We Come Alive 5

Let's Hurt Tonight

Friday afternoon after school had let out, once again Charlie was sitting with another one of the student of Grand Ridge, but this time inside of it being a football player, it was a baseball player. Baylor.

Baylor leaned back in his seat, fiddling with a cigarette between his fingers. Charlie glanced at Nicole who was sitting in the corner typing on her laptop, then looked at Baylor just as she clicked on the tape recorder.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Santos." Charlie greeted. "We are going to talk about your relationship with your former baseball coach, Ricky Barnes."

Baylor nodded, staring at the cigarette that wasn't lit. "What about him?"

Charlie opened up her file and read the report. "He brought a known gang member to the baseball practice where you and your teammates were and the man went after you."

Baylor nodded slowly, shifting his gaze from the cigarette to Charlie. "Yeah? What about it?"

"Well, people have told me its very evident that you and Ricky don't particularly get along." Charlie pointed out, reaching across the table and touching his hand. "Do you know why the man went after you? Maybe it was a vendetta from Ricky to you that got out of hand."

Baylor chuckled, turning his hand over and holding Charlie's gently. "Listen, sweetheart. Ricky is...an asshole sometimes. I don't like him that much and I'm definitely not his favorite person in the world, but Ricky wouldn't harm me. Despite what you people say about him, he ain't that bad. Ricky...he tries. He tries to become a better person, anyone who's around him for twenty minutes can tell after everything he's done before. I heard he beat up two guys for looking at his girlfriend the wrong way. I also heard he hit someone so hard in the side of the head, dude went deaf. Now, on that baseball field? Ricky did all he could to protect us. He was ready to go the long haul to protect us to the end of his life. That's a real man right there. I don't like that guy, but I sure as hell respect him."

Charlie took her hand away from Baylor and looked down at her files. "The man is a gang member. Are you?"

Baylor put the cigarette between his lips, but didn't light it. "First of all, that's a dumb question. I'm not under oath and I'm not hooked up to a lie detector so you have no idea if I'm even telling the truth. Second, can't admit to be in a gang in a school. Third, what I do in my free time doesn't concern you. Fourth, if you're so worried about it, why don't you and pretty girl over there go find the guy yourself and ask him. And finally, what that gotta do with Ricky?"

Nicole and Charlie both stared at Baylor as he smiled with the cigarette still between his lips. Before either one of them could talk, the door opened. Mateo stepped into the room and looked at all of them.

"Baylor's gotta go see his parole officer." He informed. Mateo looked at Baylor and motioned to the cigarette. Nicole and Charlie watched as Baylor took it out his mouth and tucked it into his jeans pocket.

"We're in a middle of questioning." Nicole argued.

Mateo used his fingers to motioned for Baylor to get up and leave. "Doesn't matter. This is more important."

Baylor blew kisses to both women on his way out, but stopped when Mateo told him to. Charlie turned off the recorder while listening to Mateo tell Baylor he'd drive him so he wasn't late.

~**~

Meanwhile, after a rough week of not talking and avoiding each other mostly, Stephen and Jessica were walking home together. They weren't holding hands like they usually would and Stephen wasn't carrying much of her stuff, just a few of her books that didn't fit in her book bag.