A/n: Not gonna lie the last couple of years have been the most beautiful and the roughest. I do plan on finishing this story!


Chapter Six

Greyson walked into the office of his baseball coach during his free period and saw him with his face in his hand. Conditioning was supposed to start the following week and they were all going to gather together as a team for the first time since before tragedy struck. The teenager necessarily know what to do, this coach didn't just lose his best shortstop in his career and his co-captain, he lost his nephew and godson. Coach Kevin Larson was in a deep state of grief and he didn't know what to do. Greyson stood there nervously messing with his uniform tie. The locker room that the coach's office was connected to was quiet. Coach Larson was the PE teacher, he was on his prep period. It happened to be the same period as Greyson's free period. The teenager took a deep breathe and knocked on the doorframe of the officer door. The coach looked up, Greyson could see that he probably hadn't slept much since the tragedy, the boy hadn't either, if he was being honest. The baseball pitcher managed to find his voice, "You wanted to see me, Coach?"

The coach took a deep breath, "Yeah," he said. "Come in, come in." Greyson walked into the office and sat in front of the coach's desk. Neither person wanting to make eye contact, Greyson looked at the picture behind the coach's desk. It was the picture from the State Championship from this team's freshmen year. They were hoisting Owen, who was holding the trophy up, celebrating. That felt like years ago now that everything happened. The coach was looking at a picture on his desk directly in front of him, a picture of himself, his wife, and Owen. Both of the people in this room were filled with grief and now it was time for the coach to find his voice, "It's weird just meeting with you." He said remembering how during his prep and Greyson and Owen's free period the two boys would be in the coach's office talking offseason or season strategy. Greyson nodded, still looking at the picture from their first State Championship. "This season is going to be for him. For- for Owen."

Greyson's eyes went from the picture to his coach, nodding, "I figured as much." He said. "We wouldn't be here, just one season short of making history, if it wasn't for him."

The coach nodded, "I couldn't agree more." He said finally making eye contact with his player. "Listen, this meeting isn't to talk about strategy. I figured you assumed that." Greyson nodded. "Do you still want to be captain? By yourself?" Greyson nodded a second time. "Okay, good. Good." Their eye contact broke: Greyson's to his shoes and Coach Larson's to the picture again. "It's not gonna be the senior season you were hoping for. You know that." Greyson hummed out an affirmative. "I want to honor Owen's legacy. I want a team memorial this afternoon after school and I want you to help me find this team's way out of the ashes so to speak."

Greyson looked up and began to stutter a bit, "I- I- I don't know how I could be of help." He said honestly.

"I know," the coach said softly.

"I'm sorry." The teenager said.

"No," the coach said. "This isn't something we're really trained for. We're trained to get to safety, but not what to do in the aftermath, but..." he trailed, "can you help me try?" He asked semi-desperately.

Greyson nodded, tears dwelling in his eyes, "I'll do my very best." He said shaken to his core.


Chloe took a deep breath as she walked into her chemistry class the day before the homecoming dance. Things have been better for her lately, she agreed to testify and she also was put into therapy and while that was hard she still was choosing to push forward to be better. But chemistry class was the hardest class for her, this is the classroom where she was during it all and this was the classroom where she last saw Mr. McPherson and Owen alive. The 10th grade science teacher took over until they could hire another chemistry teacher. Chloe overheard Aubrey venting to Beca about it probably not being until next school year.

Chloe sat down next to Jessica who was trying to be sly in texting Greyson, "How's Greyson?" Chloe jokingly asked as if she hadn't seen him as she was getting out of his jeep about an hour before. This earned her a glare from her friend, "Kidding." Chloe said semi-jokingly this time. "I know he's good."

"Is he really looking forward to hoco tomorrow?" Jessica asked the redhead. "He doesn't seem excited." She said. "I know he's grieving and just sad all around but I don't know." Jessica let it hang. "Sometimes I feel like he's not interested in me anymore, especially now that we're together."

Chloe knew that was a lie, sometimes all the boy can talk about is her, it would be sickening if she wasn't doing the same thing about Stacie, but he has been in a weird headspace since everything happened and she just wanted to help her friend. Chloe cleared her throat, "Sometimes he can't stop talking about you and his mom and I have to tell him to kindly 'shut the fuck up', but other times..." Chloe drifted off and stared out the window for a moment, "Other times, he won't talk at all. I've watched him go from being sappy and talking about you to not even five minutes later, withdrawn." Jessica looked and held on with curiosity, "He hasn't played a single video game since Owen died because that's who he'd play with. None of the baseball team has from what I can tell. His only goal right now is to graduate and get out of here. Just like he always had, but now with a little more sense of purpose."

