The Frayed Ends Of Sanity

Wednesday came with nothing interesting happening before it. Mom and dad called and told me they'd be heading home sometime this afternoon. I wasn't sure if I was happy or disappointed. The house was way too quiet without them arguing with me over everything. On the other hand though, I wouldn't have the house to myself anymore. I guess there's really no winning.

Zacky and I were walking to the locker rooms to get ready for P.E. We met Brian and Matt on the way there and finished up the walk with them. I was glad when the girls' locker room came into view because Zacky, Brian, and Matt were having a really awkward conversation that I didn't want to be pulled into.

When I entered the locker room, I looked at the board that told us what we'd be doing in class. Today was baseball which was fine with me; it was one of the few sports I liked and was good at.

I dressed out, then went to the field which was behind the school. I was one of the first out there besides the coach and a few others. The rest of the class trickled out, including Zacky, Brian, and Matt.

"Why didn't you wait for us?" Zacky asked.

"Because I didn't want to have to listen to you three talking about your dicks again."

Zacky turned red. Matt and Brian just kind of turned away, as if to make it seem like it wasn't them.

The coach picked captains, which were Brian and a girl named Kate. Of course, Brian picked Zacky and Matt first while Kate picked prabably her two best friends. Brian picked me next making Kate give him a dirty look. Apparently she was going to pick me.

"Thank you," I whispered to Brian as I joined the other two.

After the teams were picked, our team started out in the field. A few innings passed and we were already winning by ten points. We got up to bat and Zacky was up. The pitcher pitched the ball and Zacky hit it between third and shortstop.

I'm not sure exactly what happened next, so I'll tell you what I think happened.

The shortstop got the ball and began to throw it to first. Too bad he had horrible aim. Instead of going straight, the ball went to the side. I guess Zacky was trying to see where the ball was or something so he turned his head. If that was the case, he found it. The ball hit him straight in the eye.

I gasped. Behind me, I head Brian shout, "HOLY SHIT!"

The coach went over to see if he was okay. Then, I heard him say, "Go to the nurse's office."

After Zacky left, it was my turn to bat. I decided to stop messing around and put all my strength into swinging. I ended up hitting a home run. When I came home though, I was told I had been called to the office.

I saw Zacky still making his way back to the building and ran to catch up with him. "Hey. I hit a homerun," I said when I was next to him.

Zacky who was still covering his left eye, smiled and said, "Did you dedicate it to me?"

"Yeah, you and that new black eye."

When we got to the office, Zacky went to the nurse (the nurse's office was an adjoining room) and I stopped at the secretary's desk.

"You called?"

She gave me an ugly look and in her annoying, nasally voice said, "Yes. You're wanted in the principal's office." I turned away from her and entered principal Ramirez's office.

Principal Ramirez was at his desk and a cop was standing next to him. What the fuck did I do to get the principal and a cop involved?

"Sit down Raven," Principal Ramirez ordered.

I sat in the chair in front of him, eyeing the two men suspiciously.

"Raven, I am Detective Hartman of the Los Angeles Police Department," Hartman began. I nodded but didn't say anything.

He continued. "The reason we have called you here is your parents were found dead in their hotel room earlier today. They were shot in the head."