Begin Again Season Two
Chapter 8: One Way or Another
"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. May she be at peace now with her Lord and Savior." The pastor, spread dirt over Veronica's closed coffin, ending the funeral. The first part of the funeral had been at the Baptist church Veronica attended every Sunday. She had even gone to Bible study every Wednesday night. She was a good and genuine person both spiritually and mentally. She had a lot of people that loved her. Her best friend sang at her funeral, as did a couple of her other friends. Another friend read Veronica's favorite passage of scripture, while another friend read her favorite poem. Since Veronica had a ton of people that loved her, the church had been packed. Now, as she was laid to rest in the cemetery next to where her parents would be laid to rest when they passed on, the cemetery was filled with cries of sorrow and despair, all from Victoria's friends and family who were clearly deeply mourning her.
Everyone took turns placing long-stemmed thornless red roses over Victoria's casket. They were her favorite, according to her mother.
Rufus certainly never considered himself a cryer, but he felt a tear slide down his cheek as he placed his rose over the casket. She had been so young and full of life! She was only twenty-five. She had her whole life ahead of her. Or so they had all thought. She was such a good person. Rufus had to wonder why God allowed for bad things to happen to good people.
Lily broke into an audible sob as she placed her own rose over the casket.
Rufus pulled her close, and gently rubbed her back.
"Goodbye, Sweet girl," Lily whispered as she placed her hand over the side of casket. Thank you for making my son happy, even though you didn't get very long to do so. I know you would have been a beautiful, sweet, and perfect wife for him." She sobbed again louder.
Rufus let her bury her face in his chest. Neither he nor Lily had known Veronica for very long at all, but Veronica had still managed to win their hearts over. He had already been considering Veronica to be another daughter, and he was sure that Lily had too.
Rufus watched as Serena and Dan placed their roses over the casket, followed by Chuck, Blair, and little Henry. Every one of them had tears in their eyes—even Henry who had only met Veronica once very briefly.
Finally, Scott headed over in between Eric and Jenny, who had their arms around him on each side. Scott looked more sad and depressed than Rufus had ever seen him look. He wasn't crying though. He didn't even have a tear in his eyes.
Rufus was starting to get a little worried for his son. Since Veronica's death, Scott had yet to shed one tear. In fact, after he had stopped screaming Veronica's name over and over when she had been hit, he had pretty much stopped talking all together. The whole family had tried to get him to talk—his adoptive parents included—but all he would do is grunt, shrug, offer a yes or nor, or what was usually the case, just mumbled that he didn't want to talk about it. No one pushed him to talk, for they knew it was important to let him wait for his own timing. He had been through something very traumatic, and nobody wanted to make it worse by forcing him to talk before he was ready to.
Jenny and Eric set their roses on the casket. Jenny sniffled, and Eric looked as if his best friend had died even though he hadn't known Veronica for very long either.
Scott placed his rose on the casket after they did, then he just stood there staring down at Veronica's casket for the longest time. Finally, he turned around and headed over to a bench, then sat down on it and buried his face in his hands.
Veronica's parents came up to the casket then, and placed their roses over the casket.
Veronica's mother let out a long, mournful wail. "My Daughter! My Baby! This can't be happening!" She then started sobbing hysterically over the casket, gripping it for dear life.
Veronica's father was in tears. The tears were streaming down his cheeks like rivers. He placed a hand over his wife's back, then pulled her close to him.
"No! I can't leave my baby!" Veronica's mother cried. Even so, she let her husband gently lead her to the car. It wasn't good for her to see them lower the casket, and her husband knew it.
"Nobody should ever have to bury their children. Nobody!" Lily whispered. She sniffled. "I don't think I could survive if I lost one of our children."
"Hopefully, we'll never have to go through that," Rufus said, gently rubbing her back, and still holding her close. He kissed the top of her head. The truth was, he didn't think he could survive that either. Losing a child to death would be like losing a part of his soul. He knew how Veronica's parents must feel, but at the same time, he couldn't imagine the actual pain. If he lost one of his children or Lily...his sweet Lily, he couldn't live! He'd not have any reason left to live. He held Lily tighter, and kissed the top of her head again. From now on, there wouldn't be a day that went by that he would take them for granted. He would cherish them for the rest of his life. He only wished Scott had the chance to have cherished Veronica for the rest of his life. Though, looking at Scott who was sitting in between Eric and Jenny, immune to their comforting, he knew that even with Veronica's passing, Scott would still cherish the memory of her that was sure to forever live on.