Jessica let out a sigh, she knew that this was going to be the case, "I'm really worried about him, Chlo." She said. "Do you think this is what the rest of our senior year is going to be like?"

Chloe nods her head, "Unfortunately." She said. "But, I know it's going to get easier to manage. You just have to talk to him and knowing Greyson Mitchell that means sometimes just sitting with him. Letting him know that you're there but don't necessarily have to talk, that's what he needs. You just gotta be a lot patient with him. He's trying to act strong for me, for my sister, for all of John Adams Prep, but he cries a lot when he doesn't think anyone can hear."

"Why does he feel like he has to be strong?" A voice not previously in the conversation joining. The two girls look up to see Jack Carter, the student body vice president, well, now president. "Sorry, I didn't mean to cut in, but I've been watching him since we came back, and he's put on this strong front for everyone. Why does he feel like he has to be strong?"

"I don't know." Chloe said. "He's lost a lot already in his life."

"What do you mean?" Jack asked.

"I mean, he lost his dad before he was even born. That's a lot, don't you think?" Chloe asked.

Jack nods his head, "I guess it is. I always knew that about him. My older brother was in Emily's class." The boy said. "I've always wanted to get to know him. Never got a chance."

Chloe let out a chuckle, "There's still time." She said.

The boy pushed the glasses that he was wearing up, "Doesn't feel like an appropriate time too. He just lost one of his best friends." He said.

"You ever think that maybe he just needs a friend?" Jessica asked. "We all do. I feel like this event has brought us closer together as a class."

"You know," Jack said. "We could organize a class-wide get together. Something we haven't really done since senior sunrise on the first day of school. We could get together and just be together."

"I like the sound of that," Jessica said.

"We can help," Chloe said. "I have a little pull with Headmaster Posen that is."

"Oh right," Jack said. "You do. Let's think of something and then you can ask?" Chloe nodded, "Alright, cool." He added.

Right as he was about to say something else, the teacher walked in and started class. But Chloe could see from the angle Jack was from her and saw that he genuinely wanted to help. Greyson was inwardly spiraling and she wanted to help her best friend, soon-to-be-legally nephew more than anything.


Greyson was sitting next to Stacie zoned out completely, thinking about his meeting with Coach Larsen. The teacher had been teaching for about 15 minutes and he had yet to take a single note. The girl looked over at her girlfriend's best friend and saw him just looking at the seat that Owen used to sit in. It hadn't been filled and no one thought it would be. No one wanted it to be. Everyone wanted Owen just to walk through that door. The baseball player was quietly tapping his pen against the desk, the teacher had everyone talking with their neighbor and the crouched down at Greyson's desk, "Hey bud," he said. "Do you mind if I talk to you outside real quick?"

Greyson nodded complying and followed the teacher out and before the teacher can get a word out, the student blurted out, "I'm so sorry, Mr. Green, I haven't really been here mentally since we got back. I swear, I'm catching up at home."

The teacher gave a soft, sympathetic smile, "Mr. Mitchell, I didn't pull you out to reprimand you." The teacher said. "Not even close. I have an idea of what you are going through right now and wanted to offer my support."

"You- you what?" Greyson asked incredulously.

"I'm gonna let you in on a little secret that not even Headmaster Posen knows about," he said. "Promise to keep the secret?" Greyson nods. "Mr. McPherson and I were dating when he passed." Greyson's eyes went wide. The teacher took a deep breath, "I know you and Mr. Walker," he paused and corrected himself, there was no need for him to be professional in that moment, "You and Owen were the best of friends. I heard your eulogy at his service. I guess I should thank you for always making his homework was turned in."

They both laughed, "We had to keep a 2.8 grade point average to stay on the baseball team." Greyson said with a shrug.

The teacher nodded, "I just want you to know that I am here for you. I know you have probably the greatest support system ever." He said making eye contact with Aubrey who only started walking over when she was doing her rounds and saw the two talking. "But please let me know if there is anything I can do. Grief is hard, especially when you are doing it alone."

"Thank you, Mr. Green," Greyson said. "I am sorry for zoning out. I want to work to do better."

"Then, let's work together." The teacher said then looking over at Aubrey, "Good morning, Headmaster Posen."

"Good morning, Mr. Green. Mr. Mitchell." She said. "Everything okay?"

The teacher and student looked at each other and then looked at the headmaster, "As okay as things can be right now." The teacher said.

