Chapter 15

"Grandpa?! What's going on? Why am I here?" "Your being tested for when 'it' arrives." "What? Why?" "Because your the only one who can stop it." I turn around and standing in the shadows is a man. He steps forward into the light. He is short, he has short spiked jet black hair, his eyes are hazel, he has perfect straight white teeth, he's tanned like me but a little lighter, he has dimples like Bruno's, he's wearing a plain white tank top, black skinny jeans and black converse. "Hi sis." I walk across the field until I'm standing in front of him. "Carlos?" "Hi." I slap him across his face. "I deserved that didn't I?" "Like hell! I told you not to go surf that day, but you didn't listen to me, that shark attacked you and you were lucky that I looked at the window when I did because if I hadn't then we couldn't of had an open casket funeral because we wouldn't of had a body." "Look I'm sorry...." I hug him. "I know you are, I'm just glad I get to see you again." "Me too lil sis." "So why am I here?" "For training." "What for?" "It's coming, it's coming for you, Kenji Chan, Jamaero Artis, Philip Lawrence, Eric Hernandez, Ari Levine, Phredly Brown, and Peter Hernandez. You must protect all of them, that's why your here. Me and grandpa are going to train you." "What?! No! I want to go back to Bruno! If he's awake he's gonna worry his butt off! I have to go home!" "Don't worry, even though it's been awhile here it's been mere seconds in the real world." "Well what training do I have to do?" Carlos smiles and snaps his fingers. I feel something surrounding me but I can't see anything. Someone grabs my arm and pins in behind my back. "What the-whats going on?!" "Fight back!" Carlos yells. "How the hell am I supposed to do that when I can't even see what I'm fighting!" "You have to find a way to defeat it! I can't help you." I start swinging until I finally hit it. It let's go of my arm and picked me up. I started kicking and swinging violently. It threw me and then another one caught me. I looked at my grandfather and Carlos. They we'd both laughing. "This is not funny you jerks!" It drops me and I swing my leg around until I hear a thud. "Ha!" My legs are kicked out from under me and I land with a thud. "Oh!" Carlos walks over to me laughing. "It's not funny!" He helps me up and I smack his arm. "Come here." He takes me over to a rock and motions for me to sit. I sit and he walks into the woods returning moments later with a sharp stick and a blue mush in his hands. "What is that?!" "Berries." He takes my wrist and dips the sharp end of the stick and dips it into the berry mush. "Ok, this is gonna hurt but once you have this it'll help you come here without going into your attacks." He pushes the pointy end into my skin and draws a simple star. "There all done." "Cool, can, I go home now?" He walks over to a small pond sitting in the middle of the field. "You drink out of here, it sends you back and it gives you energy so when you go back your not exhausted. After you drink out of here, and with the help of the tattoo, once you fall into that really deep sleep you'll come here, and I'll be here waiting every single night." I give him a hug. "So I guess I'll see you tomorrow?" He nods his head. I lean down and cup my hands, I stick them under the crystal clear blue water and take a sip. "It's so sweet......."

*

Bruno awoke to a bang. He rubbed his eyes and looked around. Brooke was no longer in bed beside him, alarmed he threw on some clothes and looked around. He walked out of the bedroom and looked around. He saw her sitting outside on the balcony. He opened the door and immediately realized something was wrong. She was pale and she was shaking. "Brooke?! Wake up! Please don't leave me again! You're my everything! I don't know what I would do with out you!"