~Begin Again~
"Scott, are you all right?" Jenny asked, gently rubbing Scott's back.
Scott just shrugged. If he had a dime for every time someone had asked him that in the past three days, he'd be rich! He knew they all meant well, but it was getting quite annoying. His would-have-been fiancé had just been killed. Of course he wasn't all right! He was sick to his stomach as the events of that night played over and over in his head!
He saw her beautiful smile as she playfully called him Zuko. She hadn't even seen the car rushing toward her until it was too late. It had hit her so hard, and she had flown so far! He had heard the sickening sound of her body hitting the pavement. She had hit that hard! He saw the dead, lifeless look in her eyes. Her wig had flown off somewhere. So much for it staying on her head. Earlier, he had been thinking how well the wig stayed through the night. Now, it had finally fallen off. Who knew that her being hit by a car is what would finally make it fall off? He knew those were crazy thoughts to be thinking. After all, what difference did it make anymore? But crazy thought were better than thinking about his girlfriend's impending death. His family had tried to hold him back, but he had had to see her. He had sat by her body, lovingly stroking her hair, telling her over and over that she was going to be okay. That everything was going to be okay. He wasn't even sure if she could hear him. She was breathing, but barely. The life was already gone from her eyes. Deep down, he knew she was as good as dead. He didn't want to scare her though, and he didn't want to admit it to himself.
Five minutes later, the ambulance got there. It was too late though. She was pronounced dead before they even got her in the ambulance.
"Well, we're here if you need to talk. All right?" Eric asked.
Scott nodded, still not saying a word. These days, he didn't have much to say. He figured, talking wasn't going to bring Veronica back, so why bother?
Veronica's parents had been so nice. They had hugged him in a group hug at the church and told him how much Veronica had loved him.
He had hugged them back, and whispered that he had loved her too. He felt numb. He didn't want to talk about Veronica with anybody, let alone them. He just couldn't take their sadness when he had more than enough of his own sadness to deal with. He felt like death,
Both sets of parents came over to him then.
"Scott, don't worry. Your mother and I have decided to cancel our cruise. You need us right now. We're not going to leave you," Scott's adoptive father told him.
Scott looked up at them, and shook his head. "No. Mom has been looking forward to that trip for months! I want you two to go. Don't worry about me. Staying here won't bring her back."
"I know it won't, but you still need your parents! Don't worry about me. There will be other trips," Scott's adoptive mother said.
Again, Scott shook his head. "You saved for years to be able to go on this trip! The tickets are nonrefundable at this point. You have to go."
"We don't care about the money, Son. You're more important. Anyway, they might make an exception when we tell them about the death in the family," Scott's adoptive father said, an arm around his wife.
Scott shook his head yet again. "Veronica wasn't family yet, Dad. They're not going to care that your son's girlfriend died. They'll feel bad maybe, but not enough to give out a refund. I read the tickets and they clearly state that they are non refundable thirty-days after purchase. It's been three times that length of time. You're going!" His parents had saved to go on a month long cruise around Europe. His mother had been so excited, and he knew his father was too even though his father never showed as much emotion as his mother did. There was no way Scott was going to make them suffer too.
"Maybe we can go for just a little bit, then fly home early from one of the ports," Scott's father suggested.
"Don't you dare!" Scott warned. "You're going to go for the full month, and you're going to have a blast."
"Well, I won't be able to relax knowing you're all alone in Boston!" his mother insisted. She sniffled. "I won't leave you alone. I just won't!"
"He can stay with us!" Rufus quickly chimed in.
Lily nodded. "Yes! This will be the perfect opportunity to spend some much needed and overdue time with our son."
Scott's adoptive parents looked at each other wearily. Scott knew they still didn't like the thought of him having two sets of parents—even after all these years.
