EXTRACT FOR
Dead Boy Walking
(Author Unknown)

    PROLOGUE

    

    Brian stood by himself on the wet grass. Though he was surrounded by many of his friends he felt totally alone. It was a semi-gloomy day ? weather-wise and emotionally - for him and many other people, and the circumstances of him standing here only made it worse. Brian E. Hill was somewhat of a loner, though the teenager had many friends in school, this was one day he felt like he was the only person on the planet. 

    "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust? he is in a better place. He was a good friend, a son, a brother, a grandson, and a cousin. His laughter touched many, his smile soothed many, his pranks may have angered many? but Erik Jason Quince will rest in peace - for now, for all of eternity." 

    The minister closed his Bible in a hushed tone after he uttered the statement and glanced around at the people gathered. Most were teenagers, obviously friends of Erik from school, but many were grownups, maybe family or family of family. The minister rested sight on Brian, who seemed most hit by the loss ? aside from the parents.

    Brian had a full face and short dark hair that was curly on top. Usually, he sported a jovial face but today he was so serious. He turned around, his classmate Jordan was standing right behind him and both of them had tears in their eyes. There was more reason for their grief than just being at a funeral, these two friends had a history with their dead friend ? and this history would haunt them for days or years to come. The way he died would forever be etched on their brains, you see - Erik was their best friend. Brian turned and motioned for Jordan to join him and they both approached their dead friend's parents, Erik's mother was overcome in tears, and her husband held her close, wiping tears from his eyes as well.

    "Mrs. Quince," Brian tried to face her, but he stared down instead, "?I'm so sorry?"

    "Don't speak to me!" she screamed.

    Everyone there at the funeral was witness to that outburst. Her broken voice was so loud that some people jumped when she belted out those four words in anger, she couldn't hide her Hispanic accent, and she couldn't hide her rage either. The words spewed from her lips like swords of wrath. Jordan took Brian by the arm and cautiously pulled him away. 

    "C'mon, Brian. I think we need to go."

    The two high school students and Erik were known as the Quatro by many at school, quatro ? meaning four in Spanish ? they were in Spanish class and AP American History class together as well as marching and concert bands. The remaining member of the group, Elizabeth, was standing further off under an umbrella with her mother. She didn't say a word the whole service, of everyone there, she felt most to blame.

    "Family and friends, the Quince family would like to thank you all for being here on this rainy day, to share in their time of grief and sorrow. The original plans were to meet at the Quince home after the funeral, but they uh?" the minister turned to Erik's father, he shook his head 'no', "? instead, they request you give a donation in Erik's name to the charity of your choice. This will conclude the funeral services for Erik J. Quince. May the Lord bless you all."

    It was a Saturday, a day none of the friends would ever forget, after all, it was only a week ago, and an incident ago that something happened that caused them all to be out here, standing in the rain at a Brandon, Florida cemetery.

    

    

    "A week ago today," Elizabeth muttered, the three friends were sitting together at Mariposa's Bakery ? a popular eatery in the small Florida community of Brandon, which was just east of the Tampa Bay area, "? I can't believe it, guys. We were in here a week ago and?"

    She burst into tears. Brian reached over and held her in a reassuring embrace, but his eyes were teary too. Elizabeth, a senior at Victoria High in Brandon, was considered the leader of their little group, she was the cornerstone, 'the rock' as Erik used to call her. Jordan looked away. Right after the funeral, the three decided to meet at their favorite hang-out instead of at Davis Park where many of the other friends from school decided to attend a bar-b-que fundraiser in Erik's name.

    Jordan saw the look of despair on Elizabeth's face. Normally she was always the one in the chipper mood, smiling and getting everyone else on task.

    "Elizabeth, we need to pull ourselves together, Erik wouldn't want this, you know, us mourning over him like this," Jordan said.

    Brian turned to him, in disbelief and forced a smile.

    "Are you kidding? Erik always wanted to be the center of attention; he'd be gloating through all this in that silly smile of his."

    The three friends stared around at each other as smiles slowly crept onto their young faces.

    "Ha, you know he's right." she sniffed.

    Jordan was shaking his head in a smile as he felt someone brush up next to him.

    "Guys, sorry to hear about Erik, he and I knew each other since fourth grade. I know you guys were really close. I'm going to miss him, you know?" Morgan said, walking up to them, "? why didn't you guys go to the bar-b-que?"

    "Because we're the Quatro and Erik was a member of the Quatro, so everyone would be on us, you know, asking about that day? and we, we?"

    "We don't feel like answering questions anymore," Jordan said finishing Brian's statement.

    "Well don't worry ? I won't ask you guys any questions. I know this has been hard on all of us who were really close to him." Morgan reassured.

    She was also a friend but didn't hang with this group so much, Morgan was an Honor Roll student that was in the band with all four friends, but she was in a different circle, yet she knew Erik more than any other friend at Victoria High.

    "Yeah, this isn't going to be easy on any of us, especially with his family blaming us for it."

    Morgan looked down at the group leader who was still wiping her tears.

    "We'll get through this Elizabeth; Erik meant a lot to a lot of people." Morgan smiled.

    "Yeah," Brian shrugged," ? but it isn't fair. Why'd he have to die?"

    The three friends got up and walked toward the door. 

    

    



    CHAPTER 1

    

    Brian Hill's first day at Victoria High back in his freshman year was awkward. He wanted to join the band but didn't really know how to play any instrument, he sat in on the orientation and the band teacher picked the tuba for him. Usually, the bigger kids get picked the bigger instruments and Brian fit that equation, not that he had an issue with it, but he asked for percussion. He was later told that he'd be accommodated. He didn't mind, Brian was a very easy-going type and quickly got along with everyone. He was like everybody's little or big brother, depending on what age you were or what grade you were in. He was the last joining member to make the Quatro? the Quatro.

