January 5, 1996

Nayely looked to MJ who sat close by on the school bus as it ran over bumps in the road. The younger children were seated towards the front of the bus with name tags decorating their designated places. Nayely looked back to see MJ watching outside of the window as the world passed them by.

"Nayely, face forward!" The stern female bus driver barked at her. It had been the fourth time she had been told to do so since boarding the bus for the first time. Fidgeting in her seat, she was nervous beyond belief of finally returning to school.

In the days leading to this, she had been interviewed by Doctor Ro as she asked for her thoughts on going back to kindergarten. In all honesty, Nayely hated the idea of school. But as she had been told by MJ, she had to make sure she answered all the questions that adults asked in the perfect way.

If she didn't, she may never get to see MJ again.

Pouting slightly, Nayely looked across the aisle to see one of the boys from the Rose House staring her way. Over the last few weeks, she had noticed him hanging around in the background, never speaking, but always watching her and MJ. His brown skin had red undertones that could even be seen in the colder months where the sun shined languidly through the windows on the bus. Around his neck hung a black scarf that he hid behind once he realized she had caught him staring. For a moment, he held his bag tightly to his chest before he began to rummage through it. By the time a hand had reached across the aisle to pass off a small piece of folded notebook paper, Nayely had already turned her attention to MJ. The tap on her arm drew her attention back just as the piece of paper floated into her lap.

I am sorry. I am not a bad person. I promise.

Kahlil.

Slowly, Nayely read the words in her mind. Her mother had taught her to read long before she began school, so understanding the writing came easily. The bus came to a stop with the driver instructing the children off in order. When MJ hopped off the bus, he turned to see Nayley stalling at the top of the stairs. Her head was turned behind her, focused on something else rather than the urging of the bus driver as she clapped her hands.

"Let's go, honey! You need to get off." She sighed.

MJ quickly moved to grab Nayely's hand so that she wouldn't cause any more of a scene as the driver rolled her eyes.

"We have to go." He reminded her. Nayely shuffled her feet as MJ led her towards the many teachers who greeted the children as they filed into the school building. Their smiling faces made Nayely skeptical as she was ushered forward by unwanted hands on her shoulders. A bright red sticker was placed on the front of her jacket. Looking over, Nayely saw that MJ wore the same spot.

"We get to be in the same class. Don't worry." He smiled. The apprehension Nayely held was hard to get rid of as she moved through the familiar motions of the first day of school. With MJ by her side, it encouraged her to put away those scary feelings that bubbled in her stomach.

MJ made everything look easy as he moved with familiarity and confidence, guiding Nayely along the way. He even helped her to the cubbies, getting everything in place for them to start the day.

With her legs crossed beneath her, Nayely found herself mimicking MJ's ease to get through the day.

After the first week of school, Nayely sat in the safe place before Doctor Ro, who rested her head in the palm of her hands as she stared at the tight-lipped child in awe.

She imagined that even the best FBI agent couldn't get Nayely to talk.

"My, you must have the best lock and key in the world on those lips of yours." Doctor Ro teased as she opened her notebook. Nayely's eyes followed the words she wrote on the paper, her lips mouthing the words before Doctor Ro's manicured hand covered her notes.

"It's good to know your eyesight is doing well, Nayely."

"You know, your doctors say that your voice is in perfect condition now-it's just a matter of you using it." Bringing her elbows to the table, Doctor Ro watched as Nayely stiffened at what she knew to be true. The girl had held on tight to her vow of silence in every way possible. While at school, she never answered anything out loud, but was one of the first children to complete all the work given to her with no problems. Nayely and MJ led their class in spelling and counting, yet not a peep had been made by the reluctant girl. What Doctor Ro did know was that many observations had been made on her interactions with MJ compared to other children.

In school and in the Rose House, MJ was the only person precious enough to share her voice with. They could be found whispering to each other as they played together out of sight from others. Doctor Ro couldn't help but to think about the day she had watched MJ convince the stubborn girl to actually meet with her. Whatever he said had worked.

To a point.

"Of course, it's okay to speak when you're ready, but I do want to let you know that in here... you can tell me whatever it is you want. Do you understand, Nayely?" Pulling on the ends of her kinky hair that fell on the table, Nayely shook her head yes.