"I don't know..." Scott's adoptive mother trailed off.
"Go on your cruise. I'll go to New York and be with Rufus and Lily. I want to. I have to testify anyway, so I might as well stay for a while. Anyway, I'm not going to feel better knowing that you two missed out on your cruise because of me. Trust me, it will only make things worse. I want to spend time with my birth parents." Scott said. He didn't want to spend time with either set of parents in truth. He wanted to be left alone. However, if staying with Rufus and Lily meant his adoptive parents could still have their trip, then so be it. He would go to New York and live with his adoptive parents. Besides, there was something else he had to do while in New York.
Scott's adoptive parents looked at each other, still looking unsure.
Scott's adoptive father then looked at Scott. "Well, if it's all right with Rufus and Lily, and you really want to, then fine. You may stay with them."
I'm an adult! I don't need your permission, Scott thought to himself, though he knew better than to say that to his father. His father was only trying to help.
"It's more than okay with us!" Lily said.
Rufus nodded.
Scott's adoptive mother finally caved. She slowly nodded her head as well. "All right then, if that's what you want, Scott."
Scott nodded. "It is."
Scott's adoptive mother turned her attention to Rufus and Lily. "Thank you for agreeing to take him in."
"Of course!" Lily said. "He's our son too."
Scott could tell by the look on his adoptive mother's face that she wasn't happy about Lily's little reminder. Even so, she kept her mouth shut.
"We'll stop by your place tonight. Maybe we can do dinner before your father and I leave tomorrow," his adoptive mother said to him then.
"Sure, Mom," Scott agreed, hugging his mother, and then his father. He really didn't feel like eating. In fact, the way he felt now, he'd be perfectly happy never eating again! He would though, for he didn't want to disappoint his parents. His adoptive parents then left.
"Are you ready to go?" Serena asked, coming over and placing an arm around Scott then. "Dan has the car waiting."
Scott nodded. "Let's go." He gave Veronica's casket one last look, then left with Serena. She had insisted on her and Dan giving him a ride. Scott had allowed her. He knew that was how Serena felt she could best help. He also knew she'd be making him eat lunch when they got back to his place. At least now he had going out to dinner with his parents later and not wanting to spoil his appetite as an excuse.
~Begin Again~
"I'm so glad Scott will be returning to Boston with us and spending some time with us! I just wish it were under better circumstances," Lily said at dinner that night. Scott was off to dinner with his adoptive parents, spending time just the three of them before his parents left on their cruise the next morning. Lily, Rufus, and the kids had chosen to eat at the hotel's restaurant.
"I'm worried about him. He hasn't shown any kind of emotion whatsoever since Veronica's death. He's just sort of clammed up, and doesn't say much more than he has to. I'm surprised he even said as much as he did when it came to making sure his parents went on that cruise," Serena stated.
He cares about his adoptive mother and father. He didn't want to ruin their trip because of him. He's good like that," Lily stated.
"Well, he really needs all of us to be there for him now. We need to be there for him as much as we can over the month he's going to be staying in New York," Eric said.
"We also don't want to push him. I know it's not exactly the same thing, but when I lost my father—the first time—I was mad at the world. I didn't want people constantly asking how I was doing, and I certainly didn't want people to try to force me into showing the kind of emotion they preferred me to show. Nor did I want anyone trying to cheer me up or force me to be happy. I needed to deal with it my own way and in my own time," Chuck stated.
"Still, he needs to know that we're all here for him," Blair reasoned.
"I can draw him a picture," Henry chimed in.
Blair smiled at her son, and gently stroked his hair. "I'm sure he'd like that, Sweetie. You do that."
"I think that he should have more than just you guys at the apartment. I think he'd feel more comfortable and more willing to open up if he has a sibling around. I could move in too," Jenny offered.
Lily nodded. "If you'd like. But what about your job?"
Jenny shrugged. "I can design and sew just as easily at your apartment as I can in my own apartment in Hudson."
"But what about all your shows in Hudson and the surrounding area?" Rufus asked. "It's not that I wouldn't love to have you home again for a bit, but for a whole month? Can you really take all that time off?"
