Chapter four

From Nick's ID, his parents get called in the hospital and they are told he is in surgery. The doctors did not give them much information as to how and what happened they just told them that he was shot in the chest , has lost a lot of blood and needs emergency surgery they told them the rest will be explained when the police arrive shortly.

Nick's mom, charlotte is sitting in her husband's arms crying nonstop ever since she arrived at the hospital. My kind boy Nick she thought, how could this have happened to you, he is such a bright boy with bright future ahead of him? He is the only one she could lean on his brother is a lost cause. Ever since he was a little boy he helped his parents in every way he could try in their shop. He never showed an aberrant behavior around them; he was the best she could hope for. He was the kindest he helped everyone he knew of and was in good terms as far as he remembers but this awful thing has happened to him nevertheless his character. "It must be my luck" she says to her husband "I brought this on him, on us. Luck has never been on my side". Her husband Benjamin is the sweetest and the most supportive husband and the strongest father. He replies, "Honey this has got nothing to do with you, what our son needs now is our prayer, let's pray he makes it out of this surgery alive." They hold hands and silently pray for their son to pull through.

****

Darren, Nick's older brother is out with his college boys celebrating Friday. He is at his usual bar with booze, some cocaine and girls of course. He yells out TGIF from the bottom of his lungs and drinks some beer and he receives a loud cheer from the crowd. His friend Cole brings him more booze and says "dude there is a party nearby maybe we should crash there." Nick replies, "No shit! Let's get out of here"

They both know neither of them should drive but how could they get to the party both were lazy to call a cab and decided that Cole who is less drunk than Darren should drive Darren's car. His car is a 20019 model Mercedez benz CLA 250 which his parents got him for getting into college three years back. But Darren wastes his parents support and care for nothing. After he entered college he started to party, get into drugs and slack off on his studies. No matter his parents try to persuade him to get serious and do his best he never listens. He thinks he has achieved everything he needs to by just getting in to college and the crowd he goes with don't help they are just an encouragement for his current actions. His parents built a software company from scratch, through the ups and downs, and they want their children to follow in their footsteps into building something of their own. It doesn't necessarily have to be associated with software but they wanted them to be strong willed, warm hearted and hard working. Which Darren is none of those; he just enjoys his parents' wealth and takes many things for granted. His parents constantly blame themselves for Darren's behaviors, they say we haven't raised him good enough to choose this life style over what we tried to teach him all the years they raised him. Darren knows this but he couldn't care less his motto in life is "You only live once". In the years before college he tried to be the good son but after he got his freedom he saw how releasing it feels from all the pressure to be the role model to be the eldest son of prestigious parents. It was all exhausting but after he moved to college in the other side of the country he found that he wanted to live his life as he wants not as his parents wanted. They can manipulate Nick all they want he decided, but I am living however I want to!

On their way to the party, Cole notices a black sedan after them continuously following their lead ever since they left the bar. Cole made two turns which takes far farther from the party they are trying to attend, but the car is still behind them following in a steady speed. They are just college students who would want to follow them especially someone who drives a sedan? "Hey Darren, Darren ..." calls out Cole to his passed out drunken friend in the passenger seat, "hmm..." replies Darren

"Do you know anyone who drives a sedan who wants to follow us?"

"What the hell are you saying man? Who the hell wants to follow us? We are not anyone of importance just drive why aren't we there yet anyway?"

"Just saying man, there is this care behind us who has been following us ever since we left the bar. I took two detours but the car is still behind us and he is not even trying to hide it. "

Darren is half listening to his friend and replies, "Cole my friend you are drunk just get us to the party at this rate we are going to miss it." But Cole is deeply disturbed and doesn't know what he is feeling but he is deeply anxious about something. He gets back to the main road that leads to the house they intend to arrive and looks at the rear view of the car and suddenly the car is no longer there. "Phew" he thinks "I must have been paranoid for thinking somebody could be following us this late" and continues to drive.

After 10 minutes they reach the house and the music can be heard 2 blocks away. "This party is lit" says Darren after they got in "look at all these asses" says Cole in smug face. They find their other college friends and settle with them. There are girls who look like they don't fit in the crowd they are too young to be here thought Darren reminded of his brother Nick, his smart little brother who will be fulfilling his parents dream for him. But he thinks right now all I need to do is enjoy myself not think about his parents and grabs the waist of some girl and starts dancing, playing is thrift shop by Macklemore ft wanz and the girl pops her ass where he likes it and he already likes her. He is thinking maybe you will have a chance with me later when the song ends and now it's Happy by Pharrell Williams, seriously he says and murmurs in the girl's ear "will find you later" and decides to go the bathroom to piss.