"Now, let's talk about your first week back to school. I'm sure it was exciting to get back to learning and being with new friends, right?" Doctor Ro didn't expect a response, even though the girl's eyes acknowledged her.

"I'd really love to hear more about it. Did you learn anything new? How are your teachers? Is the lunch yummy?" Tapping her pen against the table, Doctor Ro leaned forward. "Do you like being in the same class as MJ?" Nayely pursed her lips together as she scrunched her nose at the mention of MJ. Shaking her head yes, Nayely gave Doctor Ro her very first smile.

"I knew you would like that! MJ enjoys having you at school to, you know?" Shifting from side to side, Nayely began to kick her feet in the air. Liking the change in her mood, Doctor Ro pressed forward.

"I know you like MJ very much. I do too. He's a nice kid, isn't he?" On the table sat two figurines. Picking them up, Nayely walked them towards Doctor Ro, doing her best to make their plastic hands touch.

"Let me guess. Is this you and MJ?" Shaking her head, Nayely pressed their hands together for emphasis.

"Ah! I see! That shows that they are good friends. You know, Nayely, I'm happy to see that you and MJ have grown close since being here."

Vigorously, Nayely shook her head from side to side. The action caused Doctor Ro to pause, raising her eyebrows.

 "Is something wrong?" The stern look on the girl's face deepened as she seemed to war with herself on whether or not to use her words. Suddenly, Doctor Ro could feel small fingertips easing her pen from her own hand as Nayely leaned across the table. Doctor Ro watched intently as the girl tried her best to write a message upside down.

Always my friend.

"Ah, you hope that MJ will always be your friend? I'm sure that will happen-" Another quick shake of Nayely's head cut Doctor Ro's words.

Friends before. Friends now.

After some contemplation, understanding finally hit Doctor Ro. Nayely and MJ knew each other prior to their arrival at The Rose House? Thinking back to how the social worker described the first time they saw each other in the hospital, Doctor Ro realized that it was no longer a situation of random attachment that had been formed by the children, but a desperate reunion between two friends separated by life events no one would be equipped to handle.

It wasn't just that they had found a new friend, they had found something familiar, something trustful that anchored them to who they were before their lives were changed.

"You and MJ have been friends for a long time. Is that right?" Sitting back in her chair, Doctor Ro saw the look of relief on Nayely's face as she finally understood their relationship.

Doctor Ro had so many questions for the child she was unsure could be answered. Just as she prepared to speak, she watched as Nayely hopped from her seat and stood by the table. The sound of the timer rung throughout the room, which made Doctor Ro chuckle to herself. These two were masters at waiting until the last minute possible before allowing the slightest peek into their minds.

"I guess this means our time is up." Holding her hands in the air, Doctor Ro mentally noted the new details she needed to log away for today.

However, Nayely still stood before her, as she opened and closed her mouth slightly.

Doctor Ro sat stunned as timid words fell gingerly from Nayely's lips.

"MJ is my best friend. We have to stay together or else." Nayely's voice was no longer foreign to her ears as she could hear the sounds she was most familiar with fill the air.

"Or else what, Nayely?" Doctor Ro furrowed her brows as the cryptic words.

Looking to her feet, Nayely thoughtfully considered her next words.

"Or else, we fall apart."

"This was the best you could get?" Holding the digital camera close to his face, MJ studied the film intently. Shaking his wet hair, he stretched on his twin size bed that was much too small for his growing frame. At 17, the once small boy now stood at 6'0 and counting.

"Is that the best? Man, come on! That's top quality right there. What do you expect? It's not like I'm rolling in dough to get the legit stuff. Just wait." Walking past, Kahlil tapped MJ on the shoulder as he plopped beside him on the bed. "One day, that right there will be worth millions and you'll be glad I shot it on that raggedy ass camera."

"Oh, you think this will be worth millions just because you hit play? This will be worth millions because my pretty mug is all up in the screen." MJ shot back as the camera zoomed in on him. It was his last performance of his senior year, and he had given it his all. Laughing with his friend, MJ crossed the room to his desk. Picking up his acceptance letter to Julliard, he waved it in the air. "This right here? This is going to double, triple, my value."

