Chapter 4- Tragedy and Heart Break
Riley’s Point of View (POV)

It tool about two hours before the three of us reached our destination, the Benson Cemetery. Mel and Zach were waiting at the front gate, just like Conner had said. The three of us got out of the truck and walked up to Mel and Zach. Not a word was spoken as we headed into the cemetery. We walked all the way to the back until we reached the Montgomery family plot. We walked up to a head stone and put the flowers down that we had gotten on the way here. The head stone read Alexander Montgomery, Loving son, brother, and a magnificent lover. I still turned a little red when I read the last part. Even after two years I still couldn’t believe his father had put that on the head stone.

“It is hard to believe that he has been gone two years.” I nodded my head in agreement at Melissa’s comment “I really miss him.” I noticed that Elliot clutched her fist from say anything to the blonde. I was thankful. Melissa was one out of the two of Alex’s best friends, so they were always close. Closer than I would have liked, but I would never make him choose between his friends and me. That had always been someone else’s job.

“We should get going if we want to stay on schedule.” Zach said. Out of the people standing here, he was the one who held the most guilt. He wasn’t friends with Alex. He never even met the guy. Zach had gone to a party with some friends on a Friday night and he had been drinking. He wasn’t watching were he was going, not to mention he was pissed drunk, so he ran into a guy riding a motorcycle. That guy had been Alex on his way home from dropping me off. Alex had died on impact. I didn’t hate Zach, nor did I feel any anger towards him. It had been an accident, and Alex should have been wearing a helmet.

“If you don’t mind I would like to stay here by myself for a few minutes.” I told everyone.

“All right. Mel, Zach why don’t you go on and head out. We will met you there in about fifteen. Eliot and I will wait for you in the truck.” Conner said . I just nodded my head. When they all left I say down in front of the grave.

“You’re a jerk for leaving me you know that. I told you to wear the stupid helmet.” I said while shaking my head. “I miss you very much, and with you gone a lot of things have changed. Elliot and Max got into a stupid fight over cranberries and my love life. Mel and Adam are not even on speaking terms. Zach hates himself so much for what he did. The doctors said that had you been wearing the helmet you would have lived. Did I mention you brother has gone completely insane. He refuses to go to college. Says he will die first. The worst of all is that your stupid best friend shut himself off from everyone. We got into a fight after you died and it was really bad. I don’t think I had ever seen him that angry before, but that is all he is now, angry. I haven’t talk to him in a year and seven months. It hurts, because out of everyone we cared about I need him the most to lean on. The fight was stupid anyway.” I sat there for a few more minutes in silence then I got up. I kissed the head stone and headed to the truck.

“Are you going to be okay.” Elliot asked me when I got into the truck.

“I’ll be fine. I just have this desperate feeling some how things are going to blow up soon, and I don’t know why.”

“I know what you mean.” Conner was oblivious to the short conversation, or at least I thought, but his hands tighten on the wheel of the truck. It took about five minutes from the cemetery to our next destination. It was an old coffee place called Magic Bean. I actually had a hand in naming it. About five years ago an old man with his two sons bought the place and turned it into a coffee shop. The old man liked me and his sons, well the feeling was mutual. When we pulled into the parking lot I saw that Mel and Zach were standing out side waiting for us. However, what I didn’t expect was the guy standing next to them.

“Well we shouldn’t keep them waiting. I am not in the mood to listen to Mel’s crap today.” Conner said as he got out of the car. I chose to keep my mouth shut on that one.

“Good girl.” Elliot said as she patted my shoulder. God I got the feeling that the rest of today was going to be crappie. I swear some times I wonder if I am bipolar.

“You’re not bipolar Riles.” Max said breaking me out of my train of thought. I looked up at him in surprise. “ You always bit the inside of your cheek when you are either thinking about your random mood swings, chocolate, or/ and jell-o. Knowing that you just ate and that you have a stash of chocolate in you back pocket it has to be the mood swings.”

“Damn you know me to well. What are you doing here any way? You never did like Mel and Zach much.”

“That’s true, but I was friends with Alex to, and I know what he meant to you. Plus I figured with me here Elliot will be trying to start a fight with me rather than Mel, or Zach for feeling her up.”

“I never did find out why Zach left Elliot alone when you were around.” He just shrugged, but he had this little glimmer in his eye. I didn’t even want to know what it meant. “Well lets get this show on the road.” The six of us took a deep breath and entered the coffee shop.

“Sorry, but we are closed.” An old man said.

“Even for your favorite customers.” I said. The man’s head popped out from the back and he rushed over to hug me.

“Riley, it is so god to see you.” The old man said while he let the water drops land on his beard.

“I missed you to Joseph.”

“Come on in.” He said when he let me go. “You guys can have a cup of coffee on the house. Anything else you have to pay for. I can’t let you free loaders take all the coffee with out paying. I would go out of business if I did.”

“That would be great Joseph.” Mel Said. We all sat down in a corner both that was next to a window. It was our spot, the one that we always went to. Alex had even wrote our names on it.

“So how did it go at the cemetery?” Max asked.

