The next day Sean showed up at his parent's house, not knowing why he was really going through it. It was because he wanted to make Ellie happy. It felt weird being here as if he was trespassing on private property. As he walked up and got to the trailer, he realized that he actually missed this place.
Sean slowly walked up the stairs, each step he debated on going any further. After standing there for like 5 minutes, he finally got the courage to knock on the door.
As he stood there waiting for someone to answer he stood there with eyes closed breathing in deep breaths.
His mom opened the door, and was amazed at who was at the front door. Her eyes widened, "Sean!"
"Yeah mom, it's me," he said as a tear ran down his cheek.
She embraced her son into her arms, "I've missed you so much. When I saw the news about the shooting I prayed that it wasn't you."
He just cried harder in her arms as she talked about it. The images were still haunting him.
"Sean what is it?" she asked, noticing the anguish on his face.
Sean came and sat on the couch, "Mom it was so awful."
"I know sweetie," looking at him with sympathy.
"NO YOU DON'T!" he yelled. "I saw blood trail as I walked down the hall," he cried. "I followed it to only find two of y friends bleeding, one really bad."
His mom came closer to him and put her arm around his shoulder.
"I was so scared that they would die and that I was going to be the next shot."
"It's going to be okay."
"I can't get the images out of my head; they haunt me in the night. Some nights I haven't been able to even sleep."
"You'll get through this. I'm so sorry we haven't been there for you when you've really needed us."
"Can I come home?" he asked with hope in his eyes.
"Yeah of course you can."
Emma woke up to find that she was back in her hospital room. Had yesterday been a dream, was Craig awake, or had that been her hopeful thinking?
She decided to buzz in a nurse to find out. She waited patiently for someone to come and see what she wanted.
The nurse came through the door, "Well good morning Emma."
"Morning," she smiled.
"What can I do for you this morning?"
"Well I wanted to make sure that this was just wasn't a dream."
"What wasn't?"
"That Craig Manning was really awake."
"Yes, we had to take you from his room last night because you fell asleep."
"Good, I'm glad it wasn't just a dream."
"Anything else I can do for you?"
"Yeah could you see how he was doing?"
"Sure," she said as she began to leave the room.
A smile came upon Emma's face knowing what he had said to her was real. She began to realize that all along she had been in love with him. That's why she got him to help her find her father, and why she always stood by him through all of last years when he didn't haven many friends left.
Ashley slowly walked up to the window, to see Craig lying there with his eyes closed. She didn't' know he had already woken up. She put her hand on the glass, and whispered, "Craig you have to wake up; I still love you. I never stopped. I don't know what I would do if I were to lose you."
Craig was feeling a little sore this morning; his right shoulder was hurting him very badly. He slowly opened his eyes to see someone looking on him, at first, the person looked a little blurry, but once he focused his eyes, he realized it was Ashley.
Ashley noticed that his eyes were beginning to open she was filled with joy. She waved at him, and then looked around, no one was watching so she decided to go in there to see him. She had to tell him how she felt, to tell him that she was ready to take him back.
Ashley came and sat down beside him on the bed, "I'm so glad that you've finally woken up," putting her hand on top of his.
"So how is everyone?" wanting to know since him and Emma didn't talk about that last night.
She didn't know how to tell him, "Craig everything's gone wrong," she said as a tear rolled down he face.
"What do you mean?" worried what she might tell him.
"There was a big blood bath that day; you guys weren't the only one shot."
His face turned white, "Who else?"
"Jimmy, Paige, Manny, Alex and Jay."
His eyes widened, "Oh my!!! How's everyone taking it?"
"Not good, Spinner took it the worse."
"Why?"
"He blamed himself for it all. He even said that Rick told him it was his fault. He saw Manny been shot in the head right in front of him."
This was so much for him take in; he was just so blown away by it. He felt bad for Spinner who thought that way, but hated Rick for putting that in his head. "Poor guy."
"That's not all."
