Chapter 2

Conner sat at the edge of his bed. Murph was still asleep. Conner hadn't been sleeping very easily lately. Maybe it was because he was going to be fifteen in a few days, or maybe it was because of the memories that haunted him. They were vague, but they were there.

Conner pushed the thoughts from his mind and lifted himself from the bed and looked at watch. One o'clock. They had to meet David Rocco at two. Conner rubbed his eyes and walked over to Murph.

"Wake up, Murph. We gotta meet Rocco." Murph turned on his pillow, and glanced at Conner.

"Is Ma gone?" he asked.

"Yeah, man." Conner said as he put on his shirt. Rocco's parents were never home, so this was an awesome opportunity for Murph and him. They rarely ever got chances like this with no parents. Not to mention that Rocco had loads of fireworks and bottle rockets and such.

Murph rose and got dressed, same as Conner- baggy blue jeans and a black t-shirt. He didn't know why, but lately all he and Conner had been wearing was either black or dark colors. Conner finished, and walked out of the room. Murph followed after him.

"Rocco!" Conner yelled outside of Rocco's house. No answer. Conner rang the doorbell. Still no answer.

"Rocco! Get out here, you idiot!" he yelled.

"Stop fucking yelling like that, I'm right here!" Rocco called from behind Conner and Murph.

"Don't fucking swear, man!" Conner yelled back. Rocco laughed and walked over to them. Karen and Jamie followed behind him. Murph and Conner looked at each other. Most girls went for them, not Rocco, but Karen and Jamie were the two most annoying, self-centered girls on the planet.

"Hey Conner! Murph!" Karen squealed.

"Hey Karen." Conner answered, Even though he and Murph didn't like them, that was no reason to be rude.

"Yeah, hi Karen. Jamie." Murph said. They sat in an awkward silence for a while before Rocco finally spoke.

"well, let's go, they're in the back." They walked to the woods in back of Rocco's house. There was a cooler and a bag next to it.

"I couldn't get any beer, so I hope coke's ok." Rocco said. Conner looked over at Murph. Murph just shrugged.

"Hey, Rocco?" Karen said in her high-pitched squeaky voice that always sent chills up Murph's spine.

"What, Karen?" Rocco said, obviously annoyed.

"What exactly are we going to do?" Rocco, walked over to the bag and took out a few of the explosives.

"This is what we're going to do." Rocco rolled his eyes and muttered something under his breath.

"and Conner?" Karen directed to him.

"yeah?"

"What are you and Murph doing in the United states? I mean, you still have your irish accents and everything."

Conner thought on that. He and Murph had been born in Ireland, and moved to the United States when they were just infants.

"My family is all Irish. The accent rubs onto us, I guess." Conner thought for a moment. He always thought that both Karen and Jamie were annoying, but now that he thinks about it, Jamie isn't talking at all.

Rocco stopped and yelled, "Here we are!" Murph looked around. All he saw was trees and woodland.

"Rocco, you idiot! We can't light off this here! It'll light on fire, and we'll be responsible!"

"We don't have to light it here." Karen said in the shadows. Conner glanced over to her. Rocco sat up.

"What are you talking about?" It wasn't before long that they were standing outside of Gertrude Taylor's house, the school nerd.

Karen grabbed one of the TNT explosives, and lit it. Conner and Murph sat up.

"What the hell are you doing?" Conner yelled. Karen ran across the street, with the dynamite. Before anyone could stop her, the house blew in flames… along with Karen.

"Murph, let's go!" Conner yelled. Murph couldn't move. What did they just do? They took the life of an innocent person. Murph felt Conner's hand grasp his arm, and pull him.

"Jamie, it wasn't your fault." Conner tried to comfort her. she was crying histerically.

"It wasn't any of our faults. We tried to stop her." Rocco looked up.

"What do we do then? We can't go to the police."

"We have to. It's the right thing to do."

"Conner's right, man. We can't let someone else get the blame for this." Rocco wouldn't budge.

"If you guys go to the police, I'll Papa Joe to deal with you. Man, I love ya, but I'm not giving my life away for something that skanky bitch did."

"Rocco!" Murph yelled. "First off, don't say that about her. she's dead now, so out of respect for the dead, just don't. and bringing the people you JUST STARTED WORKING FOR into this, is a real pussy way out."

"well I'll do it, if you guys go to the cops." Conner massaged his forehead held his head in his hands. He should have figured Rocco wouldn't agree. Conner mumbled the prayer his father taught him to himself. And shepherds we shall be… He got up and walked over to Rocco.

"Alright, Rocco. You win. But when you see other people on the news, getting put in jail for a crime we did, then we'll talk." Conner grabbed Murph and they walked out of the room. Rocco stared after them, dumb founded.

Conner and Murph walked home in silence. They walked in the front door of their house and turned on the lights. Conner walked into their bedroom and sat on his bed and took off his shoes. He sat and held his head in his hands, and for the first time since his fourth birthday, he wept.