“We weren’t there for long, but it was all right.” I told him. “So Zach how is it going for you at Delaware University?”

   “The classes are a it difficult, but I get decent grades. I am actually seeing a girl there who lives near here. We have plans to catch up before I leave.” I wasn’t the only one surprised. For as long as we have known Zach he had always been a womanizer. “People do change Riley.” Zach said sensing our surprise.

“Okay, a bit weird, but whatever. Mel have you talked to you brother recently.” I said innocently. Had it been any other day, but the day the anniversary of Alex’s death she would have bit my head off.

“Briefly, he called me about three months ago. We struck a bit of a truce, but we are still far from brotherly and sisterly love.” There was a another surprise. Mel and Adam were siblings, and since their parents split they lived apart. About a little while after Alex died they got in a fight and stopped talking.

“I guess people really can change.” Elliot said. She had been a bit quiet since we left the cemetery. Just then coffees were slammed down in front of each of us. When I looked up I saw a pissed looking guy. “Hello Daniel.”

“Drink you coffee, say bye to my father, then get the hell out of here” I stood up from my seat to my full height at turned my full attention at him.

“We will leave when we are ready to leave. So get off what ever high horse you are one. Suck on dry piece of salt and get your ass in collage so your father will have a little piece of mind. He has all ready lost one son, don’t make him have to lose another because of your foolish arrogance.” He backed up a bit, but he never broke eye contact. “Do you understand me?” I demanded.

“Whatever.”

“Daniel!” I growled.

“Yes, I understand. Ugh, I forgot what a hard ass you were. I all ready filled the college applications out, I just have to turn them in.”

“Then do it.” He rolled his eye and started to head towards the back, “And Daniel.”

“Yeah.”

“Happy Birthday.” I tossed him the small present I had in my back pocket.

“Thanks Riley.” When I sat bake down everyone was shaking their heads and had smirks on their lips.

“I knew there was a reason Alex loved you.” Conner said. “You can strike fear into the hearts of anyone you choose.” I blushed.

“Well at least he knew it was coming.” I said in my defense. They all just laughed at me.

Elliot’s Point of View (POV)

It tool about two hours before the three of us reached our destination, the Benson Cemetery. Mel and Zach were waiting at the front gate, just like Conner had said. The three of us got out of the truck and walked up to Mel and Zach. Not a word was spoken as we headed into the cemetery. We walked all the way to the back until we reached the Montgomery family plot. We walked up to a head stone and put the flowers down that we had gotten on the way here. The head stone read Alexander Montgomery, Loving son, brother, and a magnificent lover. I mentally snickered, I would have laughed out loud, but the look on Riley’s face stopped me. She loved Alex like no other, and he loved her just as much. He did after all buy her a ring. He planned on asking her to marry him when she graduated; however, Riley didn’t know that.

“It is hard to believe that he has been gone two years. I really miss him.” I clutched my fist to stop my self from saying anything to the blonde for Riley’s sake. Malissa would have snatched Alex from Riley if it had been possible, which it wasn’t. Trust me, some tried and failed to split them up. Which had succeed in tearing Riley into pieces. It took a long time for those wounds to heal, and some still didn’t get better

“We should get going if we want to stay on schedule.” Zach said. I was going to roll my eyes, but then I thought about it. Zach had to be uncomfortable here. After all he was the one who put Alex in his grave. I was still amazed that Riley felt no ill feelings toward him, but then again Riley always had been compassionate and understanding. Not to mention Alex should have worn that damn helmet no matter how ridicules he looked in it, which he totally did.

“If you don’t mind I would like to stay here by myself for a few minutes.” Riley said to everyone.

“All right. Mel, Zach why don’t you go on and head out. We will met you there in about fifteen. Eliot and I will wait for you in the truck.” Conner said Riley just nodded her head. We walked off towards our cars.

“Is she going to be all right.” Zach asked.

“She’ll be fine. Don’t worry about it.” I waved it off as if it was nothing, which it was. Riley had excepted the fact Alex was dead and no longer in her life. The damage was some were else.

“You say that, but I still remember the look on her face when she got to the hospital and they told her Alex was dead. I will never forget that. The pain and horror that was there.”

“Zach, Riley excepted this a long time ago. It took about a year, but she did. The pain she feels isn’t over this.” Both Conner and Malissa looked away from my eyes. "“The two of you should get going. We will meet up with you at the Magic Bean in a bit.” After they left Conner and I sat in the truck, waiting for Riley. Conner had a weird relationship with Alex. He introduced Alex to Riley when Riley was still dating Conner. Conner was more of a rival/companion with Alex than friend. But then Conner royally screwed up and Alex swooped Riley up.

“Pierce really hurt her didn’t he.” I tensed at the name. A dark look crossed my face.

“He did more than hurt her. He shattered her into a million pieces. The pain he inflicted was more than Alex dyeing. Alex didn’t choose to abandon her.”

“He changed a lot after Alex died. He was so angry, and when Riley and him got into that big fight it just got worse.” I took a deep breath, put my hand on his arm, and asked my two questions.

