Chapter Twenty-One

Some mistakes are forgivable, some accidental, some never forgiven. These mistakes take tolls on the lives of those who created them, and are there forever, in the back of their minds, just waiting to be remembered, to come back out, to torture those who made the mistakes. Some people are able to move on. They do not forget, but live with the bad or wrong things they have done in their lives. Others do not, and are tortured day after day after day for choosing the decisions they did. They can never forgive themselves, never come to terms with their mistakes. And for that they live a life of torturous hell.

New York City, New York

The jury began to take their seats when Summer looked over and saw Candy in her orange uniform, having been taken into custody by the police for conspiracy to kill but still being allowed to attend the trial and testify.

Summer looked back up as the judge asked the head juror to stand. She sighed, tears whelming in her eyes. Please…please…

She saw the head juror's lips begin to move and she knew what the verdict would be, she just knew.

Newport, California

Harbor School

Kaitlyn sat at the table, poking the mashed potatoes with her fork when that boy, Reichen, slid into the seat beside her. "What the hell?" she said under her breath, looking up and seeing his pale blue eyes shimmering down at her.

"Hey," he said, beginning to prepare his burger to his liking.

"You eat meat?" she said, disgusted.

"You don't?"

"No," she sneered. "How can you kill a poor defenseless animal for your own pleasure?"

"'Cuz I can."

Kaitlyn rolled her eyes. "Is this your way of charming a girl?"

Reichen laughed. "Sure, why not?"

Kaitlyn rolled her eyes. She grabbed her book sack, ready to leave, but then he stopped Kaitlyn, pulling something out of his own book bag. "What is that?" asked Kaitlyn, looking down at the box he had in his hand.

"I got you something from the bakery down the street during my break," said Reichen, stuffing a pile of French fries into his mouth.

Kaitlyn blushed. "Thank you but…what is it?"

"Chocolate cake," smiled Reichen.

Kaitlyn took her napkin and dabbed a bit of ketchup from his cheek. "You're a pig," she said, playfully.

"So you won't eat me?"

Kaitlyn's eyes narrowed to slits and said very sarcastically, "No, I will not. And how funny of you."

"Just trying to lighten the mood--"

"The mood had been lightened before you made with the corny jokes."

"But corny jokes are my way, my friend," he said, stuffing another French fry into his mouth.

"No thank you," she said, looking down at the ketchup covered fries on his plate. "But thanks anyways…."

Newport, California

The Hospital

Marissa lay in the hospital bed, watching the television with her eyes barely open. She smiled when she saw Ryan enter with his hands filled with bags of chips, sandwiches and drinks. She grinned when he gave her a cheese sandwich. "Thanks," she said. "The hospital food is so nasty."

Ryan nodded, stuffing a pile of sour cream and onion dipped chips into his mouth. She grinned, watching him chew the food as if it were his last meal. They spent the rest of the night sitting there together watching a Laguna Beach marathon, which Ryan objected highly to, considering it a "Chick. Flick".

He leaned over and kissed her often, and held her hand every time that the doctors came into the room to stick another I.V. into her arm, he would squeeze her hand tightly. He would dab her head with the wet wash clothe when she sweat. He would kiss her hand comfortingly. He would smile at her, trying to encourage her, make her feel better.

The night passed by slowly--the constant doctor visits, the nurses checking her, monitoring her every few minutes woke them constantly or disturbed whatever they were doing. Ryan just hoped that they could soon get out of the hospital, that they would release Marissa soon.

They said she had broken a leg, both of her arms, and a few of her ribs, but other than that she would be okay. After several days, they would release her. Ryan couldn't wait, he wanted so badly to love Marissa once again as they had done just a few weeks before.

Cooper House

Kaitlyn was sitting on her bed, trying to concentrate on her homework when the phone rang. "Hello?" she said, answering the phone.

"Hi, is this the Cooper residence?" asked a voice on the other end of the line.

"Yeah," said Kaitlyn, writing out problem number twenty on a sheet of notebook paper. "Who's this?"

"I'm Reichen--calling for Kaitlyn…is she there?"

Kaitlyn smiled. "Yeah, this is she."

"Hey, Kaitlyn…I was calling to say…I want to go see that new horror movie coming out. Do you want to come?"

Kaitlyn was shocked. Was he asking her out on a date? But she had just broken up with Zach…this was too soon.

"Kaitlyn, are you there?"

What should she say? Should she go to the movie? She liked him but…

"Kaitlyn?"

Finally, she made her choice. Her emotions were whelming up in her stomach, she felt like puking everywhere, but she knew that she had to say something before Reichen hung up the phone because he thought that she had either hung up or went away. She took a deep breath, ready to pass out, sweat beads rolling down her forehead. She then noticed that she had dropped her pencil and paper, and the pencil had rolled off of the bed and fell to the floor.

"Yes," she said finally. "Yes, I'll go out with you." A wave of relief swept over her body at these words. See, that wasn't so bad, was it? She sighed, waiting for his answer.

"Great," he said. "I'll pick you up tomorrow night at around ten?"

"You want to go to the ten o'clock movie?"

"We can go to the nine."

"That would be better."

He laughed. "Okay, see you then."

New York City, New York

Summer watched as the head juror began to speak. Everything in the world began to slow down, her words seemingly slurred and stretched out.

"We find the defendant, Summer Roberts…."

Summer's heart swelled. What would happen? Please dear God, please!

"…not guilty on the account of second degree murder…"

Summer smiled as Seth wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. "Thank God," he said.

That was when Candy, shocked, grabbed the nearest officer's gun. She shot the officer and began to leap over the seats towards the exit, shooting anyone in her way. "I'll get you, Summer Roberts!" she screamed. "I'll get your skank ass!"

Summer watched, mouth parted, amazed. She was escaping. "Someone stop her!" screamed Summer.

But she was already out of the courtroom and making her way down the hall. Summer looked around the room, amazed at all of the chaos Candy had caused. She lay her head on Seth's shoulder and began to cry.