"Well, we could split the time up. I could move back home for a couple weeks. I'd love to spend time with Scott, and live back home again for a while. My boss is super nice. He already told me I can take a couple weeks off if I'd like," Eric offered. He worked as a secretary at a law firm. People liked to tease him about being a secretary, but he was being paid quite handsomely, and had really good hours, so he took the teasing in jest.
"Whatever works best for you two. I'll just happy to have either of you back home," Lily said.
Rufus nodded his agreement. "What she said."
"Well, Eric you can take the first two weeks, then we'll switch off. It will give me time to get my affairs in order," Jenny said.
Lily smiled. "You've grown so much in the last five years, Jennifer. I'm proud of you. You've really matured."
Jenny shot Lily a look. "Because I was just so immature, right?" she asked, an eyebrow raised and her voice dripping with sarcasm.
Lily shook her head. "I didn't mean it that way, Jennifer. We've all changed so much in these past five years. Myself included."
Jenny smirked. "I hope you've changed because I didn't like you very much before. Actually, you were kind of a bitch."
Lily blushed.
"Jennifer, apologize to Lily this instant!" Rufus snapped.
Jenny rolled her eyes. "It was a joke, Dad. Lighten up! Anyways, I said before."
"Jennifer..." Rufus warned.
Lily smiled weakly. "It's okay, Rufus, Darling. I can take a joke." She smiled at Jenny, who shot her a forced smile in return. Lily had a feeling it wasn't really a joke, but if she had to prove to Jenny that she wasn't the same woman she used to be, and that she was through breaking Rufus' heart, then she would prove it to her. Maybe Jenny living with them would be a good thing. This way, Jenny could see firsthand how much Lily loved Rufus. It was either that or she and Jenny would end up wanting to kill each other!
Lily glanced over at Jenny, who was now looking over her menu. Jenny seemed to sense that Lily was staring at her.
Jenny looked up, and stared blankly at Lily.
Lily quickly looked away. She'd hope for option one, but sadly it was starting to look like it was going to be option two.
Lily sighed. Here we go again, she thought. How fun. She'd put up with it for Scott's sake though. After all, she'd do anything for her son. Even if it meant putting up with a snotty stepdaughter who not so secretly hated her.
~Begin Again~
"So, here we are. You may pick whatever room you'd like. You can stay in mine with me if you'd like," Eric said to Scott as they entered Rufus and Lily's apartment.
"Thanks, but I think I'd rather have a room to myself," Scott said.
"You can take my bedroom then. I'll take Serena's old room," Eric said kindly.
Scott shook his head. "Show me to Serena's old room. I'm not going to take your room from you."
"Well, technically is hasn't been my room in a good six or seven years, but all right. I really wouldn't mind if you'd rather have that room though," Eric said.
"Serena's room is fine," Scott said.
"Suit yourself!" Eric replied with a shrug.
"Scott, Darling, would you like any lunch?" Lily asked. "We could go out, or Rufus could cook you up something."
Rufus nodded. "I make a really good chili!" he bragged.
Scott smiled weakly. "I'm not very hungry right now, but thank you. Maybe tonight you can make chili for dinner?"
Rufus nodded. "Of course!"
Eric gave his parents a pained look. He knew they were just as worried about Scott as he was. He then led Scott up the stairs, and toward Serena's old bedroom.
"This is it! Aside from changing the sheets, Mom kept it exactly the way it was when Serena moved out. You don't have to worry about boy band posters or calendars of half naked men. That wasn't Serena's style. Sadly though, you will have to deal with boring white on white." Eric motioned with his hand around the room. The walls, the bed, the bedding, the night stand, and the dressers were all white.
"The only ounce of color that was ever in this room was Serena's clothes in her closet, and the TV when she had it on," Eric said with a smile.
Scott grinned. "It's cool."
Eric was happy to see Scott grin. "We do have Chuck's old room as well, but that's even worse. It's brown and green, and Lily now uses it for an extended closet. I think she chose that room because it's the biggest room in the apartment. Yes, our mother has a ton of clothes. Women! Right?"