Aubrey stared at her soon-to-be stepson with a little tilt in her head, "Are you okay, Greyson?" She asked. "Like really." Greyson nodded his head but had a little shrug to his shoulders, that didn't go unnoticed by Aubrey who was concerned about the boy. "Do you mind if I take him for a few minutes?" She asked the teacher who also noticed the tiny shrug. Mr. Green nodded his head and Aubrey put her arm around Greyson as they started heading towards her office. They got to a little corridor that separated the middle school and the high school when Aubrey felt Greyson shrink to the ground. He's spent the last month being strong for everyone and as much as Beca and Emily were trying to be strong for him, he wouldn't budge. Aubrey sat down next to him and wrapped her arms around again, "It's okay love. Let it out. I got you."

Greyson cried for the next five minutes before settling down, he lost the front that guarded him from his emotions, he lightly rocked back and forth. Aubrey sat next to him and was waiting for him to talk. She could hear that he was doing breathing exercises, similar to what Beca leads the headmaster through when she is having a panic attack. It was quiet for a moment, something that Aubrey noticed that has been happening a lot since they return from the tragedy and fall break. Suddenly, what felt like out of nowhere, "I can't believe that he's gone." Aubrey looked at Greyson who was staring at a locker. Locker #432. She didn't see how it affected the teenager at the moment, but then it dawned on her. This was Owen's locker in middle school. "I still expect a text in the morning about how he's on his way to Logan's to coffee for us." Tears were running down the boy's face, "I still expect a text after school saying that we should hit the weight room or the batting cages so that we can bring back the fourth straight state championship trophy home in May." There was a pause. "C'mon Grey, this is our last chance to make John Adams Prep history, he said just the day before he died when I just wanted to go home and work on my MIT application." Aubrey stared at the locker with Greyson. "I knew making history would be important to him, so I just stayed up later that night to work on the application and went and worked on my curveball with him. And now-" Greyson took a shaky breath. "Now, he doesn't get to make it. I have to face the team this afternoon after school and Coach wants to have a team memorial where he wants me to find a way to rise this team out of the ashes and I don't know how to do it." He took another shaky deep breath. "What am I supposed to say? 'Hey guys, let's win this season for Walker!' When I don't even know if I want to win for myself?"

"Do you want to win it for Owen?" Aubrey asked. "If not for yourself?"

Greyson nodded, "I'd do anything to win it for him, but how do I do that?" He asked.

"It maybe hard," Aubrey began, "it maybe the hardest thing you'll have to do, but we're here for you." Greyson looked over at Aubrey who was looking at him, "Your mom, Emily, Chloe... me. We're all here for you, love. No matter what you need."

Greyson nodded, "Mom said you got Chloe into some therapy?" Aubrey nodded. "Maybe I need some too. I have all these emotions that I don't know how to deal with and I need some extra support right now."

Aubrey gave a soft smile, "We can talk with your mom about it tonight." She said.

Greyson nodded and leaned his body weight against Aubrey, "Thanks Bree." He got out. "You're the best."


Greyson was in the locker room changing into his conditioning uniform and looking at the picture in his locker, it was a baseball card with his stats on it. A birthday present that Owen got him. He took a deep breath and shut his locker. The team was waiting for him and Coach Larsen on the field. The coach approached him, "Did you tell Headmaster Posen about the memorial?" He asked with a small smile.

"Ye- yeah," Greyson got out. "I had a bit of a meltdown during third period. I'm sorry."

"No, no," the coach got out. "She contacted all the families and told them about today and it's what I wanted to do, but didn't have the emotional capacity to do. Thank you, I'm sorry about your meltdown though. Especially if I'm the one who caused it."

Greyson shook his head, "It's okay, Coach." He said. "I hadn't been letting myself feel much. I hit a breaking point as they say."

The two walked out onto the field from the locker room and Greyson heard a lot more than just the players' families, they walked out of the tunnel and the whole stadium was packed. As everyone started to recognize him, they started clapping. Greyson looked at his coach confused, "The student government caught wind of what we were doing and approached me as well. This is not just for Owen. It's for Sophia and Mr. McPherson as well." Greyson immediately jumped to apologized, "It's what John Adams Preparatory Academy needs. This is how we're healing as a community. This is how we're going to rise from the ashes."