*

I heard Bruno's frantic voice and I eyes snapped open. He looked relieved. I looked at my wrist and saw the star. It wasn't a dream, part of me was relieved, the other part terrified because of what Carlos said about the guys. He helped me up. "What happened?" "I....I...I don't know." "Are you ok?" "Yeah, just a little shaken but I'm fine." "Hey, listen, I have an interview with Ryan Seacrest later this afternoon, after that we're gonna come home and pack for Waikiki!" I smiled. "I'm gonna grab a shower real quick." I give him a quick kiss and walk into the house. I grab a towel and washcloth and turn the shower on. Right before I step in I notice he's almost out of soap. I quickly step out and look around for some more. I look under his sink, and see some I grab a bottle and it accidentally slips from my wet hand, knocking a white basket over. "Crap." I dry my hand off and start picking up the spilled contents, when a small white baggie catches my eye. I pick it up and gasp. I knew exactly what it was without smelling or testing it. It was crack. I stand up and throw it down and the sink counter. I look at my reflection in the mirror, my eyes are about as big as a fifty cent piece and I'm as pale as a ghost. I grab the bag and put it back in the basket and close to cabinet door. "You didn't see that Brooke, your Bruno wouldn't do that, he's not a druggie." I get into the shower and a million thoughts are going through my head. I can't confront him because I had no business looking through his sink like that. But what if he goes to jail? Will you bail him out? Will you stay with him if he turns to drugs? No of course not! I'm not staying with a druggie! I finish in the shower and change into a yellow tank top and white butt shorts. I brush my hair and walk out. I have to act like everything's normal. "You ready?" He's wearing a black and white stripped shirt, a red jacket, black skinny jeans, and a blackish fedora. "Yeah leggo." We get into my car and the silence is thick. "Bruno...would you ever do drugs?" "What? Uh....no...I...I would never do them, no why do you ask?" "Just wondering. Would you ever lie to me?" "No of course not." When we get to the studio we walk in and we meet with Ryan. "Hey man you ready?" "Yeah man let's do this." The entire interview I can tell he's not himself, something's up. The interview itself was hilarious. We say our goodbyes and step onto the elevator. I notice he's really jittery. "Bruno, why are you so jittery?" "Oh....Uh...no reason." His phone rings and as he takes it out I see the tip of a bag. "Oh my god!" I reach into his pocket and pull it out. "Hang that phone up now." He hangs up and looks at me like a child would look at his mother while being scolded. I push the stop button on the elevator. "I can't believe you Bruno! Not one but two bags of crack! Yeah I saw the one under your sink you should hide your things better. This....if you got send to jail this could ruin your career!" I viciously wipe away the tears. "I....I'm sorry...." "No Peter Gene Hernandez, sorry isn't going to cut it! This is real shit right here! You're not the same Peter I grew up with, the one I knew, he would NEVER do this shit, and he would never lie to my face. You know I was lied to a lot when I was little by my whole family, I'm not going to be lied to anymore! I.....were done, I can't be with a druggie I refuse, when you decided to clean yourself up, you can come find me. Gimme my keys." He hands them over. "Brooke.....I'm sorry." "Shut your mouth Bruno! I don't want to hear anything that comes out of it." The elevator dings and I run off. "Wait! How am I supposed to get home." "Call a cab druggie!" I run to my car and speed to his place. I walk in and he's not there yet. I pack my things as fast as I can. I take the bag of crack I found under the sink and call Phil. "Hey doll face." "Hey Phil. Can you meet me at the studio? I need to talk to you." "What happened?" "I....I....just need to talk to you." "O..ok I'm on my way now." I drive to the studio in tears. When I get there Phil is standing outside waiting for me. "What's up?" I just shake my head and show him the bag. "I found it at Bruno's and after the interview one fell out of his pocket." He opens his arms and I fall into them. "I...I gotta go. I'm leaving, I'm going back home." "Are you sure?" "Positive. Thank you for being here." "Welcome doll face." I take the baggie and throw it as far as I can and get into my car. I drive to LAX and take the first flight back to Waikiki. My parents don't even know I'm alive. I board my plane and take a window seat. I look out and looking back at me in the terminal is Bruno. He looks at me and motions for me to come back. I feel something in me spark that I haven't felt since I was young. My anger. He wants me back after he did what he did? I flick him off. He gets down on his knees and starts begging. I take a piece of paper and write 'Goodbye Bruno' I stick it up on the window and he shakes his head no. I shake my head yes and slide the window shade all the way down. Our plane takes off and I open my window, and watch LA disappear under the clouds. In and out of my life just like that, again, but you know what, I don't care I was lied to my whole childhood and I refuse to be lied to anymore. My whole childhood was basically a lie, just lie after lie. Fake promise after fake promise. No more. "Goodbye Bruno. I hope you go rot in hell."