Howdy! Ok so I have been going crazy with the way we are supposed to format on this site…so when there is a flashback I will put it in italics…when there is a different POV I will put a line separating the text…hopefully that is easier for people to follow while reading…I'm going to keep working on this whole formatting thing and hope that I can figure it out…enjoy!

Chapter Two

'GUN!...GUN!...GUN!' I tossed and turned as the sound of that one word repeated over and over. 'GUN!...GUN!...GUN!'

I opened my eyes and squinted as a harsh brightness hit me straight on. It was so bright that I couldn't focus on anything. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before trying to see again. This time the brightness was not as strong and I looked to my side to see a large window with many people passing by mixed expressions on their faces as some walked and others rushed by.

My head was killing me and I couldn't remember how I had gotten here. Of course where here was I had no idea. I rolled over onto my back and looked down at my legs to see a blanket covering my body. The tubes and machinery around me helped me realize where I was.

How did I get here? Why am I here? What happened tonight? Why can't I remember?

So many questions were going through my mind as I lay there staring at the ceiling. I felt a sharp pain on my back and tried to reach the area with my hand.

I reached and reached but couldn't touch where the pain was. It was a tremendous pain and it was bringing tears to my eyes.

I looked around the room to see if anyone was there so that they could explain what was going on with me but there was no one. I opened my mouth to call out but my voice failed. I swallowed my saliva and tried once more but to no avail.

I remembered that there was a call button on every bed in the hospital and I searched frantically. I found the button and pressed it repeatedly.

A young woman in a nurse's outfit rushed into the room and looked at me with concern. She checked the machines I was hooked up to and quickly left the room. I tried to call her back but again no words would come.

Tears began to well up in my eyes with the amount of frustration and confusion that was going through my body. I felt alone in this room and wondered where everyone had gone.

I noticed the door open slightly and squinted to see Ashley sneaking in through the door. She looked back out the door as if to check if the close was clear and softly closed the door behind her. She approached my bed and reached for my hand.

She looked down at me with the saddest eyes I had ever seen and I knew something was terribly wrong. Was I paralyzed? Was I dying? What happened?

I opened and closed my mouth to speak to her but couldn't. She noticed that I was trying to talk and ran to get some water. She made her way back to the bed and held the cup to my mouth letting the water pass slowly through my lips.

The liquid went down my throat freeing up my muscles and finally allowing my voice to break through. I looked up at Ashley with a look of confusion and she looked back at me with a look of despair.

"What…What happened to me?" I choked out.

"A bullet grazed your back…"

"A bullet? Who tried to shoot me?" I asked not understanding what was going on.

"Some stupid gang bangers…they weren't after you…but they never are and that's why innocent people get hurt…" She said with disgust.

"So…I'm going to be ok?"

She nodded her head and a small smile crossed her face as she stroked my cheek softly.

"Where did they do the shooting? The last thing I remember is leaving the house for prom…" I said trying to think back to the events of that night. Nothing came to my mind after we took our pre-prom photo in my house.

"You don't remember anything after that?" Ashley said with a look of worry and if I didn't know any better a small look of relief as well.

"Not really…I had this horrible nightmare where someone kept screaming 'Gun' over and over but nothing else stands out."

"We were leaving prom when the shooting happened." She said quickly.

"Oh god…did anyone else get hurt? I mean are Glen and Clay hurt? Chelsea…what about her baby? And Kyla…please don't tell me anyone got hurt." I said feeling my heart begin to pound faster and faster as the thoughts of my friends and brothers being hurt passed through my mind.

Ashley lowered her head and took my hand in her own. I could feel her fingers trembling in my hand as a tear fell down her face.

"Oh god…what is it? You have to tell me Ashley!" I screamed at her.

"I don't know if I can Spencer." She said squeezing my hand.

"Tell me Ashley…I have a right to know."

"Glen is fine….Chelsea and the baby are safe…Kyla is alright also…" She paused and looked into my eyes and I could see the tears that were threatening to fall.

"Ok you mentioned Glen, Chelsea, Kyla and the baby…What about Clay?" I asked staring into her eyes.

She closed her eyes and my heart nearly exploded in my chest. I knew something was wrong something terribly wrong.

"What about Clay??? Tell me Ashley!!!" I yelled at her demanding an answer.

"Clay…" She choked back a sob and I knew right then what she was going to tell me.

I shook my head over and over wanting to just wake up from this bad dream. Wake up Spencer…Wake up!

"No…no…no…" I repeated over and over wanting to break something.

"I'm so sorry Spencer." Ashley said in an almost whisper.

"Nooo…Nooo…You're lying! You have to be lying! Life wouldn't be this unfair…It's a lie…Tell me it's a lie!" I screamed into the room.

"Clay's gone."

"NOOO!!!" I screamed once more before everything went black.

