Longest Novel: Fall of The Republic

by morgan kingsley

In 2020, a middle-aged author, living too deeply in the past, decides to write the story of what really happened to him and his friends when he was younger, and as it unfolds, a giant conspiracy starts to show itself. An AU of seasons 1-4 that take place in the United States. Crossover with several other series for one overall universe.

38. The Only Female

One Girl with Ten Brothers

Episode 6: The Only Female

Scene 1: January 26 2021

When I was at lunch the next day, that was when Claire was walking up to me again, and I was wondering what the hell she was planning. I did not want her to rub it in my face that she was hating me or anything like that. When she sat down, I choose to be friendly, and decided to not say anything. As I did not want to create any scene between the two of us. Especially since I was trying to be friends with her.

"Hey Lydia, I feel like I need to talk to you for a bit." Claire said, and I was looking right at her. I decided to remain cautiously optimic that this would go well. "I know that I haven't really done a great job talking to you, and that I'm kind of being a bit of an asshole. But I feel like I just wanted to let you know that I did appreciate the time we had together."

"Well, I thought we really did have a good friendship going here. And then you just stopped talking with me." After I said that to her, I was feeling like I needed to kind of stand my ground. As I said this, I saw her looking mildly annoyed with the fact that I was telling her this right now.

"I was also just wanting to see if we can make it work. Put all that bullshit behind us. I want to just have us try and do something new. So what do you think about us maybe going out tomorrow after school? Just maybe go to the park or something?" She asked me, and I was slowly nodding. I felt like I needed to try and consider the idea. After all, I was really having no choice on the matter at all.

"Yeah. That would be great. I will tell my family that I will be out late." I said, and I needed her to understand that this was not something that I wanted to change. "And maybe this will help me with what my brother was saying. He was saying that as long as I was socializing with other people, then I might not be super focused on Robbie Dan as much anymore. Since I am trying to not let my crush on him become a issue."

"Well, does Robbie Dan seem to hate it?" She asked me, and I was shrugging. Since I did not really want to consider that at all. After all, if Robbie did hate the fact that I had a thing for him, then that was meaning that he was indeed only pretending to be my frined.

"Well, I hope he doesn't. If he does, I have no idea what I will fucking do." I said, and I was unsure of what in the world I was even going to tell her at all. Claire then decided to try and cheer me up just a bit more.

"Look Lydia, just be nice to yourself. After all, Robbie hasn't done or said anything hurtful yet." She said, and I was thinking of what she said. I was thinking that she was probably right. And that I just needed to calm the fucking hell down, and not make it much worse.

"Yeah, I hope that you're right. But I just don't fucking know what I should expect from him." I said, and then I was shrugging. "But you're right. I shouldn't just expect the worst from him either. So I will just try and keep my head up, and hope that everything goes well."

As I was saying this, I was sincerely having no idea how in the world I was going to go through this. "But Claire, is there anybody you have been hanging out with, that I might be able to get along with?" After I asked her this, she was shrugging, as if simply not having enough to go with there.

"Why not try with Lily and Ruby again? I mean, you seemed to have gotten along with them well enough." She said, and I sighed slowly. Feeling like maybe she was right. And for all I knew, I was over reacting a bit. And that was something that I always knew was possible. But I didn't want to try and admit it.

"Maybe I should." I said, simply feeling like just agreeing to this was enough to get her to leave me alone. "But Claire, do you have any real connection with them either?" I asked, feeling like I would just try and press her on the issue. As I said this, she looked at me, shocked that I was lopping her into this as well. But that was exactly the point that I was trying to fucking make here.

"Well, I mean, they seem nice enough when I talk with them. So I think that giving them a chance is just simply the right thing to do." She said, and I was wanting to believe what she was saying. I really fucking did. But at the same time, I just had no god damn idea if I really fucking could.

"And I guess that should be good enough." I said, feeling like I just needed to stop. "So Claire, what were your mothers needing you to do anyways?" I asked, hoping that if I was bringing that up, and was just showing her that I was willing to try, then maybe she would fully know for sure that she was indeed able to trust me.

"They just needed me to watch the house for a bit while business was being done. One of them has been working with Rob Reichenbach for a while now, and she is one his top informers." After she said that, I was confused at that name coming up again.

"I never thought that she would have been able to go that far up the business ladder." I said, feeling like I just needed to be honest. She smiled, as if she was just proud of her mother for doing so. "I just thought that in general, women would have a much harder time doing so than guys would, and that would become a issue at some point."

"Well, I will be honest when I say a large part of why I think she was able to get that high up is the fact that she is a lesbian. Doesn't have a whole lot of baggae to deal with, and thererefore can do things a lot easier." Claire admitted, although I could tell that she was not enjoying the fact that she said this.

"Don't know why that would be a part of it, but I also know nothing about Rob Reichenbach, so I guess that maybe I should just not say anything." I said, thinking that if I left it alone, then that might be the best option possible. But I was clearly seeing that Claire was kind of lost on what she was wanting to say.

"I guess it's not a issue. And my other one runs a grocery store down town. Took over after the married couple that owned the place both died." Claire said, and she shrugged, as if thinking that those details were not important. "I don't know what goes on in this messy place though. And in some cases, I feel like it might almost be better that I do not know." As she said that, I decided to just simply not say much at all.

"Yeah, at least you know what your parents are doing. I have no idea what type of work my mother does. She never talks to anybody about jack shit. My father just tells me that he is a private detective, and refuses to go any further with it than that." I said, and I was wondering if she was secretly ashamed of how things were, and that was why he just refused to say anything at all.

"To be honest, I feel like my mother just purposely lies to make sure that none of us know what she is doing. Almost like she is ashamed of something." I said, and I knew that what I was saying was sounding ridiculous, and even I fucking knew it. "But who knows, maybe I'm looking too deeply into this right now."

"Yeah, I notice a lot of the adults in Wayside are like that. To scared to admit their faults. At least that's what mom says. She says that Rob was the first genuine person to take over that company. Took over when he was fifteen years old, and had to fix the mistakes his father made." Claire said, and I was curious what she was feeling about this whole thing.

"I guess she must know a lot." I said, and then she slowly nodded, as if finding what I said fair enough. "But Claire, I think that we both know that talking about that is not really going to be that important to us, so we might as well just simply drop it." I said, thinking that it would best for both of us to do that.

"Yeah, I guess that might be best." Claire said, and I was hearing her sounding really happy to know that I was not going to be pressing her any further on this. And seeing her looking relieved, was more than enough for me to see that was enough to keep fucking going here.

"So Claire, I hope that you do know that I am very happy that you decided to come through and talk with me after all. I was scared that I did something that rubbed you the wrong way, and I was feeling like I needed to try and apologize as soon as I fucking could." As I said this, I simply felt like there was nothing else to say.

"Well, thanks. I don't know. I just felt like I needed to stop by, and be one hundred percent sure that the two of us were doing well and everything. And I was also kind of wanting to see if you and Robbie Dan were actually going to be going through with the idea of getting together and what not." She said, and I was shaking my head. I felt like if she was bringing Robbie Dan up, then that was a sign that maybe she had something else on her mind.

"Well, I think that he doesn't really like me back. I hate to admit it, but I think that he is just going off on his own thing." After I admitted this, I hated the truth. It honestly felt like I was just trying to hide from the truth. "I wishd that Robbie liked me back. But that just isn't fucking happening."

"But if I'm going to be honest, Robbie seems to be far more interested in things like what my older brothers are doing. And trying to help them out. And to be honest, I don't even blame him." I said, as I was wondering why in the world Robbie felt like he needed to get so involved in that anyways.

"I would be willing to talk to you about that soon. But not right now, when I have no idea what is going on fully." I said, feeling like I might as well just try and show her that I had no interest in talking about this. "But it does bother me to be honest. And I feel like I need to kind of just put my foot down at some point, and tell them I need the truth."

We went on to our classes, and now that I knew that Claire and I were talking again, that was enough for me to feel like I was going to do great. So with that, I just decided to be proud of myself for what I was able to do so far. And besides, I was feeling like this is exactly what Jack would have wanted.

Scene 2: January 27 2021

The next day, as Claire and I were about to leave the school, that was when the far shorter of the Ruby and Lily duo, which was Lily, was walking up to us. She was looking like she was wanting to ask us something. "So guys, are you planning on anything right now?" She asked, and I was shaking my head. In all honesty, I was feeling her interrupting my time with Claire was mildly annoying. But I needed to accept it.

"Well, we were going to the fucking park. But you are more than welcome to come if you want." I said, hoping that she would. I glanced right at Claire, and i was hoping that she would agree to this. "Not like we really have much to talk about anyways."

"Aren't you so excited to have the semester end soon?" She asked, and I slowly nodded. I mean, I hated the fact that this was getting brought up of all things. But at the same time, I fully understood why she was saying that. After all, no reason to ask about something else that we know nothing about.

"I guess that I do want to know if my grades will be good. My parents tell me that they're not too worried about it. But in all honesty, every parent just says that to make their kid feel less bad. I don't actually believe they mean that shit at all." I said, feeling like I felt like i just needed to be brutually honest as I was telling her this. She shook her head, not buying what I was saying.

"I just do my homework at school when the day is over, so I can go home and then have the rest of the day to myself." After Lily said that, she smiled, as if feeling like that made perfect sense. "From what I heard from other people, grades don't matter as much until we start high school. So I guess that I am just trying to simply do it for bragging rights."

As we were walking off, I was then feeling like I needed to ask her a question. "So Lily, what do your parents think of this school? Do they think it's a good place for you." I asked, and she shook her head. "My dad doesn't like this school system at all. Claims that it is nothing like how it was when he was younger."

"He claims that the teachers now just care about their own personal reputation, and not really that of the students. And he told me before I started my first day that I needed to just make sure that I never trusted any of the teachers here." I said, feeling like he was probably over reacting. But I wasn't too worried about it honestly.

"Well, I think your dad needs to lighten up a bit. He seems rather cold." Lily said, and I was sort of nodding. After all, he was kind of that way. And there was no way in the world that I would have been able to argue that. As much as I wanted to.

"Well, I guess you're right. But I have no idea what happened with him back then, so I don't really think it is fair to be saying shit like this." I said, feeling like I just needed to try and defend my dad a small touch. But then after that, I shrugged. "So do you know when I will be able to see Ruby next?"

"She is doing stuff related to her parents job right now. So she had to take a couple of days off. But I assume you can see her soon." Lily said, and I was wondering what was going on with her family that was so important that she had to do this. "But she never tells me what her family is doing exactly. So your guess is as good as mine." She said, sounding mildly annoyed as she admitted this.

"Why does it feel like everybody is doing stuff relating to their parents?" I asked, feeling furstrated by this prospect. I don't even know why it was such a issue to me. But I guess that I was just pissed off by the fact that it was feeling like nothing I was even doing was changing the outcome ahead of me at all.

"Well, to be fair, we are still at that age where our parents are kind of the main pull that we have on life, and we don't really do our own thing yet." Claire was pointing out, as if hoping that the point was fair enough. As she said this, I simply rolled my eyes, and thought that their bullshit reasoning wasn't going to be enough to satisfy here.

"Anyways, so Lydia, how is it like living with so many brothers? I have wanted to ask that question for so long." Lily asked, and I was wondering how many people I knew were just going to constantly fucking ask about that, and not give a single shit about me, or what was going on with me.

"To be honest, it can be a bit rough at times. Especially when so many people just constantly compare me to them. As if I am supposed to be a certan way. And it can get rough and tiring to deal with people who just simply do not see that I want to be my own person." I said, feeling like I would try and at least be honest about it.

"But despite how annoyed I can get over the subject, I really do love all ten of my brothers. I mean, there are times when I can get annoyed with them, and things they do. But I think the feeling is mutual, and in that since, there is nothing wrong with what I am thinking." As I finished my thoughts, I thought what I was saying was fair enough.

"I guess my main issue is the fact that they never talk with me about their issues. I mean, Jack kind of does, and I think that is why I connect with him the most..." I said, trying to not too overtly give away the fact that his communication was the main reason he probably at least in my top three favorites if I really did have any.

"Do you think it is because they're so much older?" Claire asked, referring to Todd and Gabe, and to a smaller extent Josiah. I was nodding. That totally had something to do with it. And there was no reason to beat around the bush at all. "I wonder how it will be with your younger siblings. If you're going to be that same way."

"Well, that is almost certainly a part of it. And it gets annoying when I see something so unimportant become a reason that they are willing to just simply not talk to me. It makes me feel like I am not doing enough." I said, and I was hardly caring how petty I was sounding. It just genuinely bothered me.

"Wow, I guess that it seems like you do really have it rough with them. Well, I really do hope you guys are able to make up with that soon enough." After Lily was telling me this, I looked at her, and I was shrugging. There was simply nothing to fucking say. Nothing that would really sell home how much this whole thing was bothering me.

"I am sure over time, things will be much better. I guess that I am just glad that they are still willing to talk to me about school. And Jack has been focused on me making friends." I said, and I looked at Lily, hoping that we were going to start actually being friends soon enough. After all, I was willing to put in a lot of effort to make this work.

"I guess another issue that I have is that I don't have many interests at all. And certainly nothing that can really sell home any friendships with people." I said, and I just felt like being honest about the fact that I didn't have much going for me was going to probably give me more in the long run than if I was pretending that there was more to it than there really was.

"What are some things you like to do?" Lily asked, feeling like she would try and test the waters a bit. As I looked at her, I was wondering why she was trying to suddenly go this route. Then with that, I simply decided to just let it go, for my own fucking sake. After all, this was something she was doing to see if she would work something in my favor.

"Well, I just mainly do stuff that my older brothers already do. Such as playing games. Even though a lot of them are older than us. They also have a interest in cinema and what not, and I try and go along and see what is going on in the movie with them as well." I said, feeling like I would just try and be totally honest. As I said this, I saw Lily looking as if she was relatively unsure of what she was wanting to say here.

"Josiah tried to get into skating for a bit. Said that it was part of his music character and what not. Not sure if I buy it or not. But I tried to go along one time, and got bruised up. Never again." I said, and I was shaking my head, not wanting to think about it at all.

"Skating. That is one thing that I never really saw the point of getting into to be honest." After Claire said that, I shrugged, and I was feeling like she wasn't entirely wrong. But I guess it was just a thing that guys liked to do. Which was perfectly fair, and I was having no interest in taking that from them.

"Well, as long as Josiah enjoys it and his music, then I guess that's fine. Do you have any interests, Lily?" I asked, feeling like I would really do my best to include her into this entire conversation. As I asked this, she looked excited to see that I was actually going all in on including her in this discussion in the first place.

"Well, to be honest, I like comics. After those Marvel movies came out in 2018, the one with Thanos, I was excited to learn more, so I decided to pick up some issues, and then I picked up some DC, and then the rest was history." She said, and then I smiled at that. Feeling like that could be a good gate way into me picking up something of my own.

"If I come to your house, can I read a couple?" I asked, feeling like I asked politely, then things would be fine. She smiled, and said yes, and I was so fucking happy that it really went that easily. I knew this friendship would work.

I was wondering why I was talking about my father like this to Claire and Lily. After all, they barely knew me, and especially my father, who was probably a product of the past. Due to the fact that he was older than old, and after a certain point, age was certianly going to be having an affect on you.

But at the end, I was feeling like maybe getting them to see what my father knew, and everything else, was a better way of establishing trust them it was to just try and fucking beat around the bush, and constantly lie. But I really could not be sure if it was the correct choice, until we were much further down the line.

Scene 3: January 28 2021

The next day, when Lydia and I were hanging out, I decided that I would introduce her to Robbie. I wanted her to see why I was so interested in this guy, and why I was wanting to try so hard to make our friendship work. When we saw him sitting down on a table, after a couple of people who were there with him had already left, I decided to take a second to think about what I would start with.

"Hey Robbie, this is Claire. You know, the one that I talked to you and Jack about earlier." I said, and I was looking at Robbie, and he was looking like he was relatively uninvested in what was happening. I wondered if he had gotten into a argument or something, and was having a hard time getting over it.

"Hey. How are you guys doing today?" Robbie asked, and he stood up. "Sorry if this is a bad time. Just had a conversation about a school project with a couple of classmates, and I'm probably going to have to work on that for a while." He said, and I sighed as he said this.

"Well, this is lunch time. That is the time were you don't even need to be so worried about that stuff anyways." I said, hoping that telling him this would be able to get him to think about the positivity for a second, and not focus so much on the negative.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I just suppose that I am worried about what my team mates might be thinking if they see that I'm not doing much to actually help them get a good grade. So I might just simply stay after school for a couple of days, and work on that instead of hanging out." Robbie said, and I was feeling like that might have been fair enough to deal with.

"Fair enough. Lily was saying she does the same thing with her own grades. Stays here until all the homework is done, and then goes home." I said, feeling like it might be dangerous for a first grader to walk home this late alone. But it was something that she was fine with doing.

"To be fair, it is probably the smart thing to do." Robbie Dan said, and then he shook his head, as if he was not really in the mood to discuss this at all. "So speaking of which, does this mean that you and Lily are now on good terms as well?"

"Well, they've only talked once lately. So I think it might require more work than that." Claire said, and I was annoyed with her saying it like this. It just felt like she was literally going out of her way to just deflect what I had already done to make things work.

"It's okay. I wasn't going to be saying much. I just thought that it was interesting that she was somebody who you were really wanting to make it work with, and then she is the second person that you got results with." Robbie Dan said, and he was sounding like he was just glad to not have to hear my bullshit one more time.

When Robbie Dan looked over at Claire again, and tried his best to be more positive and upbeat, he was finding it in himself that there was no reason to be so upset over little things. "Well Claire, I think that as long as we can continue to get along. I don't see any reason for us to have any fucking issues." Robbie said, and sounded like he was thinking of the positives.

"Hey, at least I'm trying here. Can be hard to get a good read on you guys. Jesus. You all have like massive poker faces." Claire said, and Robbie Dan chuckled at that a little bit.

"Fair enough. I guess all those times I've talked with Josiah and Seth had rubbed off on me. They always talk about super serious drama." Robbie Dan said, and I was wondering if he was upset about that. But I choose to not provoke the situation either.

"Oh yeah. I heard that her older brothers are dealing with serious stuff right now." Claif ire said, and I was hearing her almost regretting bringing that up. I was shaking my head, feeling like there was no reason for her to be so upset with this.

"Well, let's not worry about that right now. Nothing we'll get out of it if we do." I said, and then with that, we started to just kind of hang around for a bit, and the rest of the lunch period, to my utter happiness, I was seeing that Claire was kind of breaking through to Robbie Dan, and making him see that she was not so bad after all. Which was all that I fucking needed.

"Yeah, I guess that you might be right. But to be honest, I think that it is not nearly as black and white as you guys think that it might fucking be." After Robbie Dan said that to me, I was really having no idea what in the world was making him feel so against discussing this.

"What do you fucking mean?" I asked, and then he was looking at me, and I could see from the look on his face that he was having a hard time seriously believing that I was not fucking fully seeing where he had been coming from this whole time. He just simply shook his head, as if thinking he was dealing with bozos.

"I mean what I fucking say. I don't know how else to fucking put it. I mean, my parents keep telling me that I never needed to get involved in these things. That it was going to be a burden if I ever fucking did. And maybe they are fucking right." After Robbie was explaining this to us, I was seeing him looking like he was wondering why we were still having to have this discussion to begin with.

"And then given how Bebe reacted and what not, I feel like maybe they might be right. With Bebe thinking that I basically ruined their entire fucking life over something like this. And I have a class team that believes in me, and that is enough to make me feel much better." After Robbie said this, he shook his head, feeling like what he said was making perfect sense.

"What is your class team even working on to begin with?" Claire asked, and I was hearing her sounding like she was not too sure what the point of all of this was going to even amount to. Robbie simply shrugged, as if annoyed that she was not seeing the bigger picture.

"That part is not as important as the fact that they see me, and they want to work with me. That is enough to make me feel like I need to push this as far as I can." Robbie explained, and I was then feeling like he didn't need to defend himself over this. "But to be honest, we're just kids at the end of the day. And we need to start fucking acting like it."

"But didn't you tell me that I was old enough to where I was needing to make my own choices on life, and that I needed to show responsibility for all my actions?" I asked, feeling like I needed tyo place pressure on him to try and own up to what he was saying. As I reminded him of this, he sighed, as if finding my comments absolutely annoying.

"Yeah, on certain things. But there are other things that I feel like we need to step away from, and let people with more experience, such as your brothers, do the job. After all, none of us know what they're dealing with. And all we do know for sure is what is going on with our friends, and everything." Robbie finished, and then after that, he was looking kind of tired.

"And besides, you said you were having something with Lily. Like the comics and shit. I feel like that is enough to keep you going for now." Robbie said, and as he said this, I was shaking my head. Feeling like this was not the exact same as he was expecting. But I was feeling like despite everything, his heart was in the right place.

"Well, I know that I did. I'm surprised she was willing to even suggest that in the first place. After all, she was mentioning this as a result of me talking about not having many interests and what not." I said, and I was shaking my head. "But who knows, maybe I will actually enjoy them."

"Just like how I am enjoying working with my classmates." Robbie said, and he was sounding like this was perfect for him to work with. "And I am assuming that Claire has things that she is interested in right now." He said, and he looked at her, hoping to get her at least somewhat interested in continuing the discussion right now.

"Okay. Sorry I fucking said anything." I said, and I was shaking my head. Wishing that maybe Robbie would give me a bit of a break. I was trying to help him out, and make him feel better. But it was feeling like he was just simply not looking at that. Or maybe he was. And was having a hard time really saying so.

But I was feeling like I cared enough about Robbie Dan to where I was able to fucking fight for this, and do what I was feeling like was right. "I hope that you and Bebe are going to be fine." I said, not sure if what I was saying was going to even fucking mean anything to him at all. But as I said this, I was seeing Robbie looking like he was almost just unsure of what he was going to say in response.

"Things will get better as soon as she actually talks with me. That is all that I can fucking say." After Robbie Dan was telling me this, I slowly nodded. I was looking at Claire, and I was hoping that she was going to be fine enough. But from the look on her face, I was seeing her also looking like she was kind of confused what to say.

"Would you be fine if I got to meet your sister?" Claire asked, and then Robbie was shaking his head. As if feeling like that was a horrible idea. I was wondering what the issue was. After all, if Robbie was going to try and be friends with Claire, then he was going to have to have her meet Bebe at some point in time, and just have the two of them talk for a while, and get to know each other.

"Maybe during summer. Or even spring break. But I think that I would prefer getting to know you more first." Robbie said, finally feeling like he needed to try and take some form of control over the subject. As I saw this, I really had no idea what else I could have told him now.

"That's fine. It can wait another few weeks. My parents are already doing other things until then anyways." Claire said, and sounded like this was perfectly fine. I was seeing Robbie looking like he was trying to decide what he was wanting to say. But then he shook his head, feeling like there was no way out of it now, for better or for worse.

Scene 4: January 29 2021

The next day, when the weekend was just getting ready to start, and I was wishing Claire a happy weekend, and I was glad that it was seeming like at least one friendship was working out, that was when I was seeing Ruby come in through the school door. I was excited to see her, because I knew that this was the final thing that I needed to do to really seal the deal that I was actually making a few successful friendships.

"Hey Ruby, how have you been?" I asked, trying to just make it seem like I wasn't trying to press the situation, and was more just trying to be simple and nice to her. She looked at me, and I was seeing her shocked that I was the one who noticed her, and not like Lily or somebody else like that.

"I was going to grab my homework. My parents told me that I need to do that every Tuesday and Friday until I am finally able to get back to school. I don't really want to go into it though. It's kind of a really bad subject for me and my family." She was saying, and I saw her looking as if she was just trying so had to desperately get out of this situation. "But Lydia, why are you still here so fucking late? I thought that you would be home by now?" She asked, trying to see what she could get from me.

"I talked with Claire for a bit longer, and wished her a happy weekend. I was just about to leave." I said, not sure what else I was supposed to say. "To be honest, school has not been as interesting lately. I think you were here when the whole teacher incident thing happened." I said, and Ruby nodded, looking at the office, wondering if she was able to delay going in just a bit, so she would talk to me.

"Yeah, I finished school that week, and then on the 22nd, when I came home, that was when my parents basically told me that they needed me to stay at home for a while and help them out with stuff. But I was also told that in no circumstances was I allowed to tell people what I am doing." She said, sounding mildly annoyed by this. Almost as if she was wishing she would just be able to open up with those around her.

"Maybe when things are done, they will let you tell us what is going on." I said, hoping that by saying this, she would be able to open up. She looked over at me, and the look on her face was clearly showing that she was not really buying that quite yet. I looked down, kind of feeling bad I mentioned it.

"Want to hang out a bit before you go home?" I asked, and she was shaking her head. "I don't have to be there for a bit longer, so it might be kind of fun..."

"No, sadly I can't. My parents need me right back, and I can't really screw around with their wishes. Any time I try to do something like that, it really fucking bites me in the ass." She said, and I was hearing the tone of utter annoyance as she had said this. Then with that, she simply shrugged for a bit.

"Who knows, maybe in a sense, after what happened with that teacher, I am kind of glad that they're doing this. I would never want to imagine my teacher doing something like that to me." She said, as I was considering what she had said. After all, if Seth was right, and that teacher was not the only one who would do that stuff, then I feel like maybe I would need to be much more careful with what I was doing.

"Well, if you can make the time during the weekends or whatever, then I would be more than willing to meet up with you." I said, and with that, she was looking like she was not sure if she was really appreciating the offer as much as she wanted to admit. "So Ruby, I hope you have a wonderful weekend. And I will see you when you come by and pick up your stuff on Tuesday." I said, already making a commitment out of it. As I said this, I was seeing her shocked to see that I was willing to do that in the first place. But then she slowly nodded, as if willing to take my offer.

"Yeah, see you then. And I will let you know when I will be getting back to regular classes as well." She said, and I slowly nodded. I was so happy to hear that she was willing to at least talk with me still. Then with that, she left, and then I smiled for a second. I felt like everything was finally coming together for me.

As I was leaving the school, I then wondered what it would be like if the four of us were able to meet up, and just be a group of girls who did not have to worry about anything else. Just what was making us happier. And to be honest, with everything Robbie Dan was doing, I was trying to learn to respect his space, and the fact that he needed to be alone.

I mean, that was something that I felt like Robbie Dan would have done if I was the one who was going off and doing things different. I was certain that he would do everything he could to respect my space, and respect my wishes. And I was wanting him to genuinely see that I was trying to be my own person.

But at the end of the day, I also knew that at the end, realistically, Robbie probably did not like me back, and that I was wrong to keep trying to force him to like me. In a way, it was just me being purely selflish.

Eventually, when I was home, that was when I was seeing Gabe talking with somebody on the phone. He looked right at me, and I was seeing him looking like he was relatively saddened by something. I felt like I just needed to ask him what was going on. He looked at me, and then he sighed. "Just a conversation with one of my friends. Not exactly the way that I wanted things to go. But he seems to have made up his fucking mind." He said, sounding upset about this.

"What do you fucking mean?" I asked, and then Gabe was shaking his head, feeling like there was no reason to go down this discussion path at all. But I was not wanting to take no for an answer. I needed him to just open up with me, and tell me what the issue was.

"My friend Michael is saying that he is planning on going back to what he was doing earlier. Which going to be looking around for answers on what happened with Carly. I tried to tell him that this was something that he shouldn't be getting involved with, and would only make things worse. But he didn't seem to fucking care." As he said this, I simply had no idea what to tell him.

"I wanted to move on, and just try and live a normal life, that I knew would be better for me and everybody else. But this just simply shows that he is refusing to fukcing let go, and that is the worst part about this all." As Gabe finished this, I was feeling like he was trying hard to make it seem like he was not having much fo a issue at all. But I was not sure if I was really buying it at all.

"What even happened with her?" I asked, and I was feeling like I was just going to try and see if I was going to actually force a answer out of him. He just simply shook his head, and refused to go any further on it. That of which was bothering me more than anything else he was doing.

"She went missing a while ago. And there is no fucking trace. She is fucking gone, and I think that it was time that I grew to accept that. I mean, that is what she would have wanted." Gabe said, and I was shocked that he was sounding like he was willing to give up that easily. I wondered if he needed more motivation to continue going.

"But to be honest, even if I did think there was a way for her to return, I know that I need to focus on graduating first. After all, that is something that is literally coming up in about four and a half months. And there is nothing that I can do to fucking hide from that." Besides, my grade average isn't the best, and I should at least try and salvage that somewhat before the end." He said, and then I laughed at the fact that at least he was being honest with me.

"But that being said, he has already made his choice. He will do whatever he wants to do, and I am not going to force him to do something different. I hope he does find something that can help me understand." Gabe finished, and I was wondering if he was still deeply hurt by this, and was just bothering him deeply.

"And when he eventually finds out what he wants, then I am going to support him one hundred percent." He said, finally feeling like what he said was just making perfect sense. "But Lydia, I think that it might be best for you just to simply not get involved in this at all. It will not do anybody any good whatsoever to have you brought into this."

"Sorry that I asked anything then." I said, and I was feeling like this was the best way to handle it. But deep down, I was feeling like I was fucking useless. Like he was just admitting that I wasn't going to do anything to help him out, and that I was wasting my time even asking or anything. I don't know. It just felt so fucking wrong.

"You don't need to worry about asking. Just don't make a big deal out of it." As Gabe said that to me, he patted my shoulder, and I was happy that he was still trying his best to keep the happy man that I had known him as before. The man that everybody wanted him to be once more.

"And to be honest, it's been over three months. And to be honest, I feel like nothing is ever going to fucking come out of it. The main difference between me and other people, is that I fucking accept that." Gabe said, and then he simply looked like he was wanting to have another response, that to be honest, would just be able to just make my point.

"I'm not as dumb as people fucking think I am. When I see something, and I know that I am right, then it just annoys me when people brush me off because I might not know the answer to a lot of basic things." Gabe said, and I knew that there was no way in hell that he would explain to me what the context of his feelings were. So I decided to just keep it to myself.

