Chapter 8

"Jackie, what happened to you?" Janet asked. She was sitting at the kitchen table reading a newspaper as Jackie descended the staircase. Jackie looked at the blood on his hands. "I killed him..." Jackie's voice wavered.

Janet slowly put down the newspaper. "K-killed who...what are you talking about?" She was afraid to ask.

�� "Michael. I...I killed Michael."

�� "No!" Janet cried. She started to run up the stair to Jackie's room but Jackie stopped her.

�� "Jan', stop." Tears still came down his face. Janet hugged him as she cried her own tears.

�� "How could you? How could you?"

�� "It was for the best..." Jackie said.

�� "I want to see him." Janet said. "I don't believe you."

Jackie sighed and let her up to his room. To their horror, the body was gone.

Ryan White ran up to Michael as he stumbled in the door.

�� "Are you okay??"

�� "Yeah, I'm fine....'only got shot a couple of times...." He threw himself in a chair.

�� "Who did it?" Ryan asked. Before Michael even opened his mouth to speak, Macaulay answered for him.

�� "It was Jackie, wasn't it?" He asked softly.

�� "Yes, it was." Michael said.

Amanual Lewis touched the wound on Michael's stomach. "Does that hurt?"

�� "Yes it does. It hurts a whole lot." Michael said, trying his best to smile through the pain.

�� "Stop it, Lewis." Ryan said. "You're hurting him."

�� "Am not." He said, still bathing his hand in Michael's blood.

�� "Are too."

�� "Prove it." Lewis said.

�� "Alright." Ryan said. "Michael, doesn't that hurt?"

Michael had his head back against the chair and his eyes were closed. His hands tightly gripped the arms of the chair. He opened his eyes and said, "Kinda..."

�� "See?!" Ryan said.

�� "No, it's alright. Let him do what he wants." Michael said. He sat up.

"Macaulay, what's wrong?"

Macaulay was sitting in a corner. "Nothing."

�� "Come over here." Michael said. Macaulay slowly went over to him. "Are you scared?"

Macaulay nodded.

�� "Don't worry. Everything is going to be just fine."

Macaulay knew it wasn't.