Date: Mon, 9 Apr 2001 13:00:07 -0700
From: Alex Bright <adisoc007@msn.com>
Subject: chapter 12

Chapter 12

The Darkness Falling

Justin

"Well, are you going to tell me what's going on" she asked me smiling, as I
started getting dressed after finishing the breakfast that she cooked for
me.

"Not until you answer my question. How did I get over here and why was I
naked in your bed? What if your parents find out?" I smiled as I walked
over to her. I gently reached for her waist and looked into her eyes. All I
saw was love and care for me in her eyes. Then I remembered why we broke
up. My smile faded away and I started to let her go, but she grabbed my
hands and placed them back around her waist.

Looking deep into my soul she said, "Remember I asked you to come over
during lunch?"

"Ok, that part I remember genius. How did I get here?"

"Well, since there is only one car in my driveway, smart-ass," smiling as
she put her arms around my waist, " I can only guess that you walked over
or, in your case, since you're in those sexy shorts, you ran."

"Ok, that answers one part." I drew her closer to me. "Now for the million
dollar question. Why was I in the buff?" I asked with a smile across my
face.

"Well, because someone didn't check the weather report before he decided to
take a night time run, someone got wet in the rain and I couldn't let you
sleep in your wet clothes, now could I?" Our foreheads touched and she
looked deep, deep into my eyes. "Now it's your turn. Justin what's wrong?"
she asked with a serious look on her face.

"Nothing is wrong, Katie, nothing at all," I said as I started to let go of
her, but before I could she grabbed hold of my hands.

"Bullshit," she said, sounding as if she was getting angry. "If we hadn't
broken up Justin, we'd be going on three years going out with each other
and four year of being friends. I know when there's something wrong with
you, Justin Mitchell Kemper. I know you better than anyone, even better
than you know yourself."

"Whoa, the full name! When your girlfriend or mother uses that you know
you're in trouble," I said, smiling at her and seeing that she was no
longer smiling.

"I'm not your girlfriend anymore, remember, and don't try to change the
subject," she said, letting go of my hands and placing hers on her hips. "I
just want to know what's wrong with you. We used to be able to talk all the
time. Now you can't even look at me."

I just looked down at the floor and told her, " I don't want to hurt you."

"Justin, don't you see that when you don't talk to people about your
problems you're hurting them and yourself?" she asked, taking my hands
again. "You have to talk to people, tell them how you feel and what's
bothering you. You can't just hide in your room or behind a football, you
have to talk to people."

"I can't. Nobody will understand how I feel."

"I think you don't give people enough credit. I think your parents would
understand. Speaking of parents, did you tell them we were no longer
together?"

"No, they don't know, and they can't know. Not yet," I said, looking into
her eyes again. Suddenly an apprehensive look came over her face. " What?"
I asked with a panicking tone. " Kate," I asked after a long pause, "what
did you do?"


Alisa

As I finished getting dressed my phone started ringing off the hook I knew
this was going to be a long, long day. I was ready though. I just had one
thing to do I reminded myself as I walked over to my now quiet phone. Thank
god I had my own line or I think my parents would be going crazy by now, I
dialed Justin's phone number.

"Hello, Kemper residence," Justin's dad announced as he answered.

"Hi, Mr. Kemper."

"Alisa?" he asked, recognizing my voice. "Holy cow, Alisa! How are you
doing?"

"I'm fine sir."

"What's with the Mr. Kemper and sir stuff? Mr. Kemper's my dad and grampa,
and even they hate it when you call then that."

"I know, it's just been a long time since I called the house and talked to
the guys or you since we kinda drifted apart and lost each other, and I
thought ... well ..."

"That's nonsense. You know Meredith and I have always and will always think
of you as the daughter we never had. That, sweetheart, will never ever
change. OK?"

"Ok Papa," I said, now starting to tear up. I was the only one besides
Justin who called him that, and Justin only did when he was sad, upset, or
when his dad was mad at him. All of us used to be so close that we either
called each other's parents mom, dad, uncle, aunt, mama, papa, or in some
cases, by their first names. Being the only girl I was real close to all of
the guys parents. I think they all wanted me as their daughter-in-law. "I
missed you all so much," I said with a sniffle

"And we missed you too. So, I heard you called last night looking for
Justin. Is that why you're calling now?"

"Yes sir, I mean papa," I said as I started to laugh.

"Well, Justin isn't here yet."

"What? "He's not home yet? Is he out running?"

"No sweetheart, he didn't come home last night. We're still waiting for
him. Here, I'll let Marr explain to you what happened last night. I have to
finish getting ready to go to the office. I want to leave just as soon as I
know he is home safe but, not until after I've had a talk with Mr. Justin
Mitchell Kemper." When he said that I cringed because I knew Justin was in
big trouble. "I do hope you'll come to visit soon. Three years is a long
time for my daughter to be away."

"I will papa," I said with a smile. Then I heard Meredith say hi as she
started to tell me about what happened last night with Justin, him coming
home distracted, then going into his room and not coming out until
later. "He's still doing that? God, I thought he stopped it," I said,
feeling worried.

"Yes, he still does, and over the past three years he has grown so distant
from all of us. Did you know he broke up with Kate?"

"No, I didn't. I knew they started dating right about the time we all
drifted apart, but I thought they were still dating."

"I found out last when Kate called looking for him."

"Did she know where he was?"