As Gabe left, I was wondering what was truly going on in his mind. He was acting like simply talking to people at all about what he was doing was this horrible thing. But he was never going into why it was this horrible thing at all. It was just feeling like he was hiding from something else.

Scene 5: January 30 2021

The next day, I was talking with Robbie Dan again, at the park, and I was feeling like I just needed to clear up a couple of things with him. After all, he probably knew more than anybody else in my life what was going on with Gabe, and I hoped that he would at least give me some fucking clue.

"Hey Robbie, I was hoping to ask you a question. About my brother Gabe. He was telling me that his friend Michael was going to be searching for Carly again. Do you have any idea what is going on there?" I asked him, and he looked shocked that I even knew about that in the first place.

"Oh shit. I didn't realize Michael still knew about that stuff. I thought that he had finally dropped it. Guess that I shouldn't be surprised though." He said, and I was shocked to hear him basically admit that he knew exactly what was going on here. But knowing that he did, I was feeling like maybe I would be able to get some more intel on him after all.

"Can you tell me what you know?" I asked, hoping that I would get him to talk about it more. He was shaking his head, scared out of his mind. "I promise that I will not tell him that you told me. I just want to know..." I said, feeling like if I pressured him more, then I could get him to finally say what was going on. But he just simply shook his head.

"To be honest, the main reason I'm saying no is because I still don't fully understand what happened. It just feels like they actually kept things under wraps for once, and didn't give me enough to work with." Robbie said, and shrugged. "Look Lydia, I am not the man who knows every single answer to every single question in the world.

"But Lydia, you are making things work with your friends. I think you should be more focused on that for now than anything else." After he said that to me, I slowly nodded. I felt like maybe he was right. After all, I had something special going here, that I needed to take advantage of right now. And who knows... I knew that Gabe preferred to do things this way.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. After all, I feel that is exactly what Gabe and Todd would say." I said, and I was still feeling useless. But I was also feeling like I was needing to respect what he was saying. He was a nice guy, who I knew was trying his best to help me out.

"How are you and Bebe doing?" I asked, and I was seeing him looking like he was annoyed that I was suddenly bringing this up of all times. "Did something happen between the two of you?" I was aware that I was placing pressure on him. But at the same time, I was honestly just not caring at all.

"Okay enough. When we are actually talking. But it honestly feels like there is going to just be a rift between us forever. And I fucking hate it. I feel like I should have treated her with more respect than I had." After Robbie said that to me, I was slowly nodding. I tried to see what was going on with him. But I guess that I was having a hard time doing so.

"There is nothing wrong with admitting that. Just tell her that you feel like you made some really big mistakes, and then tell her that you will never make those same mistakes again." I said, feeling like what I was saying was making enough sense as it was. He shook his head, as if feeling like it was never that fucking simple.

"I guess that I can do that. And just fucking hope that she accepts the apology. There is literally nothing else I can do if she doesn't." Robbie said, as he was looking at me, as if he was still trying to decide what was going on with him. But then he was shaking his head. "I hope that you never have to see what it is like to have a issue with your brothers to this level. And that they will always respect your space." He said, trying to make me feel a bit better.

"But to be honest Lydia, I have a horrible feeling that she will not accept my apology. I mean, I just kept brushing her off, and I basically showed her no interest in her perspective. Sooner or later, people are going to just have enough of the way that one person behaves. And I feel like if she was smart, she would have reached that point with me." Robbie said, feeling like he would just be fully honest as he was saying this.

"And I think that might be why I have a hard time making friends in our age group. Because I might be aggressive with them, and the ones that I do talk with have a hard time accepting that. After all, the people that I was in class with basically seemed to have no real desire to work with me. As if aware of the person that I can fucking be." Robbie said, feeling like he needed to just be straight up with what was happening.

"But now that things have started, and you guys are working together, then shouldn't things be fine now?" I asked, wondering what the issue was. Then as I said this, I saw that Robbie was considering this point. Then he was slowly nodding, feeling like he just needed to take it.

"I mean, at least we're all friendly, and none of us seem hostile to each other. I guess that will have to be good enough." As Robbie said this, I could tell that he was still not fully satisfied with what he was saying. But he was willing to go along with it for now, and not make a issue here.

"So I saw that yesterday you were talking to Ruby for a bit. Was there something that you were figuring out with her?" Robbie asked, and I looked at him. Not sure how to respond, since in all honesty, I was shocked that he was even going there in the first place. I slowly nodded, feeling there was no reason to lie about it.

"Yeah, she was picking up her homework assignment. Then she was telling me after the incident with the teacher, that maybe it was best that she stayed home after all. You know, to not risk having other teachers do the same thing to her. I guess that I kind of get what she's saying." As I said this, I wondered what he would think. He simply shrugged, as if hardly even knowing what to feel.

"Oh shit. I thought that all that stuff was going to lead to a more positive impact. And not having people as scared anymore. I guess that maybe we were wrong." After Manny said this, I was feeling like he needed to give himself more credit. He was trying after all to do what was right.

"Don't beat yourself up over that. After all, you had no idea what was going to fucking happen. Sometimes people are just assholes." I told him, and then Robbie was shaking his head. I wondered what his confidence issues were, and why nothing I was saying was having any god damn impact on him at all. And I was wondering why in the world I was even fucking caring at all.

"Well, I mean, I think that the best thing to do is maybe talk to Seth, and see what he thinks. You know, maybe Seth is really having a bad time here." He said, and I was feeling like talking to Seth was going to be a fucking impossible endeavor. After how much it was seeming like Seth was brushing me off at all times, due to his own personal fears, I had a feeling it was going to be a waste of time.

"How about you fucking talk to him? I know for a god damn fact he will never give me shit. I mean, I think that he is literally set on the idea that I can't fucking do shit for him." After I said that to Robbie, I knew that he would probably not be able to understand my annoyance. But it was more than just that in all honesty.

"I guess that I can see what I can find. But I think you do not give your relationship with him enough credit. He probably really does respect you a lot more than you say. And you are just simply not seeing it." Robbie shrugged, as if thinking that I was wrong. But as we were talking, I was seeing dad and Rhett walking by, getting a call on something. I wanted to see them, but I choose not to, due to how clearly busy they were.

"Do you think Rhett will ever find out the truth of his mother?" I asked, feeling like I just needed Robbie to be honest with this. He was shaking his head, as if hating to admit that this was the way that he felt. I looked down, and felt like I needed to take that for what it was.

"I don't think that any of us will know the truth. That shit has been going on for nearly two months. I think it's time to admit that it is never coming back." Robbie admitted, and I was kind of feeling really bad for him. But I simply had no idea what I was even going to say. "But Lydia, I think that as long as he doesn't talk to you about this, then I think you can just focus on your own thing."

"Well, I mean, Josiah was talking about it with us earlier. Talking about what his friend was dealing with, and I guess that I was wanting to know what I would be able to do to change it." As I said this, I simply shrugged, not sure what in the world I was even supposed to say beyond that.

"Well, Josiah always has a way of trying to make everything seem like some form of tragedy. You will get used to it soon enough." Robbie said, and I slowly nodded. I was hoping that I knew exactly what he was saying. But at the same time, it was a bit hard to really imagine.

"If you fucking say so." I said, feeling like I just needed to take it for what it was. But at the same time, I really had no idea what the point of this even could have been. "But I hope you're proven wrong, and his mother's case can be solved. I never want to see him in pain." I said, not even caring how silly I was sounding. But there was nothing else for me to say.

"I hope I'm wrong to. But I just have a horrible feeling that I am not." Robbie said, and I was choosing to still remain on the side of hope and caution. But I think that since Robbie knew more about this than virtually anybody else, I decided to keep what he said in mind.

As I was considering the fact that Robbie himself admitted that this was probably a wasted endeavor, I was finding myself already feeling so much pity for Rhett. After everything he was already going through, I was feeling like any time I would have a chance to talk with him, I just needed to fucking take it for his own fucking sake.

Scene 6: January 31 2021

The next day, I decided to go and hang out with Jack while he was practicing his basketball. The entire time he was there, I saw him looking furious at something. As if he could not believe that something was happening, and I was wondering what was going on with him. "Jack, did something fucking happen?" I asked, feeling like I just needed to try and see if I could make him better.

"Don't you feel like you wished that we lived some palce else entirely? I mean, dad knows about the shit going on in Wayside, and yet he has spent the last fifty eight years living here. Never leaving, when he should have years ago." Jack said, and he was pissed at the fact that he even had to say this in the first place.

"There must have been a good reason he did what he did. Give dad a fucking break." I said, feeling like I needed to defend our father. There was no way he would do something to hurt us intentionally, and I was sure that he was thinking what he did was right after all. But I saw Jack look like he was just simply not buying it at all.

"I want to fucking do that. I really do. I have loved this man for nine years. But the fact of the matter is that dad could have lived a happy life somewhere else, and still had all eleven of us, and yet he never fucking did that." Jack said, and he was sounding like he was just trying to hide the resentment in his voice. Mainly because he probably hated having it.

"So I wonder if dad made a promise, or something to that degree, and this is what keeps him here. Like a fucking dog who can't just leave his place when he feels like it is best for him." Jack said, and I was blown away at him saying it that way. But I knew he was just pissed.

"Jack, please don't say such things." I said, feeling like I just needed to find something to choose, and I wanted to be on dad's side. Although in theory, I did understand Jack's own perspective. As much as I hated to admit it. But there was validity in there.

"Yeah, sorry. I over reacted. I guess that I am just upset. Especially with the fact that so much more could have been done to change this. But nothing ever fucking happened. It just fucking feels wrong. I guess I just do want to know what made dad decide he was wanting to stay here. And not start a new fucking life." As Jack said this, I slowly nodded. I did sort of see where he was coming from.

"I do think that maybe something happened to him, and maybe he feels like he needs to stay here." I suggsted, and then the other option that I hated to suggest, but I felt like was fucking important as hell for him to hear. "Perhaps somebody in dad's life back then went missing or died, and he feels like he needs to stay here. For closure, and to maybe feel like he is doing something right for that person."

"Maybe. I guess that could be true. But Lydia, why would he never tell the other siblings about that? They would respect his side of things far more if he had just opened up and fucking told them. The hiding game isn't doing anybody any favors, and in a lot of cases, might be making things even worse." Jack told me, and then with that, he was going back to his practice, and seemed like he was pissed off beyond belief.

"I don't know. But I am sure he has a good fucking reason to." I said, feeling like no matter what, I just needed to try and place my fot down a bit. I wanted Jack to see that there was nothing wrong with the way that dad had behaved. But I needed to also convince myself of that as well.

"After all, he might be feeling he is protecting us by doing this." I said, hoping that I could get Jack to at least consider that this is a possibility. "We never know what dad went through in the past. I will admit that. But he probably doesn't want us to know his past, for our own sake..."

"Protecting us from what? That is all that I want to fucking know. What in the world is he protecting us from?" Jack said, and I never heard him sound so angry before. I was shocked, and borderline scared of the way he was reacting. But I was choosing to simply not say much. He was just expressing his frustration, and I felt like that was fair enough.

"I mean, sure, I get it... People go missing all the fucking time. People are just vanishing without a trace. I get it. But nobody ever even goes into why, and nobody even seems to think it matters anymore. People just already moved on with their lives." After Jack said this to me, I decided that I would just remain silent on what was bothering me. He seemed so dead set on this, that it felt wrong to try and correct him at all anymore.

"And I guess that as a detective, dad has to kep certain things under wraps. I mean, I do get it to a degree. I guess that I am just having a hard time seeing the bigger picture. And I feel like that is the thing that I am sorely missing." Jack admitted, and I was wondering what else was bothering him. Since I seriously had no idea where this direction was heading.

"And I guess that I do sort of see that behavior translated to the other siblings. They constantly hide behind other things as well. I ask them some random questions, hoping one little thing would get them to talk. But when it seems like they are starting to get there, they get wise to what I am doing, and then they back off, and then my plan is completely ruined." As Jack said this, I wondered what he was going to accomplish there.

"So Jack, please tell me why you even care so much about knowing what is going on with him anyways? I think that you are just deflecting that point entirely." I said, hoping that if I pressed the matter a bit further again, he would finally talk once more. "I mean, he has nothing to fucking gain by lying to us, and a lot to lose."

As I told him this, he seemed to consider the perspective that I was giving him. "Fair enough. I guess I can sort of fucking see that. But I mean, I think the other thing we need to see is that we don't know what he has to gain or what he has to lose right now. For all we know, there are so many other things that none of us are capable of fucking understanding."

Jack was throwing the ball another couple of times, and I was seeing that he was struggling more than he was wanting to let on. But he was regaining composure soon enough, and after a little bit, he started to get right back at it again. "Lydia, all that I am fucking saying is that while I appreciate the fact that you are looking out for dad as much as you have been, and I think that is a great quality, but you do need to see the truth." Jack finished, finally feeling like his point was clear and across.

"The truth being that regardless of the reasoning behind it, good or bad, dad is indeed hiding something from us. And while I am not going to fight him, and make him tell me this shit, I do think that sooner or later, he will have to finally own up to his shit, and stop hiding behind empty promises and other shit." As Jack said this, I was slowly nodding. I didn't like his way of looking at it. But I choose to simply let it slide.

"I mean, I think that he should at least tell Josiah what is going on. After all, one of Josiah's friends, Rhett, is literally working with dad to solve his mothers murder case. That alone is enough of a reason to justify letting Josiah know all the details." As Jack said this, I slowly nodded. I did feel like maybe he was right on that regard.

"Yeah. But what if Josiah doesn't want to know? You do realize he needs to make his own choices here." I said, hoping that I would get him to open up. "I guess that one of these days, I might try and tell dad that. Maybe he might be willing to fucking listen when he puts Josiah into consideration."

"Regardless if he doesn't want to know or some other shit, he needs to know. This is his friend we are talking about. I would want to know what would be happening if one of my friends was potentially putting his life at risk at all times for something. Simple as fucking that." Jack threw the basketball so hard this time, I could literally hear the thud, and I was shocked by this force.

"Do you think something like that will happen soon?" I asked, and I saw him shaking his head. "That's good. I would have never wanted you to feel forced into something like this." After I explained that to him, I was seeing the look on Jack's face turn into one of looking like he was almost happy to hear that I was still willing to care for him over this.

"The only thing that I feel forced into is a level of feeling like I am being lied to, and things just no longer being certain at all. But I guess you don't fucking care. I guess that I just wish that I knew why you cared. It just feels like dad hates being open with us about the things that matter the most in our world." Jack said, hoping that he would get the point across. As well as he possibly could, given the situation.

"But Lydia, thanks for letting me talk like this. It makes me feel better knowing that at least one person is willing to hear my shit. Even if it is shit that they frankly never wanted to be a part of. But to be honest with you, I just feel like the best thing to do is move out the second I get my diploma, and leave Wayside forever." Jack said, and I was shaking my head. I hoped he didn't really mean that. But I knew he did.

I was wondering if dad had indeed figured it all out before. I was having a feeling he did have some idea what was going on. I did agree with Jack there. But at the same time, I was feeling like it was not as cut and dry as Jack was trying so hard to make it out to be. And that was the main issue that I was having with this.

But until I knew more, I was feeling like I needed to trust dad. There was no reason to not trust him, and no reason to not think he was at least doing his genuine best to be helping us out. After all, he was seeming to be a good man for ninety five percent of the time. And when he wasn't, I was feeling like his perspective usually had a level of justification to it.

Scene 7: February 1 2021

The next day, when I was at school, I was meeting up with Claire and Lily again, the latter of which was bringing out her comic books. I was seeing her genuinely looking like she was so happy to be showing these to me. I was feeling like if this was something she wanted to do, then I would just go along with it.

"I was excited to show these to you all weekend. You literally have no idea." Lily said, and I saw her looking like she was beaming with excitement here. I was putting on a hard smile. Feeling like I would go along with what she said. As a way to make her feel at least slightly better about what was going on.

"I saw Ruby earlier." After I said that to Lily and Claire, when I was looking through a couple of issues, I was hoping that they would have a new reaction to this. I saw both of them looking relatively shocked that I was bringing that up in the ifrst place. But also the fact that this happened.

"She was telling me that she had to come after school on Wednesdays and Fridays to pick up her homework. But I could tell from the look on her face that she seems to be rather upset. And confused most of all." I said, and then I was feeling like maybe I made a mistake bringing this up in the first place.

"Well, at least I can talk to her in a couple of days then. I was trying to get a hold of her earlier. But she was saying that she was busy with school and shit. Kind of fucking lame." Claire said, and I could tell that she was genuinely frustrated with the way that things seemed to be going. But I was choosing to not say anything. For her own sake. And besides, I had no idea what was going on in their heads at all.

"But what Ruby says still bothers me. She claims that she feels like she would rather just be at school on her own. You know, due to the fact that at leats because of that, she would never have to deal with these types of horrible teachers. She seriously seems to super uncomfortable talking about that at all." I said, feeling like this was a good sign that I needed to try and find something else to tell her.

"I am sure she was just saying that as a knee jerk reaction." Lily said, hardly seeming to consider what I was saying. I was trying to see it from her perspective. But I just could not. No matter how hard I tried, I was having a really fucking hard time seeing things that way at all.

"But what if she fucking isn't, and she genuinely believes that? Isn't it a fucking mistake to brush off all she is a saying as a result. I just assumed you would know Lily." I said, feeling like I would put her on the spot light. As I said this, I saw her looking mildly annoyed that I placed her on the spot like that without so much as a second thought.

"Well, I don't know. I talk with her at school, and not much." Lily said, and I was seeing her already looking like she was losing interest. "What do you think of the comic?" She asked, pointing down again, and it was some stuff with Spider Man. I looked at it, and very quickly read the text, and was more looking at the actual pictures, as from what I read, pictures speak a thousand words.

"Very graphic." I said, feeling like I would just cut straight to the point. As I said this, I was seeing Lily looking like she had wished that I had said more. I was shrugging, feeling like that was all that I was able to fucking say at this point. After all, I still barely understood what was going on here.

"Well, these always have very intricate plots that go along a very long way. This was the issue that just came out this month." She said, and I was looking at her, shocked and horrified that she had said that. There was no way in hell I could wait an entire month for something to show up. That was fucking gruesome.

"Okay. I will try and keep that in mind." I said, hoping that I would keep on top with what she was saying. "But seriously... A whole month between issues? That seems fucking insane? Why not just make the entire comic series in one go, and then do weekly releases?" I asked, wondering what she would think of that. The look on her face was showing that she did not really like that idea at all.

"No way in hell can that work. People need time to speculate, and think about what happens, and maybe look at previous issues to see if those theories can work." Lily said, and then she was looking right at Claire, wondering what Claire would have thought of this idea.

"I never really got into those. Tried a few times. Always got bored after like the third issue." Claire said, and I was feeling like the split opinions on this subject were rather interesting. But then I looked at Lily, and I felt like maybe this would be something that I would not mind going forward with. After all, for all I knew, I might really end up liking it.

"So Lydia, I have a couple of other issues that I would be willing to lend you if you promise to read them." She said, and pulled out three other isses. "Say one week, and you hand them back by Friday." She said, and I was feeling like I needed to give it a try. After all, she was spending all this time for me, and I felt like I needed to stop.

"Okay. I guess that might be worth fucking trying." I said, and I smiled at this and then I handed her the issue that I lightly read, and I was looking at all the issues. They were all issue ones. That way I would be able to start on a fresh slate, and actually know what the hell I was getting myself into.

"See Claire. I knew she was going to be going alomng with it. You need to have more faith in people." She said, and I was confused what the hell her issue was. But I choose to simply not say much at all. So with that, I was placing them all in my backpack, and the principal was getting up, and looking like he had a serious annoucement to make.

As he was getting ready to tell us, that was when the grinding noise had gone off once again. It didn't affect me as much as my brothers. Since I wasn't like furious or anything. But I did slightly annoyed with the fact that it ruined the mood for the rest of the evening. When he was at the podium, he began speaking for a bit.

"Today we come forward with a very sad annoucement. Two, I must say in fact" The principal said, and I was wondering how often he was going to be giving this speech. Given the fact that these grinding noises were going to be happening relatively often going forward.

"The first annoucement is that it has been reported that a eighth grade student, Chloe Huntfield, has been reported missing after not being around all weekend. There are no leads as to where her whereabouts are, but senior detective Todd Robinson, and freshmen high school assiatant Rhett Bean have been looking into the case all weekend. Neither have disclosed any leads though." The principal started, and sounded super cold as he said this, to try and at least pretend to be impartial.

"The second announcement just came this morning. The discovery of a seventeen year old student, who went missing five years ago. While her name has not been fully confirmed, we have contacted the parents and older brother of this girl, and it seems all but confirmed that death happened very recently, which begs the question on where she had been the last five and a half years. We feel that it is important that students understand the situation, even if they do not flly grasp the gravity of it." After the principal was saying this, I was looking at Claire and Lily, wondering what they were thinking of this. Neither of them looked too happy at all this news.

"Wow. I was not epxecting that during the school day." I said, feeling like I would try and play it relatively innocently. But to be honest, I really had no idea what in the world I was supposed to expect. I saw Claire looking like she was easily the most uncomfortable with this out of the three of us.

"Claire, is something going on?" I asked, hoping that I would get her to open up, and tell me what the issue was. Since her demeanor was really bothering me, and I was feeling like I just needed to try and get her to finally open up so much more.

"My mothers told me before going to school that women in the world were seen as far less than any man. One of them literally even said 'even the most valuable woman in the world, who did the most to help make a difference, will still be less valuable than even the worst and least valuable man'." Claire said, and I was feeling like she was over reacting a bit.

"But what does this have to do with the report that the principal has?" Lily asked, and then Claire was looking at her, as if thinking that it was insane that she was not picking up on it right away. Then with that, she ended up shaking her head. Feeling like there was no reason to go any further.

"Think about it. In all the years of Wayside, over eight hundred girls have gone missing. And not one guy. Clearly there is a fucking bias against which one gets more attention. And that is fine. What isn't fine if the fact that nobody fucking points it out at all. Nobody seems to understand the complete lack of guys going missing must be some form of a fucking plan or play to keep things together." Claire said, and I was feeling like she might have been over thinking things just a smidge.

"But my dad is doing something to change it." I said, feeling like I needed to give her some fucking hope. Something to make her see that not all men were like this.

"I know. But he's one guy." After Claire said this, that was when Robbie Dan sat down, and he was looking at the three of us, and I was seeing that the look on his face was one of utter disgust and disbelief, and I knew I could trust him.

I considered what Claire was saying. I mean, I knew that deep down inside, she was probably right. But at the same time, she was just saying shit her mothers said. So I was hoping that maybe she was over thinking, or just saying shit that she had no fucking full claims of. But I was aware that it would not be that simple.

Scene 8: February 2 2021

The next day, when school was over, I was feeling like I needed to try and talk to Robbie before he went home. I just needed to see what was going on in his mind. After the way he looked like he was ready to die from that annoucement, made me feel like something would fucking happen.

"Robbie, I feel like we need to talk for a bit, and just get to know what is going on with you." I said, and he was looking right at me, and I was seeing him looking like he was utterly lost on what I was even trying to say. "Look, at lunch yesterday. During the annoucement. I feel like we need to talk for a bit." I said, not putting my guard down just in case.

"We don't need to talk. People in this town are pieces of shit, and utterly disgusting. Shut that I have gotten well aware of by now Lydia. And you should to." Robbie said, and I was taken aback by the way he was telling me this. It was seeming a bit sudden, given his normal casual conversations.

"There is nothing we can fucking do. I think that you need to know you're going to die one of these days." Robbie said, and I looked right at him. Wondering what the hell he was even going on about. He was just making me feel like utter shit. But I just decided to keep a deep breath as Robbie shook his head.

"Think about it. You're the only daughter of a large family, and already have a massive following. Hate to break it to you, but you better be thanking every single god that exists in the world if you even live to twenty." As Robbie was saying this, I was wanting to counter argue what he was saying. He was wrong. He had to be wrong. But at the same time, I wondered if he really was.

"Wow. I never thought you would say that." I said, disgusted that he went there. But disgusted at the fact that at the end, he was right. And the fact was that I didn't to admit it. So with that, I just stared off into the distance. Not sure what in the world I would tell him.

"Just telling you the god damn truth. End of story. Get over it." Robbie said, and then he was starting to leave the school. As if utterly heart broken that he even had to tell me this shit. And I was heartbroken that I knew he was telling the truth this whole time. Despite how much I hated it.

It was horrible to hear Robbie Dan flat out admit this to me. Especially since I knew deep down inside what he was telling me was true. I sighed, and I choose to simply not say anything. I knew that if I tried to say anything at all, I was only going to be making things much worse.

"But Robbie... I thought you of all people would have tried to fix this issue." I said, feeling like I just needed to try and make him open up, and see what he was saying was so fucking rough. I followed him for a few seconds, feeling like I just needed to try and get him to talk. He needed to tell me what the fucking issue was. For my sake.

"Lydia. I think we both know what I am saying is true. I mean, don't fucking pretend like you don't know the risks going forward." Robbie said, and I looked down. I felt like if he was going to go down this route, then I just simply needed to remain silent. I shook my head as he was telling me this.

"Well, I guess I do know the risks. But at the same time, I also know that there is nothing to gain by just simply not doing anything with my life. Who knows, maybe you're wrong. And if you are, then isn't it worth it to just keep going?" I asked, hoping to get him to calm down for a second.

"Yeah, I know that I could be wrong. I hope I am wrong. But I am willing to fucking be realistic here." After he was telling me this, I shook my head. I hoped that I would get him to remain calm here. He was only making things worse for me when he was saying all of this.

"And when I see you hanging around with Claire and Lily, and everything else, I just feel like it is better for me to leave you alone." As Robbie started to tell me this, he and I both stopped our argument when we were seeing Ruby coming by. To do her pick up. And I was glad that both of us had a excuse to just drop the subject for the time being. For both our sakes.

"Hey Ruby. How have you been?" Robbie Dan asked, and he seemed like he was trying really hard to pretend like he was happier with her being here. Then he looked at me, and was mentally telling me to play along, and just simply not say anything at all. A sentiment that I fully agreed with.

"Doing alright. Picking up my homework. Dad and mom were kind of having a bad argument though. So I'm kind of glad that I do not have to be a part of that right now." She admitted, and I smiled as she was telling us this. Knowing that she was willing to go out and try and keep a postive attitude. Without getting angry at all.

"I wouldn't let it get to you. People can really just be assholes at times, and the best thing to do is just simply fucking ignore it." Robbie said, and I was feeling like that was a bit different. These were her fucking parents after all. So of course I was feeling like things were going to be a bit different when looking at taht going forward.

"Well, I don't know. I think that things are a bit different when it's your own fucking family." She said, and I was shaking my head. I had no idea what in the world I was even going to say. Especially since I was on Lily's side to be honest, and I was feeling like she was kind of making a giant mistake for acting like this.

"But I don't know. The argument seemed to be about the school report yesterday. About the eighth grader who went missing. My father insisted we not worry about it sicne I'm not that high up yet. But my mother was saying that it might be best to just be safe and make sure nothing happens to me." She said, and I was shaking my head.

"I mean, I guess that I can sort of see where your dad is coming from. But I am still on your mothers side. This is not something to take lightly." Robbie said, and I wondered why in the world he was even trying so hard to look deeply into this. This wasn't his issue at the end of the day, and he barely even knew who most of these people were himself. I just felt like he needed to be more careful going forward.

"I am not taking sides here. I don't want them to be feeling like I favor either over the other. I really don't." She said, and I was slowly nodding. I was feeling like maybe I could try and get involved in this discussion. Since I was still here, and to be honest, the way they were both acting was driving me insane. It felt like I was listening to two friends clash over something not that important.

"Do you know when you're coming back to school?" I asked, not even caring if I was annoying her with this question. She shook her head. Seeming to be relatively annoyed with the fact that I was always seeming to ask this. Probably thinking that I needed to back off. For her own sake.

"Semester ends next Friday, and mom and dad agreed with me to at least stay home for that. They probably will put me back starting next semester." She said, and I was slowly nodding. Not exactly the best answer in the world. But it was at least something that I could work with. And to be honest, I just wanted her to come back already.

"I mean, I don't blame you if you don't want to go back. Can give you more time to hang out with your family, and your friends." Robbie said, and I was hearing him trying to sound as neutral as possible as he was saying this. "Whatever you decide, make sure that nobody else is making the choice for you. This is shit you need to decide yourself." As he said this, I was looking at him, rather confused. Wondering what he was even trying to play at here.

"My sister Bebe tries to tell me these types of things all the time. That I can't just be having her choose everything for me." Robbie Dan said, and I was hearing him sounding like he was utterly upset with this. "And to be honest, I guess that I do sort of see where she is coming from. But I just can't be sure..."

"Have you ever considered that maybe your sister isn't exactly the person who can give you the best advice in life all the time? Maybe she is giving you advice that will just fail at the end of the day." After Ruby said this, I was seeing Robbie looking like he was ready to hit Ruby for saying that. But then he shook his head. As if refusing to accept that.

"That can't fucking be. I mean, she's about to leave high school. I think she knows everything she says." Robbie said, feeling upset at the fact that he was even having to tell her this in the first place. But then I saw Ruby just simply looking like she was not really wanting to discuss this too much anymore. Like she had lost all interest she had in the discussion.

"Yeah, fair enough." Ruby said, since we were still in the age where if you were out of high school, or getting near that, then you were older than old. So I guess that I did not blame Ruby for feeling the way that she had. But then Robbie Dan was taking a second to collect his thoughts.

"Well, either way, I am glad to see you again. Just be sure to stay safe, and don't let anybody get in your way of doing what you fucking want." After Robbie said that to her, she just simply smiled at that. As if thinking that Robbie Dan was simply trying way too hard to try and come off as a influencer and what not.

"Yeah, good to see you guys as well. Just try and stay safe when you guys do your thing." She said, and then I was laughing at that. She did not have to worry about me trying to stay safe. Robbie Dan on the other hand was giving her a look as if he could not believe that she was going there with him now.

