Shot Down

Chapter 21

Happy 4th of July.

~

It was Monday and I wasn't going to stay inside and let the death of my father hold me back. I was going to graduate. My father didn't want any funeral. He wanted to be cremated and poured on top of his mother grave. I always thought that was a beautiful thing. I woke up did my morning routine and put on another lazy outfit. Don texted me asking if I was going to school and if I wanted a ride, and of course I if I wanted the act to keep going I couldn't avoid him, so I accepted. I walked into the kitchen getting my mothers medicine. I walked into her room waking her up. "Are you going to school?" She asked me before she took the medicine.

"Yes, ma'am." I replied taking the glass from her hands.

"You sure you want to do that?" She asked me.

"Yea, I'm sure." I replied.

She started coughing, "Okay." I bit my lip and turned around heading out the room. I sighed as I walked outside sitting on the porch. I haven't had an appetite lately. Nothing seemed to appeal to me and I was hungry. As I sat I thought about the fight Don started with my father. The threat that Don sent my father. My father coming home from killing one of Don's boys, and one of Don's boys killing my father. My thoughts were stopped when I heard a horn. I looked up and it was Don. I sighed as I got up and headed towards his car. "Hey." He said.

"Hey." I replied. I was silent. Like he was expecting me to say something. I looked down at the ground, biting my lip. "You okay?" He asked me.

"Yea." I replied looking back up at him. I could tell on his face he didn't believe me.

"You don't have to lie." He said.

"Just don't want to talk about it right now." I replied.

"Have you at all?" He asked me.

"Yea, with Summer and Charles." I informed him.

"Oh, do you know what happened. You know, like who killed him?" He asked me, the last part he drifted off a little.

"I don't know the exact person." I said, pausing. "But my mother saw the people." He stiffened.

"Oh, have the police called or anything?" He asked.

"No, or not that I know of." I replied. He was asking a lot of questions and I didn't want him to ask anything that will lead to me telling him that I know who killed my father. "But, we should be heading to the school." I said.

"Oh, yea." He said opening the door. I got in and watched as he walked to the drivers' side. He got in and started the car.

"You don't have to bundle your feeling in about this." He said out of the blew.

"I'm not. Just don't have anyone that I can exactly express my feelings to cause no one knows what I'm going through." I told him straight up.

'I do." He said.

"How?" I questioned, actually interested.

"My father's best friend killed him when I was younger. He killed him right in front of my eyes." He said. His grip on the wheel got tighter, and he clenched his teeth together. I could tell that he was getting mad.

"Oh, I-I didn't know."

"Of course you didn't." He replied with an attitude. I bit my lip trying not to say anything back. I laughed a little shaking my head as we pulled up to the school. I got out not wanting to be in the car with him anymore. "See you after school." He said.

A lot of people wished me well and all that other stuff. Saying that they were sorry for me and I didn't really want to hear it. People that haven't even said a word to me my whole life feeling bad for me, I just thought it was bull crap.

"Why are you here?" Summer asked me.

"To get my education." I said to her.

"Are you serious?" She asked me.

"Naw, why else would I be at a school?"

"What is your problem." I kinda did have an attitude. I just didn't feel in the mood. I bit down on my lip, "I'm sorry." I said to her.

"It's all cool." She said to me.

"I just, the situation you know. It's a lot." I tried to explain.

"You don't have to explain." She told me. I smiled at her.

I ate lunch by myself I didn't really want to talk. I just wanted to grieve by myself. At any class, I didn't talk. It is what it is. I thought to myself that it was kind of a bad idea to come back after what happened, but sitting at home would only make it worse. It was the end of the day and I was thankful. I said goodbye to Charles and Summer as I walked towards Don's car. I got inside and he came right behind. "Hey, can I ask you a question?" I said as he started up the car.

"What's up?" He said giving me his full attention.

"What's your real name?" I questioned.

"Don." He plainly said turning his attention back to the road as he pulled out of the parking lot.

"Man for real."

"Why you want to know my government?" He asked me.

"Cause you know mine." He chuckled, shaking his head.

"Donald." He said lowly, but I heard it. I bust out laughing.

"You're lying?" I asked as I caught my breath from laughing.

"Are you done?" He asked me.

"Yes." I said.

"Yea, I'm serious." He said.

"No wonder you call yourself Don. You wouldn't get as much respect, Donald." I said.

"Don't start calling me by my real name." He said his voice stern.

"Why, Donald? Whatcha gone do, Donald?" I said, laughing a little. He glared at me.

"Okay, okay. I'm done."

"Only reason I told you so that I could get a smile from you." He said stopping in front of my house. I stopped and rolled my eyes. "It worked." He said.

"Yea yea, whatever." I said, opening the door.

"Wait." He said grabbing my arm pulling me back inside of the car.

"What?" I questioned.

"Stay in. I want to show you something." He said. I furrowed my eyebrows at him.

"Okay." I said closing the door, and we headed off.