Scott suddenly looked sad again. "Veronica had a great sense of style. Boots were her thing. She loved her boots. Sunglasses too. She'd wear them even at night sometimes. I'd ask her why she was wearing sun glasses when there was so sun out. I'd tease her, asking her if she thinks she's too cool for me. She'd always say that she loved her sun glasses too much to just wear them during the day. Then she'd pulled me close and hug me tight. She'd kiss my cheek and stroke my hair and tell me she sometimes felt I was too cool for her. I'd kiss her in return and say I'm the one who felt unworthy of her. She'd kiss me again, and tell me that we're both lucky. I'd agree, and we'd smile, and..." Scott sniffled. "We'd both be so happy. Now, neither one of us is lucky because she's dead, and I'm stuck on this earth without her."
Eric walked over to Scott, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Remember, I'm here if you ever need to talk."
Scott looked him in the eyes, his eyes looking almost as lifeless as Veronica's had looked. "Talking's not going to bring her back, Eric. Now, if you'll please excuse me, I just want to be alone for a while."
Eric nodded. "Okay." He hugged Scott tightly. "Just know that I'm here for you whether you think you need me or not. I'm your brother, and I love you. We all love you, and we're going to help you through this."
Scott hugged Eric back. "I love you too," he said, though his voice was still filled with sadness. He released Eric, then walked over to the bed, and lay face down on the bed.
"I'll come up and get you at dinnertime. Rufus really does make good chili," Eric said at the doorway.
Scott didn't reply.
Eric left the room then, and gently closed the door behind him. He sighed, then headed down the hallway.
~BA~
"How is he?" my mom asked with concerned as I got to the bottom of the stairs. I walked over to her and Rufus, who had been sitting on the couch.
I sat down to Rufus' left. "He's a mess. He is heartbroken over losing Veronica. I told him how you use Chuck's old room as a closet now, and he told me about Veronica loving boots and sun glasses, and how she'd wear her sun glasses at night because she loved them to much to just wear them during the day. He was so sad, Mom! You should have seen the dead look in his eyes, and the distance in his voice as he told me about it. It's absolutely heartbreaking!"
Lily had tears in her eyes. "I hate so see him in such pain! I have to go talk to him." She started to get up off the couch, but Rufus gently took her arm, and pulled her back down.
"I'm sure he wants to be alone right now," Rufus said gently.
I nodded. "He does. I told him I'd come up and get him at dinnertime, and that Rufus' chili is really good, but he didn't say anything. He's just lying on the bed, face down. It's kind of scary, seeing him so down. I mean, I know he's obviously going to be very upset, but... I don't know. It just scares me is all," I confessed.
"Everybody grieves differently. Scott's handling this in his own way. His girlfriend whom he was going to propose to got hit by a car and died. He saw it happening. This isn't going to leave his mind overnight. I'm sure it never will. We just need to give him time, and he will start to pen up when he's ready. All we can do now is let him know we're here for him when he needs us," Rufus explained.
I shrugged. "I told him I was, and I told him I loved him. He said he loved me too, but that was it. He threw himself down onto the bed then."
"Just give him time. He'll come around," Rufus assured me.
"I think he should talk to a psychiatrist. He needs to get therapy. Who knows what seeing his could-have-been fiancé dying has done to him?" Lily said.
I shook my head. "Well, if he doesn't want to talk to any of us, I highly doubt he wants to talk to a stranger. I say we give him time before taking him to someone. I can almost guarantee now he would never go for it."
Lily sighed. "I just want to help my son get through this! I feel so powerless."
"Don't we all," I said as more of a statement than a question. "Don't we all?"
~BA~
Eric knew exactly what Lily meant by feeling powerless. He felt so powerless too. His brother was hurting, and there wasn't a thing he could do about it. Being there for Scott when Scott needed him just didn't seem like enough. He got up off the couch, and paced the living room. He didn't know what he could do for Scott besides being there for him though! Aside from bringing Veronica back, which he clearly couldn't, he was, as Lily said, powerless.
He headed up the stairs to his own room. He guessed all he could do now was watch TV to try to keep his mind off of Scott. He had a feeling it wasn't going to be easy.