Ruby finished picking up her homework, and then she was looking right at Robbie and I. "Well, see you guys on Friday. And I will have a better idea if I am going to be coming back or not after the semester ends." After Ruby was saying this, I was wishing her the best of luck. But at the same time, I was having a feeling that she had set herself up for a level of failure by doing this.

Scene 9: February 3 2021

When I was at home the next day, I was feeling like I was needing to pressure dad a bit more. To see if I could get him to talk with me or something. So I patted him on the shoulder, and he looked right at me, and I was seeing from the look on his face that he was clearly quite tired, and hoped that I wouldn't be putting too much on him.

"Dad, have you been doing well?" I asked, referring to how tired he must have been lately. As I said this, he looked like he could not believe that I was suddenly asking him this. Probably wondering if one of my older siblings had put me up to it.

"No. Not really. My job has been demanding a lot from me lately. Especially from people who are related to the girl who was found. That family is fucking demanding blood and answers, and I am not able to give them fucking either." Dad said, and I was shocked with how honest he was being about the whole thing. Made me scared of what he had gotten himself into by doing this.

"Lydia, I don't want you to worry about me. I am doing fine. I have a nice assistant who has been helping me out. I think Josiah did a good job making such a good friend." After dad was telling me this, I was slowly nodding. I knew his mind had been set, and I decided that I would just let it go. For now at least.

"Lydia, I hope you know that I really love you. And I want what is best for you. And to do that, I have been placing everything that I can on figuring this shit out." Dad was telling me, and I slowly nodded. I wasn't sure if I fully understood where he was coming from. But I choose to simply not make a giant issue here.

"Dad, I wanted to tell you that Jack is starting to have doubts about the work you're doing. He is worried results aren't coming fast enough." I said, feeling like I just needed to be honest with him. He looked at me, shocked that I even said that. Then he sighed for a bit.

"To be honest, I am not surprised. I always felt like he was the one that didn't like what I was doing the most. And that is perfectly fair. I can't judge him for feeling a certain way." Dad said, and I was shocked that he was willing to see things to that degree. He probably dealt with detractors most of his life.

"But to be honest, I just feel like soon enough, he will see what I am trying to do. And when he does, I think he will see the value in the work that I am doing. But regardless, I have been trying to explain things to her family so many times. But they are just simply not listening to me. Accusing everybody here of not doing enough." Dad said, as he was taking out a cigarette. After he made sure the windows were at least cracked a smidge.

"Sometimes I just want to simply tell them to try solving a bunch of cases as a full time detective when more cases are being thrown at you as a seventy year old man who needs to take breaks every hour to make sure that he can fucking breath at least." He was coughing as he had said this. And I was feeling like he was doing this to himself here.

"Just don't end up doing the same thing that I did. Settle down early, and don't be going on a life long witch hunt." Dad told me, and I was curious to hear what he was saying. Life long witch hunt? That seemed to be rather random, and I knew that this was my way in. If I just pressed him harder, I would get him to fucking open up that back door for me.

"What happened?" I asked, referring to the cause of the witch hunt. He looked right at me, and I was seeing him looking like he was rather annoyed that I was bringing this up. But I felt like I needed to press him harder than I ever had before. "Dad, what was this witch hunt that you got into?"

"Something back when I was in high school. Around Josiah's age." My dad said, and I was shocked that he was shooting down the conversation this fast. I wanted him to tell me more. But he was simply refusing to budge. And this was driving me insane. I needed more context. But I simpley was just not getting any.

"What happened?" I asked, feeling like if I pressed harder and harder, he would soon open up. He was then standing up, and headed right towards me. I was seeing the look on his face look like he was barely containing his annoyance at the pressuring that I was giving him. I was feling like maybe then, I was pressing too hard.

"Lydia, I do not want you talking about this anymore. This isn't a fun game for you to be playing with friends or anything. I'll put it in a very simple context for you to understand." He said, and I slowly nodded. Feeling like I needed to take his bait. "When I graduated high school, there were roughly twenty five women who graduated with me. Now fifty three years later, there are none." Todd said, and I was shocked that he was even admitting to this much in the first place.

"And I am just making sure that none of them feel like they weren't fucking listened to. And now that I have you, I feel like I need to try even harder than I have before. It is just extremely hard to do stuff when I am too tired to move." Todd said, feeling like with that, maybe I would leave him alone for a bit.

"And Lydia, I know that you still need to finish school. The first semester is ending soon. Try and fucking focus on that right now." He was telling me, and I was slowly nodding. I guess that I understood where he was coming from. Even though it was often hard to fully get.

"But that is so far away. I don't know if I can handle eleven and a half more years of this toruture." I said, feeling like I just needed to be honest as I told him this. Dad sighed, and slowly nodded. As if feeling like this was an answer that he was not too shocked at all to hear.

"Everybody feels that way at times Lydia. Just don't let it fucking bring you down. After all, I hear that you have some good friends now. I feel like that is enough to keep you going." He was telling me. I considered what he said. Maybe he was right. But I was still feeling unsure what to tell him.

"Well, yeah, Claire and Robbie have been great so far. But I feel like I still have a ways to go with a few people." I said, thinking that I would just be honest. Especially Ruby. Like Lily I was feeling I could kind of get somewhere with. But Ruby was impossible to get anything on her at all without making it a fucking issue at all.

"See. Just focus on that for now. Be happy. I want to see you be happy." Dad said, and I was seeing from the look on his face taht he was clearly not lying, or playing a part. I smiled as he said this. I knew the more that I looked at dad, that there was no way in hell that he was the man that people tried to say he was.

"Thanks dad. It ameks me feel better hearing you say that." I said, and I was shaking my head. "I just hate it when I hear people in school and what not say enfrocement is not doing enough. I feel like people need to give you more credit." As I said this, I saw him looking upset as he said this.

"Don't listen to them. They are just upset at things. I am upset too. But unlike everybody else, I see the truth of the end. I know life is a fucked up story. But the only way to change that story is to fight in it, and see what I can get out of it." After dad told me this, I was shocked to hear him admit this in the first place.

"Dad, do you ever feel like the answer will be shown in our lives?" I asked, feeling like I needed to have him be fully honest with me. Especially as I was trying to forget the shit that Robbie told me about being lucky if I lived to twenty. Which was just a load of bullshit.

"I have no idea. And to be honest, I would rather not try and sell you something that in all honesty, I can never fucking be sure of. I think the truth is that we just need to all be more careful with our own choices." Dad said, and I shook my head. I wished that he would give me more. I needed more to understand what the fucking issue was in the first place.

"But to be honest, the only thing I want answered is what happened with Rhett's mother. Everything else is like fucking nothing in comparison. He has been talking to me about this all the time, and he has been desperate for answers. Just like how I was when I was his age." He said, feeling like he needed to be neutral as he was telling me this.

"You seem to respect Rhett a lot." I said, hoping to get him to talk. As I said this, he slowly nodded. I felt bad as he was nodding. Mainly because it made me jealous of the fact that I was worried that he liked Rhett more than he liked any of us. I wondered if he would rather have Rhett be his son than anybody else or something like that.

"Well, yeah I do. He is a nice guy. But I feel like he might be expecting too much from me. There is only so much that I can do to solve his issues. I have given him several tools. And he's a teenager who has a father who is constantly busy at work. If he wanted to look into this shit after he is done with all his school work, then what am I to do to stop him?" He asked, and I slowly nodded. Shocked that he was thinking this way.

"What if he wants you to do it for him? That way he knows how it's done the first time." I said, feeling like if he was willing to take my suggestion, then I would feel better. Dad looked at me, and I saw him looking like he wasn't too sure what to think of that idea. He just shook his head though.

"He already knows what to do. He needs to find it in himself to take care of this." After he was saying this, I really had no idea what the hell I was even going to be telling him at all. "But I will still help guide him that way, just in case." Todd said, and then he was shaking his head. Hoping that would satisfy me.

When dad was finding himself sleeping again, I wanted to say so much more. I wanted to try and see what was going on with him. But then I decided to just remain silent. I was feeling like he deserved a chance to remain calm, and remain quiet, and get the much needed sleep that he probably should have been having more than anybody else.

Scene 10: February 4 2021

The next day, when I was heading to lunch, that was when Robbie and I were talking for a bit. But we were shocked to see that there was another student who neither of us had ever met before, heading to the cafeteria. He was a bit taller than both of us, and I was shocked to even be seeing him here in the first place.

I looked at Robbie again, wondering what he thought of this guy. "Hey Robbie, do you think we should talk to him?" I asked, and then he shook his head. Having no idea what to think about this. I smiled, and then I started to head towards the guy. Mainly just to say hi to him, and see what I could get from him.

Robbie sighed, and he seemed relatively annoyed at this. But I was glad to see that he wasn't planning on arguing with me at all. I felt like maybe I shouldn't try and force anything on him anymore either. When I was next to the guy, he turned right towards me, and he looked really confused what I was even doing. "Hello. May I help you today?" He asked, sounding kind of confused and borderline annoyed at this.

"I just never seen you at school before, and I wanted to introduce myself to you." After I said that to him, he didn't look as annoyed as he had before. Almost like he was actually kind of happy to see that I was actually wanting to talk to him, and nothing else. "My name is Lydia Robinson."

He looked like he wasn't sure if he wanted to say his name quite yet. Then with that, he smiled, and then held his hand out. "Stanley Zhau. My parents decided to move here earlier this year. They wanted me to get to know the people before I fully enrolled at the start of second semester." Stanley said, as he looked right at Robbie, wondering what to say.

"Hey, are you her friend?" Stanley asked, and he seemed slightly worried to what Robbie was going to fucking say. Robbie smiled, and he was just simply looking glad to see that at least Stanley wasn't going to be a complete fucking asshole. For the time being.

"Yeah. Robbie Dan. But I'm also her body guard in a matter of speaking." Robbie said, and Stanly looked utterly confused at the fact that he was going out of his way to even say this in the first place. But then Stanley decided to adopt a fake smile. To mainly see what we would say here.

"It's because he's a grade older than me." I explained, feeling like it would make a lot more sense if I just clarified it for him, and got Steven to not be wondering as much. "I'm only in first grade though. So I don't have a lot of experience in Wayside that I can tell you about." I said, feeling that one semester worth of a head start wasn't much to work with, compared to even the three semesters Stanley said.

"Yeah, I will probably have to rely on Robbie's advice for the time being. I heard that there was something controversial that happened a couple of days ago." After Steven said this, that was when Robbie closed his eyes. As if this was the last question that he wanted to be asked.

"Yeah. Something related to a older girl in middle school. Nothing you need to concern yourself over with so soon. If it happens again, I will give you more." Robbie said, and then Stanley slowly nodded. Mildly shocked at the fact Robbie shot him down so fast, but also not too upset.

"To be honest, I kind of expected that you were going to say something like that. People always seem mildly annoyed when people bring these things up in the first place." Stanley said, and then he looked right at me again, and I saw him trying to put on a good face.

"So Lydia, do you have any other friends that I should meet soon?" After Stanley asked this, I slowly nodded. I suddenly got much more excited. Knowing that he was willing to entertain listening to me again. I looked at Robbie, and I saw him looking like he was glad to see me more confident.

"A couple. One named Claire and Lily. There is another one, Ruby, but she isn't available for now. Because she has something with her parents going on, and isn't allowed in school until it's fixed." I said, and I was wishing she would fucking return back already, so this issue could be fixed already.

"That's strange. Whatever. Not something I need to worry about. Tomorrow you should introduce me to Claire and Lily. Although until I become a official student on the 15th, I'm only allowed here during lunches. That way I don't disrupt classes and everything." He said, and I slowly nodded. Feeling like maybe that did make sense.

"Cool. I am sure they will fucking love you." I said, and I was seeing Stanley looking like he wasn't too sure what he wanted to think. But then he looked right at Robbie Dan again, and I was seeing him still looking like he was trying to decide what he wanted to think about something.

"I fucking hope you're god damn right." Stanley said, and I was hearing him sounding like he was trying to be sure of himself. But at the same time, I was hearing him sounding like he was relatively firm on the idea that something like this was just simply not going to be working out. I simply looked at Robbie, wondering what he was thinking.

"But anyways, sorry for asking about the missing people. You probably did not want me to ask about that at all." Stanley said, and Robbie nodded, as if feeling like what Stanley said was a bit on the fucking nose there, for better or worse.

"To be honest, this is a subject that most of us fucking hate to discuss. I will let it go for now, since you're new, and have no idea. But in general, you need to stay away from these things." After Robbie said this, I was seeing Stanley looking like he was taken aback by the harshness of the mans words.

But I was aware of what Robbie was meaning. And I knew that every time RObbie talked about it, he was making some really bad mistakes the whole time. Mistakes that would get him in so much trouble. But I knew he no longer cared whatsoever.

I wondered if Robbie was aware of the angle he was playing, and if he was aware that he was kind of telling Stanley something that very much applied to himself. But I was choosing to leave him alone about it for now. I looked at Stanley, hoping to get him to listen.

"To be honest dude, I think we both need to just relax. Nothing we will get out of this out of being on the edge of our seats." I said, trying to lighten the mood a touch. If such a thing was even fucking possible at this god damn point.

"Yeah, I guess you're fucking right." Robbie said, and I was hearing him sounding like he was barely pressing himself to enjoy what he was hearing. "Besides, yelling at each other is not going to be helping any of us out at all." Robbie said, with the barely hint of a smile.

"Did something happen to you guys?" Stanley asked, as if he was feeling like he needed to try and find something to do to get into this. I looked at him, and I was feeling like maybe I would tell him soon enough. When I was feeling the strength to be telling him these fucking things.

"Not really. Something happened to my fucking family though, and that is what I am worried about." I said, feeling like I would try and be honest with him as I said this. When I said this, I needed him to fucking relax, and see that I was not having any fucking issues at all.

"Yeah. Just something with her older brothers, and I was fucking caught up with this." Robbie said, and I was seeing him looking like there was something of a sense of relief. When he was seeing that I was no longer going to be trying to play nice about this whole thing either.

"Older brothers? How many do you have?" Stanley asked me, as if not aware of the tension that was rising between Robbie and I. As he said this, I looked at him, and I was glad that he was at least willing to fucking go along with giving me something else to discuss.

"Five older ones and five younger ones. I am the only girl." I said, and to be honest, the more I said this, with each passing time it came out of my mouth, I was more proud of it. I wanted people to know that I was the one girl with ten brothers.

Stanley looked shocked, but excited and impressed to hear this. As if this was something he wanted to hear to make his life in Wayside at least more interesting. And that was enough to make me feel proud of myself. Just knowing that Stanley did not judge me or my brothers for this.

"Wow. That sounds awesome. Do you have any experiences you want to tell me about?" Stanley asked, and I was shaking my head. I was not in the mood for this to be the discussion of interest right now. In fact, I was barely wanting to talk to people at all anymore. I was so fucking done with this now.

"Maybe later. But for now, I want to fucking relax, and just finish my day. Tomorrow, I will tell you more." I said, and I was seeing Stanley looking shocked at this. But then he slowly nodded. As if feeling like he needed to understand that this was a bad time.

"Okay. See you then." Stanley said, and I was slowly nodding in approval. He was able to fucking understand that this was no god damn joke, and I would not play around at all. Which almost just made me wonder if he was mad at the way that I was acting. I was almost feeling mad at the way that I was doing this too.

When lunch was over, I was glad that the tension between Robbie and I was relasing. I knew that things were getting rough between us just there, and I knew that I needed to be much more careful with what I was trying to do going forward. To not make things much worse at all.

And I was glad that Stanley was willing to talk to me. Knowing that he was at least interested in getting to know me. It felt like I was doing something good for once in my fucking life. LIke I was finally just becoming the person that I needed to be, and not the person that I feared myself to be.

To be honest, it was relieving. Knowing that if I just believed in myself enough, I would be able to get people to fucking calm down, see my perspective, and with that, everything was going the exact way that I need.

Scene 11: February 5 2021

The next day, I was at the front of the school, waiting for Ruby to pick up her school work. As we were talking, that was when Stanley was showing up. I guess since school was out, that was technically a automatic pass on having to worry about getting kicked out and what not. But I was still unsure of how I was supposed to be feeling here.

"Is this your friend Ruby?" Stanley asked, and Ruby looked right at me, and I was seeing her utterly confused who the hell this guy was. I smiled, and figured that I would give a small explanation on the matter, and then after that, the two of us would be able to move on again.

"Yeah... She and I have been hanging out for quite a while. But we never really hung out after school. Do you think you would want to try and hang out with her?" I asked, and then Stanley was looking shocked to hear me suggest that idea in the first place. But then he looked right at Ruby, as if wondering what she would say about the idea.

"Cool. So Ruby, are you planning on hanging out for a while?" Stanley asked, and I sighed. I had no idea what the plan was going to be. "I am going to be starting school after the semester ends next week. And I am trying hard to get in tune with the social circle here." Stanley said, and waved his hand around. Then he looked at Ruby once again. As if hoping that she had something for him.

"Sadly, I just need to get my stuff, and then head back soon. But it's great that you have friends. Lydia is a nice person. Once you know her." After Ruby said that, I smiled as she told him this. I was hoping that this was a sign of the fact that no matter how distant she was seeming, she was still going to be wanting to hang out with me.

"But don't you look a bit older? I mean, I know that Robbie Dan is technically in the second grade and what not, but still..." She explained, and then Stanley shrugged, as if feeling like something like this really did not matter nearly as much as she was expecting.

"Yeah, second grade as well. My parents wanted me to have a completely new experience at a completely new school. So I decided to go along with it." After Stanley said this, he sounded like he was feeling mildly attacked that he was getting his age brought up in such a non subtle matter. I looked at Ruby, as if hoping that she would stop talking like this.

"Well, I guess just make sure that Robbie doesn't do anything crazy when you guys are in class together. People have been trying to warn Lydia that he might not be the best influence ever." After Ruby said that, she winked at me, as if thinking that I would appreciate her trying to tease me like this. I shook my head, feeling like she did not understand the fact that Robbie really was a great guy.

"Well, I'm not sure if I would be any better. But thanks for talking to me. So Ruby, if you don't mind me asking, are you actually worried the teachers might try and do something to you?" Stanley asked, and I was shocked that he decided to go there. As he asked this, he saw Ruby immediately have a look of dread on her face. I shook my head, and was hoping that I would be able to end this discussion as fast as possible. For both our sakes.

"Well, a little bit yeah. But to be honest, it is a subject that I never liked talking about at all. I just think that after that teacher was caught, then nobody or anything is safe, and that is something that scares the shit out of me." After she admitted this, I was looking at Stanley, hoping he would never bring it up like that again.

"But if that teacher is already caught, and in jail, then there is nothing else to worry about... Right?" She asked Ruby and I. As she said this, I was considering what he said. I mean, it was a valid enough point. As much as I hated to admit it. But as I was looking at Ruby, I was wondering if she would have the same perspective that he did, and what not.

"I don't know. There could be other teachers like that. And from the rumors I heard, that might be true. I don't know. I don't want to take the risk, and I would rather not think about it." After she admitted this, I was feeling regret over her admission. I wanted her to be happier. But if this was the way she was genuinely feeling, then there was no way in hell I could get him to shut down the debate now. She gave him the fucking back door to work with, and now I was wondering where we were going to go from here.

"What rumors have you fucking heard?" Stanley asked, and she looked at him, as if finding his pressuring to be a bit annoying. "Look, I am just trying to understand what I am fucking getting into. And I am not backing down on this. Even if you do not like it." After Stanley admitted to this, I was shocked that this was the approach he was taking. On one hand, I could appreciate the honesty. But on the other hand, it was a bit much to handle to be honest.

"Well, just about various teachers. Nothing that I want to get focused on though. Forget that I even mentioned it. I know that people like you guys always get caught up in these things once I open up the back door." She admitted, and Stanley looked like he was trying to decide what he was wanting to say there. As if furious that she was treating him like this in the first place.

"And besides, most of the ones that I hear about were referring to the high school ones. So we don't even need to worry about that for quite a while." She said, and I was wondering if she was seriously thinking that Stanley was going to be taking the punches for what they fucking were at all.

"But we will be going there some day. But you're right. I shouldn't be focused on that at all." After Stanley said that, he sounded like he was almost regretting what he had fucking said. "Yeah, I just heard that story, and got way too curious. That is something that is easily my biggest fucking bane at life." He said, and I laughed at that. At least he was being honest as he explained this. Which was something I could appreciate him saying.

"Sorry. I wasn't trying to be a fucking asshole. Maybe I need to be more fair to you. After all, you are a new student here. And I am going to be heading back soon. You said you wanted friends? I guess that I can try and see if I could make it work." Ruby said, and she was holding her hand out. As she did this, she looked right at Robbie, as if hoping that he would take the offer. As he looked at her for a second, he slowly nodded, and took the handshake.

"It's great to meet you." Stanley said, and then after he said this, I could feel all the tension and heat gone. And I was sighing, and feeling so much better as he did this. It just truly felt like there was no need to be so scared anymore. And that was enough to make me feel like our job was a job well done.

"I hope that going forward, we never have to worry about these conversations again, or the idea of there being tension and what not." He was saying, hoping that he would be able to make the subject as nice as posisble. If such a thing was even fucking possible. But I didn't fucking know what to think.

"But Ruby, if there is something that worried you, and you do need to talk, then I would be willing to fucking hear your side." After Stanley was telling her this, I was seeing Ruby looking shocked that he had said this. She looked down, as if feeling like maybe he was needing to kind and calm down a bit, and not try so hard to be making something work like this.

"I do appreciate the sentiment." She decided to go with, and then after that, this was when Stanley sighed in relief, and calmed down, and I was seeing him looking like he was trying to find something else to say. "But Stanley, I think that first, you do need to focus on your own things, and not worry about what I will say. For all we know, you will have a tough time getting into school." Ruby was telling him, and Stanley looked towards the school, as if aware of what she was saying.

"To be honest, you are probably right. Which is the main reason why I want to come here more often on these last days, and I have been stopping by for lunch. That way I can get used to the area and people know me right away. At least to a degree." After he said that to Ruby, I was wondering how well they would be able to actually interact once they were in the school premises going forward.

"I also saw Robbie Dan earlier. That guy is fucking stiff. Hard to get him to talk about anything ever." Robbie said, and I was slowly nodding. He got that so fucking right on the nose, that it was a bit annoying to think about. Especially since I was trying so hard to get him to open up as well.

"Yeah, that was what I was talking about earlier. Although my delivery wasn't that great. But Lydia really likes him, and I guess that I do enjoy talking with him on the times we talked." After she said this to me, she looked right at me, hoping that I would take that comment, and not be so fucking harsh on her over it.

"Well, he was the first friend that I had going into school. Nobody talked with me forever. Even Claire took some real time breaking through with." I said, thinking to those times, and thinking about the fact that I am glad that I am not nearly as lost as I used to be. Which was enough to drive me forward, and to be happier.

"Yeah. I guess that is fair enough. I am trying to see it more from your perspective." After Ruby said that, I was wondering if the two of us were going to be cut throat like this. Or if it was just something that the two of us were going to get better at later. But I hardly fucking cared for the time being. I was just happy that things were fine.

"So Lydia, do you have any plans for later?" She asked me, and I was shaking my head. There was no way in hell that I had anything like this. When I had been talking with them forever. And I didn't mind it. But the question was ridiculous. So with that, she dropped her stuff off, picked the new stuff up, and the three of us just hung out afterwards.

Scene 12: February 6 2021

The next day, I was meeting up with Claire, and I was feeling I would end up telling her about Stanley, so that way she would be able to be ready for him. After all, she would probably just be more shocked that I was actually doing something like that in the first place more than anything else.

"So Robbie and I met a second grade transfer that will be coming over starting next semester. We have been hanging out with him too, and I was hoping that you would be able to meet him soon." I said, silently hoping for something like Monday, which would mean we would be able to do it as fast as humanly possible.

"But why have you been hanging out with older students? Isn't that kind of strange? I mean, I guess I can kind of understand Robbie because of the whole Bebe thing... But everything else is strange." After Claire said that to me, I was shaking my head. I was wishing that this could have gone better than it had been.

"Well, he just happened to be in the cafeteria, and he seemed rather lost and alone, and I wanted to see if he needed somebody to talk with. After all, he needs to be around people close to his age for him to adapt well enough." I explained, hopimg that this would be enough to make her feel slightly better. But he shook his head simply. As if this was a terrible idea.

"I guess that's fine then. I guess that I feel like this is all just so fucking strange. After all, you know nothing about that guy at all. But I guess that you're right. You can't get to know somebody well unless if you actually talk with them." Claire said, and she sounded kind of unsure if she was still feeling this way. But I was glad that she was willing to at least pretend like this was her feelings, for my own sake.

"But do you feel like Robbie would have actually wanted to be friends with him? I mean, for all we know, he might be feeling like he is kind of being forced into this whole thing. Which would not be a good sign for you." After she was telling me this, I was shaking my head. Not sure what the hell else I was even supposed to be saying.

"I feel like he will be fine with it soon enough. Give him some fucking time, and I am sure things will fucking work out. After all, Robbie needs friends just as much as everybody else here, and I feel like he just needs to see that for himself." I told Claire, and I was still seeing her seem kind of unsure of what she was supposed to believe. I guess that she just needed some fucking time to sort through this all.

"If you fucking say so." Claire said, and I was wondering why she was having such a hard time buying this all. And I was feeling like if this was genuinely the way she felt, there was no reason to try and convince her otherwise. "But if you really do want to give him a chance, then I will as well. After all, you're my friend." After she said that, I was smiling. This was exactly what I had needed.

"I can tell that he's a great guy. I think that he will just need some fucking time. And you will see what I fucking mean." After I said this, I was so dead set on what I was feeling, that I was feeling like there was no way in hell that I could possibly be wrong. I mean, I was right about Robbie Dan, and that was enough to help keep me motivated to continue going.

"Yeah, sure. I guess that Ruby's paranoia just rubbed off on me a bit. For some reason, I can't help but always feel like something is about to come up here. But regardless, I just just think that I need to separate my paranoia of the teachers from my thoughts on everybody else here." After Claire said this, I smiled. I was feeling so glad that I would be able to tell Stanley this, and make everything work out better.

"Yeah, Stanley was even talking to her about that. He was telling her that he understood where she was coming from, but that he was not like those teachers. That he was better. And to be honest, I feel like he is. I don't even fully know why. I just kind of have a sense of hope." I explained to her, and I was seeing her looking like she was kind of glad to know that no matter what was happening, I was still able to understand where she was coming from.

"Well, he seems like a well intentioned enough person. So I guess that I should try and be fair. After all, I have no idea what is going on with him on his own time." As Claire said this, we started to leave her room, and started to head outside, when one of her mothers was calling out to us. I looked over at her, and saw that it was the one who worked with Rob.

"Stay safe you two. And make sure that you guys don't run into any trouble." She said, and then she was looking right at me. "Just make sure that no matter what happens, nothing happens to Claire. I don't want anything bad to go down." She explained, and I was slowly nodding. Trying to see where she was coming from. But I guess that I was not really all there anymore.

"I will." I said, not sure how the hell else I was supposed to respond. So we left the house, and I was confused on what I even wanted to say. "Your mom seemed rather tense as she was telling me this." I said, feeling like I would break the conversation that way.

"Well, what do you expect when my mom is working for Rob Reichenbach. Her boss having to deal with horrible rumors about him on a daily fucking basis, and people showing virtually no respect for the work that he does? I feel like I would be in the same level of annoyance as he was, if I was honest." After Claire told me this, and we were walking off, I slowly nodded. I completely got what she was saying. If I was being honest.

"I mean, I did feel that way when my older brother Jack of all people were getting on my dads case about the stuff that he had been doing. So I guess that I do sort of see where you are coming from. Hearing Jack say that about dad really fucking pissed me off, and I felt utterly disgusted that he was showing no trust in dad." I explained, feeling like I just needed to express my frustration at the entire thing.

"Well, if your older brother says something, the maybe that is a good sign that you need to see if your father is really the righteous great man that you fucking make him out to be? How about you fucking try and look at that for once?" She asked me, and I was wondering what had gotten into her. I felt like she was just being a utter bitch for no good reason.

"If we wanted to be one hundred percent fair, I feel like most people would say the same about your mother. But I feel that is not in my place to fucking judge." I said, and I hoped that by telling Claire this, in that fashion, that she would get that this was not a fucking joke, and I was not going to play around at all.

"Yeah, I fucking know that. I mean, I have to deal with her being utterly distraught on a nearly daily basis. Hearing people say so many horrible things about her, and acting like she has made so many fucking mistakes, and I just feel like the nagativity is starting to really wear down on her. And I don't even know if I can fully blame her at all." Claire explained, and I was feeling like maybe I just needed to try and be more respectful to what she was saying.

"And I think that because of my mothers job, she has a better authority than any human being in Wayside when she says that Rob is a good man, who is trying his best to make things work. I think that he just simply isn't being given enough chance to make this work out." After Claire explained that to me, I was trying really hard to see that perspective. But I felt like maybe there was a hint of truth to it all.

"Yeah, I guess that I can sort of see what you are saying. I guess that sometimes, it is hard to put aside the stories that I hear. Especially with what my father fucking says about that company. But I guess that technically you might be right." I said, and I was feeling like what I was saying was being fair enough.

"But have you actually talked with her about all the details? You know, beyond her being sad and shit? I feel like maybe there is more to it than you believe. Just simply fucking consider it, is all that I am saying." After I explained that, I was wondering if she was even remotely willing to deal with my bullshit at all, or if she was getting increasingly tired of my shit all the time.

"I have tried to. I mean, I wanted her to tell me for a project. Just to see what I could get. But she just didn't want to hear it. She was convinced that having this discussion was going to be leading us to no fucking good. And I guess that I can sort of see that. After all, we're still just in first grade." Claire explained, but I was feeling like that was still enough to know what we've been doing.

"That's still almost eight whole years. More than nothing." I said, feeling like I would try and get her to think that through. As I said this, she slowly nodded. But it was still looking like she was utterly flustered by the shit that I was saying, and I had no idea what to say.