"I'm going to be right there with you man, NYU ain't no joke. They fucked up letting my black ass in there. I'm trying to be on my Singleton shit out here."  The boys jeered each other on as they thought of the next stages of their lives. The two had met while still living at the Rose House. One day, Kahlil had approached the younger kid while playing in the yard to apologize for being unwelcoming on MJ's first day there.

"I was the one who ran into you when you first came. I never got to apologize so here it is. I'm sorry."

At the time, the memory had been faint in MJ's mind, but he accepted the sincere apology. From there, their relationship had bloomed. When Kahlil had been held back in the first grade, they were able to grow even closer as they got to go through school together at the same rate. When they had reached 10 years old, they had aged out of The Rose House. Where they were once allowed to live freely amongst other boys and girls, they were soon separated from the other children who had failed to be given a forever home and were sent out to special group homes that housed kids of the same sex. As hormones changed and puberty took over, the kids were split into a world of boys and girls.

"Hey, there she go!" Kahlil called from the shared window between their beds. Pulling the blinds aside, he looked down to the girl who sat on the fence outside their window.

Nayely. The one girl who refused to be separated by the adults' fears of young adults finding out that cooties weren't real.

Standing over Kahlil's shoulder, MJ grinned from ear to ear as he looked down to see the one person who had always stuck by his side.

"You got me, right?" Giving his hair one last shake, MJ dapped Kahlil's fist as he moved to raise the blinds. Tossing a bag over his shoulder, MJ prepared for his weekly outing.

"You good, bro. Hey, you got those rubbers like I told you?" After all of these years, Kahlil still got a kick out of his insinuations. Despite what MJ and Nayely insisted, he could see the love that existed between the two of them.

It wasn't just a friendship type of love.

They had real love.

Sucking his teeth, MJ bit back his words as he threw his leg out the window, and onto the roof of the house.

"Man, just go get you some so you can stop fantasizing about us, okay?"

"Yeah, whatever. Wrap it up!" Kahlil shouted out the window as MJ dropped to the grass below. The escapee paused, looking around to see if anyone had heard his loud voice from within the house. Nayely waved her hand to him when the coast was clear.

"You're real bold you know?" She whispered as she reached out her hand, pulling him over the fence. When MJ's feet landed, a smile so vibrant lit up the dark night. Nayely's cheeks puckered as her dimples showed just how excited she was to see him.

"Me, bold?" What about you sitting up on the fence like you're humpty dumpty? You're the one who is always coming by to sneak me out like the bad influence you are." A quick jab to his stomach had MJ wincing as he rubbed away the dull pain.

"Are you saying you don't like our nights out?" Raising an eyebrow, MJ could suddenly hear Kahlil's words in his head.

"She's been your girl. Why won't y'all just say it already? And don't tell me y'all are just best friends!"

He wasn't sure when the shape of her lips became so interesting. With the slight shine of lip balm spread against them, MJ wondered how they would taste. Nayely stood proudly in her Team USA t-shirt. MJ's eyes roamed her body appreciatively. Over the years, they had both found their niche-he belonged to the arts while she excelled in sports.

In her NIKE training pants, he couldn't help but notice the way her muscular legs looked, the curves much larger than others she tended to compete against. When puberty hit, Nayely had filled out in an unexpected way, and made people in the track and field world underestimate what she could do. Nayely had become a symbol of positivity throughout the school, even having a fellow senior frame a body positivity project around her. Despite others attempting to undermine her and her talents, Nayely had ran her way straight into the eyes of the top scouts in the country with little to no financial backing.  The majority of what she had came from donations from local churches and organizations willing to help the young athlete get to the same places as her peers with money. When she was contacted at 16 to begin training to one day join Team USA, she had sealed her status as a living legend at school.

"Hello!" Nayely snapped her fingers to get MJ's attention. "Did you hear anything I said?" Knowing that he couldn't lie, MJ gave her a silly look as he shook his head.

"I said you were really good tonight. Julliard should be thanking you for gracing them with your presence this fall." MJ's eyes brightened as he realized she had seen his performance.

"You were there? Why didn't you meet me after the show?"

