The world around Ananda was absolutely crazy. She felt Domingo's strong hand's grab her and pull her away from Nick, then she found herself screaming curses in Domingo's angry face... and suddenly there were cops, cops all around them, followed by a screaming ambulance. The were loud gunshots, and she watched in surprise as Domingo let go of her and fell to the ground screaming and clutching his knee. The gun fell from his hand and Ananda gathered herself enough to kick it across the lawn before running back to Nick.
Nick smiled up at her weakly, a thin stream of blood trickling from one corner of his mouth. Then his eyes closed, and Ananda knew he was dying.
"Nick! Nick, wake up!" Ananda didn't even realize that she was the one screaming until gentle hands lifted her away from Nick as what seemed like dozens of paramedics gathered around him. Ananda turned around and there was Kevin. "Oh Kev, he shot them, he shot B-Rok and Nick and it's all my fault," she sobbed hysterically.
Kevin pulled his little cousin into his arms and let her cry in the midst of all the pandemonium.
*****
October 22, 1999
Today was probably the worst day of my life. The guys all had to go to some press conference, so Nick or any of the others for that matter could pick me up for lunch. Just as I knew it would happen, Domingo terrorized me in the cafeteria.
After school Mrs. Sanders wasn't at the library so I had to wait for Nick outside. Domingo and Stacy and Craig all showed up. They chased me. Thank God, Nick showed up just then. So we made plans for tonight.
Earlier tonight Domingo came over. He had a gun, but I didn't know that when I called to Brian. He shot B-Rok. In the shoulder. Then right at the worst moment imaginable, Nick showed up. Domingo shot him in the stomach three times. They're not sure he'll make it. You should've seen the look on Domingo's face when he pulled that trigger. Pure hate, I swear. He shot him three times. I'm just thanking God Kev just so happened to be out renting a movie, or he could've ended up like Nick and Bri.
Oh, that stupid butthole how could he shoot them? The butthole! I hope he's crippled for life where the cops shot him in the knee. I hope he dies and goes to hell. He shot my brother! And now my boyfreind might die because of him! And his parents are here, crying for their poor little son, who got shot in the knee. Their poor little son tried to kill my brother and my boyfriend! And they're the ones crying? This world is seriously messed-up. I gotta stop writing, I'm crying again.
Ananda looked up from the tear-smeared ink in her journal. She had called AJ from the hospital and had him pick it up for her on his way. Now she wished she hadn't. It was only making her feel worse. Ananda tossed the journal aside and sobbed, hugging her knees against her chest. Leighanne reached over and squeezed her hand. Kevin put his arm around her shoulders. "Oh you guys this is all my fault," she whispered, her voice hitching.
AJ stopped pacing back and forth in front of her. "Don't you start thinking that way," he told her roughly. "Don't you dare."
"Why not, it's the truth!"
"No, it's not," Kevin said. "You had no way of knowing that he had a gun."
"It's my fault he was there in the first place," Ananda muttered miserably.
Just then Howie burst through the doors. "Are they okay?"
Leighanne rose to meet him. "Brian's going to be okay, he took a bullet to the shoulder. But Nick-"
"Nick was shot three times in the stomach and they don't know if he'll make it through the night." Ananda cut Leighanne off. "Stupid butthole shot him three times."
"Oh no," Howie said softly.
Ananda felt fresh tears welling up again and pressed the heels of her palms into her eyes. "It's all my fault too." Her voice cracked.
Somebody grabbed her hands and gently forced them away from her face. "Listen to me," AJ said gently. "It's not gonna do either of them any good to have you thinking like that so stop, okay?"
Ananda burst into tears on AJ's shoulder.