Greyson nodded and walked out to center field where Aubrey was standing with the student government and the science teachers as well as Mr. Green. The junior varsity and varsity baseball teams was standing in a line behind them. The pitcher stood between Aubrey and the student body vice president as a representation. Greyson looked up into the stands and made direct eye contact with Beca who had a smile on her face, still clapping with the stadium. The clapping died down and the stadium went quiet. Aubrey approached the microphone that was set up, "Good afternoon John Adams Prep family. It has been a rough couple weeks back." She said. "There have been memorials, wakes, celebration of lives, but on the level of our school, not much. And for that, I take responsibility and apologize. So this is it." She paused to take a deep breath, "Behind me stands our student governments, junior varsity and varsity teams, our science team, and one of our English teachers that meant the world to the science teacher we lost. The two students standing directly behind me are our student body vice president Jack Carter and our varsity baseball captain Greyson Mitchell. I would like them both to come up here and speak from their hearts. We'll start with our varsity baseball captain, Greyson Mitchell."

Greyson took a deep breath and stepped forward, "There was a lot more that I wished I could've said during my eulogy but didn't. I didn't because it was supposed to be said here." He paused and took another deep breath. "This is the hardest and, speaking for myself and myself only, most traumatic thing I've ever faced. Something as was said to me earlier, we're all prepared to get to safety but we're not prepared for the aftermath. I wish I could say that my senior season would be with Owen Walker riding me about being better and me riding him in return about turning his damn homework assignments in on time." He paused. "I wish my senior year ended with Mr. McPherson finally telling us what he thinks the meaning of life is." He paused one more time, "And no offense to Jack, but I wish graduation was going to have Sophia Brown's inspiring speeches, like the one she gave us all during senior sunrise this year. I wish it was everything we had imagined, but it's not. So how do we rise above? How do we make John Adams Prep history by bringing the fourth straight State Championship home? How do we figure out the meaning of life? How do we be inspired about finishing out high school strong and enter college still on that peak of the mountain top? How do we go on honoring the lives of Owen Walker, Mr. McPherson, and Sophia Brown? We do it for them. We live our lives freely." He paused to make a small joke, "We turn in our assignments... on time." Everyone laughed. "That was mainly to you baseball teams." He composed himself, "This baseball season is not just for Owen. It's for Sophia and Mr. McPherson. It's for them." He paused and saw Chloe, Stacie, and Jessica standing in the visitors dugout and offered a small smile. He realized that he'd been neglecting them while trying to suppress his grief. He took a deep breath to finish, "We stand by the ones we love and the ones that will stand by us. This is how we're getting through it. In the words of Owen Walker, let's get this freaking dubb." He paused as the stadium erupted in applause once more. "Thank you," he said to finish and made eye contact with Jack and nodded and they switched places.


That evening, Aubrey and Beca were sitting on the front porch drinking a glass of wine and enjoying the sunset. Aubrey had her head on Beca's shoulder. Unwinding from the day. The front door opened from behind them and Greyson and Jessica stepped out. The boy was walking his girlfriend to his car. That evening was full of the young love of the two of them. The older couple watched as Greyson opened the driver's door for her and them kiss goodbye and watched as he stood there watching go down the driveway and out the gate. The couple watched as the teenager took a deep breath before turning around, "Come here, bubba." Beca said lifting her free arm for him to come curl into. The boy did just that and it was silent for a few moments. The three sat and enjoyed the late October breeze, it was quiet minus the fading music coming from Chloe's room who had the window cracked, soft giggling could be heard as she and Stacie were up there. Greyson was relaxed and in his mind maybe... too relaxed. A pang of grief hit his chest, much like it did earlier that day in the corridor that he cried in with Aubrey close by. The boy jumped up and was pacing back and forth and doing a breathing exercises. "Hey," his mom said making him shoot his head in her direction. "What's wrong love?"

Greyson then made eye contact with Aubrey, telling her through his eyes to help him, the blonde nodded her head, and took a deep breath, "He had a bit of a breakdown this morning." Beca shot her head towards her fiancée. "It was just me and him, but we think it might be best to get him some therapy? This isn't the first loss in his life. He needs space to process and heal."

Beca nodded, "We'll get you set up in the next week, okay?" She said. Greyson nodded. "You don't have to be strong all the time," she also said. "You don't have to push everyone away."

Greyson nodded, "I- I know." He said. "At least now I do. It's just so hard because you and Em knew Dad and I'm sad that I never got to." He said. "And now losing Owen? I don't want to lose anymore. Not without the proper tools to move forward. I need help."

"And we'll get it for you," Beca said. "I promise."


End note: So... I'm back? A lot is happening in my life right now and I cannot promise consistency, but I can promise that I will, eventually one day, finish this story.