"Did you ever think it'd end up like this? The way you used to shred all the time, the way we could chug down a 24-pack to ourselves before either passing out or throwing up, or even the way we could love our girlfriends, our families, and each other. Did you ever think it would end up like this, Brian? Did you ever? I'll be honest with you: I ( Read more... )

“Honey, I’m home!” I walked into the house, searching for any sign of life when, suddenly, my daughter walked passed me with a Popsicle hanging out her mouth. “Gracelyn, sweetheart, what are you doing eating a Popsicle before dinner?” I scooped my five year old daughter in my arms and planted kisses on her sticky cheeks. “Never mind that, where’s ( Read more... )

Marilyn

“What’s going on! Brian!”
      “BRIAN!”
      “Call 911! NOW!”

( There was a loud thud as the gun fell to the pavement... )

March 15th, 2006
Wednesday
Seize

“You’ve got to be out of your fucking mind, Marilyn,” I had one hand on the bottom of the steering wheel as I turned to face Marilyn in the passenger side. “We are not going to see Jacoby in jail, okay? It’s stupid. It’s such a fucking stupid idea,” but I found myself driving to the prison, anyway. Jacoby was ( Read more... )

Marilyn
March 15th, 2006

Almost a month had passed since my sister’s funeral. My mother had gone to Georgia after she had sold my sister’s house, my father walked back to his home in Newport Beach, and my brother was more protective than ever. It was awkward without having her to call. I almost called her phone the other day, thinking she’d pick ( Read more... )

February 24th, 2006
11:00 am

Her mother had flown in from Savannah, Georgia, her father had walked from Newport Beach, and her brother was even let out on parole for her funeral. Even though Ven’s whole family knew me as the other guy in her relationship, her mother always considered me a son-in-law. It was a warm feeling to be known as that, ( Read more... )

Zacky
     I had tried to call and text Ven all night last night, and she wouldn’t answer. I drove past her house to see if she was there, and, yeah, she was there, all right. I wonder, even though she told me she was through with Jacoby, if she made up with him and they were doing something that normal couples did. I don’t know, but I didn’t feel ( Read more... )

Marilyn
     “Move! I need to get to my niece,” I pushed past a woman officer and under the tape, coming to a screeching halt once I saw my own blood on the floor. “That’s…that’s my sister,” I fell to my knees, cradling my sister’s head in my lap. “My sister, my best friend. THIS IS MY SISTER!” I screamed out to no one, brushing back her hair. Why ( Read more... )

February
     I could have sworn all was happy in Haner Land now. It had been almost a full month since the first Haner dinner, and I was looking forward to tomorrow's dinner. Everything was going great, though. I was so happy since there wasn't any trace of Brian's attitude from the previous Sunday.

( Read more... )

Brian
    She had been bugging me about if my parents were going to like her for, like, a freaking month. Non-stop! Every other word was something about them. I tried to fucking ignore it, but it really wasn't working.
    "...They liked Michelle." Just because I said her name, Marilyn always got so fucking pissy about it. It was unbelievable how ( Read more... )