The People I'd Die For (Part 17)

"Kids, the Riley's are here!" Carl called from outside the front screen door. Amy's elbows were on her knees, her hands holding her head. She breathed in and out loudly and sobbed in spasms. 1

Brian looked at Kat, seeing how she was trying to keep a stone-like face. Her lower lip was slightly quivering and there were two symmetrical tears running down her cheeks. "Kat, we can't do this now." Brian said sternly.2

"Why not?" Kat asked. "He's never coming back, Brian. We didn't tell him cause we- we didn't know he was-"3

"It should have been me!" Amy cried out in agony.4

Brian turned his head to look at Amy. "What?"5

"It should have been me.", she repeated, pain dripping from her every word. "I'm the one who slit my wrist, I should be dead... Oh god, not him!"6

Kat shook her head furiously from a lack of words to say. Brian got up from his chair and sped across the room to sit next to Amy. "No, that's not true." Brian said shakily, eyes wide. "It shouldn't have been any of us, that's how things were supposed to go." Brian wrapped his arms around Amy and continued. "We all need to be here and stick together."7

Kat wiped her eyes and came over to the other side of Amy. "Just because I want to say I'm sorry doesn't mean I would ever want to lose you. Either of you." 8

Brian let go of Amy and instead held her hand to be able to look her in the eyes. "We can say want we want to him later. But we have to know RIGHT NOW that as best we can, we're going to live our lives for him... and not wallow in his death for the rest of them."9

Kat looked up with puffy eyes at Brian. Amy was holding on tightly to his arm when he continued. "Can we all do that?" he asked gently.10

The three of them looked at each other silently and purposefully. Kat gazed down at the floor and slowly nodded her head up and down. "Yes, I can do that... For him."11

Amy looked at Kat and then back to Brian. "Me too." she answered softly. "Brian?"12

"I will, everyday." he responded.13

As Amy grabbed Kat's hand, a silence fell over the room. The three of them formed a chain of interlaced hands, all looking down contemplatively at the floor. A certain sense of unaware serenity washed over the room when Carl, Lucy, and Daniel stepped through the front door. 14

Lucy saw the three friends holding onto each other and felt her heart swell. She could see the lost looks on their faces and felt more sorry for them than she did herself. Daniel stepped to the left of her to get through the doorway and Carl did the same. The teenagers looked up at the sounds of shuffling feet. The six pairs of eyes met in the entrance to the living room. They were wrapped up in an understanding silence for a moment or two. Before too long, Carl coughed and offered the Riley's a seat.15

"Kids, the Riley's and I would like to talk to you." Carl motioned with his hand. "You don't have to get up."16

Lucy's eyes were wide and puffy when she sat down in the gray armchair diagonal from Kat. Her face was colorless and was wearing a look of pure exhaustion. Daniel was surprised when Lucy hadn't taken a seat on the green love seat next to him. He blinked and took the seat on the sofa closest to his wife's chair. Carl once again cleared his throat softly and sat down next to Daniel.17

Amy, Kat, and Brian looked up attentively. "Who would like to start?" Lucy asked timidly. When Carl and Daniel looked at each other and said nothing, Lucy sighed. "Okay, I'll go first then." Lucy clasped her hands and looked at the three teenagers. She took a deep breath and said "Kat, Brian, Amy... We are so sorry for what you saw."18

Kat looked at Brian and Amy, confused. She was so sure that Mrs.Riley was going to have something to say about her mother. She was quiet as Lucy continued.19

"What you saw was awful. Something... Something most people don't see in their entire lives." Lucy's eyes started to well up again. She dabbed at them with a tissue pulled from her coat pocket and said, "We just want you to know that the three of us, Mr.Riley, Brian's father, and I are all here for you three anytime and anywhere, and that we'll be taking care of everything."20

Amy glanced at Kat and looked back at the Riley's. "That's very nice of you but... What do you mean?" she asked.21

Daniel put his hand on his wife's shoulder and stepped in. "We're taking care of everything legal and all the, uh, procedures. Making sure Jake gets a... proper burial." Daniel paused, looked down, and sniffed to try and hold back tears. He looked back up with a very sincere expression on his face. "We know it must have been very hard for the three of you in the hospital when Jake was hurt. And we're very sorry that you had to go through that."22

Brian shook his head. "Nobody could have seen it coming. We just tried to do our best in the situation."23

"And you did." Lucy said in response. "We are all very proud of how you handled it." she said through a strained voice and tears.24

Kat locked her eyes on Lucy who was once again dabbing her eyes with the tissue. She had not expected the Riley's to reach out to her at all, not after what Julia had done. Kat switched her attention to the carpet at she thought. 'Julia...Mom...'25

Standing up with sudden purpose, Kat gained the attention of the others in the room. "Mrs.Riley" she said solemnly, "I want you to prosecute my mother."26

A startled and unsure "What?" was all that Lucy could muster. 27

"I want you and Mr.Riley to prosecute my mother", Kat repeated, "to the fullest extent of the law."28

Silence fell over the room like someone had paused time. Brian held tightly to Amy's hand and Carl frowned, worriedly. Kat gazed intently at Lucy's nearly blank face. A few seconds went by until Daniel cut in. "Kat, sweetie... Maybe you should take some time to-"29

"No", Kat said somewhat pleadingly, cutting Daniel off. "I'm sure of this, I've made up my mind."30

Lucy shook her head slightly, doubtfully. "Kat, I think you're going to need some time to think this over."31

"No, you don't understand." Kat said, glancing back and fourth between Daniel and Lucy. She paused for a moment, trying to figure out what to say. "Ever since I can remember, I haven't had a real mom. I had a mother who got mean when she drank. She didn't care about my grades, who I was friends with, where I went, what I did... She didn't care about ME. And... and she took away the one thing that made all of it better... The boy I loved... She chose to be punished the second she got in her car and drove after downing god knows how much liquor. She can't not pay for what she's done."32

Lucy sighed sympathetically but at the same time was secretly relieved. She got up, stepped over to Kat, and took Kat's hands in her own. "Don't worry, we'll take care of it." Lucy said quite seriously.33

"But will you prosecute?" Kat asked anxiously. Her eyes were wide, waiting for an answer.34

The Riley's exchanged glaces. "If that's what you want." Daniel said.35

"It is." Kat said with finality. She and Lucy released each other and they both sat back down.36

After a pause, Carl got up and said "I'll go get some coffee for you folks" and walked slowly into the kitchen. The room was silent, but everyone was now aware a process had begun.37

Daniel looked anxiously looked at Kat, and then at Lucy. "We're going to need to call our lawyer."