"No, not when she first called. She was looking for him because he was
supposed to stop by her house after football, but didn't. Then somehow he
ended up at her house later on, I guess after he stormed out of here. She
called late to tell us that he was ok and reached her house and that he
fell asleep. She's bringing him home this morning. Alisa, I don't know
what's wrong with Justin or what's happening to him. I'm scared, scared out
of my mind."

"Meredith, I think I know what's wrong and I know who is to blame for last
night."

"Who dear, who and what's wrong with Justin? Why is he acting this way?"

"I'm sorry to say this but I am. I'm to blame."


Kate

"Well," I answered sheepishly.

"Oh No, you didn't!" He was getting upset.

"Well, you didn't come over after practice and it was getting late and,
well I called your house," I said, closing my eyes tight and knowing what
was coming next.

"Dammit,." he said, letting go of my hands. "FUCK Kate, what'd you go and
do that shit for?"

"I'm sorry Justin, I was worried that you wouldn't show. Then it started
getting late so I called your house. Well, your mother thought it was you
calling her and asked if you were here. I told her no, and said that I was
looking for you too. She then asked me if you've been acting strange
lately. She was shocked when I told her that I hadn't seen you in a few
weeks. I asked why would she think you were here since we broke up two
months ago."

"SHIT...SHIT...SHIT," is all he said. He was pacing back and forth as I
told him about the conversation his mother and I had.

"I think she took it well," I told him, looking at him with a smile while
he was still pacing. "And later when I called them again."

"You did what?" he shouted, then started pacing again.

"I called to tell your dad you were here safe. Then I told your dad I would
bring you home in the morning, Will you please stop pacing and say
something."

"Why did you call my parents?"

"First you ran over here in the rain, then when you got here I don't even
think you even knew where you were." I was starting to get mad as I walked
over to him to calm him down. "Justin, when you got here you were soaking
wet. Do you remember?" I reached for him.

"I...I don't remember anything, I don't remember anything after I left my
house," He said. He had tears in his eyes and pulled me into a hug.

"Do you remember anything about last night?" I asked him as I gently pulled
away to look into his eyes. "Do you remember anything that happened last
night?" I asked with a small smile on my face.

"I remember a little, I remember, I, I oh no!" Suddenly a look of terror
came across his face.

"Justin what's wrong? Do you remember something about last night?"

"I have to go," he said, as he let go of me and tried to leave.

"Hey...What? What do you remember?" I asked as I grab his arm.

"I have to go home to get ready for school." He said as he looked down at
the floor,

"Ok, fine. I told your dad I'd bring your butb home," I said as I went to
get my keys in the kitchen.

When I came back into the room I told him, "I have my keys, but we're not
leaving until we talk about last night."

"Kate, about last night, I'm sorry, but can we talk about it in the car?
It's getting late." He reached for my car keys.

"Fine, but why would you be sorry about last night? I'm happy that I
finally got the chance to make love to you for the first time." I smiled as
I started walking backwards, keeping the keys away from him until I reached
the front door.

I had to try to get him to talk to me about last night so I could tell him
that I knew that his mind was on someone else and not me, and that I wasn't
mad at him. From the moment I sat in my car and started driving, Justin
kept giving me this look, like he was wondering what to say to me. After
about five minutes of silence, he finally said something.

"It shouldn't have happened."

"What shouldn't have happened?"

"Last night shouldn't have happened. I don't want to hurt you and I know I
will. I love you with all my heart, but... "

I cut him off before he could finish. "Justin you're my best friend, last
night was the most wonderful time in my life. I don't think anything will
ever top it. I love you more than life itself. I know I have your love but
not your heart, I never did. Your heart belongs to someone else. I found
that out a long, long time ago. I couldn't accept that at first, not until
after a lot of crying and being angry with you, but I now understand and I
can accept it. I only want you to be happy, and to be true to yourself and
stop hiding the way you truly feel."

"Kate I don't know what to say."

"Justin, I only want you to be honest with me," I told him as we pulled
into his driveway.

"You know I have never lied to you."

"Ok," I said as I turned off my car. " I know who you were thinking of last
night Justin. It will help you so much if you tell me. You have to start
dealing with who you really are. I won't care; you'll still be my
friend. I'll still always love you no matter what," I told him as he looked
down at his lap, avoiding eye contact with me. "I know you were thinking
about Brad last night, and I've known how you feel about him since the 9th
grade."

He was suddenly looking at me, but now had tears flowing down his face and
his eyes were all red. He tried to say those words, those three little
words that would change his life forever. "I can't Kate. I'm so sorry. I
just can't. Please don't make me say it, please," he said as he opened the
door and quickly ran out of my car and into his house.


Alex

Pain, anger, hatred, disgust. I felt them all while waiting in the school
parking lot for the asshole that hurt Brad. How could I have let that go on
for three years without saying something or doing something about it?
Suddenly a new feeling hit me. Guilt, the weighing feeling of guilt. Was
the guilty feeling I was experiencing because I knew what people where
saying about him and didn't do anything about it? Suddenly the feeling
became so overwhelming that I started having a flash back about
yesterday. This time however, it was of me walking into the room too late
to stop Tony and his thugs and finding Brad bloody, broken and dying, lying
in a pool of his own blood. I quickly opened my car door and hurled my
stomach onto the pavement. They were going to pay for what they did to
him. I swear to god they were going to pay.