"You know why." She spoke softly as she referred to the after party that MJ had attended with a bunch of other seniors that night. At the beginning, Nayely had tried to force herself into the social spaces that MJ was undoubtfully drawn to, but she could only take so much. Her energy levels could never match MJ's when around lots of people. He easily had everyone's attention whether he meant to or not. At her most insecure times as she watched people-and girls-flock around him while at school, she became embarrassed that he called someone like her his dearest friend. Nayely was known to be quiet and kept to herself, and she tried her best to not let that show.

She used to be jealous of the way MJ gave his time and attention to others, but guilt would always set in to tell her that she was holding him back. With sports, Nayely learned discipline and focus, yet when it came to MJ, she lost it all. Nayely had her own circle that gave her comfort. When she had recognized the ugly green monster of jealousy making its debut, she knew it was important for her to find ways to become her own person in a way.

With them living in separate homes, Nayely had to find ways to spend her time when she couldn't be with MJ. She knew the moment he knew just how lonely she felt when they were a part, he would drop everything to be with her. She didn't want that. She didn't want him to feel so obligated to her, when there was so much more that was bigger and better waiting for him.

"We have to stay together...or else we fall apart."

Nayely knew her paranoia was to blame, but sometimes she couldn't help but wonder if the nights she could steal MJ away like this were the last threads to their friendship she depended on to survive.

Feeling her heart beat against her chest, she frowned at the thought of what graduation and moving on to college would mean for the two of them.

For her.

"All I'm saying is that you would have had a great time if you just came. I would have been there with you so there would have been no worries." MJ reached his arm around her neck, tucking it into the endless spiral curls that surrounded her head. Pulling on one, he marveled at how it was no bigger than a pencil yet had so much bounce and life.

"Maybe next time." She scrunched her nose as he pinched her cheek.

"There will be only one last next time after graduation. Promise me now that you'll come for at least that."

"Sure..." She said exasperatedly.

Suddenly, Nayely's face was pressed between his larger hands as he peered down at her. At 5'8, she never saw herself as a small girl, but somehow with MJ, she felt as such.

"Promise. Me." He said through gritted teeth. Pressing her face until it became a mangled mash, MJ waited for her to finally give a sincere promise.

"Okay! I said yes! I'll go to the lame ass party."

"See, that wasn't hard was it. Why do you make things so difficult?"

"You ask so much of me, MJ. Please appreciate what I sacrifice here." Nayely knew it was a mistake to look into his eyes as he smiled at her. The light brown eyes she felt she had known her whole life were slowly changing before her into eyes she feared would never shine specially just for her. No, these were eyes she would have to one day share with the world.

"Damn, did you bring a flashlight?" Standing at the bottom of the gravel driveway, MJ and Nayely peered up to the old house they once lived in.

After being defunded by the state, The Rose House had slowly declined as it said goodbye to its last residents three years ago. MJ and Nayely had been a part of the farewell party that had been held, as Ms. Garner gave everything she had to the very end. At 70 years old, she believed that she could run the house on her own for the next 30 years, but the demand of the job and lack of dollars needed for the upkeep of the home had become too much, and she had to admit defeat. The now abandoned home served as MJ and Nayely's refuge in times of need.

Digging around in her bag, Nayley pulled out the large flashlight, guiding their way to the overgrown weeds at the steps of the house. Dust floated from the door as they walked through, closing it behind them.

"Watch out." Pulling her closer, MJ kept Nayely from running into a large spider web that hung in the hallway. Maneuvering her through, MJ took them to the safe place.

They were happy to see that the makeshift lounge area they had created was still intact. They had worked hard to keep the space as clean as possible. They had set mouse traps throughout the area long ago and put down critter ridder to keep away any other little creatures that found their way inside.

"Home sweet home." MJ lightly jogged past Nayely as he slid into the plush palette of blankets they had made. From her bag, Nayely withdrew large battery-operated candles, and placed them strategically around the pair. They had learned the lesson before of using candles with real life flames while at The Rose House. After falling asleep one night, Nayely woke to find a strand of her hair ablaze after she had shifted in her sleep. She was lucky that she had so much hair that she could easily hide the singed piece from being seen.

"Did you find what we needed?" Settling in beside MJ, Nayely looked at the black and white pages he pulled from his backpack.