"It doesn't work that way…alright? You can't just cut off who you love…"

Who you love? Who you love? I knew Aiden had strong feelings still for Ashley but love? This wasn't happening…this can't be happening.

"You love?" I said back to him in disbelief. I turned my eyes to Ashley's and felt the tears forming in my eyes as my body began to shake uncontrollably. "Oh please don't do this…"

I couldn't read Ashley's expression but I knew that this was something that was not going to end well. Did she still love him? Did she ever love me?

"No…ok…just stop it." I looked at Ashley anxiously as she let the frustration take over her. "Both of you…I decide who I love…"

Decide? What decision needs to be made? She was supposed to love me not Aiden. My concerns about their close friendship were now coming full force into the spotlight and I couldn't handle this.

"Then just decide!" I screamed at her wanting a clear answer for once. Does she love me? Did she ever?

"Oh god!" I gasped as I opened my eyes. I was having problems controlling my breathing and noticed that Ashley's head was on my hand.

I quickly realized where I was again and remembered the terrible news that knocked me out of my senses. My brother was gone. Clay was gone. All the goodness that I once thought was in this world had been taken away from me from our family.

A senseless death over a stupid grudge. Anger built inside of me as I remembered the screams of the other students as the bullets were fired recklessly. I clenched my fists and wished that the cowards who destroyed everything were here so that I could hurt them right back.

Ashley raised her head and looked at me with tired eyes. She focused on my face and moved back slightly when she saw the anger in my eyes.

"Spencer? Are you ok?" She asked hesitantly.

"Get out." I told her sternly.

"But…" She looked at me with a look of confusion as I glared back at her.

"Get out." I repeated again still with clenched fists.

"I'm not leaving you." She said refusing to move from the chair she was occupying.

"I remember what happened." I said searching her eyes for her reaction. She flinched slightly probably afraid of what I was going to say.

"What do you remember?"

I let out an angry laugh and shook my head. "You and Aiden…I knew that something was going on…and you kept denying it over and over."

"Spencer there is nothing going on between Aiden and me." She said defiantly.

"Don't…just don't…I saw you two on that dance floor…his hands on yours…you couldn't even look at me…"

"I was in shock Spencer…he just sprung all this stuff on me…I didn't know how to react." She cried throwing her hands up in the air.

"Ashley…just go…please…I can't even look at you right now…why don't you go run to Aiden…leave me alone to grieve for my brother." I said turning my head to the other side of the room and closing my eyes.

I couldn't hear a sound but I knew she was still standing there. I willed myself to not look back at her telling myself that it was better this way. I couldn't deal with this not when my brother was laying somewhere cold and alone.

I heard a sob break through the thick silence and I bit my lip knowing that Ashley was beginning to break. Another sob came out and I heard a loud pound on the door before silence came. I turned my head and saw that I was alone once more.

I tried to sit up in my bed but was met with a sharp pain in my back. I felt helpless and all I wanted to do was find Clay. I had to get to Clay and tell him that I loved him. He has to know that I love him.

The door opens again and my heart begins to pound thinking that Ashley had come back. My heart slowed as I saw Glen walk in a distant and hollow look on his face. He walked over to my bed and looked at me. The emotion I saw behind his eyes resembled that which I was feeling inside my own body.

"Glen…" I said lightly touching his arm.

My touch seemed to open the floodgates of his emotions and he fell to his knees next to my bed letting out a loud yell. I tried to reach for him but I couldn't move. Sob after sob racked through his body and I could feel my own tears falling down my face as I watched my strong brother be reduced to tears.

"Oh god Spencer…Oh god…" He said pounding his fists into the side of my bed. He pounded harder and harder and I began to worry that he would hurt himself.

"Glen…stop…Glen…GLEN!" I yelled once more and his movements ceased. I saw one bloodied hand reach for my own and I took it gingerly careful not to touch the fresh wounds.

"They are going to pay…" I heard him mutter under his breath.

"Who Glen?" I asked softly knowing how fragile he was at this moment.

"Those bastards that did this to our family…they are all going to pay…" He said clenching his fists.

"Glen please don't say that." I pleaded with him.

"Why not Spencer? Our brother is dead! Clay is dead! Why should scum like that get to walk the streets when our brother who did nothing wrong is gone! They are going to pay…"

"Glen…look at me…" He refused to look at my face. "Glen…look at me!" I demanded again. He reluctantly looked at me and I began to cry. "Clay is gone…I…I can't lose you too."

The realization of what I had just said passed through his eyes and he lowered his body pulling me into a hug.

"Oh god Spencer…I'm sorry…I'm sorry…" He said over and over.

"Shh…its ok Glen…we need to be strong…we need to be strong…" I said clinging to his shattered body. Yes, we needed to be strong. I needed to be strong for Clay.