Confused by her statement, "How can there be anymore?"
"Spinner was missing for a couple of days, and then last night Marco and JT found his body," she cried. "He killed himself," she buried her head in his chest crying and he began to cry with her.
Kendra sat in Gavin's room on his bed staring at the wall. All of his stuff was everywhere; she had come in her last night and trashed it. She was just so angry.
There was a knock on the door, "Hunny are you going to come downstairs? Everyone's here," her mom said.
See they were having a little get together with everyone who knew Gavin, since it would be a couple of days before they would be able to have a funeral, and many people wanted to pay their respects now.
Kendra didn't answer her; there was no one she was in the mood to talk to any of the people downstairs who are pretending to have been friends with Gavin.
"Come on Kendra, you haven't left the room since last night."
"Just leave me alone please," she pleaded.
"Okay sweetie," she left and went back stairs.
Sean came into the kitchen where his mom was fixing some lunch. It was nice for once to actually having someone taking care of him instead of himself.
His mom noticed him come in, and look like he still had a lot on his mind. "Something's still bothering, what is it?"
"I still don't understand why you and dad sent me off," he said as he sat down at the table.
"Sean we wanted to get you away from the bad crew around here, the crew that got you in trouble."
"Mom it didn't feel that way. I felt like you didn't want me anymore," a tear fell from his cheek.
Sitting next to him, "We never wanted you to feel that way. And from seeing how you are doing right now, I can see that we made the right choice."
"But I've not always been this great; I've had so much anger towards you and dad. I didn't even want to come here in the first place."
"What changed you're mind?" a little sad that he didn't come willingly.
"My girlfriend Ellie thought that it would be good for me to get away from that all. She said that you and dad were probably what I needed to over this."
"She sounds like she really cares about you."
"Yeah she's great!" he smiled.
"You have to know that we love you, and whatever you're going through you can talk to both of us."
Sean didn't realize that he missed hearing that from his mom. It felt so good to hear it especially since he thought that they hated him all these years.
"You can stay as long as you want, you're always welcome here," getting up to finish making lunch.
"Thanks."
Looking back at him, "You're welcome." She was glad to have her son back even though it was probably temporary.
Sean looked out the window, and began to think of Ellie. He worried about what might happen. Was she going to be okay on her own witho0ut anyone?
He knew she said she would be fine, and would call if she started getting those thought, but it still didn't stop him from worrying. He loved her, and she was the first girl he actually thought he could see a real future with.
"Craig I'm glad that we're friends again, that all of last year is behind us," Ashley said as she sat on the bed facing him.
Looking at her with a smile, "So am I. I really missed your friendship."
"Well let's not keep going on about back then, let's live in the present."
"I agree. But once I finally get out of here I know things won't be the same as I left them."
"I want to help with that."
"How?" confused by what she meant by that.
"When I found out you had been shot my world was turned around. I kept on thinking what it would be like if I lost you. I realized something."
"And what's that?"
"That I still love you."
Before he could respond to this, she leaned in and kissed him. Moreover, just as she did this a nurse was coming in, but went straight out as soon as she saw this.
Emma was waiting anxiously for news on Craig; she wanted to make sure that he hadn't gone in shock again or something. She picked up a magazine that her mom and Snake at brought by, and began to read it. It was better then staring at the wall all day.
Not too soon after, the nurse came into her room.
A smile came upon her face, "So how's he doing?"
"Seems to me like he's pretty good, he was kissing some girl."
Her eyes grew with fire; he had lied to her just like every other girl. "Thank you," she politely said.
Craig had made a fool out of her, thinking that he could actually love him back. Tears swelled in her eyes as she thought of the nice things he said last night to her. It was probably what he said to all the girls to get them, she told herself.
She wanted to scream on the top of her lungs. She couldn't wait until she got out of here, get away from him. She saw the crutches by her bed, and grabbed them, she was going to grab the clothes her mom brought her, put them on and get out of here, maybe even get out of town.