"I don't know. I just feel like if I try and talk with her, she hates the fact that I even know the subject in the first place. Ironic because she was the one that told me about it all in the first place. So she really can't bitch about me knowing these things, when it was all becuase of her." Claire said, showing mild annoyance at that.

"Make sure your mother doesn't fucking know that. She might be kind of upset if she knew that you felt that way about her." I said, feeling like maybe if I tried to get her to look at things differently, then things would have been better, or at least not as intense.

But before long, I ended up just calming down. I was feeling happier, knowing that Claire and I were able to trust each other with these conversations. And I was feeling like this was something that the two of us were going to be able to keep together for the rest of our lives. I just hoped that Claire did feel the same way. Especially if the harsh words that Robbie told me were true.

Scene 13: February 7 2021

The next day, when the super bowl had finally ended, that was when I was feeling like I would just go on and do my own thing. I was getting ready to start heading to the park, when Jack was calling out to me. I sighed, and turned to him. Wondering what in the world he was even wanting to do. To be honest, after everything that he had said earlier, I was not really in the mood to talk with him.

"Look Jack, I don't really know what are you are wanting to talk about, so would you be willing to just spit it out?" I asked, and I was aware of how rude I was being. But to be honest, when I was in the moment, I was hardly finding myself caring at all. But I could see from the look on Jack's face that he was mildly affected by my abrasive attitude.

Then with this, I calmed down for a second, feeling like I just needed to try and be calm and fair with him. "Look, I know that this is probably going to be about dad. I know what you want to say. So just fucking be out with it." I said, feeling like no matter how harsh I was, and how much I might be kind of a asshole, I just needed to try and make my point.

"I know that you and I never agreed on that. And I don't care about that anymore. But the truth is that I just wanted to apologize for throwing you into that conversation in the first place. To be honest, I just needed somebody to talk with. And I was feeling like you would be a good person to really let it out with." He finished, and I was sort of keeping myself at a slight distance. Hoping that soon enough, this would end.

"Well, I tried to tell dad about your doubts, and he was saying something like that was natural. He wasn't upset or anything. So if he isn't, then I guess that I need to calm down, and not be super mad at you either. After all, all you did was just express an opinion." I said, feeling like I just needed to really make it seem as fair as possible.

"Of course dad is going to be like that. He always looks at the positive side of things, and looks at everybodys perspective no matter what. It is so hard for that guy to show any emotions at all." After Jack explained that to me, I was seeing his point of view. After all, there was nothing for me to gain with being angry at Jack or whatever.

"You say that like it's a bad thing, that he wants to look at everybody's side of things? Do you seriously think dad is a bad fucking guy or something?" I asked, and I was seeing Jack looking like he was having no idea what he was wanting to believe. "I just want to know what your fears are coming from, and maybe I can explain that to dad, and you guys can understand."

"I don't know if I really want something like that. He is too fucking high and mighty at times. But I guess that maybe one talk wouldn't fucking kill me." After Jack was saying this, he calmed down for a few seconds. And in those few seconds, I was starting to think things were slightly different.

"But I know that you're trying to see the good in everybody. So in that case, I will just try and see your side of things. Thanks for at least listening to me. I just never wanted things to get this bad. I really, truly, never fucking did." After he was saying this, I was really having a impossible time buying that shit.

"Thanks Jack. I really don't want this to get worse than it is. Just try and be happier when you are with him. He deserves a fucking chance. Believe me when I fucking say that." I said, as I was heading off, and I was not going to be spending any more time worrying about this discussion. It was in the past, and I was going to try and treat it as such. Especially since I really did not want Jack to hate me over something like this in the first place.

I was hoping that soon enough, Jack would find his way. I wanted him to be happier. But I was having a feeling that something like this was not going to work out if he was not going to be giving dad a chance. I truly believe that everything was all going to come together when things with dad would start to settle down again.

Before long, I was at the park again, and I was seeing Stanley sitting down as well. On the swings. As I saw this, I decided that I would try and fucking see what was going on with him. "Hey Stanley? What are you fucking doing here?" I asked, and I realized that all idea of having tact was thrown out the window the second I asked my question this way.

"I was thinking about my fucking father. I wasn't entirely truthful when I was talking to you about why he moved here." Stanley said, and then I looked right at him. Scared out of my mind on what was to fucking come forward. "If I tell you, will you promise not to fucking tell anybody else? I really do not want this to become a fucking issue again." He said, and I slowly nodded at this.

"Truth be told, I don't have both my parents. My mother and father divorced earlier this year. The agreement was that my father would keep me during the school year due to his job opportunities, and my mother would have me in the summers so I could be able to catch up with old friends and everything." Stanley said, and I was glad to hear that at least they were both still alive.

"To be honest, with your friend Rhett, I think half the reason his mother was brutually murdered was because she tried to keep full custody of him, and never let his dad be with him. I feel like that might have been a really bad fucking mistake." After he explained that to me, I was feeling like this was a bit harsh, and I was feeling like he needed to keep that comment to himself.

"That is something that you should never fucking tell him in person. If you do, then I feel like he would never want to speak to you again. His mothers death completely fucking changed him." I said, feeling like this should have been extremely obvious. But then he shook his head, as if feeling like this made some sense.

"Do you seriously think I would? But that is not it. The reason they got divorced in the first place is because of what he was doing. You know, his new job opprotunity? That is what started this whole thing. And to be honest, given everything that happened, I can almost see why my mom reacted the way that she did." Stanley said, and I sat down on the swing next to him.

"So do you know what sex is?" Stanley asked, and I looked right at him. I heard the word, but I knew nothing else about it. So I shook my head, hoping that he would be able to explain to me what it was all about. He sighed, glad to know that he was able to teach me something at the very least.

"Well, it is basically when a woman and man make love, and share each others feelings. It's basically how kids are made. Point is, my father had been working in the trade for a while, and part of the issue is that after a while, my mother felt like she was just being used by him. But beyond that, there was even more to it." Stanley said, and I was wondering why he even knew this when he was eight years old. But I decided to keep that to myself, for the time being.

"Well, my father had been pimping out young women across town, with older guys, and making money out of it. Neither one of my parents know that I am aware of this. But I over heard their argument at one point, when she was accusing him of ruining these girls lives. But then he said that they were the ones that wanted this first, and he was simply providing a service to them." Stanley shrugged as he said this. "I don't get it. But we were making good money off of it. So I have no idea why my mother was so against it. I feel like she should have been happy that at least he was making a living out of it.

"So they divorced because she disagreed with the way you guys were making money? But you said it yourself, that you guys were having a great living?" I asked, and then he was sighing as I asked him this. He seemed like he regretted ever bringing this up in the first place.

"To be fair, if it was just that, I think my mother would have probably let it go in time. But the next part is what I think really did it for her. About three months after the argument, when I had almost completely forgotten all about it, a woman came to our house. My mother was there at the time, and that was when we learned that she was pregnant. With his own fucking kid." Stanley said, and then this was when I kind of felt my heart stop for a second. Knowing full well what he was meaning when he said this.

"He explained and tried to justify it by saying that every time he was setting up a girl, he would sleep with her once as a way to get her to feel more confident in what she was doing. Then he also went on to explain that this was not the first time that he had gotten one of them pregnant, but that this was the first time he was caught." Stanley said, and that was when I was scared of where this story was going to go next. But we had gone too deep into it for me to not want to know the rest.

"So basically, that admission was what really made her have enough. She said that they were done. She said that she would not be able to forgive him for his lack of loyalty, and that if he wasn't comitted to her anymore, then he just needed to move on." As Stanley finished this, I was sort of considering what he said. I mean, I did think his mother kind of had a fucking point, if I was being completely fucking honest here.

"So that is where we are now. This was in November. She said she would give him three months to find something, and ironically enough, less than a week later, he got the offer in Wayside. So he took it, and they made the agreement about me that we discussed earlier." After he said that to me, I felt like i needed to understand him.

"Thanks for telling me that. I'm glad to know you better." I said, feeling like I just needed to be honest with him. Stanley smiled as I said that. Genuinely seeming to be glad that I was no longer trying to appeal to him, and that I was actually genuinely just listening to him for once.

Scene 14: February 8 2021

The next day at school, Claire was going through with her promise to meet Stanley, and give him a honest chance. I was just glad to see that she was not turning back on her word. I was scared that she was going to form some fucking excuse to why she wouldn't be able to do so. But now that the three of us were together, that all in the past now.

I was still thinking of the conversation that I had with him the night before. But I was doing everything in my power to not fucking tell anybody what I heard. I was refusing for this to become a fucking issue. "Hey dude. Lydia was telling me all about you. Said that I needed to talk with you, and get to know everything about you and shit." After she said this, that was when Stanley was looking like maybe he was already doing something that pissed her off a bit.

"Well, yeah. I am just trying to get into the rythem of being in school and everything. To be honest, I am kind of scared of this place so far. It just feels like I am at a place where I do not fukcing belong." After Stanley admitted this, I was kind of feeling bad for him. But I just felt like I needed to remain silent for a bit. After all, he needed to do things on his own. And I was just hoping that I was not going to be seen as overbearing or anything like that. Especially when I still hardly knew him.

"Well, that is what everybody thinks of this school. They always have this strange feeling that they don't really belong here. But I guess people don't really have a sense of the proper atpmohsphere of this place." She was saying, as if trying to find a way to make it seem like she at least somewhat understood what Stanley was saying.

"It doesn't really bother me anymore though. I think that once you kind of get used to these things, then it is no longer that big of a issue. But honestly guys, I just feel like there is something about this town. To be honest, it feels like there is almost a level of fake happiness going on here. I can't fucking explain it though." Stanley said, and he looked right at us, wondering what I would say to this.

"Fake feeling? I guess that I kind of understand that. My parents always kind of feel that way around me as well. Like they are trying really fucking extra hard to pretend like everything is fine, and that nothing is going on at all. It just alll feels a bit strange." After I said this, I really had no idea what else I could say. "I just think it would be best to not say these things openly though. Not want to get people in your face over it." I explained, hoping that I would get him to never go down this rabbit hole again.

"Maybe that is what Jack was trying to tell me earlier, and had a bad time saying it. That there was a fake feeling here, and that nothing that happens feels genuine anymore. But I just wonder why he was bringing dad down as a result of that." I said, feeling like I just needed to try and fucking see the full side of the story now.

"Is that one of your brothers? Jack?" Stanley asked, and I was slowly nodding. And also the one that I felt like he would have the hardest time probably getting along with.

"Yeah, the youngest of my older five brothers. But he is really into sports, and never takes the time to really talk with people about what is going on with himself. So it's like nothing gets through to him at all." I said, hoping that the more that Stanley was talking here, the better that things would go for all of us.

"Do you have any siblings?" Claire asked, feeling as if this was a way to break Stanley up a bit. Stanley shook his head, and Claire had a fake smile as he nodded. "Yeah. I kind of guessed that was the case. I never had any either. My moms basically told me that they were just going to have one and that was it."

"Do you feel like you would want a sibling though? I mean, that is something that you need to be honest with yourself about? And if you do, then I feel like you need to just tell them that. I am sure that they are more than willing to talk to you." After Stanley told her this, I was seeing Claire looking shocked that he even said such a thing at all.

I was also surprised that Stanley denied having any. I mean, he wasn't fully wrong. But at the same time, he kind of did. With his father, and everything that he had done. I felt like it might not have been fair to kind of lie about that. But I chose to simply keep these comments to myself.

"But I don't want to make it a issue with them. They are always so fucking busy, that it feels like it would be downright selfish if I wnet through and asked them for anything like that." Claire said, and I was shocked at how deeply she was going with this. Especially since it was something that I would have never looked at myself. If I was being fully honest.

"But I do appreciate the fact that you seem to care though." She said, and then with that, the bell rang for lunch to end. I went back to class, while thinking of what Stanley had suggested earlier. I had no idea what the hell I could have said or done to make things any different or better. But I felt like I was just doing my best.

Once school was done, and Stanley showed up again, I saw that he had something that he wanted to ask me. I could just tell from the look on his face. I sighed slowly, feeling like whatever he wanted to say, I better let it happen. It would just be better for everybody to do things this way.

"Hey Lydia, I wanted to talk to you about maybe coming over to your house tomorrow? After school, and you can just show me around..." He said, and I was seeing him looking like he was utterly desperate for me to go along with this idea. I sighed, feeling like this idea was probably not going to go as well as he was assuming it would.

"Yeah, you can if you wanted to. I have no idea how my parents might think of it though. But honestly, I don't even fucking care anymore. Worst comes to worst, I will just have to kick you out if they get upset." I said, feeling utterly uncertain of what I was even fucking doing. "But Stanley, I just have to fucking know the angle you're playing at here." I said, feeling like I just needed to be blunt as I was telling him this.

"Well, to be honest, I want to see what your brothers are like to start with. But beyond that, I think that it could be a good bonding experience we both get to really know each other." After he said that to me, I was slowly nodding, and I had no idea what the hell I was even supposed to be telling him there.

"Fair enough. I mean, only really Robbie Dan knows what my brothers are all like. And even then, it is more just sort of know them." I said, feeling like this idea was a fucking wash. But I had no idea how in the world I was even supposed to go through with this idea in the first place.

"But try not to be too upset if they do not seem receptive of your ideas. They are often times a hard crowd to please. And that alone can make things really hard." I said, feeling like if I warned him this, then he might be a bit more ready for when the time of bullshit was to fucking come.

"Okay. I will try. But you're making it seem like your brothers are an extremely tough group of people to break through with." He said, and I slowly nodded. He had no idea the fucking start of it. And that was the thing that pissed me off about it the most. But I chose to simply not say much at all. After all, he was still getting his hopes up.

"They are just having a hard time doing things right now. Especially the older ones. Gabe is about to graduate high school, and Todd is dealing with relationship stuff, and Josiah is just doing the best he can to help Rhett in the time of need. In all honesty, it makes perfect sense that things are the way they are." I said, feeling like I just needed to be straight up real with him as I said this.

"I suppose I can see it that way. But Lydia, what do you think you'll fucking do if it turns out that there is a lot more to it than that, and that in all honesty, you're just kind of supporting your brothers being extremely fucking rude and what not?" After Stanley asked me this, I wondered why he was even trying so hard to get me to open up like this.

"Well, I will just have to talk with them one by one, and really make it clear that they are not to treat my friends like that. And maybe make a ultimatum with each one of them. Like say for Seth, tell him 'if you don't stop, I will never support your comedy acts ever again.'" I said, feeling like that is a good way to put it, without making things too incredibly hard to work with.

"Shit. Oh, well, I really don't want it to get to that point. I never want to make you get to the point where youa re forced to choose between me or your family. But if it does, then I think that you need to pick them. As they are more long term." After he said that to me, I was considering what he was saying. He sounded sincere enough.

I slowly nodded, as a way to appease him, and make him feel like I was not trying to be a asshole at all. "Yeah, I guess I can try. Well, see you tomorrow, and I will give you a tour of my crazy ass house." I said, and I was shaking my head. I was just really excited to show him the place. And even more excited that he wanted to fucking see it.

"Yeah. It is going to be awesome. I really hope you do not flake out on me." He was telling me, and I slowly nodded. I was feeling like there was no reason at all for me to try and flake out on this situation. I just needed to push through as much as I fucking could.

"Thanks Stanley. I think we will do great. Things just need some fucking time." I said, and I smiled as I told him this. So with that, I was starting to head home. As I was leaving Stanley there, I wondered if my father would actually support this meet up. Or if he was going to just basically tell me that this was a bad idea. Then come up with excuse on how Stanley was going to be a bad influence for me or some shit like that.

Scene 15: February 9 2021

The next day, after school was done, Stanley and I met up, to go home, and check the entire house out. But before we left, we did have a little bit of a talk with Ruby. She was finding herself doing alright, and admitted that she was slowly feeling more and more comfortable with coming back. Maybe not next week, but the week after. Stanley also told her that he thought it was great that she was willing to go back so relatively soon, and hoped that she would enjoy her time back at school again.

Once we were at our house, Stanley was looking around at me for a few seconds. "I am glad that Ruby seems to be doing well at least. I was worried that she wouldn't want to come back at all." Robbie said, and I nodded in agreement. I was proud of her progress, but we decided to go inside, to start with the tour.

"Alright, so what do you want to do exactly?" I asked, looking right at Stanley. He started to look around the room, wondering what the hell he would even find in the first place. "Do you just want to meet the siblings first?"

"That might be best." After Stanley said that, we were starting to walk around, and then that was when there was a open door. The one door that was never meant to be open, as dad insisted that we were to never go in his study. "Give me a second to close this up." I said, scared of what I would find here. So as I was heading to the door, I was finding myslef tempted for a second.

I had no idea why, but to be honest, when was looking through, I had a unwavering desire to go and check it out. Stanley walked up to me, and I was wondering what he was going to say. "Are you going to close the door or not?" He asked, and then I was looking right at him. I had no idea what I was going to tell him. I shook my head, feeling like this choice would be one I would regret later. But I didn't fucking care.

"I need to check. This is my father's study. I have to know what he does." I said, and then I walked inside. Stanley looked around, and I was seeing him looking like he was horrified at what was happening. He probably thought we were going to get in a ton of trouble if we did this. But for him, if I was caught, I would just take the blame, and he would be fine for the time being.

"If you get yourself in trouble, do not fucking blame me then." Robbie was saying, and I was shaking my head. I was feeling like he was being a bit ridiculous. But I was choosing to simply not say anything. So with that, I went right to his desk, where I was seeing his computer still open, but turned off.

I was looking up, and I saw the password, and I put it in. Although even without knowing the context, from the stories I heard, I did feel a twinge of sadness when I saw the password: SheldonOswaldLee. I knew it was because of a lost friend from years ago. Once I was opening it up, I was seeing Stanley standing next to me. Probably just wondering what the hell we would find there, and since we had already gotten this deep, might as well see where to go next.

I saw the thousands of files. So many written documents I would have literally been there all year trying to go through them all. But I was also seeing another folder, for video files, and I looekd at Stanley, wondering what I was even going to find in there when I looked through.

One of them was named "Confessional Number 1". As I was about to click on it, that was when Stanley placed his hand on my shoulder. "You do not need to go through these if you don't want to. After all, truth be told, his stuff is none of your business." After he said that, I shook my head.

"I need to fucking know. I mean, what if there is a extremely good reason Jack hates the shit dad is doing. What if he already knows everything that is going on here." After I said this to him, he closed his eyes. He seemed like he was entirely against this idea. But that at the same time, he was feeling like he needed to leave me alone.

"I just have a feeling that you will regret what you see in there." Stanley said, and I was slowly nodding. I knew that he was right. But I was having a hard time really fucking admitting it at all. It just felt like if I knew what was going on in here, then I would never be able to get over this.

"I will just watch the first one, and see what it even says." I said, feeling like that was fair enough. Stanley slowly nodded. As if feeling like maybe this was something he could accept. So with that, I pressed play, hoping for it to be nothing serious.

It was a older footage tape. From the date, it would have been from about two months before Gabe was born. It was so surprising to see him relatively younger, which was strange to say since he was still fifty two at the time. So not really young per se. He looked like he was literally ready to break down.

"I am setting up these recordings and files on my hard drives and what not. When I die, I am going to leave it in my will that my oldest surviving child, hopefully Todd Jr still, will release these all to the public. The world deserves to know the truth. About both Wayside, and about me as a person." Dad said, and I was shocked that he was admitting this all in the first place.

"The first one I am going to confess is that I am solely responsible for the death of Maurecia. She was a classmate of mine from when I was in middle and early high school. She died very early in our time in high school, and I will admit that I was the one that killed her. I was forced to take a shot, and I took it, and it failed.

When my friend Sheldon and I were infiltrating the Needlemeyer casino one time, we split up. Sheldon was going to try and see if he could find Harold Wilson's father, and I went to see if I could find the film that we had been searching for. I will talk about that later on, when the story is more caught up.

He gave me a gun, and told me to only use it in emergencies. I agreed, and then I left him alone. Hoping that he would be doing the same. I did not want him to be the one responsible for if something happened to somebody. I wanted him to see that violence was not always the answer when it came to these things.

When I was in the room that I suspected the film would be, I ended up finding Larry Needlemeyer's father, and he was holding Maurecia hostage. I was scared for my life, wondering what the hell he was going to do here. So I tried to stop him, and talk him down. But there was nothing that I could do to stop him.

He told me that he was going to violate her, and make her have his children, and sell her off to labyrinth. He told me that he was going to make sure that I knew all the details, and that I would know that there was literally no other choice on the matter. Then he was pulling a gun out, and he was aiming it to her.

He then told me if I took one step closer to him, he would just kill her and me on the spot. And that was when he finally noticed that I had my gun with me. And he got scared there. Genuinely scared. Which was the agency that I fucking needed to go through with this all.

I told him that he was a old man who was dying anyways, so that there was nothing to accomplish by doing all this. I told him that I wanted to still have freedom in Wayside. To be my own person. To do whatever the hell I fucking wanted. As I was pleading with him, he smiled, and then gave me a offer.

He said that he'll play fair. He would give me one shot. One chance to end this, and be the winner. As I knew that this was a game in his eyes, I was feeling like I needed to just fight for my own survival. So with that in mind, I felt like I just needed to make the most of it that I fucking could.

I took the gun, and aimed it. It was then I knew what I had to do if I just wanted to survive. I saw his neck, and I knew that would be a guaranteed killshot if I took it, and it hit. But I also saw that hers was also there as well. So I looked around, and found his eye, which she unfortunately was there as well. I knew that there was no way I could take him out without hurting her as well.

I took the shot, and before there was even more than a couple of seconds, Mr. Needlemeyer fell backwards and out the window, dying from the shot or the fall, I don't know. Maurecia stood there for a second, before she fell down to the ground. As I walked to her, I saw she was already gone. The shot failed, and it was my fault that I did that.

The fact of the matter was that I genuinely assumed I would be good. But I used that as a promise that I would figure out what this labyrinth was. At all costs. I was not going to let it go to waste, and I was not going to let any other of my friends fall victim to either my mistakes, of the mistakes of everybody else as well. I knew that I messed up. But I was not going to let it bring me down.

News of her death were revealed that night. But people assumed it was Needlemeyer who did it. I didn't mind that story, as he was a piece of shit anyways. But the matter is that I was the one who took the shot. Although with his threat, part of me wonders if it was impossible for her to leave the area as it was.

But at the end, I did the best that I could. I wanted to be the hero of the day. But I ruined her family, and I never told them that it was me. I should have. But I never told them, and they are still thinking it was Needlemeyer."

When the confessional was done, I was looking right at Stanley, and I was wondering what he was going to say to this. "I mean, I feel like he had no choice. But I still feel like maybe he should have been honest with their family. And maybe provided closure." I said, hoping that this was fair enough, and I was feeling like I just needed to give my father credit.

"But Lydia, are you sure that you will still love your father after knowing that?" Stanley asked, and I slowly nodded. I feel like that wasn't my place to decide anyways. He needed to make his own choices, and that was something that I fully supported. No matter what the cost was.

Scene 16: February 10 2021

That next day, while we were walking home from school, I was thinking about what to tell Robbie. After all, I felt like he deserved to know what my father had actually fucking admitted to. And I felt like I deserved to tell him that I was sorry for always having to doubt him on every single fucking turn.

"Hey Robbie, so Stanley and I were hanging out after school yesterday, and we went through my fathers computer a bit. What we saw really kind of had to change my perception on the guy a bit." After I said that to him, I saw Robbie looking like he was considering what I was telling him. I knew that I was taking a risk saying all this.

"Shit. Why were you taking that risk anyways?" Robbie asked, and I was shaking my head. I really had no idea. Even beyond the fact that I was able to, due to the fact that it was there, I was feeling like there was a sense of obligation that I had to see what I would find there. To see if any of the stuff that Robbie said was true or not.

"I don't know. I guess that I just needed to know if there was any truth to what was going on here. After all, peopel constantly claim that my father does all these things like lying and what not. And I guess that I just needed to see if there was a level of truth to it." I said, feeling like I just needed to be honest as I was telling him this.

"What did you fucking find?" He asked, as if feeling like he just needed to see what I could tell him. I looked down on the ground, as if scared of what I would tell him. I knew he was going to judge my father, no matter what I said. So I decided to leave a couple details out.

"Well, he admitted that he had something to do with the death of one of his classmates. But even beyond that, there was something else about the confessional that really bothered me." I said, and then Robbie looked right at me, as if hoping that I would just fucking spit it out, and not leave him hanging or anything like that.

"He was explaining that the person who was holding his classmate down was threateing her to be sent off somewhere, to be a part of sex trade, or whatever that is." After I said this, I shrugged, since I still barely really got the concept of sex in the first place. And I was wondering why this would be brought into the whole discussion to begin with.

"And when that happened, he was having no choice but to fucking act. He said in the video that he didn't want to do this, but that he no fucking choice to take the shot. He tried to save her, but failed." I said, feeling like now that I was explaining the context for him, he would be able to see how things were going.

"I mean, I still feel sad that he never opened up about any of this. But I guess that he felt like he had no choice but to keep these things to himself." I said, hoping that if I told him this, then perhaps Robbie Dan would be more willing to fucking give my dad a pass, and not treat him like garbage over anything that happened. After all, I was certain that my father did what he needed to.

"I'm not upset at your dad. I am sure that at the moment, he did what he genuinely needed to do. The thing that pisses me off is the fact that he had to be put into that situation to begin with. The fact that people don't seem to understand that people are fucking dying all the time, and being sold off. I also just wish that I was never brought into this as well. I hate myself for ever thinking that I was able to handle this to begin with." Robbie said, and I was shocked that he admitted this in the first place.

"Your father should have never been forced to genuinely pick between saving somebody, and not. But I feel like maybe that is just something that I will have to get used to going forward." Robbie explained, and then after he said that, he placed his hand on my shoulder. "If I ever reach that point where I am going to have to do this, then I will try and choose you every single fucking time." After he said that to me, I slowly nodded, feeling like this was fair.

"I guess that is fair. I just think that I never saw it that way." I said, feeling like I would be honest with him as I said this. I mean, how in the world was I supposed to say it any other way? But at the same time, I wondered if dad was aware that I was looking through some of these things. I was wondering if he was aware that maybe some of the other siblings might have already done the same thing. Without him or me even noticing.

But I was choosing to not think on it any further. He deserved better, and I was hoping that at the end of the day, I was over thinking this whole thing. "So Robbie, thanks for always being there for me anyways. I was scared that you were going to be basically telling me that my father is a piece of shit or something like that, and that I made a massive mistake for ever trusting him." I said, shaking my head.

"Well, where did this all happen anyways?" Robbie asked me, and I looked right at him, shocked that this was something he even needed to ask. "I think I remember vaguely, my parents talking about something like that once, and I was confused what was even fucking going on anyways."

"To be honest, it happened in the Needlemeyer casino. I don't see how that affects anything though. It was all several years ago, and I am surprised that he is finding himself willing to talk about it at all anymore. I said, feeling like I just needed to be honest with him as I was saying this. He shook his head, as if finding my comment to be lacking almost all awareness of what we were getting ourselves into in the first place.

"Oh shit. The Needlemeyer casino? If that is the case, then I think that you might have been able to solve some of the shit that was going on there to begin with. But make sure you do not tell anybody what is happening here. I don't think you will want your father to know what you know." After he said that to me, I slowly nodded. I mean, I did kind of see what he was telling me. But that did not mean I had to like it at all.

"Yeah. Sorry to not tell you earlier. I guess that I was just thinking that maybe I should be keeping all these things to myself, and not making a fucking deal out of any of this anymore." After I said that to him, I saw Robbie Dan looking like he was just kind of pondering everything that had been going on. I was wondering what his fucking beef with the whole situation was going to be. And I was wondering why he was refusing to fucking tell me anything. It honestly bothered me more than anything else.

"Robbie, are you going to tell people what I fucking said? I mean, I don't really want people to know about the things that my father had no choice in doing." I said, and I was feeling like I needed to not lie to myself with the no choice thing. But at the same time, I just felt like I needed to be keeping myself as real as possible with this.

"No way in hell will I tell people that. No way in hell would I want to make everything worse for you for no fucking reason." He said, and I could see from the look on his face that he was seeming to be genuine enough. I smiled as he was telling me this. Knowing that he did not have any bad blood in him, was enough to keep me going.

"Thanks Robbie. I really don't want people to know what my family has done. They deserve better than that, and I feel like I just need to keep things as good as possible." After I said this, I saw Robbie looking like he was considering what I said. As if he was trying to decide if he wanted to believe it at all or not.

"I mean, I also don't want to be the one responsible if you guys have a falling out with your siblings and such." After Robbie said that to me, I was slowly nodding. I hated the fact that he was telling me this to begin with, because it was making me feel like I was going to fucking fail him and what not.

"Thanks." I said, and I was feeling like he might have been over thinking it a bit. There was no way in hell something like this would lead to a falling out with my family. But I was feeling like on the off chance that he was right, I needed to just be happy that he was willing to help me out at all.

"Just make sure that what you are doing is going to fucking be worth it. And I do think that now that you know what your father has done, maybe you really should just tell him some of what you know, and just see what he might be willing to fucking tell you. He might be willing to open up." He said, and I shook my head. I felt like this was a terrible idea. But I knew he was trying to help me.

"I don't know if that risk is going to fucking be worth it. But I guess that maybe I have no choice but to see if something like this could work out. Fine, I will see what I can learn from him." I said, and I was shaking my head. I really hoped that by finding myself agreeing to this was not going to end up getting me killed or anything like that at all.

"Okay. I will fucking talk with him, and just simply see what happens. Worst comes to worst, he just simply tells me that he wants me to never ask him again." I said, hoping that by keeping a firm grasp on what was happening, then the two of us would be able to have at least a level of calm air between us.

"And I can see what I can dig up on the fucking casino incident. I mean, I think your dad might still be innocent. But just in case he is not, I want to make sure that he is held accountable, no matter how hard it must be for you." After he said that to me, I shook my head. I knew that he was being realistic with me.

