"Jesse we really think it would be good for you to go tonight" Mary said to her son " The pep rallies were always a great time when I was in high school".

Jesse Aarons was not the social type especially not after…. that day but everyone had been on him to "Put himself out there" Jesse would laugh mirthlessly at such advice. He was merely existing in a world with no light. The light that came into his life was Leslie and the light left with her there was no point of even trying in this desolate reality that he had spent the past few years living in .

"Ok Whatever I'll go" a defeated Jesse sighed, After his entire family had been pushing the issue for weeks Jesse finally begrudgingly agreed to attend the pep rally " It's only one night of bullshit" Jesse thought to himself.

As he arrived at the pep rally that he had only been to in order to appease his parents he could not avoid familiar faces. His teammates from cross-country instantly noticed him. They had considered him to be a strange and introverted guy but had a level of respect for him and were always trying to pull him out if his well protected shell.

Siezing this opportunity his fellow runners begged him to be present at the party that took place afterward he obliged.

He met a bunch of the others at the location of the party. Robby Morris, Captain of the cross country team who was an all around nice guy appeared excited "Hey Jesse so glad you're here man" He said clapping him on the shoulder. "Grab yourself a drink", he said there was A couple of cases of beer an a large cooler of what could only be described as jungle juice and a handle of whiskey.

Jesse hesitated briefly Robby looked at Jesse and said "Look, man I'm not forcing you to do anything you don't want to but that stuff they mixed right there is a magic potion it'll loosen you up, I'll do the first shot with you" The whiskey was sweet but went down like gasoline. He then poured himself some jungle juice and the party begin.

Jesse was starting to loosen up and, just for the first time since the day the rope broke, live simply in the moment when he ran into Scott Hoager "Hey Jesse, I didn't know you would be here , I'm so used to you moping around . Hey maybe while we're at it we might be able to make this your lucky night, I mean there are plenty of girls around " Hoager then smirked " You know ones that are actually breathing"

Then Jesse froze entirely eyes fixated on his target and then it became as if he were in an out of body experience as a fist, that he didn't even know he made, met Hoager's face sending him reeling to the floor Jesse didn't even take a minute before storming away from the party and into the night, instinct calling him to the place that has haunted his dreams every time he closed his eyes.

POV Trooper Randall Wilson

"Units that have responded to the complaints of the disturbance at the party have reported that there was an assault on one Scott Hoager" "Asshole probably deseved it" grumbled Wilson setting a poor example for his trainee. Scott had been nothing but a troublemaker his entire life and it hadn't even been long.

"a BOLO has been issued for one Jesse Aarons 15 year old white male" as it was stated that he struck Hoager in the face Aarons is reported to be heavily intoxicated" Wilson groaned as he recognized the name. "What is it?" Trooper Sanchez, his trainee asked" Wilson responded

"Jesse Aarons talented athlete, quiet, nice kid even some rumors he's a great artist. Something awful happened to him a few years back". "What happened?" Sanchez asked " Well it was more like something that happened to a friend you see they had this rope swing they liked to use and one day it broke. She landed badly, hit her head just hard enough to knock herself out and then drowned in the creek" "Good God" Sanchez said "If I have my guesses right I feel like Jesse will be near said creek There might be some sort of special connection with him and that creek. "Well Let's check it out" Sanchez replied

They began to search the forest near the creek and found one lurching stumbling figure Leaning against a tree puking. Wilson and Sanchez approached the disheveled mess of a teen. "Jesse This is the police '' Wilson called out "you need to come with us son just keep your hands where we can see them"

Jesse looked at the troopers there was a sadness but for a brief second one could almost swear there was a strange look of relief on Jesse's face that would appear so out of place that it would be unnerving. He stepped forward and in his compromised state fell straight forward.

Wilson and Sanchez placed the handcuffs on the thoroughly liquored teen and guided Jesse into the back of the patrol vehicle. Sanchez took inventory of the fellow in the back of the car she was not able to discern how much of the moisture is his eyes was from emotion vs nausea. They headed for the station The troopers could hear the slurring voice in the back seat " Les- Leslie"

POV Jack Aarons

Jack was absolutely livid when he received the call Jesse was drunk and in police custody after a fight Jack could not imagine what kind a punishment was due here.

He stormed into the station and ran into Wilson and Sanchez." I sincerely apologize for my son's behavior Where the hell is he?" Jack said in his fury.

Wilson responded "He is over in the other room. But I want to talk to you for a second. I'm not going to tell you how to parent but whatever this kid needs it isn't punishment this life has punished him enough." Jack seemed bewildered until he saw his son with a faraway look his usually stoic son had a crack in his facade

" What kind of trouble are we looking at?" Jack asked the troopers

" The worst thing on him is misdemeanor assault from when he served his classmate Scott a fresh knuckle sandwich" Trooper Wilson remarked

"He talked about her she should still be here" Jesse said. Jack immediately understanding what it meant

"Come on son let's get you home" Jack said softening. "She would be ashamed of me" Jesse said as his father walked him out "Son Don't even talk like that" He said.

Sanchez looked at Wilson "Poor kid, must have been horribly traumatic"

"It was a bad scene" Wilson said

"You were there?" Sanchez enquired.

"Yeah I was, I didn't see much, she was hurried into the ambulance real fast, a lot more urgency than when they usually come upon a dead body, it was definitely one of the shifts where I hugged my kids a little harder when I got home but ,Something else always stuck out about that scene".

Sanchez looked at him with a curious look in her eyes " Wilson elaborated "The ambulance crew that took her were all rookies and they all quit afterward." Sanchez appeared even more intrigued

Wilson continued " Well I can only assume so, you see when you do this job for a while you get to know who runs ambulances around here. I had never seen these people before nor since that day. Understandable I mean dead kids are always the worst but what are the odds" mused Wilson.

"Those do seem like some long odds" Sanchez responded with a little curiosity

POV Jesse

Jesse woke up with a hangover and remembered the nights events. He remembered seeing red and throwing the hardest punch he could fathom at Scott Hoager. Scott just never learns Jesse thought remembering a punch that he had sent in Hoager's direction years ago.

Jesse also remembered something he would rather push back a, brief thought "I'll just grab at one of their belts and it will all be over" His drunkenness had ironically saved life as he had fallen on his face while he moved toward the cops.

As he got out of bed he knew he was dead meat "let's just get it over with" he thought as he exited his bedroom. His parents were right downstairs looking a little kinder than he would have guessed.

"Good morning, glad to see you on your feet", Mary his mother said in a voice that was attempting to conceal sadness

"Listen son, we're not going to even try to punish you as we know punishment will not fix this. But we do think there are some things you should do" Jack

"What about my arrest?" Jesse responded in disbelief. He was not used to such an easygoing and understanding approach

"The DA just called Scott Hoager agreed to drop the charges. Rumor is that It was his fake ID that bought all the alcohol so he has reason to keep this quiet" Mary informed her son.

Jack continued "But look Jess we want to help you. We understand that you aren't keen on therapy so we want to give you a chance to try a different approach"

"How different?" Jesse asked

"Well no awkward one on one eye contact and you don't have to talk all you have to do is listen" Mary replied

" Sounds like my kind of different" Jesse said "

"Ok We'll go this time next week" Jack said matter of factly.

May Belle walked up with a smirk "Heard you got drunk and punched Hoager"

"Word travels fast" Jesse answered

" I bet he had it coming" May Belle said with a smirk

" As usual" Jesse remarked. As Jesse drank the sweetest glass of cold water he had ever drank he pondered to himself what on earth his father could be setting him up for.