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Chapter 4

Vincent finally turned away from his window and pulled off his jeans. Lying down on his bed he couldn't help but to feel bad for how he went about this whole situation. His friends deserved to know the whole thing, not just bits and pieces. It was only Monday, he would stay home and get his package on Tuesday and go back to school on Wednesday. Friday was his last day and graduation was on Saturday, that Monday he would be on a truck headed for training. He was going to tell his friends what his plans were on Wednesday, but the sadness in Valor's eyes haunted him. They were childhood friends and did pretty much everything together. They fished, played tag, camped, took drivers education together and when they hit their senior year they went on a double date to Homecoming. Molly looked beautiful in her red dress and Vincent stood out in his black suit and black shirt with a tie that matched Molly's dress. She loved the fact that she talked him into matching her, Vincent swore it was coincidental. Valor wore the same suit but wore a white tie instead. Myranda, Valor's girlfriend at the time, wore a sapphire blue gown. She was killed in an accident a week later. Valor felt like it was his fault and was in a suicidal mood for a long time, it was Vincent who finally pulled him out of it. He felt guilty because they had a nasty fight at his house and she left angry, her car was hit by an out of control truck. Even after Vincent managed to get him out of his suicidal phase, it took him a lot longer to come to terms with his grief. Vincent's eyes fluttered closed and his body relaxed. He realized how tired he was and he didn't fight it when sleep took over his mind.

Valor stood as Molly rounded the corner. Darrell and Gabriel sat in the back seat, Zephyr in the front. Coming to a stop to him Zephyr climbed in the back seat between Darrell and Gabriel. Sitting down and closing the door the let out a heavy sigh.

"Valor" Molly asked looking at him with concerned eyes.

"Go to the abandoned field, we need to talk" he replied quietly, looking down at his feet.

Nodding Molly put her car in first gear and drove through the neighborhood, passing Vincent's house and out on the highway toward the field. Valor not once raised his head and it began to worry Molly, he seemed sad and depressed. The three in the back seat remained quiet until Molly parked in the lot of the field and got out. Reaching down she pulled the handle forward and the seat followed suit, letting the boys in the back seat out. Closing the door they walked over to where Valor, who was already sitting in the grass. Sitting down, Gabriel broke the silence.

"Val, what's wrong?"

"He really did it" Valor replied.

Gabriel and Zephyr exchanged glances as Molly and Darrell stared at Valor, waiting for him to continue.

"Who did what Val" Zephyr questioned.

Sighing heavily Valor looked up, fighting hard to keep his composure.

"Vince got his call today, he is really doing it."

"No" Molly whispered grasping Darrell's hand tightly.

"How do you know for sure Val" Darrell asked.

Valor told them everything from the time he left with Vincent for lunch to the point where he walked out of his house. When he finished Molly couldn't contain her tears any longer, her face was pressed into Darrell's chest, sobbing heavily. Darrell held onto her and a silent, un-noticed tear flowed down his cheek into her hair. Everyone else sat in complete silence, still not wanting to believe what they just heard, after sometime Zephyr stood up.

"We need to talk to him"

"He will be at school on Wednesday, we'll do it then. He only has three classes that day." Darrell said softly, trying not to disrupt Molly who was hugging him now.

"He will be taking his math final that day since he won't be at school tomorrow." Valor answered quietly as they piled back into Molly's car, this time Valor driving. Molly was too upset to even attempt it. Valor just confirmed all the rumors going around, and that hit her hard. She couldn't believe that someone as nice as Vincent could go become one of those infernal Turks. The last couple of days he started pushing them away and now she wanted to know why. He would need friends to get him through the training, not pushing them away. She was going to talk to him on Wednesday if it killed her.