"You know I got you." Spreading the pages before them, MJ looked at the bits and pieces of the fragmented story that haunted them both for years.

While together, it didn't take long to realize that they had both suffered the unimaginable that fateful night in 1995. As children, they had cast aside the horrors of that time in their lives by being together. They had all but blocked out the mutual loss of the families they had known by replacing the memories with the friendship that was cemented between them. They didn't know where they would be without each other.

However, over the years, curiosity and nightmares had begun to drudge up the need to know more. How had they both ended up together in the same place with the same tears? Nayely knew her story, yet MJ's was still clouded in confusion. He had asked her to help him clear it all away, so that he could finally find some justice for his mother, who seemed to have been forgotten in the media frenzy surrounding her death.

"The articles didn't tell me much other than this guy here was once some bigshot."

Moving to pick up the sheet that MJ's eyes were trained on, Nayely quickly scanned the document.

"Jerry Richie, casting director. Jeez, all they do is talk about how many women he was sleeping with and how many celebrities he put on to the big time."

"This guy was famous for putting some of the best talent into movies. He was literally a legend." Handing MJ another paper, he pointed to the portion he wanted her to focus on.

"October 3, 1995." He read aloud. Furrowing her brows, Nayely recalled what that date meant for the both of them. Looking to MJ, he shook his head in confirmation.

"He died that same night." Over her shoulder, MJ began to read from the article.

"At 3201 North Gally Road, two bodies were found at the scene of the crime. Jerry Richie, famed casting director and an unidentified female were found deceased."

"Is that all it says?" Nayely shook her head at the lack of details.

"The case was still underway, and no one at the party wanted to talk. But look here..." Pointing at the last paragraph, MJ revealed the last bit of information that was most important to him.

"Police also noted that a young boy was discovered alone at the scene, unharmed."

"That was you." Nayely gripped the paper tightly as she looked up to MJ.

"Has to be. I try not to, but I do remember parts of that night." Sitting back, MJ wrapped his arms around his knees as Nayely re read the article.

"I remember walking up to this house that was like a-- a castle with my mom. I remember all the smoke that burned my eyes when we walked in. She told me to do what she says otherwise I'd be in big trouble. I just wanted to go home, so I did what she said."

"And what was that?"

"There was this weird door that lead to this small space by the stairs. She made me go in there because Slade wanted her to get rid of me. It felt like I was going to suffocate in there, and I couldn't do anything about it."

Pausing, Nayely crooked her head to the side." Slade? Who's Slade?" MJ looked to Nayely with just as much confusion at the mention of the name.

"That's right. I forgot all about him." Scratching his head, MJ frowned. "He was like my mom's boyfriend. I didn't see him often, but she was gone with him all the time. He hated my ass." Shaking his head as memories of the intimidating man attempted to come through, MJ could see that Nayely's brain was hard at work.

"What's up?" Pressing one finger to her head, MJ waited as Nayely blinked rapidly.

"A house party. A shooting. Only two people dead." Counting on her fingers, Nayely wondered what it was she was missing. "Why were Jerry and your mom the only ones who didn't make it out?" She asked the question carefully, making sure that it didn't cross the line.

"I-I have no idea." MJ admitted. Seeing his chest rise and fall quickly, Nayely pushed aside the papers he had brought. Scooting to his side, Nayely laid down, pulling MJ with her. In her arms, she comforted him the way that he had done fo+r her many times as children. Pulling him near, Nayely stroked his back as he buried his face into her neck. The soft scent of the lavender oil she dotted her hair with everyday wafted to him. Taking in deep breaths, MJ could feel his breathing regulate, but he made no rush of letting go.

"When I saw her, it was like nothing I had seen before-and I had seen my mom in a lot of ways." Feeling Nayely's warmth against him, MJ felt safe.

"But not like that."

 Feeling the grip of his hand in her hair, Nayely treaded lightly.

"Do you know why you were there in the first place?"

A moment passed between them as their breathing filled the air. Their chests rose in sync as MJ's throat restricted.

"She was like me." His words were barely a whisper.

"Like you?" Craning her neck back, Nayely looked for an explanation.

