanted to know.
"A car accident," Dom told her simply, not knowing any gentle way to break the news. He stood up from the couch and took a step towards his youngest sister. Mercedes immediately put her hands up to signal to him that she didn't want him to come near her.
She shook her head slightly in disbelief. "No. no way," she spoke quietly, not believing that this was actually happening.
Taking another slow step towards her, Dom started to lift his arm to embrace Mercedes. "The police said he was killed instantly, sweetie. No pain, no suffering," he informed his sister as he took another step closer.
"Dom, don't," she said in a panic, taking a step backwards into the doorframe in an effort to get away from her brother. If he touched her, if anyone touched her, she knew she would lose it and break down.
Dom saw the terror and sorrow in Mercedes eyes and stopped his advance. Staying where he was, he waited for his sister to say something. Looking over at Mia, he could see her crying uncontrollably again. Jesse even had a tear running down his cheek. Letty's eyes were welding up with tears as she rested her chin on her knees. Vince and Leon still had blank, solemn expressions on their faces.
"Was. it Brady's fault?" Mercedes asked quietly, obviously holding back her tears.
Dom sighed and lowered his head to the floor. This is the part he had dreaded the most telling Mercedes. "No. a car crossed the lanes of traffic on the coastal highway late last night. He was hit. head on. The other car was going extremely fast. So fast that. the impact killed them both instantly," Dom replied as he kept his eyes on the floor.
Now Mercedes eyes filled with rage as she took a deep breath and asked, "Was it a racer?"
Dom didn't answer, just lifted his head and looked regretfully into her eyes.
"Was it a racer?" Mercedes yelled as a sob managed to find it's way out of her mouth at the end of her question.
All Dom could do was shake his head slowly 'yes.'
"Who, Dominic? Who? I want to know what son of a bitch did this! Did we know them?" Mercedes choked out, her voice filled with anger and grief.
Dom again shook his head 'yes' and muttered, "Edwin's cousin," unable to think of anything more appropriate.
One lone tear fell from the corner of Mercedes eye as she shook her head and a small queer smile escaped her lips.
"See." she started in as calm as a voice as she could manage at a time like this. Raising a hand, she pointed at Dom, and then around the room, "You're all murderers. If not yet. then you will be soon. You're no better than Miguel! He killed himself and someone else by his dumb fucking street racing! Is that what you want to do? Kill someone's son or best friend? Better yet, kill yourselves?" Mercedes yelled as she looked around the room quickly, then starred directly at Dom. Another tear dripped down her cheek.
No one answered. They knew it was a rhetorical question. Mia buried her head in Jesse's chest as she began to cry harder. Letty, too, started to cry as she buried her face in her knees. Vince turned his body to face away from Mercedes. Not moving, Jesse and Leon avoided eye contact with Mercedes as well. Dom continued eye contact with his sister.
"I'm so sorry, Ceds. I really."
"Don't, Dom. Just fucking don't!" Mercedes angrily interrupted as she quickly exited the house.
Chapter Thirteen
Later that evening, Mercedes returned home. She hadn't gone to the Matheson's because Mia had called there looking for her. Her face was tear stained, hair wind tossed, and the life looked like it was sucked right out of her body. Closing the back door slowly behind her, Mia rushed in to see who it was.
"Thank God," Mia let out a sigh of relief as she hurried to give Mercedes a hug, which she didn't return. Mia pulled away and pushed a piece of loose hair out of Mercedes' face.
"Ceds. where did you run off to? Are you ok? Do you need anything? " Mia bombarded her with questions. Not answering, Mercedes just stepped around her sister and slowly trudged up to her room.