Vincent woke at 6:30 like he did every morning. Pushing the covers off he pulled his shirt up to check his ribs. They healed up really good during the night, the potion always worked best if one was asleep. But the cut on above his eye and on his lip would have to heal on its own; the entire potion went to healing his ribs. Pulling on a pair of dark blue sweat pants he left his room and went into the bathroom. Brushing his teeth he ran his hands through his hair a few times to try and get it to lay flat or somewhat tame. His father hated the way he kept it short in the back but longer in the front, but like he was one to talk, his was long. Rinsing off his toothbrush and returning it to the sink, he settled on his hair and exited the bathroom. Walking passed the library and down the stairs he crossed the living room and passed his fathers closed door and into the kitchen. Looking out the window above the sink he saw his father's car had already gone, like he was to expect anything different. Pouring his milk and cereal into a green bowl, he put the milk away and grabbed a spoon from the drawer next to the refrigerator. Picking up his bowl he walked to the sofa and sat down, crossing his legs under him. He clicked the TV on and set the remote back on the arm of the couch. He watched the news and ate his cereal waiting for his package.

Valor put his books in his locker and waited for the others as Zephyr, Gabriel and Darrell rounded the corner talking quietly amongst themselves.

"Hey Valor" Zephyr piped up.

"Val, Molly won't be here until later. She arranged to take her morning final this afternoon." Darrell said.

Valor eyes shifted from Darrell to Zephyr.

"Why"

"She didn't tell us" Gabriel answered quietly.

"She did say not to worry about her though" Darrell said depositing his books in his locker.

Valor was troubled, and his friends could see it.

"She'll be fine man" Zephyr said. Slapping Valor on the shoulder he went to class.

Valor and Gabriel were in the same class and Darrell was in the one across the hallway. The first bell rang and they quietly made their way to class.

Molly sat across the street from Vincent's house; she had been there all morning. It was now almost noon and his car hadn't moved from where it was parked on the street. She wanted to go barging in and demand an explanation from him but she remembered what Valor said about his injuries so she decided to leave his house and meet them for lunch.

The lunch bell rang and students began forming lines in at the cafeteria windows and leaving the school grounds to gorge themselves during their forty-five minutes of freedom. Valor, Darrell and Zephyr headed across the parking lot to Valor's truck; where they always ate their lunch during the summer months. When the boys got to his truck they saw the tailgate was down and Molly was sitting on it swinging her legs. Darrell and Zephyr climbed up into the bed and sat down the tool box taking out their lunches. Valor sat down next to Molly who was dressed an awful lot like Vincent. She wore a dark blue shirt and black shorts looking extremely depressed.

"Well how are you doing" Valor asked. Zephyr and Darrell stopped eating long enough to hear her answer.

"His car hadn't moved"

"Was his package there yet" Valor questioned?

"Not that I saw"

"Why were you at his house Molly" Zephyr asked, the curiosity brewing over in his voice.

Sighing heavily she leaned forward putting her elbows on her knees and resting her head in her palms.

"I wanted to talk to him" she responded quietly.

"Why, he wouldn't even tell me" Valor spat, trying to keep the anger from his voice.

"I guess I wanted to hear it for myself, but I was afraid to go up to his door."

"What is there to be afraid of, he is still Vince after all" Gabriel answered quietly.

"Because, he isn't the Vince we know. He has grown distant from us all in the last couple of days and to be completely honest I was afraid he might get mad that I came by." Sighing again Molly sat up straight, tears falling from her emerald eyes shining like diamonds.

"She is right. Vince is the same anymore" Valor said softly.

The rest of their lunch period went by quietly. None of them really was making conversation. Once the bell rang they headed back to their classes. Valor passed by Vincent's locker and his heart sunk. Dropping his eyes to the dirty tile floor he went to his classroom taking a seat in the back and trying to get his mind focused on the up coming test. Molly stopped in the girls' restroom to freshen up so it didn't look like she had been crying. Her biology final was next and she really had to get her mind focused, but seeing the way Valor had been taking the news of Vincent broke her heart. They had been best friends ever since Vincent moved to Nibleheim and even he didn't see it coming, Vincent hid it so well. She really helped Valor was right about Vincent coming to school tomorrow, she really needed to see him. Leaving the bathroom she headed to class, the second bell and rung and she didn't want to be late.