But it still hurt. Knowing that Robbie was still opening mentioning the idea that my father had something wrong with him the whole time. But I choose to remain silent. And think that he was just trying to be fair here.

"Thanks for making sure I keep a eye on the realism of things. Even if it hurts." I said, feeling like I just needed to try and play nice with him here. And not be trying to argue with him over simple little things like this.

Scene 17: February 11 2021

After school that day, I was given the task to watch the younger siblings, since everybody else had already gone out to do something. While at first, I was a bit annoyed, over time, I grew less so, feeling like this was a chance for me to think things out a bit. Think about what I had been getting involved in. Think about how I was working with my friendships so far.

Calvin was playing with Ridge, or as much as a two and half year old baby could play with a six month old, and I was looking at what they were doing while the twins were asleep, and Henry was just doing his movie watching. And with his habits, as well as the fact he was already six, I wasn't as worried about him as the other four.

"Lydia, why you so sad?" Calvin asked me, and I looked right at him, wondering what the fucking hell he was meaning. I wasn't sad at all. I was just more confused, and what not. But I choose to simply not say anything at all. For my own fucking sake. "Can I help?"

"Honestly, I would rather have you not worry about it. I want to focus on figuring these things out myself. Even if it means that I have to push you guys off." I said, feeling like I needed to be slightly mean, if I was going to be giving myself any agency at all. Calvin looked down on the ground, as if saddened to hear that I was feeling this way at all.

"Okay. Sorry for bothering." Calvin said, and when he said that, I instantly regretted the way that I was reacting. He didn't know any better, and I was just being a complete fucking asshole to him. I shook my head, and I was feeling like I just needed to think what I was saying more carefully going forward. Especially with him.

"It's okay. You don't know any better. I guess that I just feel like this is something I need to work out myself. And I still love you guys. I just never want you involved in the shit that I do." I said, feeling like I would just give him a blunt, while still honest response. Calvin looked saddened to hear that I was acting this way.

"Besides, I see you're having a great time with Ridge. Sorry that I haven't been there for him as much as I should have. I wanted to be. But I got distracted by stupid bullshit all the time. And I just lost motivation to continue going." I said, feeling like I just needed to be honest with him as I said this. Even if it did mean I was going to lose respect from him as I said this.

"Is it school?" Calvin asked, and I was shocked that he was asking such a coherent question for somebody as young as him. I slowly nodded, feeling like I would just be honest with him. He slowly nodded, as if feeling like this was fair enough to go with.

"Yeah, almost all of it is with school. Assignments, and things I have been told. It has been dragging me down." I said, feeling like I would just clear it up, right then and there. The honestly was what I needed to give him, even if honesty was the last thing that I wanted to go with at all.

As we were talking, there was a knock on the door. I answered it, and I was seeing that it was Lars Needlemeyer. I was trying to not think of my fathers confession, and I was feeling like I just needed to see what Lars was fucking doing here to begin with.

"Can I be able to speak to your father? Or is he not here right now?" Lars asked, and I was shaking my head. I had a horrible feeling something was about to go down, and I had no idea if I was ever ready for something like this. "Damn it. I needed to talk to him about the current investigation that he is doing."

"That is what I expected. Every time I try to talk to that guy, he just refuses to tell me anything. It's all about that case with Mrs. Bean." He said, and after a second, I instantly remember who she was talking about. So I looked right at him, wondering if he had actually found anything out.

"Do you know anything about her death?" I asked, feeling like I just needed him to be straight up with me. He was shaking his head. As if finding my comments to be a bit intrusive, and probably was also thinking that a child like me didn't need to know these things.

"The only thing that I managed to get is a conversation with Rhett's father finally. He basically confirmed himself that there was a massive falling out between the two of them, but that he never intended for anything to happen to her. And there was a DNA test done on her body. You know, to see about the semen on her." He said, and I was shaking my head. I wondered why that took so long anyways.

"I have been able to confirm that the man behind it is the same man who was behind those other murders that have happened in the last year or so. Pretty strange, since that would be the most incriminating evidence in the world. Kill a woman, then leave your family juices behind as a way to brag. Or maybe he just knows how imcompotent justice system is." He then finished, and shook his head, unable to believe he went that far with it.

"The thing is that, your father and I, when we found the results, we now have a name for the man who did it. But we still don't have anything else on him. Where he lives, and his age or anything. Just his fucking name. And until we catch him, he requested that we try to tell the name to as few people as possible. Rhett is the only one I told, since as her son, he does deserve to know." He said, and then I was looking down on the ground, wondering why he was being so secretive.

"Can you tell me? That way I can see if I can be able to fucking see if I can help?" I asked, and then he was shaking his head. I was then annoyed with what he said. I felt like he was being a asshole for no good reason. "I'm in school though. I'm not a baby anymore."

"We all say the same thing when we're eight. But with each passing year, we quickly grow to see how fucking little we really know. That is the secret to life." After he said that, I shook my head, feeling like he was just trying to be a fucking asshole to me for no god damn reason. I deserved ti know more. And I wasn't being given any info.

"But since Rhett and Josiah are so fucking tight, I feel like I might make a exception for Josiah. That way he might be able to know what he is getting himself into." He explained, and I was slowly nodding. I felt like this was fair enough. "And besides, I have a feeling that sooner or later, Rhett will tell the guy anyways. But to be honest, your father was scared of Rhett learning the name, despite the work they do together. Mainly because he doesn't want him to become a high school vigalante."

"Where do you think your father would be?" Lars asked, and then Calvin was walking up to us, as if to see what was going on. I shook my head, feeling like Calvin coming here was probably the worst thing that could possibly happen. He was going to try and force Lars to tell him everything, and I was not ready for anything like that at all.

I picked Calvin up, thinking that there was a good chance he wouldn't even remember the conversation I was having with this guy anyways. So it hardly even fucking mattered what I was saying at all. "Well, I think he was telling me he was having a meeting with Rob Reichenbach. Doing a monthly report or something like that." I said, hardly thinking anything of it at all.

"Shit, you already know about those meetings? That is not what I was expecting at all. Shit. Well, to be honest, I feel like you need to stay out of that topic as much as possible. Your father made a massive mistake even letting you know as much as you fucking do." He said, and I was hearing there being a mild level of pure anger in his voice. Which confused the fucking hell out of me.

"What does he do during those fucking meetings?" I asked, and then he shook his head. As if he was feeling like my questions were going to be really getting in the way of his job. But I was feeling like he needed to just be straight up with me for once, and not leave me hanging at all.

"Forget that you ever heard anything about those. I will need to talk with him, and make sure he doesn't reveal this information to his other children. He has been doing business with Lazarus corporation ever since his early twenties. He was one of the first people to help Rob understand the motto of his job when he was first coming to this job. That is all you need to fucking know." After he said that to me, I was shaking my head. I was not going to leave it at that. This was straight up forcing me out of the loop.

"Thanks for talking to me, but I need to be leaving. Forget that you ever had this conversation." As he was starting to walk off, I was feeling like on impulse, I needed to know something else. I was hoping that this leap of faith was not going to get me killed or at the very least put in a lot of trouble.

"Do you know how your grandfather died?" I asked, feeling like maybe this would be something that would shed light on how my father was percieved with most of the people in this town. He slowly nodded, and I knew for a fact that this was probably going to be the worst risk in my entire life that I would ever fucking take.

"Yeah, I do. But I also know that it was something he needed to do. I forgave him almost immediately. Besides, that was fifty seven years ago. I wasn't even born for over another twenty." After he said that, I was shaking my head. I felt like it was a bad way of looking at it, but I choose to remain silent.

"Okay. If you fucking say so." I said, feeling like there was no need to argue with him. I was also aware of the fact that I was now going to open up the door for fucking Calvin to pester me about this, and I was not ready for something like that at all. Especially since he never needed to know in the first place.

"See you later. Maybe when you're older, we can talk." He said, and then he left, and I knew that whatever he said now, I just needed to remain patient. I needed to just see what dad was going to get out of these discussions. But I wondered why business he was doing with Rob.

Scene 18: February 12 2021

The next day, Robbie and I were talking, since school was over, and the semester was done, and I was seeing that he was just looking beyond glad that this shit was over with. Probably thinking that there was nothing else going on, and therefore we were able to start some sign of moving on.

"First of twenty four semesters. Maybe this isn't going to be so bad after all." I said, feeling like I just needed to try and give Robbie a sign of me showing happiness. "I have no idea how my grades are going to be." Robbie laughed as he heard me say this. Probably thinking that maybe that was at least partially my fault.

"Well, I think that you started to do pretty well in the final month or so. Just please make sure that you don't end up having too much fun." Robbie said, and he patted my shoulder. I was wondering why he was having to ruin my happiness for something bullshit like that. But I chose to keep it to myself.

"Well, once Claire started to talk with me, she seemed to get me on the right track. To be honest though, I wouldn't have been able to make friends with Claire if you hadn't pestered me over and over again to branch out, and do other things with my time. But my god, it was fucking hard at times." After I admitted this, he was laughing, and I was glad that he was listening to me being genuine.

"Yeah, Claire is a good person. I also think that when you talk with Stanley enough, he might be able to get you to feel better. You were the first person he talked with, and he is going to credit you for his happiness." After he said that to me, I shook my head. I didn't want to fucking hear what he was saying.

"Stanley. I just hope he does well in school. He seems to be one of those people who seem to have no idea how to talk with people normally. I wonder if something happened to him in school before, and it messed up his confidence or something." I said, and then Robbie shrugged. "Although he did tell me that his parents were having a really hard time with each other."

"What happened with them?" Robbie asked, and I was shaking my head. It was none of his business, and I was having a fear that if Stanley knew that I told people what he said, then he would probably not want to be friends with me anymore. And that was something that I could not risk, no matter what.

But I felt like I could give one tiny little detail, and that would probably be enough for him to take it. "His parents are getting a divorce, and he moved here with his father, because of a job or something like that." I said, and then I was shaking my head. I was hoping that Stanley did not get upset at me for saying this at all. After all, I was feeling like he was the best friend I could be making right now.

"Shit. It feels like everybody is dealing with that these days. Parents getting divorce and what not. I guess that it's not that big of a deal. My parents have told me that they were planning on staying together, at least until I got my diploma." Robbie said, and I was feeling like him saying it that way was giving a sign that they might divorce somepoint after that though.

"But how likely do you think it is that they will actually fucking do it?" I asked, and I was hoping that as harsh as I was sounding, that he was going to at least consider what I said. He looked down on the ground, and I saw him looking like he hoped I stopped there, for his own sake.

"I think decently likely. For all the things that I can say about my parents, liar is not one of them. So yeah, I think we will be okay." After he said that to me, I was hoping that he was correct. But I was also scared that he was going to say something, that might ruin the mood or anything like that.

"And besies, I think that Bebe is making sure they hold to that promise. After all, she has made it very clear to me that she wants to be there for me, no matter what fucking happens." After Robbie said this, I slowly nodded. He was giving me as real of a look on this as possible, and I was glad to know he wasn't bullshitting me either.

"I wish that I had a older sister that was super there for me, like you do with Bebe. I mean, I really love my brothers. But even just one more sister would have been nice." I said, feeling like I just needed to be honest with him as I said this. "To be honest though, I feel like I should probably be glad that my parents do seem serious about the idea that Ridge is the last one." I said, hoping that I could shed some positivity here.

"Well, I think that the main reason she is might be due to the fact that my older brother just always seemed so distant. He has always been cold and calculating. He has always seemed like he was always looking for the bigger picture. Never looking at what other people might be feeling. I mean, it is no big deal really. But it does make it hard to see what he is." Robbie said, sounding mildly frustrated here.

"When is the last time you spoke with him?" I asked, and then Robbie shook his head. As if he was immensely regretting the fact that he had brought this up in the first place. I just needed to know what his fucking issues were.

"A while ago. And when I did, he seemed only superficially interested in what I was doing. As if he hated going down the discussion of fucking school, and grades again. Almost like I was just wasting his time talking about that." After Robbie said that, I shrugged, feeling that reaction was fair.

"Well, high school does fucking suck. Let's be fair." I said, and I was feeling like me swearing as much as I did, so early in life, was going to get me in so much trouble. But I didn't fucking care whatsoever. Robbie rubbed his eyes, mildly annoyed at this.

"Yeah, but I just wish he would at least acknowledge what I was saying. Even if superficially." He said, and I was shaking my head. Feeling like he needed to be happy with what he got. Because it seemed like it was still better than nothing.

"But doesn't him speaking to you guys at least affirm that he hasn't cut all ties with you yet?" I asked, feeling like I would just do my best to at least give a fair perspective to his brother. As I said this, Robbie looked down, and I was seeing him looking like he was wanting to really look at it that way.

"Yeah, I guess that is technically one way or looking at it. And I suppose that is better than nothing at all. But that is not a very high bar at all. I just feel like he should be taking the time to really get to know what Bebe and I have been going through. If he would, then perhaps he would actually fucking be a better brother again." After Robbie said this, I was shaking my head, feeling like he was being too hard.

"I wish that I was able to see things as brightly as you do. That would truly give me something to shot for if I fucking did." After Robbie explained that to me, I was smiling at him. Appreciating the fact that he was admitting that he loved my way of going at things. It made me feel valued again.

"Well, it just all comes down to perception. My older brother Seth told me one time that there is nothing to gain by always being upset and angry. But that if I had a positive outlook on things, then I would be able to have a much better life than I already do." After I explained that to Robbie, I was wondering if he would hear what I was saying. At leas a little bit.

"Strange how Seth of all your siblings preached that motto. I was expecting like Gabe or something. Because Gabe always seemed like he was that type of person to just straight up never quit." After Robbie said this, I was shaking my head, and I really had no idea what else I was supposed to be telling him at all.

"Well, I think Seth always wanted me to at least try and see positively. So I guess that I can respect that a bit. I think that maybe he saw what things were like with the other siblings, and he just wanted to make sure that I never fell down that path." I said, feeling like I would just try and explain it to him.

"I really do like your brothers. They always seem like they really genuinely love you." After Robbie explained that to me, I considered what he said. And I was feeling like he was completely right, in all of it.

"I guess that I just wish that I knew how I was able to treat my siblings the same way. After all, that would make life so much better for you. Every time Bebe and I get into a fight, I find myself feeling a bit more anger to myself, and for my way of treating her with such disrespect." Robbie explained, and I was feeling bad for the way he had been feeling here.

"It just comes naturally. I mean, despite how angry you can be at them at times, at the end of the day, they are still your family, and there is no reason to feel resentful to them or anything like that." I said, and I was hoping that I would be able to get him to see my perspective a bit more.

"Yeah, I guess that might be true. At least to a certain degree." After Robbie said that to me, I was slowly nodding. I was feeling like if I made him see that there was nothing to fear, then everything could be fine. "And besides, I feel like as long as you have us, then you have no reason to be upset at all."

"But Claire doesn't seem to like me at all. So I think you might be kind of over thinking how well things will go." After Robbie was telling me this, I was shrugging. I felt like he was just looking at things in the negative light. But I was wondering if it was true. That Claire really did not like him or something. And I was wondering how I would be able to change that for them.

"Claire is just uncertain. Give her fucking time. She will be fine." I said, hoping that I was not going to regret what I said. "And besides, I think she is worried about the fights you had with Bebe and what not."

"Her and me both." Robbie said, and I really had no idea how in the world I was supposed to fucking react. I just decided to remain silent, and not press him any further. He was having a really hard time.

Scene 19: February 13 2021

The next day, I was talking to Ruby, at the park, and I was seeing her entire demeanor change, and she was in general looking so much more positive than she had been earlier. Seeing her change in attitude was something that just made me feel like I could be able to relax a bit more, and I was hoping that I could get her to just simply tell me what was going on here.

"You seem much more excited than before?" I asked, hoping that she would take the bait, and explain to me what was on her mind. She glanced at me, and I could see the beam of happiness on her face. As if she was glad to see that the anger was mostly away, and that she was no longer upset or anything like that.

"Well, I am going to be returning next week. I mean, I enjoyed the time away from school, and being able to focus on myself. But I miss you guys so much more, and I feel like it was time for me to finally just go back. I hope that Lily will be able to hang out with me more again." Ruby said, and I was wondering what was going on with that. Did they just happen to be best friends or something like that, and they were doing the best they could.

"That's really cool. Yeah, to be honest, it was getting kind of hard juggling everything at once, and making sure that I was able to see you most of the time." I said, feeling like I would just be honest with her as I fucking said this. She looked down, as if feeling like my comments were going to be kind of hard to deny.

"Well, you weren't obligated to see me all those times. But I am glad that you did take the time to see me as much as you did. Makes me feel like I fucking mattered." After she said that to me, I shrugged. I have no idea what the hell her paranoia was coming from. And I had no idea if I was seriously the person who could have changed it at all.

"I know I wasn't. But to be honest, it just generally felt like the right thing to fucking do." I said, hoping that I would get her to open up there. Lily shook her head, as if feeling like I was just giving her too much credit here. "What made you decide to come back? I know that you were rather happy about not dealing with classes and all that other bullshit anyways." I said, feeling like I would see if I could pester her more.

"Well, I just missed being around you guys. I mean, it was feeling like I was losing out on a part of my life when I wasn't with you guys. So I guess that I just needed to see what I could do here." After Ruby admitted this, I laughed. If for nothing else, I appreciated the fact that she was so open about everything.

"And I guess that I felt like since Stanley was going to be starting school that second semester, I felt like we would be able to give our friendship a fresh start. Be able to just put it all behind us, and what not." Ruby said, and I was wondering if she secretly was thinking he was kind of cute or something. But I decided to keep it to myself, and not press her any further on the matter.

"I was worried you didn't want to try and make things work with him, since you guys seemed to be kind of on each others throat that one time we were talking." I said, and then Ruby was shaking her head. As if finding my comments to be a bit ridiculous. But she decided to just remain silent for a second longer.

"That was one fucking time. I am sure we are both completely over that shit." She said, and I was relatively unsure. After all, she was making a rather big assumption about something that in general seemed to be a bit far out there, even in my mind. "And besides, I was just thinking that he was going to try and make fun of us or something."

"Now that I think about it though, I don't think Stanley has ever met Lily though. So maybe next time I hang out with him at school, I should try and see if the two of them could be able to connect." I suggested, and I wasn't sure how well that idea was going to work. I saw Ruby looking like she almost hated the suggestion. But I decided to keep my thoughts to myself.

"Do you think that Lily would have a hard time with him?" She asked me, and I was shrugging. I had no idea. How in the world was I supposed to know what Lily would think of him. He was a random guy that she barely knew. "I don't know. I guess I am just worried for her, since she always seemed to be having a hard time connecting with people when I talk with them."

"I have no idea. I do think that maybe talking about comics might not be the best thing to do though. Since he might have no interest in that at all." I said, hoping that she would leave me alone about this. "To be honest, with his personal past and everything, I think he will just be happy if he sees people willing to talk to him at all."

"I won't talk about it though. I feel like if I do, then I might be kind of invading his privacy, and I don't want to have people going around, and saying shit about him behind his back." I told her, before she was able to even have the chance to try and ask me what was going on.

"Fair enough. And besides, I don't know how interested I would be to hear most of that anyways." She said, and I looked right at her. Wondering why in the world she would even say it that way. But I decided to not say anything. "To be honest, I am also coming back because I'm kind of tired of my parents always fighting and everything. It just feels like they hate each other, and that one of them might just end up leaving soon."

"Oh shit. Sorry to fucking hear that. Have you tried to see if you can sort things out with them?" I asked, hoping that she was not going to find my comment stupid or anything. Especially since I was feeling it was valid enough.

"They try and be cordial around me, and when they do that, I end up wondering if I was just imagining the whole thing to begin with. Then my mind runs a million different places. I don't fucking know. I guess that I should just try and leave it alone. And hope that in due time, the two of them could just get their shit together. Although that is highly unlikely." Ruby said, and I was then wondering if maybe I could tell her about Stanley after all. She was saying stuff that really seemed to connect the two together.

"Yeah, I guess that makes some sense. What are some of the things they debate anyways?" I asked, hoping if I just pestered even a smidge more, then I would really get her to just fucking tell me what the issue was.

"Well, they have been talking about some kind of business transaction, and from what I understand, they seem to be talking about me in a strange way. My mom says that I don't need to get involved in any of the things they have been doing. Although I have no idea what they're talking about." Ruby said, and I was shaking my head. I felt like I needed to respect her space.

"Oh shit. That seems to fall perfectly in line with things that my dad has been talking about over the years. He said that there is some fucking business going on in town. But he never told me. And then Lars Needlemeyer was talking to me earlier." I said, and then that was when Ruby got much more interested in my stuff.

"Why were you talking to Lars Needlemeyer? My parents said that I should never associate with that guy ever. Something about him giving them the creepy vibes and what not." She said, and I was shrugging, since I had nothing to do with the whole thing. It just all kind of fucking happened, and there was no way to change it.

"I don't know what his issues were. He just randomly showed up, gave me all this information about dad, and then something related to Rob Reichenbach." I said, pretending like I didn't understand almost all of it. But I was just more in a spot where I did not want to think about what I learned.

"Oh shit? Isn't that the guy one of Claire's moms work for?" She asked me, and I slowly nodded. Glad that she was quick on the uptake, and that she remembered all these things in the first place. Meant that I did not have to go through a bunch of time just explaining every little thing to her.

"Yeah, that fucking guy. And to be honest, I want to know what is making that guy so powerful in Wayside in the first place. When Lars brought him up, he seemed scared out of his fucking mind. Almost like the idea of me knowing about him this early on was the worst thing that I could ever fucking do for myself." I said, and I saw Ruby looking like she was wondering what I would say about it from there.

"Well, it is probably because he seems to be the only one in this entire town who seems to know what it is like to actually lead a fucking business. And as a result, he is technically the one person that everybody has to respect, in a way." After Ruby said this, I considered what she was saying. Everything she said was fucking true.

"My parents very much act the same way you just decribed. They talk with him, and they seem very distant when I bring it up. As if worried that if I knew about how he worked, then I might start looking up to him. From what I understood though, mom and dad said he basically saved the town in the late eighties and early nineties." Ruby said, and she seemed like she actually really respected the guy. From what she knew at least.

"Also Lars was saying that he and dad know the name of the man who killed Rhett's mother, but that they will not leak it publicly, not make sure that blood is not spilled. He said that even though Rhett was furious, he wanted to make sure Rhett didn't act out of pure vengeance." I said, hoping that I would be able to see what was on her mind as I said this.

"Wow. Your father seems to take his job very seriously." She said, and every time I heard somebody praise my father, I was so much happier. Knowing that no matter what happened, he was still seen as a good guy, in the general town.

"I think he can fix the issues we all have." I said, and I was unsure if that was true. But I felt like I needed to try and just keep a level of optimism as I said this. I wondered if Ruby wanted to support him

Scene 20: February 14 2021

The next day, on Valentines day, there was a knock on my house door. I was confused, and wondered what was going on, and when I answered it, I was seeing that Stanley was there. He looked like he was just needing to fucking see me. "Hey Lydia, I wasn't sure if there was anything you were already doing, but I was wanting to see you today." He said, and I was unsure how to react, given the day this was happening.

"Oh, okay. If you want to, what were you thinking of doing?" I asked, hoping that this was not going to turn into a love declaration. Because I knew that if it was, then I might have to go on and break his fucking heart and shit. But I nodded, and then we left the house, and as we were walking off, that was when I saw Josiah looking unsure what to say to this.

"I was wanting to talk to you about how much I truly appreciate the fact that you have been there for me so far. Every single time we interacted, you have shown nothing but support for me." Stanley said, and I was aware very quickly where this was going to be going if he went any deeper.

"Well, I don't want to see you doing poorly at school and everything. You know, everybody always seems to be caught up in doing their own thing, that they never take the time to care for others." I said, feeling like I needed to spread that I was already starting to learn. Stanley just shrugged as I was telling him this.

"Well, I guess that is something that can always happen. But you just never seemed to be giving me that impression. You always seemed extra careful to make sure that I was always in the conversation." Stanley was saying, and I was wondering if this was where his love confession was truly coming from.

"Yeah, because I know what it is like when somebody starts to feel left out of their discussion. And I never wanted to make you feel like you were just being left out." I said, and I saw Stanley looking like he was just not sure if he was buying it at all. But I was telling him the truth, to the fullest degree.

"I suppose that makes sense. When you have ten siblings, it must be impossible to have your voice heard every single fucking time. I can't even imagine." After Stanley told me this, I slowly nodded. As we were walking off, that was when Stanley asked me a question that I wasn't prepared for.

"Do you have feelings for Robbie Dan? My mother was talking to me about love before I moved away. Explained that when you are in love with somebody, you feel like you are kind of a magnet that can't get away. She told me to watch out for that as I grow up." After Stanley said that to me, I slowly nodded. I had no idea what the hell I could say to this comment.

"I mean, I like him. But I don't know if I love him..." I said, feeling like I would be honest with him as I said this. I felt like he probably needed that comment, to make himself feel more comfortable with just speaking to me. "But to be honest, what do you feel about me?" I asked, feeling like I just needed to be honest.

"I have no idea what I feel. I mean, I feel conflicted every time I see you. Like I want to know so much more. I want to be around you, and truly get to know you. But at the same time, I feel wrong talking to you. Like I am just pressing on you." Stanley said, and I was shaking my head. He looked like he immediately regretted everything he had just said right there.

"Shit. I did not want things to get any worse for you than they already are. I mean, for gods sake, I have no idea what I am going to do here myself. I want to tell Robbie what I think, but I feel like if I do so, he will just tell me that I am not the girl for him." I said, and I wondered if Stanley wanted to hear this.

"Lydia, part of the reason I wanted to see you on Valentine's day is because I wanted to let you know those feelings that I have, even if they are wildly conflicting. To be honest, I just feel sad when I am around you. Like you deserve better, but at the same time, I feel like I can work and give you that." Stanley said, and I wondered how in the world I was even supposed to repond to any of this in the first place.

"Feelings. I mean, I know that Todd is with Bebe right now, and the two of them have been doing great so far. I guess that maybe I should look at them when thinking about my fucking feelings." I said, wondering why I was even going this path right now. "Stanley, do you think that your parents might still have feelings for each other, and they just need to find those again?" I asked, feeling like I just neded to press him as hard as I could.

"Shit. I have no idea what is going on with them. I wish that I knew what they were feeling. If I did, then maybe I could tell them that they both need to snap out of it." Stanley responded, and then he remembered something else. "When I go to school tomorrow, do you promise that you will just try and stay with me? Even if we might not be in the same class, you have an entire semester of Wayside experience."

"Yeah, but it does seem like any trust between the two of them is probably gone forever. I just wish that I knew how to help you." After I said that to him, I was seeing Stanley looking like he was kind of tired of hearing all these pity comments, and seemed to be thinking that maybe I just needed to grow up.

"The best way to help me is to just help me not really think about it at all anymore. The less I worry about that, the better things will be for me. It pains me to know what my family has become. But it pains me to know that if this was ever talked about at school, then people will never see me for anything else. Besides the guy with a fucked up family." Stanley said, and I wondered why in the world people would associate that with him, when he was hardly the one behind it all.

"Okay. I will try and not bring it up anymore." I said, hoping that by telling him this, he would calm down a touch, and not be thinking that I was intruding on him, or anything stupid like this. "I do have to ask one more question before I move on though... That being your father. Do you ever think that you will talk with him about what he did?"

"I don't really think that I want to. I mean, if I did, then I would really be playing with fire, and to be honest, I think that dad is already tired of dealing with all the fallout that happened. He deserves better than dealing with his son coming towards him, and basically getting in his case every second of the fucking day about it." After Stanley told me this, I decided that I would try and maybe respect his wishes for the time being.

"And the other thing that confuses me is the fact that he seems to be genuinely happy in Wayside. Every time I talk to him about his job, and everything else, there is a level of excitement that he never possessed when we lived in our older town. So maybe what happened was kind of a blessing in disguise. Since I can actually see that he no longer feels resentment." Stanley was telling me, and I was wondering what he was trying to hint at there.

"I mean, I guess at the end of the day, I want to see the other people that I care about happy. And that is something I realized when I first saw you." He finished, and I knew exactly what this meant, and I was scared about that.

"I want to see you happy, and I want to see you get everything you fucking want. Which isn't something I really felt about people before I moved to Wayside. I just felt like when people were around me before, they were all zombies in a way. Always acting like they live in some strange limbo." He explained, as I was feeling like he was onto something.

"How long do you think you will stay in Wayside? I know you said you were going to see your mom during summers, but is that it?' I asked, and then as I said this, I saw him looking shocked that I even brought that up in the first place. He seemed to look kind of lost as I asked him this.

"If I can, at least until I graduate. That would make life easier for me." After Stanley said this, I was slowly nodding. Thinking that what he suggested was fair enough. But I chose to simply keep quiet. "After I graduate though, I have no idea. I might try giving the place I lived at another go. I guess I will see when I get there."

"Josiah seems to kind of give me those vibes. He seems like he needs to just get the hell out of here, for his own fucking sake. I just want to see if I could convince him to stay." I said, and I was aware what I was saying was entirely selfish. It was personally for my own gain, and I fucking knew it.

"Try and talk with him about it. He might actually fucking listen to you." Stanley said, and I was doubting it. There was no way in hell that he was going to listen to me anyways. I was smart enough to know that at the end, I was still just his younger sister, and nothing would change that.

"I don't know. I mean, to be honest, after what happened with Rhett's mother, I feel like Josiah seems to be totally done with this place." I said, feeling like I just needed to look at fucking reality, even if it meant that I was going to be losing out on more Josiah as I grew older.

"But that isn't my business to talk about." I said, feeling like I made a mistake even talking about it to begin with. I was needing to remind myself that I needed to get better at that. Just staying away from these topics, when I knew that I was going to be pressing people's buttons on it, and only making it much worse.

"Well, I would like to know someday." Stanley said, and for my sake, he just left it at that, to not press further than that.