"My mom dreamed of being an actress. She said she wanted to be the Korean Michelle Pfieffer. Only better." There was a hint of admiration in his voice as he recalled his mother's ambitions.

"When she was home, sometimes she would make me sit up all night and practice lines with her when she had an audition.  Watching how she could change to fit the roles she was playing was amazing. I always knew I'd get to see my mom in some big movie one day, and that everyone would be jealous that I was her son."

"So that's where you get your talent from? MJ, I don't know much about acting and theater and all that stuff, but I know that I've never watched someone capture an entire room-an auditorium-the way that you do." Nayely lifted to her elbow, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder as he did the same.

"I'll never be able to call my mom up and ask if she's seen my latest movie or bring her on stage after I win my tenth Oscar." Nayely rolled her eyes at his wishful thinking. Smirking, MJ continued. "But I know she'll be there right by side me the entire way. Just not the way I would hope."

MJ picked at the edge of the frayed blanket they laid upon, "That's why I need to know what truly happened to her. How can I keep going when she can't even rest in peace?" MJ's hazel eyes shined with tears Nayely knew would never fall. She couldn't help but to reach out, placing her fingertips on his brow as his eyes reddened.

"We're going to figure this out. You know I'll do anything for you."

"You know you're my girl, right?" MJ's words stirred feelings within Nayely that she knew had to be dampened. His words couldn't mean what her heart wanted them to.

Fighting the urge to follow his lips, Nayely sat up abruptly, pulling out a pen as she went through the papers again.

"Thank you, Yely." MJ's words called to her. "I wouldn't want anyone else to be by my side for this." Throwing a smile over her shoulder, Nayely winked at MJ before tossing him a pile of papers.

"Let's get to work."

When Nayely stepped from the school bus for the final time, she looked out to the campus to see the giddiness of students so close to their summer break, tousle and yell with their friends. Everyone was relaxed, knowing that today would be a breeze. On her shirt, she wore the University of Southern California image proudly, and as she looked around, she saw that many other seniors touted their chosen schools.

"Hey, Nayely!" From across the way, Nayely watched as MJ and Kahlil emerged from the cafeteria. Kahlil's deep voice got her attention, and she all but laughed at the white mustache left behind from the milk carton he tilted into the air.

"You and your got milk looking self..." She teased. MJ tossed Nayely the breakfast donut that she loved.

"Won't be getting too many more of these. Enjoy." Licking her lips, Nayely pulled a part the plastic, taking a bite out of the sweet dough.

"You think they'll give me what's left over? It's not like they'll be needing them."

"Is that why you brought a bookbag? To steal some stale ass donuts on your last day?" Pulling her bag from her shoulder, Kahlil looked inside to see papers and binders. Rolling his eyes, he shook his head.

"What are you going to learn on the last day? We're done, Nayely! You're probably the only senior who brought a bookbag today."

Without thinking, MJ moved to zip her bookbag up, placing it back in place.

"Mind your business, Kahlil." MJ asked, grabbing the hem of her shirt, he smiled. "She's not Miss USC for nothing." Aside from her athletic accomplishments, Nayely had also dominated academically. Knowing that she would have made it into her dream school no matter what was a fact she was proud of.

The only reason why her smile faltered at the mention of her future home was because of the price it came at.

Nayely would be without MJ.

Not only would they be at different schools, but they'd be on complete opposites sides of the country.

It was still hard for Nayely to digest.

"I still need to clean out my locker, this is just some random stuff."

"Whatever you say." Kahlil waved his hand in dismissal as he focused his camera on his two friends." Say what's up for the camera!"

Nayely laughed with the two boys as MJ shined in front of the camera, carrying on as he naturally went into a monologue with ease. As the trio made their way to their classes, Nayely couldn't help but want to grab MJ's hand and run away so that they never had to be a part.

At lunch, Nayely skipped out on being a part of the last day shenanigans as music thumped from the cafeteria. Saying a quick hello to the librarian, she made her way to her favorite table that was bathed in sunlight.

Not only was it the perfect place for natural lighting to work in, it was also a great cover for her to break the ‘no eating' rule.

Pulling out a cold sub from the brown paper bag she nabbed from the cafeteria, Nayely settled into her seat as she emptied the contents of her bag. Rummaging through her things, she pulled out the paper folder that held the information that she needed the most.

