Just like I didn't bother going to the Bader joint funeral service, I didn't attend the ones for Carl and his brood because I knew that I wouldn't be received with open arms. Of course, Denise and Trey felt the same way, but the former was heading into her mid-trimester and they didn't want to risk losing their twins early. But the three of us agreed that their murder-suicide deaths were ones we didn't expect since it was Carl's daughters who were involved via Theo and Ryan (or rather, the other way around since the guys knew that the girls would do anything to catch a hot guy's attention- never mind the fact that the hot guy in question was gay).

But it only meant that Ryan and Theo were planning yet another murder to either lure me into their world and finish me off or make sure that I had no one left so I had no other choice but to end my life.

"Demario?"

I looked into Holly's eyes as the two of us were joined by Derrick, my foster brothers, and Oliver as we were at lunch. "Sorry, had a lot on my mind since my uncle Carl and his brood bit the dust by murder and suicide," I muttered. "This mess right here, wow. It's getting ridiculous."

"That's for sure," Derrick nodded. "And I'm not surprised that you're not at the ongoing funeral right now, man. With everything going on right now, you might be blamed for what's going on. Maybe be accused for wishing every single of that ex-family of yours dead."

I snorted. "Amelia said the same thing back when everyone refused to take me into their homes when my mom and her brood died," I replied. "I was too caught in self-loathing to wish anyone malice or death. If anything, I was wishing that I was dead myself when Mom dictated that I was to be left homeless and all that."

"Damn," Javi breathed, shaking his head. "That's messed up, bro. Are you sure you're going to be okay?"

I sighed. "To be honest, I can only take things one day at a time and try to make semblance of what's going on. That, and make sure that I don't die myself."

"Good to know, man. We'd never forgive ourselves if anything happened to you," Antonio commented. "You're seeing Nguyen later, right?"

I nodded. "Off to see him and his brother after school," I replied just as the bell rang. "I'm going to have a lot to talk about with them for the most part. This right here is coming straight out of a soap-opera storyline."

"You don't have to tell us," Evan commented as we bussed our trays and grabbed our bags. "We'll chat later, okay?"

I only nodded as Oliver led us to our next class. "Are you sure you're going to be okay?" he asked me.

"Like I said, man, all I can do is take things one day at a time," I told him, staring intently into his eyes. "And I haven't forgotten my promise to you. Just remember your promise to me."

"I will," he vowed, kissing me lightly on the lips before wAnd e made our way to class.

******************

"Demario, things have been happening lately around your life," Dr. Nguyen said as I greeted him and his brother (guest-starring Jose and Gianna) at the former's office after a long day of classes (the final swim practice before the championship meet was moved to the following day due to Coach's kid being sick). "And I take it that you've known about the deaths of most of your ex-kin?"

I nodded. "Aunt Denise, Yvonne, and Trey agreed that we wouldn't attend their funerals," I told them as I took my seat in front of Dr. Nguyen's desk. "Denise and Trey didn't attend today's funeral since my aunt was along in her pregnancy with twins while Yvonne didn't attend her family's since there's too much bad blood between them."

"And you not attending?" Mitchell wanted to know.

"Well, I knew that my other living relatives alongside Douglass and Evangeline's family members wouldn't receive me with open arms, not to mention accuse me of wishing everyone dead after they denied me of being in their homes when Mom and her brood were laid to rest. That, and I guess there's nothing I could've said or done to appease them. In their eyes, I wasn't deemed enough for them and I wouldn't have survived in their controversial standards, and it was Mom herself who made sure that I wouldn't be allowed any opportunities to live. I guess I was living in some version of Amy Winehouse's music video for 'Back to Black,' but life's not like a pipe and I'm not some penny rolling in the walls inside. I'm human and I deserved to be loved."

Both Nguyen twins smiled wanly at the mention of the song. "And your thoughts about Ryan and Theo?" Dr. Nguyen asked me.

"What about them? I mean, I'm still reeling from the memories and how they're not going to let go of me rejecting them easily, not to mention the fact that I spurned Jillian's offers to have a threesome with Ryan and Oliver among other things."

"That's a fact," Gianna, who had remained quiet until now alongside Jose, said. "But I need to ask, Demario, if you were to feel any form of emotion other than tiredness about what's going on right now, what would it be?"

I thought for a moment. "Mainly anger. Anger at myself for not doing enough or protecting myself. Anger at Ryan and Theo for wishing me dead and continuing their rampages. And mainly angry at the Bader-Simmons-Ingram clan for all but damning me to a lifetime of worthlessness when it came to my well-being," I answered honestly. "I can't be mad at Trey and Denise or even Yvonne anymore since they were victims as much as I was. Everyone else? Well, they hated me for no reason and I gave everything that I had. If anything, I was gad that this family is starting to come apart by the seams."

"Damn," Jose tutted, shaking his head. "Any other emotions?"

"Sadness for the Kendricks and Artem's family since they buried their children, and mainly because they were caught up in Ryan and Theo's mind-games. Pity for Denise and Trey because they had to please my mother so Trey can finish his parole sentence and be a good father for his unborn children. Pity for Yvonne since she was grieving the loss for her aborted child and not being able to conceive anymore after the botched treatment. But most of all, I would feel afraid because I know that the people that see my self-worth as something to treasure would be caught in the trenches and I fear that they would have to leave me to myself so I would actually end my life because my late mother would want it that way."

I took a deep breath. "A couple of weeks back, Oliver made me promise that I would keep fighting for my survival even when others abandomed me. He made me promise to keep moving forward and to show everyone that I had something to live for. In return, I made him promise that he would still be my side even when everyone turns their back on me if it means saving their lives," I went on. "He and I cried for each other and myself as we knew that we could only cherish what we had while we can because everything can change without warning. And even as we made love, we had to cherish it because nothing can last for long."

I wiped away a stray tear that fell from my eyes.

"Demario, you're properly mourning for what you lost and all that you're going through," Dr. Nguyen noted as he came to me with a sad look in his eyes. "And I know you've heard this before, but you're not going to go through this alone. None of us will allow it. This storm in front of you will not last long. And again, Demario, you do have a lot to fight for despite what it looks like now."

I nodded as I felt his arms wrap around me before those from his brother, Gianna, and Jose joined in for a group hug.

And for now, I felt loved. Let's hope that it could last longer.

Ah, folks, I wish I could say the same. But unfortunately, Demario will have more storms in his way featuring more tragic deaths and hard lessons to take in before things finally start making sense and the wrongs being made right.

But coming up next, Oliver and Demario are called to visit Ryan's family as they talk to the duo about the now-disgraced jock before another murder from him and Theo soon hits too close to home that's close for comfort. Oh, my.

Song: "Victory" by Janelle Monae. Dedication: kristentaylor16.

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