We took each others hand, and I was feeling like today, along with Seth's twelfth birthday being tomorrow, that things were going well. I placed my hand on his shoulder, as we were looking up at the sky. I was thinking about that time a few years ago when the eclipse happened. And as strange as it was, I was finding myself wishing that when I was older, if Stanley and I were still friends, we could see it.

Scene 21: February 15 2021

The next day, for Seth's birthday, when school was over, I decided to go to him, to see how she had been doing. "Happy twelfth birthday Seth. I had been waiting all month to tell you that." I said, since I genuinely always got excited when it was the month of one of my brothers birthdays, which to be fair was every month besides March, September, and December.

"Well, I can't deny your excitement then. But I have no idea why you would put so much effort into making sure that I get a happy birthday." After Seth said this, he looked at me. "Well, Lydia, thanks though. Twelve years old. Only more year until I am officially a teenager. God can't believe it."

"Do you think you have any plans today?" I asked, and then Seth was shaking his head, as if that was way out of discussion right now. "You seem to be hitting it off well with Sierra, Becky, and Manny." I kept pestering, and I was wondering if I was only making things worse for him by constantly nagging at him over it,

"Well, they're off doing things. But to be honest, I might drop by and talk to Sierra in a bit. She's cute, and I want to make sure that I don't lose touch with her." After Seth was telling me this, I slowly nodded. I knew he was right, and I wanted to make sure that he was going to be catching his prize.

"So Seth, how are you enjoying sixth grade?" I asked, and I was seeing Seth looking like he was mildy annoyed at the fact that I was pestering him about something this little in the first palce. He shrugged, and I could tell that there was a level of distance in what I was saying, for better or for worse.

"Enjoying it well enough. Not quite what I expected it to be, but that's a good thing. At least I am not going to be bored out of my mind every time I go there." He said, and I was glad to hear him supporting at at least relatively positive look on things. "Anyways, I mean, this year has been crazy for everybody involved. I mean, with the teacher incident, and Ridge being born, it just feels like everything is all happening so fucking god damn fast."

"Sorry about that. I wish that I could help you out." I said, and I had no idea how in the world I would have been able to fucking do so. I just felt like I needed to at least offer for his own sake. He shook his head, as if finding the comment to be a bit hard to really take into commitment.

"But Lydia, I think that the fact that you are more focused on your own things for now are the best thing you can do for yourself. You do not need to worry about me at all." Seth was telling me, and I was wanting to tell him off. But I guess that I sort of knew that he was right in a way.

"Yeah, I guess that I do see what you're saying. Sorry if I was pressing you too hard. I guess that I just want to make sure that nothing is happening to you at all." I said, and then I was seeing Seth looking like he was just so proud of me for actually not holding back on making sure that nothing happened to him or anything like that.

"I guess that I just also have what our siblings told me really get to me. Knowing that they all have different opinions, and ways they are looking at what is going on, makes me feel like I just need to be much more careful on what I am going to say." Seth explained, and I chose to remain silent as he was going.

"But Lydia, let me make it clear to you, I do not want what I am saying to in any way affect what you are doing, and how you are enjoying Wayside. I never once want you to feel like you need to deal with my shit whatsoever. That is for me to deal with, and nothing else." He said, and I shook my head as he said that to me. I never wanted to abandon him either, so it was going both ways.

"I need to be heading out. Just don't do anything too bad." After Seth was telling me this, I was shaking my head. I was really not in the mood to be dealing with this bullshit at all. As he was starting to leave me alone, I wondered what he was going to be doing now. I was wondering if he was going to do well without having me giving him advice.

"Seth, just promise me you will enjoy your birthday." I said, feeling like I needed to at least try and make him feel like he was able to just simply not deal with various responsibilities for the night. He shrugged, and shook is head. I wondered what his problem was. I was trying to make him feel better. But he was simply not fucking listening to me at all.

"I will. And promise me that you are not going to worry about me or anything. I don't need people constantly wondering if something happened to me or anything." Seth told me, and he really did leave this time, and I was just standing there. Wondering what I was even going to tell my brothers going forward. I knew that they were going to be laughing at the way that I was reacting to Seth and everything. As if I was making something out of nothing.

As Seth was gone, I was seeing Jack and Henry standing there. I looked to them, and I was wondering what they were going to say now. "What? I am allowed to want to see my brother have a good time." I said, feeling like I needed to draw a firm grasp on this situation. Henry and Jack looked at each other, not sure what to say.

"It's nothing like that. But yeah, like he himself was saying, strange to think he is almost a teenager already. Do you think that he will be ready for that?" Jack asked, and I shrugged. I had no idea, and I was feeling like his response was just way too strange for me to respond to.

"I don't fucking know. It will happen next year either way. Let him just enjoy it. We don't need to be pestering him about it all the fucking time." I said, thinking that if this was how things would be, then I would just leave them here, and not even fucking bother. They were just going to make games out of the emotions that I had been having, and I was thinking that was rather shitty to be honest.

"I am going to just see if there is somebody else that I can talk with." I said, thinking about Robbie Dan or something like that. I was not in the mood to deal with this, and I was hoping that Robbie Dan would just be willing to listen to me for a while, and see what was going on in my mind.

"Lydia, are you sure you're not spending too much time with that guy? I mean, you always seem to hang out with him, and not much anybody else." Jack told me, and I looked at him, and Henry. I mean, I knew he was technically right to a extent. But that did not mean that I cared, and there was still Stanley and the girls.

"Well Ruby and Stanley are going back to our school now. I really hope they both do well. But I feel like they need to have a chance to do things themselves without me getting in their way first." I said, feeling like what I was saying was making a ton of sense. I saw Jack seem to think that I was probably just trying way too hard on this.

"Is Stanley the one that broke to dad's office?" Henry asked, and I was cursing myself for him making that comment. That was not in his place to say. And now I was going to be having Jack get in the discussion, and try to insert his opinions on the matter. Which was the last thing that I fucking needed right now.

"Please don't ever bring that up again." I said, and I was shaking my head. Hoping that Jack would just let it go. "Jack, please promise you won't talk about it to anybody else." I finally finished, and then I started to head to Robbie Dan's house, hoping that Jack would listen to my wishes just this once.

Eventually, I was at Robbie's house, and I was scared of what he was going to say when he saw me there. I was smiling though, since I was happier to know that he was willing to still even fucking talk with me in the first place. "Hey Robbie, I wanted to make sure you're doing well." I said, and I was seeing Robbie looking like he was mildly scared of what I was going to say.

"I guess I have been thinking of some of the things that I have said and done lately, and I just want to make sure that you know that I am sorry if at any point, I made you feel like I was judging you and what not." After Robbie said that to me, I was shaking my head. I had no intention of ever making him feel this way at all.

"How was it yesterday with Stanley?" Robbie asked, and even if he denied it, I could hear the faint jealousy in his voice. That was making me feel so good. Knowing that no matter what he was trying to say, he was still having a remote amount of feelings for me.

"Okay enough. I guess that I just wanted to see how he was doing. I mean, he was going back to school. Besides, he was the one that came to my house anyways. I assumed he wanted to just hang out for a bit, before he was basically admitting all the things he was feeling for me." I told him, and I was seeing Robbie looking like he was still not too sure what he was going to say here.

I sat down, and I was still thinking of how much I wanted to "show my love" to Robbie one of these days, in what Stanley was describing. But at the same time, from the way he described it, he made it seem like I was way too yoing for that shit. "Trust me when I say that I never wanted to make you feel like I wasn't fucking listening to you or anything." After I said that to him, I saw him looking unsure what to say.

"Lydia, I am just glad that I got to help you out during your first semester at school. You have been basically my guiding light to feeling like I am doing something good with my life right now. I know that I sound silly, but thanks for being there for me." Robbie said, and I was laughing at this, since at the end of the day, he was still just nine years old. Which to be fair, was still eighteen months older than me.

"Thanks Robbie. I am glad that I helped you." I said, feeling like this comment was all he needed. After I was done, I wondered what was ahead of me in the future. "I am glad that my brothers are seeing you for the man you are." I said, not even sure how in the world I could word it otherwise.

Scene 22: February 16 2021

The next day, after school, all four of Claire, Ruby, Lily, and I were talking for a bit. "So guys, do you wang to maybe go to the fair this weekend? My mom said that she was willing to pay, due to a recent promotion that she got at work allowing her to do so." After Claire said this, I actually got really excited at this.

"Oh yeah, that would be awesome. My parents are going to be out anyways, so there isn't enough to do anyways." I said, hoping to get right to the details of how to make this hang out work. Ruby and LIly both seemed to be relatively unsure of what they were going to say here. But they both started to have a more postitive attitude at this.

"Well, I will need to just stay away from my house when I can. Honestly, the way that my parents are both talking to each other kind of makes me just not want to be there at all." Ruby said, and I wondered if her desire to go back to school was because of not dealing with her parents.

"So now that we want to do this, is there anything you will want to see while we are there?" Claire asked, and I shrugged, not sure what in the world I was supposed to say. I haven't been to the fair in forever, so I had no idea what to fucking expect at all.

"I don't know. I will let you guys do whatever you want, and I will just be there for the ride." I said, and then I saw the three of them looking like they wished that I gave them both a bit more. But at the same time, I just felt like if they had a better idea on what was fun and not, then there was no reason to not let them do what they wanted.

"Wow. I never expected you to be this indecisive over something like this." Lily said, and I was having a feeling that she was probably just trying to be funny. But I chose to just simply not say anything, since I truly had no idea what idea what I was getting myself into here.

"Anyways, regardless, I guess that I can say that I am not much better myself. I only went once, like when I was five years old or something like that. And I don't even remember ninety percent of what happened there." After Lily admitted this, I was walking along. As I turned away from the school for the final time that day, I did find myself kind of wishing that I was able to talk to Robbie Dan, and see how he had been doing.

But I think what he would have said. Which was that I needed to be hanging out with other people, and that I needed to stop looking at him so much. I mean, it was a bit annoying. But I guess that I ended up having no fucking choice on the matter. "Is something wrong?" Claire asked me, and I shook my head. Not wanting to make it clear that I was thinking about Robbie Dan or anything like that.

"I was just thinking if I grabbed my homework or not. I don't fucking care. It's one day if I didn't." I said, hoping that my excuse would still be realistic enough to where she would be able to buy it. But at the same time, I just sort of had no clue what the hell I was supposed to expect now.

"Oh, who cares about homework anyways? I think even fucking Robbie will be willing to let it go for the time being." After she said that to me, I was having no idea if I was actually sure if that was true. But I choose to let her say that. So with that, we began to walk off for a bit.

We walked for a bit, and then that was when Claire started to talk again. "To be honest though, I am so fucking excited for the fair that you have no god damn idea. I have been talking nonstop with my moms about it all week, and I think they are both tired of it by now." Claire said, and I laughed at this comment, since she was at least being open about it.

"My parents would never let me get away with talking that much about it." Lily said, and then she shrugged. "I guess that your parents are a lot more patient about this shit than mine are. But I guess that might be good for you."

"Oh, I mean, they still have their share of being tired of things, but at least they seem to let it go for me, most of the time. I just hope there won't come a point in time where they just decide that they are too tired to hear it anymore." After she said that to us, I was feeling like she was not needing to worry about that as much as she said.

"But anyways, so Lydia, do you think any of your brothers would even want to be a part of this?" She asked me, and I shrugged. I had no idea, and to be honest, I felt like I did not really want to know if they wanted to come. I thought the girls and I deserved to have some time to ourselves, even if they didn't understand that.

"I don't think they would even be able to. After all, Josiah is dealing with the whole Rhett thing. Jack is practicing sports. Gabe is doing whatever the hell high school seniors do, and Todd is doing things with Bebe already. So that already just leaves the younger siblings." After I explained that, I was hoping the subject would just fucking end already.

"Oh, I guess that makes sense to an extent." Claire said, and I was seeing her sounding like she was still slightly down. "I had hoped like Todd or Henry or Seth would say yes." I was able to respect the fact that at least she was able to fucking admit it to me.

As I was looking at Lily and Ruby, and I was then wondering what they had been thinking. "So anyways, what does your mom do that even got her to get these tickets?" Lily asked, and I was seeing Claire looking like she was so fucking proud of the fact that she was getting attention for this.

"She works for Rob Reichenbach, and is his top advisor. From what she told me, he saved her when she was really young, like even younger than us, even though he had been president of the company for roughly a year or so. And she has felt like she needed to owe him for the rest of her life." Claire said, and then I was seeing Ruby looking shocked that she did it over something so mildy in the past.

"How did he save her exactly?" Lily asked, and then I was seeing Claire looking like she was almost regretting even saying this. Probably thinking that this was something her mother didn't want to be public information. But then Claire just shrugged, as if not having any desire to hide it anymore.

"Well, from what I understand, she had an older sister who went missing once, and he found out about some of the people behind it, and was able to use his influence to make sure that she would not end up becoming another one of those victims. He gave her parents a bunch of money to make sure that she had a good childhood, especially since he was a friend of her sister back then." Claire said, and while this was too far up for me to get, I did feel like this was proof that he was not that bad of a person.

"I guess that is good enough reason to claim that somebody saved you. I was expecting it to be some fucking vague shit like he stopped her from getting bullied." Lily said, and I was seeing her looking like she was almost regretting the way that she talked just now, for her own sake.

"But honestly, have you tried to talk to her about if she ever regretted her choices? I mean, he took the company over back in 1986. That is like anicent history." Lily said, and I was wondering why she was trying so hard to pry on this situation. But I was choosing to remain silent, and not press it any further for her sake.

"Well, I don't think that this is something that I want to talk to her about. She made her choices, and I think that whatever reasons she has, if she feels like these reasons are valid enough, that is all that matters." Claire said, and we were walking for a few moments, without saying anything, since I hardly wanted to make her feel any worse.

After a while of walking, this was when I was seeing Lily looking like she was kind of calming down for a few seconds. "Yeah, sorry for the way that I acted earlier. That is none of my business, and I should have been keeping those thoughts to myself." Lily apologized, and then Claire slowly nodded.

"No, you have every right to talk about the things that you do without feel fucking bad here. Just consider what she thinks before me." After she said this, I saw that Claire was clearly tired, and then she was just looking like she was trying to get to the point that she was enjoying the most.

"Anyways, for the fair, we need to meet up at ten for that. I have no idea how late it will go, but we can't screw around too much." Claire said, and I was seeing her looking like she was strictly just trying to focus on the fair again, for both our sakes. I was smiling, and I wondered if she was just trying to make it seem like she was at least kind of not letting the whole thing bother her too much.

"Alright. I will tell you guys if I have to cancel early or something like that. Although I fucking highly doubt that." Lily was saying, and then she was looking right at Ruby for a second. "Although I think you need to just not worry about what your parents will say. I doubt that they would force you to stop because of their own personal bullshit."

"I think you give them too much credit. But I think that I will give them a chance to not be like that. After all, they always try and seem to have a common interest in protecting me and what not." She said, and I felt so glad to know that no matter how much negativity there was here, she was still feeling like things were going at least somewhat well for us.

"Anyways, thanks for inviting me to the fair. I had no idea what I would have done this weekend, with dealing with a bunch of bullshit." Ruby said, and I was feeling like she was kind of just desperate to make sure that the conversation was having at least some form of cordialness to end this.

When Ruby left, Lily was soon following, then after that Claire left, and I was on my own heading to school, and feeling so fucking lost. Not sure what else I was supposed to do this week until the fair. What to do with talking to Robbie Dan, or Stanley, or even one of my brothers about coming along, to just kill some time.

Scene 23: February 17 2021

The next day, I was hanging around, and I was just trying to decide what I was going to be doing for the day after school got out and I hung out with my friends, when Bebe knocked on the door. I was confused what was going on, especially since Todd wasn't even here. But I answered the door, and she looked right at me, as if glad to see that I was the one who answered.

"Hey Lydia, I was hoping to actually talk with you for a bit. I just feel like it's been enough time, that I need to start breaking the fucking ice on a very important subject." She said, and I was scared what she meant. But I was choosing to remain silent, for her own sake.

"It's about my brother, and I feel like we just need to really talk about that for a bit. I understand that you have been having a great time with him. But I want to know, from you, if he has been doing anything super dangerous or not." After she was asking me this, I looked right at her, wondering why she was even asking this.

"Look, outside of the stuff that I do with him, I really have no idea what Robbie even fucking does. For all I know, he could be hanging out with his friends right now, and I am just completely left out of the loop." I said, hoping that by telling her this, she would leave me alone for the time being.

"But you know the things he has done with your older brothers, and I feel like that is enough for me to make my fucking point." She said, and I was confused what she even fucking meant in the first place. But I was choosing to remain silent, for her sake. And to not cause any more disturbances.

"Look, Lydia, I feel like you are the only one who might be able to talk to him, and get him to stop doing the shit he has been doing. I am incredibly scared for his sake, and I feel like nothing I say will stress that out enough." She said, and I was sort of nodding. I guess that I did understand what she was saying. As much as I hated to admit it.

"You got the wrong person Bebe. Every time i try to talk to him about my brothers, he just becomes a complete fucking asshole, and he just acts like I am asking these horribly intrusive questions, and he will always shut the conversation down. I know how he acts enough to know that this is not going to be worth the argument." I said feeling like I just needed to end this discussion before it could begin.

"That is because you aren't asking him the right questions. Ask him how it has been affecting him. Ask him if he is sure what he is doing is right. Ask him these things, and make it more about him. When you do that, I can guarantee that he will be much more willing to talk." She said, and I was considering what she said.

"I wil try and see what will happen. But if it doesn't work that way, please do not get upset at me at all. I can only do so much as a fucking person." I said, hoping that I would get her to hear what I was saying. She shrugged, as if convinced that what I was saying was absolutely out of touch.

"Lydia, I think we both know that the only reason things haven't worked out yet is because you do not believe in yourself. You want to think things will fail, so you just inherently set yourself up for that. And there is nothing wrong with that. But there is no reason to be thinking this way." She told me, as I was feeling like everything she was saying was bullshit.

"Wow, that is some fucking shit that Todd would be telling me when he wants to get me to feel better about myself." After I said this, I laughed for a second. I was beginning to walk away from her, and then that was when she was walking up behind me, forcing me to continue to talking to her. I turned around, and I wondered what in the world she was even trying to accomplish.

"Don't turn your fucking back on me Lydia. This is something very important. Can you promise me that you will at least talk to him, and just see what he might say when you make it about his personal issues. I need to make sure he is actually safe, and I will do anything that I can to keep him safe." She said, and I was really having no idea what the hell I could have told her.

"I will see what I can fucking find. But to be honest, I just really have no idea what I can tell them. If Robbie wants to talk to me, wonderful. If not, then there is nothing that I can fucking do about it." I said, and I was finally feeling like there was no other reason to say anything else at all.

"Okay. Fine. I will take that." She said, and then Bebe was then taking a deep breath. "My parents were talking to me one time, and they were furious with the fact that the stuff with Robbie was going on for as long as they had." After she told me this, I was considering telling her that this was none of my business.

"Well, sadly, there is nothing that I can fucking do about the shit that they say and what not. If they are upset with you, then that is your fucking problem." I said, feeling like i just needed to make her see that I was not going to let her play the pity party to me. As she looked down, I was seeing her looking like she had no idea what she even wanted to say.

"Wow. I never expected you to say something quite like that." Bebe admitted, and I shrugged, feeling like she just needed to hear what I needed to say. But I will admit, I did kind of feel bad for the way that I worded it. Even at the moment, I regretted the way that I talked with her. But I choose to not think about it at all.

"Sorry. I guess with my older brothers, I kind of have a hard time not being a total fucking smart ass here." I said, feeling like I just needed to be fully honest with her. "But to be honest, Bebe, I guess that I wonder why you think there is anything that I can fucking do about it in the first place." I said, and I shrugged. Not sure what in the world I could even tell her anyways.

"Because Robbie speaks so highly of you. Every time I talk with him, he seems to be deeply worried about what you are getting yourself into. That is why I am worried about this. It isn't me trying to put you in the spot light. But I guess you hardly see that." As Bebe said that to me, I was shocked, and I smiled as I heard her admit this. I was so happy to hear that Robbie still respected me. That was all that I needed to hear, to keep going.

"I was scared that he didn't like me that much anymore. And I was going to be fucking heart broken if he said that." I admitted, feeling like I just needed to be fully honest with her as I was telling her this. "I just wish that he had the fucking balls to go on and tell me that to my face. He has no idea how much I would love it if he said that." I said, feeling like I just needed to make hint to Bebe that she needed to try and talk to Robbie about that at least a little bit.

"He has a hard time really opening up about those things. That is not his fucking fault though. But I guess that I will try and talk to him a bit." She said to me, and I really had no idea what the hell I could have even tell her. "I mean, I think it is at least partially because his older brother has a really hard time talking with people, and as a result, Robbie just kind of has bitter feelings."

"Try and maybe get his brother to stop being that type of social reject, and make him fucking talk." After I said that to her, I saw that Bebe was simply looking unsure of what to even tell me. I was not in the mood to hear her try and defend this guy for when he was making a bunch of bad decisions.

"Well, I tried to talk to my parents about that brother, but they try and never even acknowledge him anymore." As she was telling me this, I decided to remain silent, wondering if they had a level of resentment towards him at all.

"Sorry for asking her. I know that I need to stop pressing on people so fucking hard." I said, and I was shaking my head. I felt like I was always taking things too far. As Bebe was starting to leave, I was then feeling like I just needed to press her a bit more. See if she was willing to finally speak straight with me for once.

"How is Todd fucking doing? You can't come to me about making sure that your brother is doing well, and then not give me the same in return." I said, holding my left hand forward, in a slight fist, and she was looking right at me, trying to decide what what she even wanted to say to begin with.

"He himself has been doing fine. But his fucking friends are the fucking issue if you want to fight somebody. Those people are constantly pushing him to do something that he should have never done." She said, and I shook my head. I felt like she needed to see that she needed to take more responsibility for what she was setting up.

"What did his fucking friends do anyways?" I asked, hoping that I could get her to at least hear me out. She sighed, and I was wondering why the hell her fucking problem was. "Please Bebe. This is my fucking brother we are talking about. Just give me some fucking answers."

"His friends have found something that they should have never been looking into in the first place. And as a result, he wants to make sure that they are fine. So it all just comes to him just doing his best to be the best friend possible." Bebe explained, and I was glad that at least she was giving him some form of credit here.

"Sure. I guess that I can see that." I said, feeling like I needed to at least pretend to be happier for her. I knew she was trying to give him credit. "Thanks for being there for my brother. I want you to see that I am just trying to do the same for Robbie Dan as well." I said, feeling like I needed to just try and make her see that I was not a bad friend, even if I wasn't brilliant.

When Bebe was gone, I was feeling a mild amount of hate and anger to her. She was just trying to fucking piss me off here. And I was not going to let her get away with her trying so hard to be the one in control of how I was living my fucking life. But then I was sitting down, feeling like I just needed to give her some patience.

Scene 24: February 18 2021

The next day, Josiah and Rhett were talking when I happened to be in the area as well. When I was trying to see if I could help in the discussion, this was when I was seeing Josiah looking like he was mildly annoyed with the fact that I was here, and that therefore he needed to not be making what he wanted to talk to Rhett about as obvious.

"You know that going to your father, and trying to talk to him at his casino is not going to be helping you out. He will never fucking listen to you, no matter what you try and say." Josiah said, and then Rhett was shaking his head, as if he was hardly even caring about this anymore.

"I am just hoping my dad and I can find any form of common ground here. Something at all." Rhett said, and he was starting to head off. Josiah picked me up, and I was seeing him looking as if he was not wanting to do this, but that he was genuinely feeling as if there was no fucking choice on the matter at all.

"If that is the case, then I want to come with you, and see what I can fucking do to help." After Josiah said this, he closed his eyes, and seemed to immediately regret the shit that he was saying. Rhett looked like at the end of the day, he was just glad to see that Josiah was still not giving up on him. And I was not either, even if I was much too young to be able to fucking help out at all.

We left the house, and walked towards the Watterson casino. "So Rhett, how likely do you really think it is that your father will hear you out at all?" After Josiah asked this, I was seeing the look on Rhett's face looking as if he was actually considering what Josiah was asking. Not because he wanted to. But because he needed to, for his friends sake.

"I don't know what is in my dad's mind all the time. But I did get him to admit that he wanted to make sure that what he was doing was going to make sure that at least I stayed out of trouble. Which I guess is a small hint that he does care about me." He said, and I was really glad to hear him say something like this after all.

"Okay. I just know that you had some bad fights with him before, and I wanted to make sure you were at least somewhat ready to avoid those getting any worse." Josiah said, and then Rhett was shaking his head. Feeling like what Josiah was saying was all out of panic, although justified panic nonetheless.

When we eventually made it to the casino, I could see from the look on his face that he was starting to almost regret the entire suggestion. But then he closed his eyes, as if feeling like there was no point in being so scared at all. That he just needed to go along, and face his father head on, and try to get him to be honest.

As we were inside, Josiah placed me down, and just looked shocked at what we were seeing. Despite the fact that I was only seven years old at the time, even I could understand how crazy what we were seeing was. There were a bunch of those men in black grabbing boxes and files, and starting to lead them out.

When they were getting close to us, that was when Rhett was able to get one of them to stop, and talk to us for a second. "What the fuck is going on here? I want to speak to my god damn dad." Rhett said, and I knew that his way of going at this did not have any tact. But I was sure that he hardly fucking cared at all.

"Your father and his boss Richard agreed that a relocation would be best. This casino has been around since the 1940's, and at this point, a complete demolition and restarting would be best for the safety of the people here." As he said this, Rhett looked upstairs, as if wondering if he would see dad, and talk to him for a second.

"Are you sure this isn't just a trick to hide the files you made over the years. My dad talked about how he was going to have to look through those files, since he was thinking that he found something." Josiah said, and I was wondering what he was talking about. But then again, after the Maurecia situation, and Lar's father, I was not sure how likely it was that I would want to trust my dad on certain things.

"What your father does with the information he gathers is quite frankly none of our concern. And it shouldn't be yours as well, as he clearly never wanted you guys to look into this as well. But I guess that you hardly seem to look at the bigger picture when we discuss these things." The man said, and then that was when Rhett decided to get back in on the discussion.

"Where are you bringing these files? I want to make sure that my dad is doing well." After Rhett said that to the man, this was when he placed his box down, and then was starting to grab a card to give him. I smiled at this, feeling like whatever Rhett wanted now would finally go his way.

"I am only giving this to you because your father is one of the most influential people in this town, and even if you do not see it yet, we will really like to use your help going forward." He said, and then he handed Rhett the card. As Rhett was confused at this comment, he looked the man directly in the eyes once again, unsure what to even say there.

"Why the fucking hell would you want my help here? I mean, I have never once suggested that I would be able to give you guys the help you desire. I don't even know you people. You guys just constantly show up, always do some random business deal, and then leave without so much as a god damn explanation." Rhett said, hoping this man would at least consider what Rhett was saying.

"Well, the people who work in our job have a lot of NDA's that we have to follow, and one of them is to make sure that we do not give any details of our work to passerby, unless if they are one of our bosses, or are on a very small list of exceptions. Your father, and Richard Watterson being two of those excetions." He said, and then Rhett was thinking about what he heard.

"So the only way to be able to learn what you guys are doing, in a through matter, would be to either job the job, or somehow get on that short list?" Rhett worded it as if it was a statement, but I think that he was probably just trying to set something up, so he would do something of his own, when he had the chance. I looked at Josiah, wondering what he would say to this.

"You are correct. But if you were to join, you would be the youngest recruit we had. The next youngest was eighteen when he joined, Sheldon Oswald Lee." He said, and then that was when Josiah peaked his interest again, as if this was what he wanted to talk about from the start again.

"Why was Sheldon in this job? My dad knew him growing up, but never gave any details on his life." He asked, and this entire time he was trying to pester the man in black, I was kind of just standing there, hoping that Josiah did not say something that would put him at risk. I mean, I loved my brother, but even I would admit that there were times when he could end up taking things too far.

"He was doing it to research monsters, and learn about the town's business. He had just left high school at the time and his only work was at a gas station. My bosses decided to give him a fucking chance, and see if there was a way that we would be able to help him out. He did a good job, but I guess that we can say that the pressure got to the better of him eventually." He said, and Josiah looked down, as if hating the way that this was worded. As if it was his fault that something like this happened anyways.

"Look, I get the NDA thing. I am not trying to get you in trouble. But I hope there is one question that you actually can answer me." After Rhett said this, that was when the guy looked right at Rhett, as if hoping that Rhett was going to pick his question very carefully.

"Do you guys have any idea about what happened with my moms death? I have been trying to get any idea what is going on there. But every time I even try to ask something, it just goes nowhere. Even just a simple yes or no would be fine." Rhett said, and that was when I was seeing the man in black instantly looking like he was just wanting to say something to Rhett. To calm him down. But then he shook his head.

"No, we haven't. The closest thing that we got was the stuff found in the security cameras the night she was murdered." He said, and then that was when Rhett started to beam up again. As if he had remembered those once again. Then he rubbed his eyes, as if unable to believe that he had forgotten those in the first place.

"Oh yeah! Okay, I need to get back to that complex, and watch it carefully. I haven't seen it since the night it happened, to confirm if I knew the shape of the man or not. Damn it!" He said, and then he looked right at Josiah, and then there was a smile on his face. For once, it was like he was actually getting somewhere.

"Just between you and me, if the people at the living complex don't have the tape anymore, I think there was a spare copy your father got. So maybe he can show you." He said, pointing at Josiah, and then he was picking up his box, and he was starting to walk off. I was then wondering what in the world he would do now.

"Would you be willing to go there with me?" He asked Josiah, and Josiah nodded, much to Rhett's happiness. Then with that, he looked at me, and then he sighed. "Sorry you had to come along for this. But I feel like I got what I needed."

As I was seeing the joy in Rhett's face, I knew that he was finally coming to some form of a plan. While I was over here, wondering if I could find something in this casino if I took the time to look on my own. I knew that my siblings would not enjoy what I was doing. But at the same time, I was finding myself hardly caring.

