Zack.

oOo

Wow.

Just... God, we shouldn't have to hear about this sort of thing happening. No matter how much we say we're "grown up" we're still just little kids. We're the same little kids who chased after ice cream trucks until we fell and scraped our knees. We're little kids who can still get hurt. Little kids shouldn't have to deal with their friend being raped.

Katie totally broke down. She and Summer were really tight, like sisters. They had a joint-childhood, with all these crazy memories. I've heard the stories. They're crazy. But, it could've happened to any of the girls in the band. Damn, it could've happened to a guy. That's a scary thought... Rape in general is scary. I don't get it. Why would someone do that?

I'm a laid back type of guy. I go with the flow; you have to do with a dad like mine. He likes things a certain way, and you do them. I'd like to think that I can agree with a lot of different people, and that they can agree with me. I try to make myself appealing to all audiences. Not like that, gross. I just don't want to offend anyone. Now, it's changed. I mean, Summer always was strong. She was the back bone of School of Rock. She's broken... and I can't agree with that happening. How can we stand without a spine?

As Dewey said, we're all busy rocking out and it's up to Summer to keep us in check. Now, she has to have us keep her in check. That doesn't seem right. It's all opposite! We've all gone down the rabbit hole as a collective Alice.

...That was Summer's favorite kid story... Alice in Wonderland... She always wanted a white rabbit when she was little. She and Katie, they kept trying to find someway to get to Wonderland. Now that I think about it, I made fun of her for that. I kinda want to say sorry, as if it'll help any. Maybe we should all pitch in and buy her a white bunny. A small one though, so it won't take up a lot of room. Or, so that we can get it a nice big cage to hop around in.

Is that what happens when your friend gets hurt? You start thinking of all the things you did wrong and all the things you can try to do to fix them? Maybe, if I hadn't laughed at her for chasing after bunnies, she would be okay.

Maybe, just maybe, if I had been nicer, this wouldn't have happened. Maybe if I hadn't let Freddy tug on her pigtails when we were in elementary school and maybe if I had paid attention when she did a study group for history and maybe if we had appreciated what she was doing for us, this wouldn't have happened.

Mother calls that wishful thinking. We're not allowed to tell our parents about what happened to Summer, because she doesn't want her folks to know. Dewey told us we had to keep everything real hush-hush, on the down low. I can understand. I so wouldn't want my folks to know if I got ...into that sort of thing... Now it sounds like Summer's doing drugs or something. I feel so... something... something not right, not nice!

We should've been more attentive to Summer. We should've noticed something was wrong. We should've been able to help her! What kind of "Rock 'N Roll Family" are we? I've always wanted to be a big brother. I'd be the kind who drives their little brother or sister around to get treats and I'd be the kind of big brother who spoiled him or her. A big brother watches over his sister and keeps her out of trouble, not ignores her while she's been raped. I guess I failed then.

Just how many times have I blown her off? How many times was I too busy to just stop and ask her how she was? God! I feel like a bastard. I feel like it was my fault she was raped.

We learned in good ol' sexual education that a rape victim blames themselves for it. Is Summer a rape victim now? She was raped, but is she a victim? I don't want to believe that. No way is Summer Hathaway a victim. She was never afraid of anything or anyone.

Not even my dad.

She stood up for me, did you know that? She told my father to lay off (not in those exact terms) when he started getting a little strict about the band. I gotta return the favor, you know? We need to find this guy, and kill him. We have to kill him, to reverse Summer. That's the way it works, right? I'm armed with a shield and sword, let me at the jerk, so I can kill him.

Kill the evil dude, and the spell wears off.

Only, this isn't a spell. This isn't some stupid RPG, Zacky boy. You're not an elf that can save everyone. You're just a pale guitarist who failed before he even had the chance to be a good brother. I want there to be a way to fix it. Go back in time, something! ...Anything...

I'm not used to begging, or pleading, but I'll do it. If it gets Summer back, I'll do it.