While trying to find the bathroom in this huge house he is exhausted and too drunk. He rests in the nearest sofa. For some reason today his thought keeps going to Amelia. Amelia is a girl he met in bar last night. He was as always out with the boys with booze when he notices a girl coming through the door, a brunette her hair falling down to her waist with a fair skin, her eyes totally captivating and her body damn so slim that he just wanted to hold her in his arms. He is a sucker for brunettes and it never ends well. While he is admiring her he didn't realize he was staring at her and she meets his gaze. He felt as though an electric shock was passing through him. Her gaze so powerful, feminine and so steady. This girl is fierce he thought and she moves to a corner with her friends. They have been having a staring contest ever since then , Darren couldn't lift his eyes off of her who would want to she is the most beautiful women in the room he thinks and decides to buy her a drink leaving a note "which says let's stop staring and shall we get to business ?". After a few agonizing minutes his receives a note which read "Moving fast aren't we? Call me…" with her phone number. So confident he thought and when he looks up she is no longer there. Ever since then he has been contemplating whether to call her or not and she keeps crossing his mind.

Suddenly he receives a text from Cole that he is out to get fresh air and to text him when he decides to leave. He must be banging some girl somewhere thinks Darren and wishes to fantasize more about Amelia.

Without noticing when he fell asleep, he wakes up from his sleep when the host starts screaming through the Mic demanding everyone to go home and that the party has ended. When did he fall asleep? He has no idea and checks his phone, 10 missed call from Mom, but no text message from anyone. How come Cole did not call asking to leave? Or was he still with a girl? I will get back to mom later he decided or should I now? Contemplating these thoughts he goes out of the house and walks to where his car is parked. He finds his key in his pocket and opens the door and steps in. he quickly types a text to Cole "leaving in 10, meet me where the car is parked" and waits. After 20 minutes no sign of Cole, no call or text from him either. Darren decides to leave without him thinking he is passed out somewhere with a girl arriving at a decision that he will find his way back tomorrow.

He starts his care leaves the place and gets on the road that leads to his apartment. While driving he notices a sedan behind him, it's the only care that's on the road other than his car. What Cole was saying earlier comes to his mind but quickly pushes it aside and he keeps on driving. But what if his parents sent someone to track down how he spends his day? No No they wouldn't dare no matter how much they hate what he is doing they never would attempt to track his whereabouts for God's sake he is 22 years old. But, what if? Fighting with his thoughts he did not notice the care was suddenly not behind him but next to him, too close to be frank. Darren is caught by surprise when the car hit him with full force and his car is spinning out of control pushed out of the main road. Darren doesn't know what to do and he is trying to control his car but its spinning out of control. But it doesn't stop at that he sees that the sedan is coming at him with high speed by his side, he tries to escape but he is strapped and when looks again the car's headlight is blinding and feels soon he felt like the world is upside down and his whole body is in pain. He is head is spinning and he feels like throwing up, but he sees a person coming out of the car and walking towards him. He tries so hard to get out of the car but he has no way out. And the person is close he can see the form and clearly it's a man. "Dude!! What do you want, just leave me alone if what you want is money I will give it to you just leave me alone. What did I do to you just leave me alone..." screams Darren with hysterical voice. But the man keeps himself composed and speaks with purpose "I will leave you alone. But I need you to deliver a message to your parents." Darren thinks he couldn't have done that without all this destruction and utters "anything man anything, just don't kill me." He sees the man is still composed and doesn't show any emotion he can't make is face out he is wearing black everything from head to toe and the darkness is helping him to mask his features. But he notices a tattoo of a name on his right hand and tries to read the name but the man notices what he is trying to do and moves his body more to the darkness where is at an advantage. And he says "What goes around comes around" and walks away. Darren is at a loss words what the hell is with this man, first he followed him then he crashed his car and now he wants him to deliver some lame message to his parents, the hell? I am getting out of here he says and forcefully tries pushing out the smashed door but it doesn't budge. Who is he going to call for help now? Is his phone functioning? He pulls it out of his pocket and looks at it "Thank God it's working" he says and decides to call his mom. On the second ring she picks it up and Darren speaks " MOM, listen…" before he can continue he hears a sob and is worried "Mom, what's wrong what's going on?" and his mom replies " oh Darren, honey, Nick has been shot and is severely hurt. He is in surgery and we are in the hospital. We need you to come home, we need you Derren…" Nick is shot? His ears started to ring and his head started to hurt like never before and he notices blood coming out of his right temporal head area and before he starts to freak out he feels himself losing consciousness