The three of us left the casino soon after, and I wondered how likely it was that this was going to actually give Rhett any clues he wanted. But regardless of what happened, I chose to just keep all these answers to myself, and that no matter how much I doubted it, he was going to just have me support him. No matter how hard it would get.

Scene 25: February 19 2021

The next day, when I was trying to go home, I was seeing Robbie and Stanley talking to each other. Seeing them both looking like they had some more respect for each other was something that I was glad to see. So with that, I was walking up to them, hoping that I would be able to get them to talk to me just a little bit.

"Hey Lydia, we were wondering if you were going to come by soon. We were just talking about what we were going to be doing soon." Stanley said, and then with that, he smiled. "So on Sunday, the two of us were going to plan on heading down to the arcade for a bit." After Stanley said this, I smiled, and I was just so fucking glad to see that at least they were able to hang out without me being around to police them.

"Yeah, that sounds great. Saturday I am going to be going to the fair with the girls, to have a girls night out." I said, winking, and I saw both Robbie and Stanley looking mildy jealous of this. I was seeing they had both wanted to come along. Seeing this was makine me glad to know that I had influence on them.

"Well, have a great time. We were wondering what you were doing tomorrow though." Stanley said, and he sounded like he was trying to hide his mild jealousy. But I was choosing to not say anything, since I did not want to be coming off as bragging or anything like that at all. Especially since I knew doing so would piss them off.

"I was wondering if you guys wanted to come along. But it seems like the girls might prefer if it is just the four of us. Sorry about that." I said, feeling kind of bad for that. But I was feeling like I just needed to be honest with them as I said this. Both Robbie Dan and Stanley looked at each other, trying to decide what they wanted to say to this in response.

"To be honest, I am going to have to do some shit with mom and dad, so I can't really do that. Sorry." After Robbie said that, I was kind of feeling slightly sad, but I was not shocked at all. To be honest, I was not sure how I was even going to react with him around anyways.

"What do they want you to do?" I asked, hoping that I would be able to get him to talk to me. He sighed, as if feeling like the fact that I was even asking him this was something that he had no desire to go into. But then he shrugged, as if feeling no need to hide what was going on in his mind at all.

"Bebe was able to convince me to go to therapy. She says after everything that I have been doing lately, I need to go, and just at least give it a try. I hate to admit it, I guess I do suppose I see what she is saying. So I feel like giving this a chance might be best." Robbie said, and I was shocked that he even admitted to this in the first place.

"Do you want to talk to us about it?" I asked, and Robbie was shaking his head. As if that idea was a fucking joke to suggest. I looked at Stanley, and wondered what he was going to say here. He shook his head, as if confirming to me that I just needed to respect his space, and not press him further here.

"No. Not really. I am not sure of most of the shit that I saw myself. You know, that is the thing that kills me the most. Knowing that truly, the things in this town are just going to keep bothering me over and over again, until I finally find some peace of mind about it. At least with Bebe and her pestering, there is a small chance that I might be able to move on from this entirely." He said, and I slowly nodded. Feeling like I just needed to try and respect him as much as possible.

"So Lydia, you seem to have something on on your mind." Stanley said, and I looked at him, half way considering just not saying anything at all. But then I decided that I would just remain calm, and tell them what I had seen with Josiah and Rhett. After all, we were all in on this together, even if they did not like that at ll.

"Josiah and Rhett went to the casino his dad works at last night. When we were there, the entire place was being emptied out, as they were planning on demolishing the place, and opening the casino up somewhere else." I said, feeling like I would just be straight up with them about it.

"Shit, what was Josiah and Rhett even doing there to begin with?" Robbie asked, and I was glad that he seemed to be thinking that was a sensible starting point. I shrugged, as if having nothing to fucking say there. I mean, I knew it was partially about Rhett's mothers death, but that was mainly all that I knew, and probably all that I wanted to fucking know.

"Mostly about investigating if more came up related to Rhett's mom, and her murder. From what I understand, Rhett and Josiah are going to watch the footage again. But I have no fucking idea why." I said, feeling like I would just be as honest about the situation as I possibly could. But I saw Stanley looking like he was not really down to hear more about this. As if this was something that just scared the fucking shit out of him. Which I did not blame him for at all.

"Why does Rhett think he will actually find anything? If he hasn't so far, then I hate to admit it, but I think this is a sign that he is not going to." After Stanley said this, I had no idea what I was even supposed to tell him. It was feeling like I was going down this talk over and over and over again, and it was tiresome.

"I think he thinks so because he works with my dad, who has been very successful in all the things that he has been doing so far. There is no reason to fucking doubt him." I said, feeling like I needed to get Stanley to get off my fathers ass about this subject. I saw Stanley looking like he was thinking what I said was a bunch of bullshit, and I knew deep down inside, he was right.

"You and I know what we saw on your fathers computer. We both know that what you're saying is a bunch of bullshit." Robbie said, and I was wondering why he was trying do this, when Robbie was there. He looked at the two of us, as if trying to decide what he was even wanting to say right now.

"That was one thing he said. And besides, you and I know both that given the context, he kind of really had no fucking choice on the matter." I said, hoping that I would get him to leave dad alone. Stanley was then raising his hands, as if he knew full well that he was not going to get me to stop, and I wondered what the hell his issue was in the first place.

"Forget that I even mentioned anything. I can see that me bringing this up is still a sensitive issue." After he said that to me, I was glad that he was willing to respect my space, at least to a degree. I looked at Rhett, and I wondered what he was even going to say. From the look on his face, he was clearly super lost on what I was even talking about in the first place.

"Anyways, so I will be excited to see you at the arcade on Sunday. Do you think that we might run into Sierra there?" I said, mostly towards Robbie. As I asked this, I could see that Robbie looked slightly unsure. Or that he didn't really care. I didn't know which one it was, and a part of me almost did not even care anymore.

"Maybe. But I would be more interested if Seth is there with her or not. I feel like Seth and I still have a lot of stuff to talk about." After Robbie said this, I was wondering what the hell he was even meaning. I looked right at Robbie, wondering if he had anything to say on the matter.

"I doubt that he will be there. He never really seemed to be into the arcade that much anyways." I said, feeling like I would kind of take the time to just kind of confirm that the idea wasn't realistic. "And besides, even if we do see Seth there, I think that there is a very good chance he would just shoot down the entire conversation. Just so he could be able to talk to Sierra more."

"Isn't Seth the really funny one?" Stanley asked, and I shrugged at that. Thinking that really funny was something to debate. And to be honest, it all depended on the joke. But I did not want to be a asshole to Seth, so I was choosing to keep those comments to myself. Especially since for all I knew, Robbie Dan might really actually find him funny.

"I guess that you could fucking say that. But don't fucking tell him that I said so. He might let that comment get to his head, and start making even more jokes than he already does. And I have no idea if I can be able to handle all those." I said, feeling like if I was at least trying to be playful here, then there was no harm no foul, per se.

"Hey come on. They're really not that fucking bad. Some of them are lame, but at least he is still funnier than eighty percent of the people that he goes to school with." After he said that, I shrugged. I felt like I would concede to that at least. After all, he was at least trying to put a honest effort into making this work. Which was more than I can say about most people there.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I mean, I do at least sometimes get entertained by his shit. I never once been entertained by the shit that other classmates say." I said, and I was also thinking that a part of that was probably due to the fact that I had not talked with them enough to be entertained or not.

"Well, either way, see you Sunday. And we can find something at the arcade where all three of us can be interested in." After Robbie said this, I shrugged. I appreciated his efforts, but I was scared that something was going to happen, and it would not work as well as we were hoping.

"Yeah, see you guys." Stanley said, and started to walk off, and I shook my head, feeling like there was no point in worrying about it all. We were going to do fine, and I had no doubts that things weren't nearly as bad as I feared.

But overall, I was going to have a good weekend, and I was fine with that. Knowing that I would be with friends on both days, and that these friends seemed to actually want to do this hang out. It genuinely felt like there was no reason to worry about what other people were fucking saying. And i hated the fact that I was tired of those around me.

Scene 26: February 20 2021

The next day, the four of us girls were at the fair, and I was feeling kind of bad for Robbie and Stanley not being there, but to be honest, I was kind of glad. Since in all honesty, I had no idea if I wanted them at my side, making things much worse for me, and my friends, by being a bunch of goofballs.

"I want to ride on the roller coaster." Lily said, pointing over there. As she said this, I got a instant wave of fear in my mind. There was no way I was going up that. I was scared of even just looking at it. But I looked at the others, and I was seeing that they were taking the idea very seriously. So with this, I was shaking my head, and felt like I had no choice but to go along with it, and hope that nothing happened.

"If you guys want to, I will go along with it." I agreed, rather reluctantly, especially since I had no desire to. And with that, the four of us started to head there. Once at the roller coaster, Lily and Ruby went in, which left Claire and I for a bit, wondering what to fucking do.

"At least she is having a good time with us again." Claire said, referring to Ruby. I nodded in agreement. Happy that if for nothing else, there was no sense of uncertainty, and there wasn't any potential bitterness between her and us. I was scared that she would just simply end up not liking us or anything like that, after all that we had done for her.

"Yeah. I was scared that she was not going to be able to adapt as well, since she has been out of school for a while. I said, feeling like I would be honest about the fears that I had. Before we were able to talk any longer, that was when the roller coaster finished their round, and I was seeing Lily and Ruby both looking dizzy as all hell. Almost as if they were regretting their choice of going in there.

"That was fucking awesome guys. You need to do it." Lily said, rubbing her hair. I looked at Claire, and figured that getting her to join me would be able to make it better. The two of us went inside, and then we were starting to go up. As I looked at Claire, I was confused on what I was thinking, and unsure where to go from there.

As we were going through it, Claire decided to talk to me. "So Lydia, thanks for taking the time to accept my offer. I was so fucking happy to hear that you wanted to go along. It brought me immeasureable joy." She said, and I was wondering where she was going here. I mean, I hardly knew if she was just talking like as a friend, or something more.

"Well, I wanted to make sure that I had time for my friends." I said, thinking nothing of what she was saying. Not sure what the hell Claire was even meaning anyways. As I was thinking, I decided to not say much. For her sake, as well as my own. Since I did not want to ruin this perfect moment.

Eventually the ride ended, and I was feeling sick for a few seconds, but had no desire to fucking stop at all. I looked right at the other three, wondering what they wanted to do next. "How about we go and check out the bowling alley." After Claire said that, I was shocked that we even had that to begin with. But we headed there anyways. Since I knew that was what she wanted.

The entire time we headed over to the bowling range, I felt like I needed to break the ice with Claire. "Do you even know how to go bowling anyways? I mean, you never once talked about it at all." I said, feeling like I just needed to see if she was doing this for fun, or if there was more to it. Claire sighed, as if I was ruining the fun by even asking her that.

Once we were at the bowling alley part of town, that was when the four of us decided to take a turn. Claire went first, and scared a total of five of ten pins in her round. Then Lily went next, and scored just three of ten pins. Ruby went in, and scored six of ten pins, making her the lead. And then when I went, I tied with her to also score six of ten pins.

Lily only seemed down at her loss for about five seconds or so, probably thinking that even if she did not win, she was at least having some fun, and that was the part that mattered the most. I looked right at the scoreboard, wondering if we should go again. "What do you guys want to do now?" I asked, hoping to get them at least somewhat interested again.

"Oh god, there are so many things to do. Maybe we can go to the Ferris wheel, and just relax for a few moments." Ruby said, and I saw both Lily and Claire looking like they were fine with that idea. So we decided to head there, and just see if we would be able to relax even half as well as she was expecting.

We made it to the Ferris wheel, and I went inside with Lily, and Ruby went with Claire. After we were going up, that was when Lily looked at me. "Sorry to bring this up so suddenly, but my seventh birthday was on the fourteenth of this month. But you were too busy with Stanley, that I didn't want to get in the way of your time with him." After she told me this, I slowly nodded. Feeling like I could respect the fact that at least she was telling me this now.

It was kind of strange for me to consider the fact that Robbie Dan was a whole two years and a month older, to the day, than Lily. Probably because of the fact that since they were only a grade apart, at first glance, I would have assumed she was only a year younger. "Sorry about that. He did come to my house first. That part actually is the truth." I said, feeling like I just needed to try and save myself from her judgment and everything.

"It's okay. I mean, it's clear that he liked you a lot, and I do not want to make you choose between him or me. But it just kind of sucks being born on a Valentines day, because people always focus on that more than me." She said, and then our ride started to end, and I wondered what I would even fucking tell her at all.

When we were on the ground, all four of us looked like we were feeling slightly happier. Even Lily, now that she got that off her chest, and made me heard what was going on in her mind. Which I did kind of want to hear, even if not at that moment.

When we were heading home from the fair, all done for the night, that was when I was seeing Lars Needlemeyer. When he saw me, I saw him looking rather happy to see me. As if he was a father checking up on a daughter for the first time in several days. "Hey Lydia, are you enjoying your weekend?" He asked, and I smiled, and nodded vigorusly at that. He then rubbed my hair, and that part did kind of bother me for a second. But I just felt like he was a overly affectionate old fart.

"I am just here on my daily job. Have to go over there for a bit." Lars said, pointing to a place a few blocks away. Then he looked at my friends for a second, and when he saw Lily, I saw that he had a very similiar look to what he had with me. "Keeping on top of your grades? Did you get the most recent issue that I bought you?" He asked, referring to the comics, which I had no idea that he was the one buying for her.

"Yeah. My parents said that they want me to finish my homework before I read those though. I mean, I guess I understand." She said, and sounded a bit jealous. As if she was wishing that she was able to get away with doing whatever she wanted more often. Lars took out a cigar, and seemed to consider what she said.

"They're just worried about responsibility is all. I am sure that they mean nothing about it at all. To be honest, I wish that I could be able to talk to you guys more, but my job requires me to report in six days a week, so I hardly ever have time to actively relax anymore." After Lars said that to us, I was feeling like I needed to know what in the world he was even doing anyways.

"Where do you work at anyways?" I asked, and Lars considered that question for a second. I was seeing him almost looking like he was regretting even talking to us in the first place. As if he knew that he was going to break, and just tell us something very important.

"A very important business, that you guys will never understand. I guess if I had to put it in a simple explanation, I help teenage women understand their issues with sexual identity, and feelings. There, a sex therapist for women between fourteen and twenty one, if you will. But that is why I am able to do all those interviews with your classmates, since I do this for a living." Lars said, and then he snuffed his cigar, and shook his head, as he headed off, and I wondered what his issue was.

When Lars was gone, I was looking at the other three girls. "What do you think about that just now? He seems like he has a fucking stick up his asshole." I said, not sure what else to say. I mean, I know that I was probably being a bit of a asshole. But I was having no idea if I was able to help him out at all or anything.

"Well, I mean, he does have to deal with teenage girls on a daily basis. So I think probably after a certain point, he might be a bit tired of having to deal with them." After Lily said this, I shrugged. I guess that I sort of understood where she was coming from. But I decided that I would leave the subject alone for now. It was none of my business, and I wasn't going to force it onto them or anything.

"Don't worry about him. He wasn't part of our plan anyways." After Claire said that, I nodded in agreement, feeling we needed to just continue enjoying the time we had, and nothing else.

We played for another few hours, and soon enough the fair closed for the month, and we had tried almost everything out. I took as many pictures as I could from the old hand me down phone that Todd decided to let me borrow, which I decided to put on my daily memories. Even though he probably didn't enjoy me doing that.

Overall, despite the fact that I didn't really know how else to do this fair, I did enjoy the experience, and I had the time of the school year so far. I hoped that we would continue doing these because in all honesty, I was wanting to just enjoy my time with my friends. They loved me, and I loved them.

Scene 27: February 21 2021

When Robbie, Stanley and I were at the arcade, I was choosing to just have the time of my life, and not be worried about what other people were thinking of me hanging out with two guys that were a grade older than me. If they thought it was strange, then I was going to have to ignore them for the time being.

The three of us played some Mario cart racing. Although I was shocked at how good Robbie was at the game, and to be honest, I was totally jealous of the fact that he was kicking my ass so easily. I was seeing even Robbie looking like he was just trying to keep up, but to no avail.

After that, the three of us ate some really shitty arcade nachos, and probably would have made us all sick if we had been any older and had worse metabolisms. But at the same time, I hardly cared at all. I was wanting to enjoy my time with them. No matter what the fucking cost was, and I was seeing both Robbie and Stanley seeming to not mind at all.

Then after that, the three of us went to some shitty game based off of Stranger Things. To be honest, the game was crap, and it ran really fucking slowly, and it was almost not even worth the time of going there at all. I could even see from the look on both Robbie and Stanley's face that the game was much worse than they wanted to admit.

After that game was done, the three of us went to some water shooter game. I was pretty good at it, but Robbie was getting so in character on taking down the zombies that it was actually almost kind of scary, and I wondered why he was getting so like this in the first place. But truth be told, I did find it fun to watch.

After we finished the game, we went outside for a second, and took a group photo, that Stanley sent to Robbie and I after, and then with that, we went back inside after about another five minutes of getting some fresh air, and then we started to continue our reign of dominance on these games, and leaving no prisoners.

We were at Pac Man next, which turned out to be one that I was doing really good at, at least relative to a seven and a half year old. I had already won all the way up to the third level, and both Robbie and Stanley were cheering me on, which was giving me so much motivation to keep going even further. I knew for a fact that there was no way that I would be able to let them down, no matter what.

When we were done with Pac Man, we hung out with Seth and Sierra, who did drop by, for about twenty to thirty minutes, and I was seeing Sierra much happier than she had been earlier. And I was seeing a slight glow to Seth's face, which was making me start to realize that even if he denied it, that he did like her a lot, and I was wondering if I was going to be able to help him out with that.

Sierra and Seth after that half hour or so, so with that, everything was back to the way that things were before. And when things were back to the way that they were before, I was feeling like the three of us needed to go and try the pool game, and since that was a game of patience, I did not do well at it at all.

I think that Robbie's shit that he had been dealing with had made him have a much greater deal of patience compared to before, because he was able to easily win that game, and it honestly made both Stanley and I a bit jealous of how well he did. But then when we were done with that, we started to look around for more options.

A couple hours later, when we were done at the arcade, that was when I was seeing Josiah and Rhett hanging out. I felt like I needed to at least check up on them, and see how they were doing. Despite the fact that I was feeling like they were going to be relatively bothered by me kind of self inserting myself into what they were dealing with and what not.

"Oh hey Lydia. Josiah and I were planning on heading to the Watterson casino, and see what it's like, if you wanted to come along." Rhett said, and I was shocked to hear him actually offer. I looked at Josiah, wondering what they he was going to say. He looked down on the ground, as if feeling like there was no reason to try and change what Rhett already suggested.

I agreed with Rhett's proposal, and was just glad that Josiah chose to not argue with me, and we began heading off, and I was wondering how likely it was that this would work in the first place. After all, I was having a feeling that Rhett was going to go there, and would be sorely let down by the lack of anything.

So once at the casino, we both went inside, and I was seeing Rhett looking utterly shocked at what he was seeing. I mean, I probably wasn't to the degree he was. But I could see where he was coming from. The place was literally completely empty. As if it had never been used in the first place. In just three days or so, it was already fully taken care of.

"Wow. I never expected them to go in here, and just clean things out so fast. I thought that they would have certainly taken much more time." Rhett said, and I was wondering if he was upset, or hardly really cared all that much from what he seemed. I looked around, trying to decide what to think now.

"God. I wonder if my father was trying to just get rid of any proof of wrong doing. Which almost just makes the point better that something happened that he doesn't want me to know." After Rhett said this, I felt like I just needed to ask him honestly. Even if it was going to hurt his feelings.

"Have you considered that maybe he isn't doing it because of you, and is doing it for you?" I asked, feeling like I needed to at least ask him once. As I said this, he looked at me, and I was seeing him looking horrified at the mere idea. But then I shrugged, and decided to look down, and not say anything at all. Since he clearly did not want to hear it at all.

"That is not true at all. I know that his way of doing this would have absolutely no tact at all if he was going to try and come up with that excuse at all." He said, and I sighed. Feeling like that comment was something I should have expected. But I guess that it wasn't, and I couldn't even be shocked at something like this in the first place.

"But to be honest, I guess I could see where he might be misguided into thinking that what he is doing is for the best, and that he is just not seeing the pain that he is causing me by doing things the way that he is. So I guess that maybe I do need to give him a fucking chance after all." Stanley said, and sounded like he could not believe that he had admitted this out loud in the first place.

"And to be totally fair, I have taken back everything I originally thought that maybe he was the one that killed mom. I feel like if he had been, I would have figured that out by now. And to be honest, my father is the worst liar that I have ever met in my entire fucking life." Rhett said, with a smile on his face.

"But still. The whole thing is strange to me, no matter how I slice it or dice it. I feel like there is just something that I want to know here. But every time I nearly find something, it just turns out to be a fucking lie." He said, sounding like he was hiding his frustration at what was going on.

"And besides, I tried to tell him that Richard Watterson is bad news. But it seems like he has no intention of listening to me whatsoever. Almost to the point where I wonder if I was wrong about Richard." Stanley said and I was shocked to hear him willing to admit on being wrong about anything at all.

"No, I heard stories from dad as well. There is no way around the Richard thing. To be honest, I am surprised that this man is even still in business in the first place." Josiah himself admitted, and I was seeing Rhett looking like he was utterly glad to see that Josiah was going along with what he said.

"Maybe we should not be talking about these stories to fucking Lydia." After Rhett said that, he looked right at me, and I was seeing him looking like he was wondering what in the world I was even going to say in response. I shrugged, feeling like he needed to give me a better chance.

We walked around for a while, just trying to find something to do. "Look, I am sorry that you have to have this rift on your dad. Do you think he will be able to tell you where the new casino is or anything?" After Josiah asked Rhett this, Rhett just simply shook his head there.

"Well, I wouldn't have this rift, as you call it, if I didn't feel like he was a fucking asshole who was hiding things from me. But I guess that I am trying to understand his perspective a bit more, and see if he actually has a fucking point." After Rhett told me this, I saw him looking like he was hoping that Josiah would listen to him just a smidge there.

Eventually, when we were in Rhett's father's office, that was when Rhett was seeing that the one thing that was still there was a painting of his mother when he was much younger. Josiah later confirmed to me that it was a large picture of the one that got ruined when she was shot in the head.

As I was looking at the picture, and I was seeing the look on his fathers face, a small part of me was getting paranoid, and wondering if he was behind these things after all, and that Rhett was just walking into these types of revelations. But I choose to simply not say much, since I felt like that was just me being paranoid.

Rhett just looked at us, and I was seeing that he was trying his best to hold in the tears. To make it seem like he was holding up. But I also knew that soon enough, he would break down again. And I was even seeing Josiah looking as if he had expected, and accepted something like this happening in the first place.

Rhett was getting up, and he grabbed the picture, and brought it down. "I am going to bring this home. If my father doesn't want it, then I am taking this for myself, so I can remember her." Rhett said, and I was unsure if this was healthy. But I choose to simply keep the comments to myself. As he was walking off, both Josiah and I saw a number on the back, which made us both curious.

Scene 28: February 22 2021

That next day, I was talking with Robbie Dan after school, and trying my best to enjoy the time that I was having with him. But to be honest, it was hard to focus when I was scared about what Rhett was going to be finding in that file. I was scared that if he really wanted to know more, then he was going to have to find out what the number on the back even meant in the first place.

When I looked over at Robbie, I was seeing him looking like he was just simply wanting to ask me something. So I sighed, and I felt like I just needed to let him ask me whatever was on his mind. After all, I didn't want to brush him off or anything like that. "Lydia, do you have something on you rmind?" After Robbie asked me this, I shrugged, since I had no idea what I even wanted to tell him in the first place.

"No. Not really. Just something that I was seeing Josiah and Rhett getting into. But I have a feeling if I even try and talk with them about it, they will tell me to shut the fucking hell up, and stop trying to get deeper into this. To be honest, I feel like they are all just kind of fucking lying to me." I said, feeling like I just needed to be honest with him as I said this.

"Oh shit. I was hoping that Rhett was going to leave this whole thing alone. I guess I should have seen that coming though. The idea of Rhett levaing this alone was a fucking joke in my mind anyways." Robbie said, and I was wondering why he was so upset with himself, over something he had no fucking control over in the first place.

"I think that we both knew that there was no way that would happen. But regardless, there was that painting of him, his mother, and dad. You know, the picture that was destroyed on her murder scene. Well, that was in his father's office, and Rhett took it for himself, and when I was looking at it, I was seeing that the picture had a large number on the back of it." I said, and then Robbie looked like he was just simply not seeing where I was going with this.

"To put it bluntly, I think his father might be involved in something here. That the number on the back is some fucking code or message, and we just need to look into it. I noticed that Josiah also saw it, and I think he needs to talk to Rhett about it." After I explained this to Robbie, I was wondering if he was going to get it or not. Rhett seemed to be kind of out of it, to be honest.

"But his father... I thought that Rhett and Josiah agreed that he was innocent, and that he did nothing wrong. Why in the world would they turn their back on that idea?" Robbie asked, and I was wondering why he even asked this question to begin with. This was something right here, and we were losing precious time on talking about it.

"Well, clearly something fucking happened that changed this whole thing. Why are you so worried about something like this in the first place? I mean, I think we both knew that the possibility of this would come up." I said, feeling like I just needed to get Robbie Dan to see tha this was something that we all fucking saw coming.

"Robbie... Sorry for even bringing it up in the first place. I should have just kept it to myself." I said, feeling like I just needed to drop the subject. For his sake. Since I had no idea what he would have said if I kept pushing the subject even further than I already had.

"No, I want to know what fucking happens. I was a part of this for a really long time too, and I feel like I deserve to know the truth myself." Robbie Dan said, and he was saying it with such firmness, that I knew that he was not going to have his mind changed. So I slowly nodded, and respected what he was saying.

"Okay. If you fucking say so, I guess I will listen..." I said, and I was shaking my head, feeling like whatever he thought he wanted, was probably not really going to be that when things played out. "But to be honest, I never bought the narrative that Rhett's father didn't have something to do with her death. I mean, for fucks sake, she died when she wa finally getting ahead in the divorce case. Clearly something was driving this forward."

I knew that this wasn't the most solid piece ever. But it was enough for me to feel like I needed to take it for what it was. Robbie simply looked like he was trying to think of anything else, but chose to keep it to himself. "Well, I think that you will know that maybe Rhett's father was not the worst person in the world when you talk to him about it. He always did seem like he was not really buying everything that happened."

"And besides, when I tried to talk to Bebe about it, she was straight up telling me that I was over thinking it. That nothing was happening, and that I needed to stop trying to bring other people down because of my theories." He said, and I shrugged. I had no idea what to say. And I had no idea if I even fucking cared to say anything.

"Do you think that Bebe might just be trying to hide from the truth herself? To make sure she doesn't have to do something she is not comfortable with?" I suggested, feeling like I just needed to at least bring the idea out there for him. As I said this, I saw Robbie looking like he was scared of what I was meaning. Because if I was right, then that means that she knew something.

"Bebe would never fucking lie to me. There is no fucking reason for her to..." Robbie said, and I sort of knew he was going to say this. I mean, how in the fucking world could I not have known that this was the exact thing he would fucking say. But I decided that I would just try and go gently with him.

"That is what you fucking believe. And I am sorry if you genuinely believe that. But every single human being alive has lied before. I have done it myself." I said, feeling like I would just try and get him to fucking open up, and see the reality of what was happening. "And I think that she would justify it as her trying to make sure you are spared from pain." I said, hoping that I would get him to see that she was meaning well.

"I guess I will try and see what you fucking say. Doesn't mean that I have to fucking like it though." After Robbie said that to me, I slowly nodded. I completely fucking understood what he was saying. I mean, how could I possibly not understand what he meant, when I knew everything he was saying was fucking true.

"But I just wish that I knew what was going on in her head all the time. If I did, then maybe I could help her out." Robbie said, and I fully understand what he was saying. I then looked ahead, wondering if there was anything that I could have said to make him just even slightly happier. Or if I was just was wasting my fucking time.

"I think we all wish we knew what was going on in peoples minds all the time. I mean, I wish I knew what Stanley was thinking, and what I could say to make him see things differently." I said, and I wondered if he was going to pick up on the hints that I laid out. He looked at me, as if wondering what the plan was going to be.

"Yeah, I think you're never getting anything from him. He has a hard read. But I guess I don't blame him, with the stories he fucking told me. It seems like he is having a hard time adapting to life in general. I think something related to his parents divorcing. To be honest, I would have assumed something like that would have connected him and Rhett more." He said, referring to the divorce case that Rhett's mother case.

"Well, it is hard to connect with somebody like Rhett when you still have both your parents alive." I said, feeling like I just needed to be real as I said this. As I explained that, I saw Robbie Dan looking like he was shocked to hear me admit something like this in the first place.

"Wow. I mean, I think he himself thinks that. But I never thought you of all people would actually fucking say that. It's kind of impressive to hear you speak so frankly about these things." After Robbie said this to me, I shrugged, thinking that what I said made sense though, and I did not need to be feeling bad for just simply being honest about what I was saying.

"Well, I think that it is just true. I can't connect, with somebody who I know that I never had the same experience as. If mom or dad died, that would be different." I said, feeling like I just needed to be honest as I said this. No reason to hide the way that I was truly feeling, and I think that Robbie himself probably understood this.

"Well, still, I think Stanley would be wise to at least try and see what he can get from him. Maybe he would find himself surprised at how much they fucking connect." After Robbie told me this, I was thinking about what he said. But I also felt like anything I said was going to be a waste.

"Who knows. Maybe I am over thinking things. I will try and talk to him though. See if I could get Rhett to look into that number. Or to get Stanley to talk. I have no idea." I said, and I was feeling like it was unfair that I was the one who was given all this responsibility. But I chose to just keep my thoughts to myself.

"Yeah. Sure. I don't think it will work out well. But you might as well try. Thanks Lydia. For some reason, I feel like trusting you on things is the only thing that I can fucking do to make things better." As Robbie said that to me, I shook my head. I knew that his idea was insane. But at least he respected me enough to say that.