“How angry is he still? Does he love her?” Conner looked me straight in the eye, but he never got a chance to answer because Riley opened the door with a solemn look. “Are you going to be okay?” I asked her when she was settled in the truck.

“I’ll be fine. I just have this desperate feeling some how things are going to blow up soon, and I don’t know why.”

“I know what you mean.” I said thinking about my conversation with Conner. I saw that his hands tighten on the wheel of the truck. It took about five minutes to get to the old coffee place called Magic Bean. Riley actually named it. About five years Joseph with his two sons, Daniel and Alex, bought the place and turned it into a coffee shop. Joseph was a sweet old man and loved his sons very much. When we pulled into the parking lot I saw that Mel and Zach were standing out side waiting for us. However, what I didn’t expect was the guy standing next to them. What the hell was Max doing here. I mentally smacked my self. Max had been a friend of Alex and was a even closer friend of Riles.

“Well we shouldn’t keep them waiting. I am not in the mood to listen to Mel’s crap today.” Conner said as he got out of the car. I watched as Riley fought to not make a snared remark.

“Good girl.” I said as I patted her shoulder. The reason Riley and Conner broke up was because she caught him cheating on her with Melissa.

“You’re not bipolar Riles.” I heard Max say to Riley.“ You always bit the inside of your cheek when you are either thinking about your random mood swings, chocolate, or/ and jell-o. Knowing that you just ate and that you have a stash of chocolate in you back pocket it has to be the mood swings.” He knew her almost as well as I did. I hope he wasn’t able to read me that well.

“Damn you know me to well. What are you doing here any way? You never did like Mel and Zach much.” Riley said echo my thoughts.

“That’s true, but I was friends with Alex to, and I know what he meant to you. Plus I figured with me here Elliot will be trying to start a fight with me rather than Mel, or Zach for feeling her up.” I, reluctantly, touched Max’s arm in thanks. He looked at me and the look in his eye meant the he got what I was saying. Riley didn’t notice the interaction thank god.

“I never did find out why Zach left Elliot alone when you were around. Well lets get this show on the road.” I never did find out either. As we walked into the coffee shop I thought about my conversation with Conner. That look in his eyes. I have always been good a reading people. That look when he was about to answer my questions scared me. Sooner or later the crap with Pierce was going to come back and bite Riley, and it was going to hurt. It always did when it came to those two. I wasn’t even aware about what was going around me until we sat down. And the only reason I did was because Max shook me.

“Hey are you all right?” He asked. Usually I would be suspicious about him worrying about my well being, but I knew he felt my fear.

“Something bad is about to happen and I am really scared.” I told him truthfully.

“I promise you that I wont let her get ripped a part again.” I just nodded my head. Then Max turned his attention to Riley. “So how did it go at the cemetery?” Max asked.

“We weren’t there for long, but it was all right.” Riley told him. “So Zach how is it going for you at Delaware University?”

   “The classes are a it difficult, but I get decent grades. I am actually seeing a girl there who lives near here. We have plans to catch up before I leave.” I wasn’t the only one surprised. For as long as we have known Zach he had always been a womanizer. “People do change Riley.” Zach said. Riley just shrugged. At least the guy would stop hitting on me.

“Okay, a bit weird, but whatever. Mel have you talked to you brother recently.” Riles said with as much innocence she could muster.

“Briefly, he called me about three months ago. We struck a bit of a truce, but we are still far from brotherly and sisterly love.” There was a another surprise. Mel and Adam were siblings, and since their parents split they lived apart. About a little while after Alex died they got in a fight and stopped talking.

“I guess people really can change.” I said, finally speaking up. Looks as if these people I never liked were growing up. I just hope some knuckle head could. I shot a glance at Max. He just grinned wickedly. Just then coffees were slammed down in front of each of us. When I looked up I saw a headache coming. . “Hello Daniel.”

“Drink you coffee, say bye to my father, then get the hell out of here” I watched as Riley stood up from her seat to her full height and turned all of her attention at him.

“We will leave when we are ready to leave. So get off what ever high horse you are one. Suck on dry piece of salt and get your ass in collage so your father will have a little piece of mind. He has all ready lost one son, don’t make him have to lose another because of your foolish arrogance.” He backed up a bit, but he never broke eye contact. “Do you understand me?” She demanded. Go Riley, go Riley. I did a mental dance for her.

“Whatever.” Don’t let him talk to you like that girl.

“Daniel!” She actually growled. I mean like an animal.

“Yes, I understand. Ugh, I forgot what a hard ass you were. I all ready filled the college applications out, I just have to turn them in.” Max and I snickered. We knew how much of a hard ass she could be, the soft and cuddly kind.

“Then do it.” He rolled his eye and started to head towards the back, “And Daniel.”

“Yeah.”

“Happy Birthday.” She tossed him the small package she pulled from her back pocket..

“Thanks Riley.” Everyone at the table smirked and shook their heads.

“I knew there was a reason Alex loved you.” Conner said. “You can strike fear into the hearts of anyone you choose.” Riley blushed a light pink.

“Well at least he knew it was coming.” She said in her defense. We all just laughed at her.

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Riley's and Elliot's school take over