~Begin Again~
Scott sat up in his room, dug into his backpack, and took out the newspaper article he had saved. He pulled it out, and read it over for what was probably the hundredth time.
Son of attorney Robert Freeman, Travis Freeman, twenty-nine, has been charged for drag racing and accidentally killing twenty-five-year-old Veronica Desmond outside of the new karaoke bar, Just Sing then fleeing from the scene. Freeman was drag racing with a friend when his car hit Miss Desmond. Miss Desmond smashed against the car, then flew four feet before hitting the pavement. Freeman kept on driving, but police were able to find him from his license plate number that and onlooker had taken down. Toxicology reposts say that Freeman was not over the drinking limit when driving. Charges against Freeman are illegal drag racing, reckless endangerment, manslaughter, and hit and run. Freeman's bail was set at fifty-thousand dollars. He is currently out on bail and awaiting his trial, which is a closed trial set to take place on the eighth of November.
Scott could hardly wait for the trial. It was going to be painful to go through, yes. However, he needed to testify not only because he was a witness, but also because he wanted to help put the scumbag who killed his girlfriend away for a very long time. Travis should be the one who died—not Veronica. Now it was time for him to help make sure that Travis wished he had been the one to die instead of Veronica.
~BA~
I put the newspaper article back in my backpack, then headed over to Eric's room. I wanted to talk about the trial with him.
I gently knocked on the door.
"Come in!" Eric called out.
I came in to Eric's room. "Hey. Can we talk for a minute?" I asked.
Eric looked surprised to see me, but glad at the same time. "Of course!" He shut off his television, then sat up straight in bed. He nodded toward the end of the bed. "Have a seat!"
"Thanks," I said, sitting down at the foot of the bed.
"So, what do you want to talk about?" Eric asked.
I knew he was hoping I'd say Veronica, but I wasn't quite ready to talk about her. Not yet. "I want to talk about the trial that's in a few days. You're still going to testify, right?" I didn't want him backing down now.
Eric looked disappointed for just a second as he realized I wasn't going to talk about Veronica. Then, he composed himself. "Sure. Why wouldn't I?"
I shrugged. "I'm just making sure. I want to make sure that scumbag gets what he deserves."
"We all do." Eric placed a hand over my shoulder. "Don't worry, Scott. We're going to make him pay."
I smiled, and for the first time since Veronica's death, it was sincere. "Thank you. Right now, this is the best way you can be here for me."
Eric smiled too.
~BA~
That night at dinner, Scott was in better spirits. He was still crushed on the inside from losing the love of his life, but knowing that he was going to be able to help put the man that killed her behind bars helped lift his spirits—even if it was just enough to make him hungry for Rufus' chili.
He licked his lips. "Mm, Dad, this chili is amazing! Mom and Eric were both right!"
Rufus grinned proudly. "I'm glad you like it! It's my mother's secret recipe." He winked at Scott. "I've entered it in three contests and it's won all three. So many people have tried to get me to give them my secret, but they'll never get it out of me! Never!"
Scott couldn't help but shake his head and laugh. He hated when people made him laugh when he just wanted to be sad. He couldn't help it though. Rufus had always been able to make him laugh. It was one of the things he loved best about his biological father. That and the fact that he always seemed to understand his needs even when Scott didn't tell him what those needs were.
"Here's some more oyster crackers if you want," Lily said, pushing the bowl of crackers toward Scott.
"Thanks, Scott said, taking a few. He knew his mother was happy to see him smiling, and that she was eager to please him and keep him smiling.
Scott would try his best to put up a happy front around her. For her sake.
After the chili and crackers, they had a pumpkin pie that Lily had made.
"This is surprisingly good," Eric said as he ate his pie.
Lily raised an eyebrow. "Surprisingly?"
Eric smirked. "Face it, Mom. We all know you can't cook."
"Just because I can't cook, it doesn't mean I can't bake," Lily reasoned.
"Hey, Lil, for future reference, the pumpkin pie box goes in the recycling bin—not the garbage," Rufus said between bites of his pie.
Scott and Eric both looked at Lily.
Lily blushed. "I still know how to bake. I just figured a store bought pie would be less of a hassle to make."
Scott grinned. "Nice try, Mom."