"Sorry for hurting your feelings about Bebe. I guess that I should just keep these things to myself. For both our sakes." I said, and I wondered if what I said even fucking mattered. "I mean, I never know what happened with her, and what her motivation behind it all really is. So I should be patient."

I was thinking that I might as well try and tell Stanley what Robbie was thinking, and I would try and convince him to at least give what Robbie was suggesting a try. I knew it was going to fail. But at the same time, I was desperate. Desperate for anything to make this whole thing work out.

Scene 29: February 23 2021

The next day, I was meeting up with Lily, feeling like I needed to try and fucking see what was on her mind. After all, she was certain taht something was going on. I didn't want to deal with her thinking that something was going on between her and Lars Needlemeyer, that made him feel forced to hang out with her.

"I just feel like that guy has something going on with him. I mean, he is so much nicer than most of the people that we know here. But that is not really saying a whole lot, and I feel like mom and dad are just always holding something back from telling me what he is doing here." After Lily was telling me this, I was considering what she had said.

"Hey, at least he seems to actively care about what is going on in this town. Most people just have this theory that the men here just simply do not give a damn, and I believe that is a fucking lie." I said, feeling like I just needed to try and be honest with her as I said this, feeling like I needed to call people out for their bullshit.

"Yeah, didn't you say your dad really hates him or something like that?" She asked, and I wasn't sure if I would go as far as to say that he hated Lars, as much as just felt like there was something that this guy was kind of missing. But I felt like I just needed to respect what my father was fucking saying.

"Well, I might have been wrong about the degree of what he thinks of Lars. But I know that the two of them do not get along well at all. But I have no fucking idea why at all." She said, and I shrugged. Feeling like I just talking about things that were probably not my business.

"Sorry for bringing that up. I just feel like there is something going on with him, and it really fucking bothers me. I just feel like that man is always trying to set something up, and I am just sort of there for the fucking ride." After Lily was telling me this, I was shrugging. I just felt like I needed to respect what was going on in her mind. No matter what I was thinking about it all.

As we were leaving the school for the day, I was then thinking of what I just needed to ask her. Something that I felt like I needed her to be completely honest about. "Do you feel like you will talk to your parents about Lars at some point? Maybe they have something to say about him..." I said, thinking that if she got uncomfortable, that would be the best thing to do.

"I have no idea if I want to drag them into something that I am dealing with. For all I know, I could be wrong about my entire perception on the event. And if I am, I do not want to be the fucking bad guy or anything." After Lily was saying this to me, I was trying to see if what she was saying was fair or not.

"But what I do know is that I think that Ruby just needs to come clean on what is going on with her. She is insisting that something is going on, and I feel like her lying about the event is not going to be helping her out at all." As Lily said this, I fully agreed with her. I felt like the way that Ruby was being super irresponsible on how to talk to us was going to be a massive mistake going forward.

"Well, I tried to talk to Ruby about it anyways, and when I did, she was saying that her parents were considering moving away from Wayside entirely. Saying that the place had over stayed it's welcome, and that we all just needed to try and start somewhere else. I guess that I should just let them decide what they feel on their own." Lily said, and I sighed in relief.

"At least it's not a fucking divorce." I said, thinking about Stanley and Rhett's mother, and I felt like I just needed to be glad that at least I wasn't going to be dealing with something similiar to Josiah going home with a crying friend, and him holding the tears back himself, because he saw a dead woman with a bucket of semen in her vaginal area.

"I have no idea why parents even get divorced in the first place. Children rely on both parents to work together, and seeing them break apart for various things just always seems to bother me." She said, and I was feeling like she needed to give Stanley's mom some more credit.

"Well, to be fair, with Stanley's case, I can fully understand why they would. His father ended up doing something that should probably never be forgiven. But Stanley still lives with the dad. So I guess that things are not all that bad." After I said this, I felt like I just needed to keep the comments to myself for the time being.

"Do you think Stanley would even want you to tell people what he dealt with? I mean, that is a very serious situation." After Lily said this, I hardly cared. After all, people were going to learn sooner or later anyways. I might as well let people just fucking know. And maybe as a result, people would choose to be gentle with him.

"I don't know. What I do know is that realistically, everybody in this town has a chance of realistically learning anyways. So I think that there is nothing to lose by letting people know, and that way people understand where he is coming from." After I said this, I saw that Lily did not really look like she was buying what I said at all.

"I guess that's fair. I just don't know. I feel like I would be upset if people were telling others what my parents are doing. But then again, I'm not fucking Stanley. Just be moe careful in the future." When she was telling me this, I wondered what the hell the issue was. After all, Stanley never said anything, and I feel like that is what the decision should go down to.

"Forget that I even brought it up. That is not my place to say anything. You should be allowed to do whatever you fucking want." After she was telling me this, we eventually made it to my house, and I was feeling like we just needed to be happier now that things had calmed down I had not wanted to make things worse between any of us at all.

"I already have." I said, trying to kind of be a bit of a smart ass. But at the same time, I was feeling like that might be a bit too much to make it believeable. But then I was looking ahead for a second. Wondering what the hell I would even say. I just felt like one of these days, the truth would be learned anyways, so it never even mattered at all.

"So Lydia, how often do you have people over at this place?" She asked, and I looked at her, wondering what her fucking point was. I then shrugged, feeling like there was no reason to lie here. After all, most of the time people came over, it was my siblings fault, and not so much myself.

"Usually just Robbie. Stanley came over one time, but after something happened, we both agreed to just end the hang out. It fucking hurt to just see Stanley move on like that. But I don't blame him at all." I said, feeling like the information with my father was where I had to draw the line. I did not want people to know that my father murdered somebody. He probably didn't want to have either me or Stanley know. So I felt like I needed to respect his wishes, and not drag him into this at all.

"What did you find in your fucking fathers office?" Lily asked me, and I was feeling like she needed to see that this was not a god damn game. But at the same time, I was also feeling like there was nothing wrong inherently with the question she had asked. After all, it was innocent enough.

"Just some stuff related to his job. I am sure he would not want me going around and teling people about it. After all, it was some serious shit." I said, feeling like at the end of the day, I needed to respect my father's wishes. "Besides, I know for a fact that most of the stuff was really confusing as well." I finished, not sure what else I was even supposed to say in the first place.

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense. I mean, I know that when I try to talk to mom or dad about their job, they always get uncomfortable. As if they are scared of what I can tell others." After she was telling me this, I sighed. I had no idea what I was even supposed to say in response. "Which I guess makes sense, strangely enough."

"I usually always told people everything that I knew. But when my parents told me that I needed to get better about that, I realized that I had really gotten super bad about it. So I apologized to them for the trouble I caused, and I promised that I was never going to do it again." After she told me this, I laughed, and wondered if this was why she lectured me about it in the first place. To avoid her mistakes.

"So I guess you have a history with how people can feel about telling others? Maybe I should fucking stop." I said, and I really had no idea what the issue was. Then I was wondering if I was supposed to say anything else. To try and get her to be a bit more open with me.

"I guess that I have a issue with getting angry at others to. I mean, for what I know, realistically, there is a very high chance that Stanley won't even care anyways. Like you said, chances are that soon enough, everybody will learn anyways. So I feel like I needed to keep that in mind." LIly said, and I felt like I needed to just be happy she wasn't pressuring on my father.

"But sorry for asking about your dad. I know it's not right to lecture you about that when in all honesty, I would turn around right afterwards, and try to know what the hell his issue was." She said, and I was glad she apologized.

"His job is none of my damn business anyways." I said, feeling like I just needed to try and say something in favor of my father. Especially since I knew he was still a good man, who made one really bad mistake, and he needed to be given a pass for what he had done one time in the past.

Lily and I sat down, and we were going to try and have a great time. After all, I did not want there to be any hard feelings between the two of us. I felt like the two of us were really doing great with our friendship. And I was feeling like in due time, I did want to try and read more of these comics as well, and see what was the main appeal to them.

Scene 30: February 24 2021

The next day, after I was hanging around with Ruby for a bit, and Lily had left the school to do her own things, which I felt was probably better given our discussion yesterday, that left just Claire and Stanley at the school with me, and I was wondering what the hell I was even going to tell them in the first place.

"So Lydia, do you think you are going to just head straight home? Want to talk for a little bit?" After Stanley asked me this, I shook my head. I was thinking about the fact that I confessed the whole divorce to Lily, and the fact that Lily seemed to be relatively upset with me over that, and I did not want to take the risks.

"Actually, I want to talk for a second. I did something really bad. I told Lily about your divorce case, without your permission. I did not think that it was going to be that big of a deal at first. But I guess that I really should have been more careful with your wishes." I said, hoping that I would get him to at least try and forgive me for my indiscretion.

Stanley looked really upset for a few seconds, to my lack of surprise, and I was feeling like I just needed to be honest with him as I said this, and I was glad that I finally cleared things up with him. After all, he deserved to know the fucking truth of the matter. "So I am really fucking sorry for everything. I should have waited until I knew you were good for it before I said anything."

"Look, it's okay. I'm not exactly happy you told her. But the truth is that the information is bound to come through eventually. Just make sure you don't ever tell people like that again, without asking me first. Cool?" Stanley asked, and he was holding his hand out, hoping that the two of us would be able to make some peace about the whole thing.

"Do you want to talk about that, Stanley?" Claire asked, and I was seeing Stanley looking like that was not something he wanted to do. "I mean, I hope you know that nobody is going to judge you for that at all." After she was saying this, that was when Stanley just simply shook his head. As if hoping that this conversation would not continue any longer than it already had.

"No, I really don't. I mean, I just feel like if I do, then the pain is always going to be coming back, and I am going to be wondering why in the world I even let anything like this happen to begin with. But I guess that is not really something you care to fucking hear." After Stanley confirmed this, I was seeing that Claire was looking like she had just hoped that things would be better for me going forward.

"Claire, sorry to change topics completely, but did you know that your mother came to my house? Sorry, I should clarify." Stanley said, for a second forgetting that Claire had two moms. "The one who works with Rob. She came to my house, and she was discussing a sort of business deal with my father. And I was scared of what I fucking heard. Something related to people getting sold off or something like that."

"Why would that scare you?" She asked, and then Stanley looked down on the ground, feeling furious over what he was going to tell her. I was wondering if now that she knew, there was no point in even dancing around the subject anymore,a nd that being open was all that mattered.

"Because my fucking father is involved in some fucking sex trafficking scheme. All with teenage girls and something, and he moved here to try and get a new life. Look, I am not saying that your mom is doing anything wrong. What I am saying however, is that I feel like if he and your mom become friends, then there might be more to this than you want to admit." Stanley said, and after he said that to her, I was seeing Claire looking like she was horrified that he had gone there in the first place. I felt like I just needed to try and give her some feeling of relaxation.

"And do you think that this has anything to do with Rhett's mom?" After Claire asked him this, that was when I was seeing Stanley looking like he was unable to believe that she was actually asking him this question in the first place. But I saw that he was trying to just find any way at all to deflect.

"Well, I wasn't living in Wayside when she was murdered. What do you fucking think? I mean, was she in any way related to sex?" Stanley asked, and I was looking at Claire, wondering if she even understood what sex was. So I felt like I would back up for her, and ask her.

"Before we put pressure on her, do you know what sex really is?" I asked, hoping that I would get her to just see that I was in no way judging her at all. Claire looked down, and I could see from the look on her face, that she probably did not know what it was, and that was going to be a huge issue for all of us.

"Yeah, I researched it a bit after Lars said he was a sex therapist. Something related to reproduction, and activity in bed." She said, and after Claire said that, I slowly nodded, and I was wondering why I didn't pick up on the idea that she would have done that anyways. I guess I just never imagined her doing that.

"Yeah, well anyways, just tell your mom to be careful around him. I have no idea if he is still doing these things, and I do not want you to be suffering because of it if he really is." After Stanley said this to her, I was seeing Claire looking like she was finding his comments to be rather strange. As if he was slowly showing her cared for her.

"Alright, I will try and be careful." After she said that to him, I was seeing Stanley looking like he was just simply glad to see that she wasn't brushing him off, or treating him like utter crap over this. But I wondered what else was going to happen. Claire then looked right at me, and I was wondering what she was going to be telling me now.

"Thanks Claire. I know that things are not the way that you want them to be. But I am just doing what I feel like is best." After Stanley was telling her this, I was then wondering what he was really thinking her. After all, that was her fucking choice to be making, and not fucking his.

"Why do you even fucking care so much anyways? I mean, truth of the matter is that we don't really know everything about each other in the first place. So this whole thing just seems kind of fucking strange." After she said that to Stanley, I wondered what she was even trying to accomplish by asking him this.

"I care a lot because I just don't want to see my dad doing something that is going to be hurting you or your family. And I love my dad, but I am certain that he is not the person that I should be looking at when I want to have a role model." After he said that to Claire, I was seeing Claire looking like she was actually almost respecting the fact that he had admitted this anyways.

"Well. Thanks for trying to help me out." Claire said, and I was seeing that at the end, she was just hoping that this was not the way that Stanley feared. "But I think that Rob would never allow something like that to happen. After all the wonderful things my mom says about the guy, part of me almost wonders why she hasn't married him or something." She said, and I knew she was trying to be funny.

"She told me that if she were straight, she probably would have. But I have no idea what the hell straight really is. It all seems to be rather subjective." After she was telling Stanley this, I saw that Stanley seemed to not have much of a idea what he was going to say there. But I just decided to keep quiet, and not push the matter any further.

"I don't know. I just heard a lot of things about Rob, and I feel like he is not quite the person that your mom might be thinking he really is. But I guess that is not for me to fucking decide." After Stanley said this to her, I was shocked that he was trying so hard to say this in the first place. I mean, this was not really his place to fucking decide at all.

"What have you fucking heard from him anyways?" I asked, thinking that maybe he had some valid points, and they needed to be looked at. I looked right at Claire, feeling like she needed to do him a fucking favor and at least hear what he was saying. Stanley shrugged, as if glad to see that at least I was willing to hear him out.

"Well, my dad claims that he seemed to be having a way too idealistic view on this world. That he is trying too hard to actually make things work out in a certain way, when it can't. Says that Rob just doesn't understand how much the town is sacrificing, and that he is not seeing the bigger picture. Vague ass shit like this." After Stanley said this, I was wondering what Claire would say to this, or if she would understand it at all.

"Don't fucking listen to your dad. He seems to just not see the positive results, and I just feel bad for him because of that." After Claire was saying this, I was feeling like hearing these two argue was going to drive me insane. Especially since I had no idea which one I really believed was right.

"I have to when I want to know why he is doing what he is doing. Simple as that. I can't just simply pretend what he is saying has no fucking truth to it." After Stanley told her this, I was then feeling like these two were not seeing how much these fights were going to be a massive issue going forward.

Despite everything that had been going on, and everything that was making me feel like these two were not seeing the bigger picture of what was going on here, I was glad that they were both at least willing to try and give the other person a fucking chance. Especially since I did see both sides of the argument. But this just showed that they were really becoming friends.

Claire and Stanley both ended up agreeing to just keep what the other person was saying in their minds going forward. To not just immediately brush off what the other one was saying. Which in all honesty, I felt like was the best way to go at this approach, and I was hoping that neither one of them would hate each other over it. I just wondered how my siblings would feel about it.

Scene 31: February 24 2021

The next day, when I was seeing Claire, I could tell that the things Stanley told her were really bothering her. And I was feeling so fucking bad for her. I wondered if she just needed a person to talk to. To just get her feelings and emotions out in the open. But then I decided that she needed some time to think for herself.

"Sorry that you had to deal with what Stanley and I were talking about earlier. I think I do see why he is talking the way he is. But that doesn't change the fact that it fucking sucks." Claire said, and I nodded, hoping to be able to just be there for her, as a person more than anything else.

"It's okay. I mean, I do see your points on both ends. So I have no issues with you guys talking about it, and just trying to sort them out. I think that I would be more worried if you guys just pretended like you guys had nothing to say." I said, feeling like I would just be honest with her.

"And I think that I just want to be there for you guys while you figure these things out, and just finally come together on the things that matter." I said, hoping that by telling her this, she would see that I was trying to fucking make them come together at least a fucking touch and what not.

"Thanks for at least trying to see what we are both saying. I know for a fact that I would have a hard time doing that if you weren't there to talk things out with us. I would just hear his shit, be disgusted, and then tell him to go fuck himself." After she said that to me, I was then feeling like this was why people say emotions got in the way of logic too much.

"That is something you need to fucking work on then. He deserves better than to have these issues. And I think you do know that. But I am not going to be making a issue out of this. You made your fucking point already." I said, feeling like I would just try and make the subject move along faster.

"I know you're right. But to be honest, I guess a part of me wonders if it is even fucking worth it at all. I mean, who knows what he might be saying behind my back anyways." Claire was telling me, and I was honestly not even caring. I was feeling like this was essentially her way of just blocking the point.

"It is fucking worth it. You need to see that for yourself though. I mean, I would never want to lose this friendship with any of you guys. That is something that I know for certain. So that keeps me going. To make sure you guys are happier." I said, as we were walking along. "But I mean, I think that maybe you need to think about what my dad was telling me as well. You know, with Rob Reichenbach and all that. After all, he is like twenty years older than him, and saw him growing up."

"I guess that is fair. I should probably try and talk to mom about that, and see what she fucking thinks about that." After Claire was saying this, I saw her looking like she could not believe that she was even finding herself agreeing to something like this in the first place. "God, mom is going to be mad when she hears me say these things."

"But that does not mean that these things aren't true. And I think we both fucking know that." I said, and I was wondering if she was going to truly listen to what I had been saying or not. As I saw her considering what I said, I felt like nothing I said would even fucking matter anymore.

"I hope that you're right. I know if you're not, then I am going to massive regret everything right now." She said, and then I smiled as she said this. I mean, I did find her lack of comfort in herself, and her own opinions slightly charming. Since it showed that at least she wasn't fuking full of herself or anything.

"As long as you don't end up like my brother Jack, who just almost hates dad now, then I think we will be fine. I tried to talk to him about it. But he just fucking brushes me off, and acts like I am too dumb to really understand where he is coming from and what not. So I just basically ignore what he says now." I said, feeling like I just needed to express my annoyance at this.

"What does your brother hate about your dad anyways?" She asked, and I shrugged. That was what I wanted to know. But I was given nothing. And that was the thing that made me feel like he was not really showing his point enough to make it clear. But I just felt like saying anything else was not going to help.

"I have no idea, and he is making things so fucking complicated. I tried to get him to talk, but he refuses to talk. And I just am getting to the point where I am almost refusing to deal with the crap anymore." I said, feeling like I just needed to be totally honest as I was telling her this.

"I think that he just feels like dad is lying to him too much. And I guess I see his point. But he is clearly doing it for our sake. And I think that he is just fucking refusing to see that. And it sucks to see this." After I told her this, I was then wondering why I was even bothering to tell her any of this in the first place. She wouldn't understand, and that was perfectly fine.

"Do you feel like dad is lying to you too much?" She asked, and I shrugged. I had no idea what I was thinking, and to be honest, I hardly knew if I fucking cared in the first place. What I did know was that I was just lost, and afraid of what was going to happen if they fought over this.

"I mean, he had some video confessions of some horrible stuff. But I don't hold it against him. He did what he had to do, and I respect the fact that at least he owns up to the things he does, and doesn't make excuses to justify it. That alone makes me trust my dad." I said, hoping that this would clear some things up with her.

"See. That just goes into the idea that family will just be blindly loyal to each other before anything else. I mean, I don't blame you for feeling the way that you do. But you can't deny that these things do connect." After she said that to me, I was wondering what the issue was, and why this was even getting to her as much as it had been.

"Yeah, I guess that I do see what you're saying. I guess that I will openly admit that I don't have to fucking like it though. It just feels wrong to be taking this man who had given me literally everything, and then turn him down." I said, feeling like I just needed to be fully real with her as I said this.

"But regardless, I mean, the stuff he confessed to was so many decades ago that it doesn't feel right to judge him anyways. Things happen, and I am feeling like I just need to keep that in mind." I said, and I hoped that this would be enough to get her to leave me alone about what I had just fucking said.

"Yeah, I guess that's fair. When you had to look at how long ago certain things are. Do you think that you will try and tell Jack about that, to get him stop looking at these things so harshly?" Claire asked, and I had no idea if I wanted to. It was his choice, and he had the right to have a opinion on the matter, and it was not my right to take that away from him.

"No. I need to see that I need to let him make his own choices. And hopefully he will be fine with the choices he makes." I said, thinking that what I said was fair enough. And I was thinking that maybe i needed to use the same logic for Rob as well.

"And Rob took over the company thirty five years ago. I think I need to give him a fucking break, and see that he is probably not as bad as people like my fucking father are saying, and that he is just having a hard time seeing the bigger picture." I said, and I felt like what I was saying was going to be a fucking gamble of it's own.

"And besides, your mom works with him much closer than either my dad or I do. So I think that I really have no leg to stand on trying to give you guys lectures on how to handle things." I said, feeling like what I was saying would be able to make her feel at least a bit better. "But regardless, I don't want this to become a debate that both of us regret." I said, feeling like I just needed to get this all under wraps for the time being.

"Yeah. Thanks for seeing it my way. I know it might be hard to do so, given everything. But I think that things will work out if we just stop always fighting." After she said that, I was finding her comments to really get through to me. She was right, and I fucking knew it.

"Okay. But you better be fucking right. Or else things are just going to get a lot more messy here. And I think that I will just try and keep things with my father under wraps, and not have him constantly getting in your guys way." I said, hoping this would make her feel at least somewhat better than it already had been.

"Okay. I will try my best to be right. But just trust me when I say that nothing too horrible will come out of it. We all just needs to see that we are taking things too seriously. We all just need to have a good ass time." I said, hoping that I would get her to see the bigger picture here, and have something approaching a good time.

"I did try and talk to her about Stanley's father, and she did say that most people that age are going to have sex anyways, so that getting upset at him over this is not going to do anybody any favors." After she said that, I was thinking about what she was saying. I guess that maybe if she genuinely believed that, then I needed to not say much.

I was glad that if for nothing else, the two of us had no fucking issues with each other anymore. That whatever Stanley and her said did not affect me, and that we had a great time just thinking of the future that was ahead for all of us at the end of the road. "I will try and talk to Robbie Dan about what he thinks soon enough."

As I said this, I wondered if Robbie even wanted to listen to me talk about this. After all, I had a horrible feeling he would see Stanley as a rival of sorts. Try to impress me over him and shit, and make it worse. But I would also not be surprised if I was over thinking it, and that I was fucking wrong about how I viewed anything.

Scene 32: February 25 2021

The next day, I was watching the television with Claire, and I was just trying to get to see what was on her mind. I thought that everything was going well. But then before long, there was a broadcast that was playing, and interrupted the show that we were watching. It was showing that one news reporter from when the teacher was caught. This time, he had a much more devastated look on his face. As if this was the worst news he could have had to give us.

"Earlier today, Todd Robinson Jr and high school assistant Rhett Bean found a body in a barrel earlier today in the middle of the forest earlier today. In the hours since the finding, the body had been confirmed to be that of Yolei Inoue. A middle school student who went missing in summer 1986. Unfortunately, both her parents have passed away, and therefore there will be no closure to her death." He said, and I looked at Claire, unsure what the hell I was supposed to be saying.

"Mr. Robinson confirmed that the body had a body size and structure of a much older person than a middle school student. He said he would have placed her body to be in the nineteen to twenty year old range, which confirms that she had died much later than her missing date. Which leaves to wonder what had happened to her in the last six to seven years of her life." When the reporter continued, I was ready to turn it off but dad was shown on the video, with Rhett at his side.

"To be honest, I have had a personal stake in this case for many years. And was one of the first ones that I tried to solve on my own. But I never found out the truth until now. To be honest, if it were not for Mr. Bean here, I might not have ever been able to find out the truth." He admitted, and I was shocked to hear him admit this. As it was showing that had kind of failed in the case.

Rhett was pulling the zipper of his hoodie up, and I was seeing him rather uncomfortable. When the reporter tried to speak to him, he decided to try and be open and honest with them. "To be honest, ever since my mother was murdered, I realized that this was a problem that could no longer be ignored. And I decided to try and change that for the better."

"It is a shame that this ended the way that it did. It is incredibly hard to imagine losing somebody when they were only in middle school." Rhett admitted, and after I heard this, I decided to switch the report off. I looked at Claire, wondering what in the world I would even fucking tell her.

"Do you want to talk about this? I mean, your father found something really fucking big, and I would not be surprised if this comes up again." After Claire was telling me this, I was shaking my head. I did not want to ask my father about something when I knew he was not going to enjoy being interrogated here.

"No. I don't even know what the hell is going on here anyways. And I doubt that dad would want to talk to me anyways." I said, feeling like I would just try and pretend like this was not bothering me all that much. "I think it would be best to just pretend like we never fucking saw that." As I said this, I went to my kitchen, and I was seeing that Lydia was still not convinced entirely of what I was telling her here.

Claire decided to come in the kitchen with me, and I saw that she was just trying to find something to say to make me feel a bit better. "So Lydia, how are your other brothers doing? Is Todd still going out with Bebe?" As she asked this, I shook my head, annoyed with the fact that she was bringing this up again. He was dating Bebe, and she just needed to fucking accept that for what it fucking was.

"He is going to be out with her for a while. I see from the look on his face that he is absolutely in love." I said, feeling like I just needed to end this discussion as soon as possible. To be honest, it was kind of annoying to deal with this all the time. "And besides, we're only in first grade. I highly doubt that he would be willing to go out with anybody in our grade."

"You don't have to tell me so fucking literally. I want to be able to try and pretend for a while longer." She told me, and I slowly nodded, feeling like I needed to take that into consideration for the future. Especially since I wanted to actually be a genuinely good friend.

"Sorry. I will try and be better about that." I apologized, and despite the fact that I was trying hard to not make it clear, I was still having a hard time not thinking about the bullshit I saw earlier. What dad knew, and he was being forced to fucking hide because he did not want to make people uncomfortable.

"Is there still something on your fucking mind?" She asked me, and I was shaking my head. Pretending like there was nothing going on in my mind. "Do you think that maybe I should just leave right now?" She asked, and I was shaking my head. I needed to get over this shit. It was not her fault that this was happening. And it was not her fault that people in Wayside turned out to be a bunch of pieces of shit.

"Maybe we should just go out, and just put everything behind us." I said, and as I said this, I was heading out of the kitchen, and went right to the front door. I was seeing Claire looking like she was feeling much better about not being here anymore, where she was no longer going to have to deal with me being flakey, and trying to pretend like the news report didn't fucking kill me.

As we were getting ready to leave, that was when dad and Rhett walked inside, and I was seeing Rhett looking like he was tired, and dad looking like now that the investigation was solved, he was just pissed at how the results really went down. At this moment, I saw Claire looking like she was wanting to see what I would do.

"Go have fun guys. I'm not really in the mood to talk right now." He said, and I was annoyed with the fact that he wasn't taking the time to tell us what the fucking issue was. But then I decided that I would just keep it to myself. After all, dad was old, and he often times needed rest more than anything.

As he was sitting down, that was when Rhett decided to tell us more. "We ended up finding out the truth of somebody who died earlier. Your dad has been working on this for years. So clearly the results are a massive fucking let down." Rhett said, and I was wondering why this was such a let down for him in the first place.

"I am just glad that I was able to help your dad find closure to his case. I couldn't imagine how hard it must be to have something that you have been working on for so long lead to being nothing." After Rhett said this, he sounded like he wanted to say more. But then he chose to just simply remain silent at this.

"Have you found anything with your mom?" I asked, feeling like if I pressed him on this, he would be willing to talk. But then he was just giving me a look as if he was pissed that I had ever brought this up to him in the first place. And I was confused why this was upsetting him so much, when it was very common knowledge by now.

"I haven't, and I am starting to think that I never will. People just simply do not fucking give a shit about what I have been dealing with, and I have accepted that reality a long time ago." Rhett was telling me, and I was feeling bad for him. "Aside from Josiah, it seems like most people stopped caring after a couple of days."

"But I'm not going to talk about this with you right now. This isn't fucking worth it." Rhett said, as he sat down on the couch, and then Claire and I left the house, and at this point, having no fucking idea what I would say. After all, Rhett was clearly having no fucking hope in this place, and it was making me sad.

"I have no idea what the hell I can even fucking say about Rhett anymore. He seems like he is totally fucking out of it right now. I feel like I just can't help but feel some fucking pity for the guy." I said, and feeling like I just needed to talk to Rhett or something. Even though I knew he wouldn't talk to a kid like me.

"I guess that makes sense. I might talk to my fucking moms about the report. They might fucking know something." After Claire was telling me this, I was shocked that she was even suggesting that. After all, she was a total fucking goodie two shoes, and she would never do anything that would piss her parents off. But I decided to just drop the subject for the time being.

"If they say no though, then don't fucking press it. Just fucking accept it. I do not want your mothers to hate you or me over something like this." I said, and I was hardly caring if I was sounding selfish as I said that. "But I guess that I would be interested in knowing what they fucking think."

"Don't worry. I'm not like you and your fucking brothers, where I can't fucking take no for a god damn answer." Claire was telling me, and I was looking at her, wondering what she was even trying to say here. After all, I wasn't even being an asshole or anything. I was wondering if Josiah would tell me anything about the Rhett situation, and maybe that could give me some answers to what happened.

"Well, I think that guys are inherently stubborn. Which can be either the best thing, or worst, about them." I said, feeling like I just needed to be honest with that. "And realistically, I just think that a large part of that had sort of come through to me."

"It's okay. I wasn't trying to judge or anything. I was just pointing something out that I had fucking noticed. You do not need to be so defensive here." She said, and I was feeling like this whole hang out was going to be going down hill soon.

"Let's just have fun." I said, feeling like I just needed to force us to drop this, and pretend like none of this happened.

We decided to just have some fun for the rest of the day. After all, I did not want to piss her off so soon. Especially since she was promising me she would speak to her mothers for me. And that should have been enough for me to trust her.