Since the last night she and MJ met, Nayely had done her own investigating. She had scrounged dozens of pages on the internet and had flipped through so many newspaper archives in the public library, that she wore band aids to heal the paper cuts she had gained.

The night before, she hadn't had a chance to look through her newest information and had hoped to maybe find something good for MJ before it was too late. They usually kept their special meetings solely at The Rose House, and Nayely figured that he wouldn't want to bring up such a sensitive subject for him while enjoying his last day of school. She could see the toll it took on him to relive the details of that day as they read article after article, trying to decipher anything that had been left out.

Nayely hated to see that look on his face and hoped that if she could get closer to the truth by herself, it would lighten MJ's load and allow him to go on to school and be all that he was destined to be.

As her eyes began to read, she shook her head at the way MJ's mother's death was treated in such a careless way. Nearly none of the news stories delved into who she was or held her death in as high of importance as this Jerry character.

She didn't know what she would do if she had to read another line praising him for what he'd done in the industry. What about the others who suffered that night?

Giving up with the local news, Nayely switched to the back page posts she had found deep on the web. From the pile, she pulled free a snippet of the conspiracy theory website called HollyW3ird. Nayely's good sense told her that it would be pointless to try and follow the ramblings of some guy on the internet who chased after the scandals of the stars. Who knew what he would say?

Ladies and gentlemen, today, I present to you a story that the media has chosen to ignore.

Remember Big Man Jerry?

That's right! The one and only! For my men out there, If you need to jog your memory, just think about all the hot actresses that helped you through those tough times of puberty. Remember now? That's right, each tit you jacked it to on your 13-inch black and white TV is all thanks to Jerry.

"What the hell..." Nayely murmured, almost tempted to toss the article as the writer went into detail of every sex symbol from the 80's and 90's. Just as she prepared to ball the piece of paper up, something caught her eye.

...no one else seemed to care to ask the real questions surrounding Jerry's death. Robbery gone bad? Random act of violence? Nonsense! If you think Jerry was a man who didn't have more than one hit out on his head, then think again. What HollyW3ird doesn't want the public to know is the grimy underbelly that all of your favorite movie stars are drug through before they plop them on the largest billboard in town for all to fawn over. Don't feel jealous for the glamorous lies they sell to us-all that glitters is not gold!

It was no secret that Jerry had his vices. All those actresses who blazed across your screen were once used as Jerry's own pleasures. You heard it here first. Don't believe all the reports saying he was nothing but a loved figure in the industry-if the truth of who he was ever made it to primetime news it would topple the industry from the inside out.

Drugs.

Sex contracts.

You name it.

Jerry was the man who orchestrated more than one downfall of hopeful actors and actresses, and he took no shame in his deeds. It was only a matter of time, before what was done in the dark came to light.

Skeptically, Nayely checked the byline once again.

Mark Rowdy.

Nayely wasn't naive enough to think that the entertainment industry was clean as a whistle, but it was interesting to see someone make such allegations towards Jerry out of all the pieces she had read on him so far. Concern laced her features as her mind began to place two and two together. If MJ's mother was one of these pitiful hopefuls who crossed Jerry's path, would that mean he would never get the answers that he wanted?

Nayely considered whether it was smart to continue reading. This could all be fluff from some disgruntled guy who Jerry screwed over years ago. This could lead her nowhere.

Today I present to you an exclusive interview with one of the survivors of that fateful night. Once you hear what this confidential source has to say, you'll understand why mainstream media never took the time to find the truth behind his death.

Witness? It was then Nayely realized she had never heard anything from those who had been at the party. How was it that nothing has been said after all this time? Not even the slightest comment on what had gone down that night had made it to the public.

With abated breath, Nayely read on.

"It all happened so fast. Jerry was coked up...everyone was that night. I was one of his sweet girls-the ones he liked to have at parties for his image. We were pretty and willing to do anything for our big break. I couldn't tell you how many times we had to have sex in front of him or whatever creep he wanted to impress. In fact, that night, he had us make a video upstairs before we were allowed to actually enjoy the party."

