Confronting Pain

{This story is ready to read on my P-a-t-r-e-o-n. If you wish to read ahead then the link is https://www.p-a-t-r-e-o-n.com/easyread. Be sure to remove the dashes. I hope to see plenty of you there and enjoying this novel.}

{Since there are going to be a lot of chapters forward with no Basketball, I'll be updating it every day. Once the story on Webnovel reaches the NBA is when I'll be slowing the chapters back down to once a week.]

~~~(POV: Ulysses Kennedy)~~~

~~~(Date: November 4th, 2025)~~~

~~~(Time: 2:11 PM)~~~

~~~(Location: Livingroom, Holden, Oregon)~~~

James finishes telling me what he's been up to in regards to representing me, and from the sounds of it, he's got it handled. "The Lakers and The Knicks are tanking harder than ever to get a shot at you in the draft, and they know that 25 million is the agreed amount to sign you." He's secured more than I originally wanted, and I salute him for that.

My mind isn't really on the NBA right now. My thoughts are still on my dead friends, and I know why he's talking about all this. He's trying to get my mind off them, even for a moment of peace. James isn't just a good agent. He's a good man. Hannah grabs my attention by holding my hand and interlocking our fingers.

Everyone is in the living room, and we're in uncomfortable silence. "Ulysses... What do you say we go out and do something... Just the two of us, and away from all the news and media..." Hannah knows me better than I give her credit for. I stand up without a word and start walking towards the door, and Hannah is on my tail.

She pulls out her car keys, and we close the door behind us. This is something that I need... My bedroom isn't the place that I want to be... It makes it seem like I'm hiding. We get into her car, and she turns the key, and the engine comes to life. She turns the heater on and pulls out of the driveway. I know she wants to ask me something. I can sense it.

Her hand comes across the car and lands on my thigh, showing that she's not letting me feel alone for even a moment. Women really know how to be there in a hard time, and I'm grateful for her being a sweetheart. "Can we go to where the accident happened?" Her grip tightens on my thigh from my request, and I know she wants to say something.

She swallows her worries and starts heading where I lost all my friends. "You might be making a mistake by going there, but you're not alone. Remember that." My eyes slowly close as I try to take my mind off my friends. It's never been easy to accept a loss, but this one hurts. It's like losing brothers that I never had...

~~~(POV: James Monroe)~~~

~~~(Date: November 4th, 2025)~~~

~~~(Time: 2:31 PM)~~~

~~~(Location: Ellie and Ulysses's Home, Holden, Oregon)~~~

The kid doesn't know what to do... He's in a fog, and it'll be a while before he's out of it. Ellie is making some noise in the kitchen. Pots and pans are rattling around, and she's probably making food for when Ulysses comes back. I've already overstayed my welcome, and I should leave these people to grieve.

I say my goodbyes to Ellie, and she thanks me for coming by. She reminds me so much of my own mother, and Ulysses is lucky to have an Aunt like her. Taking him in at such a young age and giving up her life for his. My Lambo starts up as I approach it and press the start key on my keychain. I need a ride myself, get my mind off things for a bit.

My worries about Ulysses aren't about his dedication to basketball. It's how he's doing mentally. Many things can happen between now and the NBA draft, and he's only 17. Once the draft comes around, he'll be 18, but he's still a kid. "I need to call my mom and dad... Tell them I love them..." The Lambo Bluetooth connects to the car, and I call my parents.

~~~(POV: Hannah Fiona)~~~

~~~(Date: November 4th, 2025)~~~

~~~(Time: 3:12 PM)~~~

~~~(Location: Highway, Holden, Oregon)~~~

I pull off on the side of the empty old highway, and Ulysses immediately unbuckles his seatbelt and gets out. Not wasting a moment, I follow suit and stay at his side with my hand in his. We walk over to the edge where the guard rail is broken... Where the school bus went off the highway and down the cliff... That's where they all died...