Lily pouted, and took a sip of her drink.
After their pie, Scott tried to help clear the table, but Lily wouldn't let him. "I got it. Why don't you and your brother go find something on TV? We can all watch a movie together or something. You can pick one off Netflix."
"All right," Scott agreed with a shrug. Since he was feeling slightly better, he figured maybe watching TV with his family would help him continue to feel better. Besides, he'd be willing to do anything to prolong heading to bed. Nighttime was the worse. Nighttime was when he laid in bed and all the images of the night Veronica was killed came rushing back to him. He saw her death over and over in his head like a home movie on repeat. He wasn't ready to face again tonight. Not yet.
"Come on! Let's find a comedy. I think we could all use a good one. Did you see the new Adam Sandler one yet? It just came out on DVD," Eric said as he and Scott headed for the couch.
"No, I haven't," Scott said, sitting down on the couch.
Eric sat down next to him, and flipped on the television. "I haven't either. I'm dying to see it." His face suddenly paled. "Bad choice of words. I'm sorry."
Scott shrugged. "It's okay. It's a figure of speech." He put on a brave smile for Eric. He knew Eric had meant nothing by it, but it still made his heart sink a little.
The news was on.
"The tragic story of the hit and run that took place on Halloween night when twenty-nine-year-old Travis Freeman hit and killed twenty-five-year-old Veronica Desmond with his car while drag racing then fled the scene has come to a conclusion," the female newscaster stated.
"What do they mean conclusion?" Scott asked. He sat up straight, as did Eric.
"Trevor and his lawyer father Robert Freeman have made a plea bargain. Trevor Freeman has pleaded guilty in order for there to be no trial, and to avoid jail time. Trevor has been sentenced to a hundred thousand dollar fine, and a year of community service and probation. Trevor has also had his license revoked, and will not be eligible to get it reinstated until he has served his community service, and his probation is over."
"This is bullshit!" Scott said, grabbing the remote, and stabbing the off button with his thumb. He tossed the remote across the room. "What? He kills someone and all he has to do is pay a fine that is pocket change to his family, then do some little community service for a year? Are you kidding me? And, boo hoo, he can't drive for a year! Well, because of him, Veronica will never drive again!"
"It's going to be all right, Scott," Eric said gently.
Scott whipped around to face him. "And how is everything going to be okay, Eric? Hm? The man who murdered my girlfriend is still walking around without a care in the world. How is that okay?"
"It's not. I just meant, you'll get through this," Eric said, a little timidly.
Scott laughed bitterly. "Apparently, he's gotten through it already. The only ones who haven't gotten through it are the victims! Poor Veronica's family must be heart broken now! How does the so called justice system let scum like that get off so easy? How?" Scott asked so loudly he was practically shouting.
Lily and Rufus walked over to him.
Lily gently placed a hand over Scott's shoulder. "It's not fair, Darling, I know it! I hate him as much as you do, but there's nothing we can do about it. We just have to hope that karma will eventually come around and bite him."
Rufus shook his head. "His father's a hot shot lawyer. I guess we really shouldn't be surprised his father was able to get him out of this. It's a sick world. Bad people get out of trouble the second a big wad of cash is thrown their way. I'm sure the hundred thousand dollar fine isn't the only money that was dished out to keep him out of prison. In fact, I'm willing to bet my gallery and all the paintings on it."
"I'm not going to stand for it. It's bull shit! Bull shit!" Scott snapped. He pushed his mother out of the way, then stormed up the stairs. "Nobody dare follow me!" he warned. "I am so not in the mood right now!"
He got to his room, and slammed the door so hard the dresser rattled.
He then threw himself down onto his bed, grabbed his pillow, and screamed into it. There was no way in hell he was letting Travis get away with this. No way in hell. He guessed, if the legal system wasn't going to make Travis pay for what he did to Veronica, then he was going to have to have to be his own legal system.
He knew exactly what his first order of business was going to be. He was going to make sure that Trevor Freeman got exactly what was coming to him. Trevor Freeman wasn't going to get away with killing Veronica. No. Trevor Freeman was going to pay for what he had done. Scott would see to it.