"We were all enjoying the drugs that night. If you stayed around him like we did, it was no secret that Jerry was going broke, but we partied like none of that mattered-he kept things coming all night long with no problem. It wasn't until those guys showed up that he started acting weird."

"They were...terrifying. Trying to make it big, I had to learn really fast how to play the game, so it was hard to intimidate me. But when I saw them, I knew that they were like no one I had ever met before. I thought people in the industry were scary, but they had nothing on these guys. When they came in, I knew that they were there to do a trade. Drugs, you know? They brought some blow, and Jerry tested it out. He said that the stuff was crap, and you could tell the big guy wasn't happy about that. I think his name was PJ? Or OT? Something weird like that. He and the other guy that came with him didn't play any games with Jerry.  Jerry insisted that the OT guy was trying to pull one over on him, and even forced some new Asian chick to test it out. She hadn't been there long, but he had already given her so many drugs and she knew it-we all knew it-but he forced her to do more."

Goosebumps trembled across her skin as her deepest memories became impossible to ignore.

She knew an OT. And he was never a good man.

Fragmented pieces of conversation floated to the forefront of Nayely's mind. She could hear the desperation and sadness in her mother's voice as it cried out.

"You know what they say about Damien and OT, don't you? They call Damien his boyfriend." Shondra's voice cracked as she spoke to her friend on the phone. She had been calling around all night trying to find her husband's whereabouts with no luck. "I know Damien is with that no-good bastard, OT! You can't tell me otherwise..."

The sudden sound of books falling in the distance jerked Nayely from her own thoughts. With her heart pumping fast, she told herself not to go on. It was a lie. She shouldn't read what was there.

"Then things just went left. Jerry refused to pay for the blow and everything got crazy. The other girls ran inside, but I stayed behind in the corner, I was too afraid to move. They pulled out a gun and pointed it at Jerry's head, I prayed like never before that no one would see me in the shadows. When I knew they were going to pull the trigger, I had to close my eyes! I just couldn't watch! The sound of the shots and everyone screaming literally made me piss myself. By the time I looked up, it was like Jerry's face never existed-all you could see was the inside of his head. I could have gone all my life without ever knowing what a human brain looked like splattered everywhere. Once the dealers left, I ran as fast as I could through the house. No one else was there-anyone alive at least. When I ran inside, I saw the Asian chick on the ground, covered in blood and-other stuff. I didn't know what to do, but the police were on their way. I got out of there as fast as I could."

Clasping her hand over her mouth, Nayely could feel the bile burning up her throat.

Her father had been there?

No. Her dad couldn't have been a part of something so horrible.

What about your family, Nayely?  An inner voice prodded her.

The tears streamed faster as she knew what she wanted her father to be was far from the truth. The things he had done to her mother, her brother.

The things he had tried to do to her.

"Hey, what are you doing?" At the sound of MJ's voice, Nayely panicked. Quickly closing the folder, she tried her best to hide the evidence before her.

"You know they were giving out free food for seniors, right?" Kahlil said around a mouth full of fries. Nayely kept her back turned to the two, trying her best to get her emotions in check. As MJ rounded the table, he could see the remnants of tears on her face. Seeing that Kahlil was distracted flipping through the pictures on his camera, he leaned in close to Nayely.

"Were you crying?" His concern was as evident as the tears she lied about.

"No. Just had a sneeze attack. It made my eyes water like crazy." She said with a smile. Frowning, MJ, knew that for Nayely to lie to him meant that whatever was bothering her shouldn't be talked about there. Though reluctant, he held back asking her anything else.

For now.

"So, I heard you're actually going to come to the graduation party tomorrow, is that true?" Kahlil ignored the need for an inside voice inside the library, and when Nayely held up her finger to quiet him, he bugged his eyes. "What? You're literally the only one in here!"

MJ stood to his full height and turned Kahlil towards the doors. "Yes, she's going. I made her promise."

Holding out his hand for Nayely's bag, MJ didn't miss the way she shoved her folders and papers into the bag. There was a moment of hesitation as he waited for her to hand over the bag.

"I'm good. Let's get out of here." Placing her hands against MJ's back, the three formed a train as they made their way towards the door. Saying a final goodbye to the librarian, Nayely swallowed a lump of fear with the new information she had stumbled upon.