Brad leaned his forearms against the table. "Is that all?" He sat back in his chair. "No, 'hello, Brad. How have you been? What have you been doing the past year and a half?'" He made a little snort. "No, I shouldn't have expected it of you."

Brad pushed back his chair and got up. "Well, let me fill you in. The thugs that were sent to kill me, failed. They had only wounded me. When they figured this out, they came back for my body. I was in their prison for the next 17 months. First they tried to make me turn rogue. It didn't work. Then they tried to get all the information they could out of me. When that didn't work, they locked me up in a jail cell with barely enough room to walk two strides."

Brad told his story in a calm, emotionless way, as if he had detached the emotions from the facts. He walked back and forth as he spoke.

"I escaped. They didn't think I could, but I escaped. It was then, when I was free, that it happened. I turned rogue," he sneered. "All the things they tried to do to me in prision to make me go bad..." He shoke his head. "It didn't work until I was free. Until I had a chance to meet up with you."

He sat back down in his chair, resting his elbows on the table. "All that time in there, there was only one thing I could think of--why." His voice fell down to a hiss. Then it rose up into a shout as he stood up so forcefully his chair fell over. "WHY!!"

He strode over to Justin and grabed him by the shirt. Sticking his face in Justin's, he spoke, spittle flying from his lips, "Why did you do it?"

(((OOC))) Eusy, Jen or any of the other girls and guys know that Maya's real name is Maya. They think it's Brooklyn.)))

Maya watched Jen, Peter and the others rush around in a hurry with worried faces. She walked up to Jen.

"What's goin' on? Can I git some dry clothes?"

Feeling a sense of betrayal, Justin asked, "Do what? What did I do?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jen offered Brooklyn. "How about you come to my house with me?" She nodded towards Emmy. "You too."

Maya hesitated. She shrugged her shoulders and mumbled to herself. "What else is there."

She looked into the pretty girl's face and could tell she was not a threat. "M'kay. Thanks." She followed to Jen to her house.

Brad scoffed, a small snort. "Of course, that's what they always say. 'What? What did I do?'" he mocked. "Well, your little scheme to get rid of me, didn't work."

~~~

Chloe stopped and helped Maralyn out of the minivan. "Careful there," she said as she led her up the steps. "We just need to get you inside and sitting down before we start panicking." But Chloe herself was having a hard time keeping a cool head. Her heart pounded in her chest, and her hands were begining to tremble. What could anyone want with Justin?

Justin's mouth hung open wide. "You were my best friend. Why would I have wanted to get rid of you? What the heck they say to you in there?"

"Don't try to deny it. I know you were behind the plot. There are too many things pointing toward you. In prision I had a lot of time to think, and you were always on my mind." Brad moved back a few inches from Justin. "You were the one with a gang past. You were the one into drugs then. Why could you not run the operation now? You were the one who always pressed me to find out what I was working on. You were the one that gave me and June the tickets!" Brad face became flushed with anger, his jaw clenched as he tried to control his rage.

Justin said, "I was never in a gang! Why do people insist Peter and I have been in gangs. We both used to be bullies and I use dto do drugs! And what is pointing to me? I didn't give you tickets! You adn June went on an FBI operation that didn't really concern me but the corrupt government instead!" As soon as the words "corrupt government" came out of his mouth, Justin knew he shouldn't have said it. It would make him look way more guilty then he really is. But it was a corrupt newspaper, who tried to get him in jail for defending soldiers, his friends and family for crying out loud! But, no...he doesn't get credit for anything!

"You did give me the tickets," Brad said fiercely. "Is your memory so short? You and Maralyn couldn't make the show so you handed them to me. I should have suspected something!"
Brad sat back in his chair, his breathing fast. "Rumors came to me that you've been in jail, eh?" His unconcerned mask was back, his manner casual.

Justin groaned, "You weren't going to a show! You were going on an FBI trip. And no, I haven't been in jail! Some fake FBI agent told me he was going to send me back, But it didn't happen!" Justin ran a hand through his short, neck length dark hair and wondered if that was what Brad was planning on doing to him."

Brad's eyes became steel-like. "You can deny until you're blue in the face. But that won't change the fact that I think was the most discriminating to you--Vickie Mae."

He paused for effect.

When he spoke again, his voice changed. Is was no long the iron firm voice that pierced. But softer. Gentle toward the subject. "Vickie Mae was only four months old when she lost her mother." Then his face became once again impassive. "I thought that if you had one thread of a Christian heart in you, you would have taken her in. Or at the very least seen she was placed in a good home."

Brad rose again and began walking back and forth in the small concrete room. His footstep sounded loud in the silence.

"But you threw her into the system!" His voice rose thunderously, as he slapped his palms onto the table with a loud slap. "She's is barely two years old and has already been in six foster care homes. One she was taken out of because of alcohol abuse," he ended in a whisper.

Justin said, "I didn't throw her into the system! The government officials did!" He took a deep breath. "Sorry she got put into an alocholic home but that was not my fault. It's the government's."

"Oh yes, blame it all on the government," Brad once again turned to his mocking tone. "You make me sick, Justin. I can't believe I ever called you a friend." He turned away with a disgusted look on his face. "Seriously, you're telling me you couldn't do anything for my daughter?" Brad got in Justin's face, but did not touch him this time. "Did you try?"

Sadly, JUstin admitted, "No, I didn't. I was too caught up in my own drama. Can I please go now?"

Brad jaw clenched. "That's all. No appology? Just a lousy excuse." Brad closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. Silence surrounded them. "You always were selfish. Absorb in yourself, and your self pity. 'Why doesn't everyone feel sorry for me. I'm always the one that's being hurt.'" Brad did his best imitation of a Justin whine. "Well now you see where that's gotten you."