Disclaimer: I do not own anything.

Break Down

I called Coach Riley and explained the situation to him. Luckily, he understood and was able to postpone my game against his Hawks team until after my mother's funeral. I flew back on the first available flight and my father picked me up at the airport.

"How did this happen?" I asked my father on the car ride to the house. "I mean, I thought you were staying there to protect her."

"I'm not sure son." My father's voice was cracking. I could tell that he was upset with himself for not being able to stop this psycho from killing my mother.

"You promised me you would protect her." I cried, the tears falling from my eyes. Ever since I found out the news, all I could do was cry. I found it easier to blame my father. He had told me he would protect my mother. He told me that he wouldn't let anything happen to her while I was away at school. Yet, here she is, dead.

"I did all I could to protect her." My father told me. There were now tears coming from his eyes as well.

"Oh yeah. Then where the hell were you when this psycho was murdering her?" I yelled, letting my emotions get the best of me.

"I was at work son, you know, trying to support your mother financially as well." He explained, wiping the tears from his eyes. "I don't know what else we could have done. The doors were kept locked, the alarm was set, and there have been police staking out the house while I'm not there."

"Then how did this happen?" I asked.

"I'd like to say that I know, but I don't." More tears streamed down his cheeks. "I just came home and there she was, lying on the kitchen floor with a bullet in her head."

Seeing my father cry as he explained how he found my mother set off another round of tears. It was unbearable and my father was forced to pull off to the side of the road. We embraced in a hug and cried together for what seamed like forever.

"I'm gonna take you to a friends house tonight. I don't want you staying in that house." My father told me once he gained his composure.

"No." I yelled. "I want to stay with you."

"Well you can't." He yelled back. "This guy probably did this to draw you out of hiding. He knew you would come back for the funeral. Going home would be way to obvious."

"Yeah, but…" I started, but my father cut me off.

"No buts. You are going to stay at your friends house and that is final. I have already lost your mother, now I'm not going to loose you too."

I went along with what my father said. What other choice did I have? He dropped me off at my friend Jason's house. I don't even know how we became friends. He was what many would call a nerd. He wore glasses and reminded me somewhat of a Caucasian Steve Urkel. Jason had moved to Iceland from New York when he was seven. Our fathers worked together so we often found ourselves at each others houses for family dinners. After my parents got divorced, Jason and I continued to be friends. He was the only person who never ridiculed me for missing that damn shot.

"I'm really sorry about your mom." Jason told me as we lay in bed that night.

"Me too." I answered. "I really wish I had gotten to see her one last time." Tears were threatening my eyes once more. For so long after my parents split, my mother had been the only thing I had. Now she was gone and I felt empty on the inside.

"Won't you get to see her at the funeral tomorrow?" he asked, cringing, probably wondering whether or not the question was appropriate.

"No, the coffin is going to be closed the entire time." I told him. "Dad said that it wasn't pretty. She took the shot in her head, they weren't able to fix her up well enough to have an open casket ceremony."

"I'm sorry."

The funeral was early the next morning. I slowly walked up to my mother's closed coffin. Part of me wanted to open it to see my mother one last time. I didn't allow myself to do so. "Mom. How did this happen? How could you leave me. I need you. You were all I had and now I have nothing,." I wiped the tears from my eyes as I continued to talk to my mother one last time. "But don't worry. I'll be fine. I promise you, I will get this asshole for what he did to you. I don't know who he is yet, but I will find out. I didn't want to tell you this, but he knows where I am and he says he will come for me. I can't wait until he does, then I can do to him, what he done to you." I kissed the coffin before walking away and sitting in the front row, next to my father.

The funeral went by slowly. I listened intently as the preacher preached and then as neighbors and friends spoke kindly of my mother. I was to speak as well. I had requested to be last. My name was finally called up to speak. I slowly marched to the front of the funeral parlor and stood in front of the crowd of mourners. I'm not sure how I found my voice to speak. When I did, it cracked as I fought back the tears that threatened to spillover once more.

"My mother was a great lady. She raised me by herself for eight years after my father left. She never complained. She always worked hard and that showed in everything she did. She was always there for me, no matter what, like any good mother should be. She was all I had. She was there for me. She was always that encouraging voice that made things seem so simple for me." The tears came and my voice cracked even more. "She cared more about the people around her, then she did about herself. I've never met anyone any more caring then she was. She was more then just a mother to me. She was my everything. She has made me the man that I am today: kind, gentle, caring. All of those things came from my mother. And compassion for others. My mother taught me that as well. She helped anyone who needed it. She didn't show any judgment of others. She was just her. She did everything in her power to be a good person. To help others." I started screaming, losing all control over what I was saying. In that moment all of my frustration and feelings came to the surface. "To be the kind of person you could count on to be there for you when you needed a friend. And what the hell did that bring her, huh? Nothing, Nothing, but her death. I know you're here asshole. Whoever the fuck you are just tell me. I am the one you wanted remember, not my mother. Come and face me. I'm not going anywhere so let's get this fucking over with." I dropped to my knees as I put my hands over my face. Before I knew it my father was pulling me into a hug. "Why did you have to take her? Why?" The room was silent as I cried on my father's shoulder.

When I had finally calmed down a final prayer was said and my mother casket was haled away to the cemetery. I could barely watch as she was lowered to her final resting spot. The same tears burned my eyes once more and I didn't think I would ever be able to stop crying. The dinner afterwards wasn't easy either. I didn't like the attention that I was being allotted. Everyone telling me how sorry they were for my loss was just a cruel reminder that the world would never be the same. After about an hour of condolences, I decided that I had had enough and headed up to my room. If my father didn't know I was up there maybe I could actually spend the night in my own bed.

I was tired and mentally drained from the days events, so I decided to cal it a night. I pulled back the covers to reveal a note. I picked it up and read it quickly.

Scooter,

That was quite a little outburst today. Don't worry, you can have your little week here. I'm not going to get you now. This game is just getting fun. I wouldn't want it to end so soon when there is so much more that I can do. Don't worry, you'll come face to face with this asshole soon enough.

Please push the blue review button and leave a comment. I'm sorry if this chapter was horrible. I'm not that good with sad stuff. I've seen a lady break down at a funeral like Scooter/Gunnar did. It's not a easy sight to behold.