As she danced, she heard a soft knock on the door, but she danced a little while longer, not knowing who was standing behind her. She turned around and saw A.J. standing there, with his mouth wide open. "Oh Alex it is so good to see you!" She said loudly, her back towards Tom so that he couldn't see the panic on her face. She turned around and looked at Tom. "This is my brother, Alex. He wanted to come and see my new place, so I invited him in, that is why I left my door unlocked," she said with a smile. "You are a liar!" He screamed and picked up his pistol. Katie jumped knocking A.J. over, she laid on top of him, protecting him, waiting for the bullet to come, and it did, hitting her in the back, she fell unconscious on A.J.'s chest, who looked at her with shock on his face, she had saved his life, he then looked up at Tom, who had pointed the gun to his left temple, and the shot rang out, the blood gushing from Tom's head, as the gray and red of his brains and blood mixed on Katie's used bed.
A.J. jumped up, not moving Katie, knowing that she might have a spinal injury, he called the cops again and told them two people had been shot, the ambulance arrived moments later and they pronounced Thomas Johnston, age 29, dead. He had been abusive to women, children, and had often been involved in bar room fights. "I am glad he is dead," the oldest policeman on the scene said, "No one deserves to be beaten up." The paramedics looked Katie over and saw a lot of bruises on her body from the constant slappings that Tom had given her, all along she thought that she had deserved it.
They rushed Katie to the hospital, and brought A.J. to the hospital to get checked out. He called everyone and Nick said that he was going to tell Lauren to fly down. They hadn't seen each other in awhile and they really missed each other and Lauren was ready to move down to be closer to him and her friend. Everyone sped over, curious to what had happened and how A.J. hadn't even gotten a bruise.
The group walked into the emergency, except for Lauren who was on the next flight down to Orlando, but Nick was there. They saw A.J. sitting in waiting room, his head in his hands, in total disbelief of what had just happened. "Hey Bone! What in the world happened?" Brian asked, they hadn't gotten any details, just to rush to the emergency room. "B-Rok, you won't believe what happened! I couldn't believe it..." he was rambling, he couldn't get what he wanted to say out. "What is it?" Kevin asked. Since the last time they had seen Katie, they had all moved on and they now had new girlfriends. Howie was still single, as was Brian, but the others were attached. "Remember that girl Katie?" A.J. asked everyone, and immediately Brian turned white and Nick looked like he was going to faint, now he was really glad that he had called Lauren. "Well...I guess she was going out with this guy named Thomas Johnston."
"The Thomas Johnston?" Howie asked, sitting next to A.J., his arm around him, trying to reassure him that everything was going to be okay. "Yeah, the one who gets in fights and gets arrested a lot. Well, he was going out with Katie for about 4 weeks, she told me this when she woke up, well he was rough with her, but she didn't think he really meant it, she thoughthe was going to change, she thought she loved him. Well...they went to the movie theaters and when they got back, Tom just walked right into her apartment-"
"I didn't even know she moved..." Brian said sadly. "Yeah, she met Tom the day she moved. Well, he went into her bedroom and ordered her to join him. She acted all cool, and nodded, keeping a bright smile on her face. She went to her dresser and got her nightgown, she also grabbed the number that you gave her," he said to Brian, "and went into the bathroom. She said she was going to freshen up, but Tom showed her a pistol that he had hid in his pocket, but she continued to act cool. She went into the bathroom, turned the water on and called me, I thought she was a weird fan at first, but then I realized that she was the girl from the mall. Well, she asked for Brian, but I told her that I was the only one home, she told me to come over and tell this man that I was her brother and I was visiting, she told me to call the police. I was scared, but I followed her direction. You will never believe this though..."
"What?" Brian asked, not knowing what to expect. "Well, she turned the radio on, and told him that she didn't want to change into her nightgown. She played 'We've Got It Goin' On" and began to dance, he was so mesmerized that he laid back and watched her, but then I came. I watched her, and I was so surprised that she could dance, BOY COULD THIS GIRL DANCE, my mouth was wide open, and I finally got her attention, she turned around and acted like nothing was wrong, but she looked terrified when she turned around so that Tom couldn't see her face. She told him that I was her brother and I came to visit, that is why she had left the door unlocked, he screamed, 'You Liar' and picked up the pistol and aimed it at her," he said as he began to the cry, it was the first time the guys had seen him cry.
"Oh god...." Brian said, hoping that she wasn't dead. "She jumped on me, knocking me over, laying on top of me, just so that I wouldn't get hurt, he shot her in the back, I saw her face, she knew it was coming. Then I looked up and this guy had the gun to his head and pulled the trigger, now he is dead. The doctor said that Katie probably won't walk, it is a shame, I would give her all my money, my car, my house, everything, if she would tour with us as a dancer. I was amazed!" "A.J.? Are you serious? All of this happened?" Kevin asked, not sure A.J. was sane. "I swear to god!" he said with a frown, but the doctor came in as he was about to say something.
"Hello everyone," he said with a small smile at the group of young men. Brian wanted to punch him for smiling at a moment like this, but he decided not to. "She is awake, doing pretty good, she has feeling in her arms, but I am not sure about her legs right now, the bullet was pretty close to her spinal cord." "Can we see her?" Lauren asked in the background, no one knew that she had been there, but she went right into Nick's arms and cried. The doctor pointed to the room, everyone went in, except for A.J. who blamed himself for what had just happened, he should have protected her, if she didn't jump on him she would still be able to walk. "Hi Katie," Lauren said with a smile and Katie reached up to hug her, Katie saw Brian over Lauren's shoulder. "Where is A.J.?" was the first thing that came out of her mouth. Everyone looked and saw that he hadn't come with them into the room. Brian went to find him and the small group talked.
"How are you all doing?" Katie asked with a small smile, everyone could see that she was near tears. "We are fine, how are you?" Howie asked carefully. "Smile guys, I will be fine, physically," she said under her breath. Brian came back in with a reluctant A.J. "Come here A.J." she said and he walked over, she reached up and gave him a big hug, "I am so glad that you are okay, I thought he was going to get you." "No, he didn't, thanks to you, I can't believe you," he said with a small smile as he backed away from her. "Where did you learn to dance like that?" he asked with a smile. "Your videos, guys, but I don't think I will do any dancing anytime soon, but that is okay I never thought I was that good. The one thing that I wish, though, is to never be in a hospital ever again," she said with a small smile and everyone laughed, "Well, I am sorry guys, but I think I should get some rest, I start physical therapy tomorrow." Everyone nodded and Katie closed her eyes, dreaming about the evil Tom, who was now dead.