    Elizabeth Baker was handed a clarinet, Jordan a trumpet. Erik played sax. He was already a sax player, he'd been playing since fifth grade and he was good. They all got to know each other that year, the band turned out to be more like a family instead of just another class, and the friends quickly bonded; each of them had come from a different middle school. 

    Jordan Lunas and his parents lived in an affluent neighborhood of Brandon, he could easily have had his pick of friends, but he blended in nicely with the Quatro when the four first met on the very first day of band camp. Jordan and Erik were bunkmates. Brian slept on the bunk next to them with Peter ? who was in percussion.

    Morgan and Elizabeth were bunkmates on the girl's side of band camp. Morgan, a blonde who didn't really fuss with her hair and liked to wear Adventure Time hats, looked like she was into athletics ? but she wasn't. 

    She and Erik's families were friends, so they saw a lot of each other and even went on vacations together. Morgan was a free spirit, and she didn't socialize much.

    Elizabeth Baker was a tall brunette who looked like she belonged on the cover of a fashion magazine, but she didn't act like it. Her first meeting with Erik was during the summer just before first-year band camp for them. The school had a team spirit event at the Campbell's Ice Cream shop on Parsons. 

    Erik and Elizabeth had both separately ordered the exact same sundae, and when the girl brought it out, they both grabbed it and sent ice cream back into the server's face. 

    "That was my ice cream!" Erik yelled.

    "I beg to differ, it was mine. But you can have it now." She smiled.

    "Man, that sucks." He said.

    "No, you suck." She pointed.

    The band teacher walked up to the two.

    "Ok children, you both are going to be a part of my band, and there's a rule in the band. We don't fight, we're family. I suggest both of you buy each other another one and get over it."

    She walked away.

    "Did she just call us children?" Erik smirked.

    Elizabeth laughed while wiping whipped cream off her forehead.

    "Yep, I believe she did, but she's right. So what do you want? My treat."

    Erik shone his famous smile, they became friends that day. 

    Morgan was also at the ice cream social, but she didn't socialize with many. The new freshman quickly was set apart from a lot of her friends. While in band camp, which was across the state in some remote forest region close to Ocala, the blonde sat alone a lot and stared out into the woods. There were times she'd sit there and not communicate with any of her friends; something had her glued to the spooky woods just outside of their camp. On a couple of nights, the camp director would tell scary stories about ghosts of the region and their relationships to this camp. 

    "During the Civil War, Captain Armwood Harrington ? an officer of the Confederate Army - and his regiment massacred a platoon of Union forces right here on this land. It was a bloody battle and Union Captain Elijah Oliver and his men lost their lives. They were beheaded at the lake? and their blood sank deep into the soil. Some say their headless corpses come out late at night in the mist from the lake here looking for other heads to replace theirs. The soldiers were young, some as young as you are. Make sure you lock your cabins tonight?" 

    The kids would scare easily, except for Morgan who'd stare at the camp director then glare out into the woods with an eerie smirk. Erik was the only one she'd let into her world, and whatever was going on, they kept it secret.

    

    

    That first day of High School was uncomfortable for Brian, an outgoing friendly type who had learned more than once that not everyone else was as outgoing as he was, or as friendly. On the first day, Erik approached him when he saw Brian lend lunch money to another student, then the student kept coming back, every day.

    "Ok Johnny, this is going to stop. You can't keep taking money off Brian, you get lunch, what are you, saving up for college? Don't jocks have scholarships for that?"

    "Keep outta this Quince!" the tall student said.

    "Or what? You going to bench press me?"

    Johnny was six feet two inches tall and on the football and wrestling teams, Erik was five seven and thin as a rail, but Erik learned back in elementary school not to back down to bullies, he was used to this. He'd gotten written up in fifth grade for punching the school bully in the face. That didn't sit right with him, Jacob was the bully ? but Erik got in trouble.

    "Punk, you challenging me?" Johnny huffed.

    "Na, see challenge wouldn't exactly be quite the right word, Frankenstein. And I call you Frankenstein in reverence ? after all that is what you are, right? A big lug made of by-products? Anyway, Neanderthal, my buddy Brian here ain't giving you a red cent from now on, that's all there is to it."

    "Neanderthal? Are you insulting me, dweeb?"

    "See? It's so easy even a caveman can understand." He smiled patting Brian on the shoulder.

    No one in school ever challenged Johnny Bernard Goode and lived to tell about it, much less spoke down to him the way Erik did. Johnny reached out to grab Erik and found himself instead in the air, when Erik grabbed his fist, bent over, and threw him over his side ? the muscular jock then landed on the principal's prize rose bush. Just in time for the principal to walk out and catch him screaming in pain from the thorns as he tried to get out. Mrs. Diriscall was not in a happy mood after that with Johnny. Erik and Brian had already walked away.

    "Man dude, Johnny's probably going to get both of us for that." Brian smiled nervously.

    "I can handle his type, hey after school a bunch of us in band are going to the Brandon Music Showcase store to check out some musical equipment, I need more reeds for my new sax. Then we're going to Mariposa's, you coming?"

    "What's a Mariposa's?"

    "Brian, Brian," Erik smiled, "? dude, you need to get out more. It's a bakery about a half mile from here. You in? You can ask your Mom to pick you up there instead of here at school, or one of the guys can take you home. We were going to talk about some band stuff, then pig out on Cuban sandwiches."

    Erik always had this confident smile that shone on his dark skin. A dark-skinned Hispanic was something new to Brian, but he soon came to learn that it was something common in the Tampa Bay area.

    "Sure Erik, sounds like fun. I love Cuban sandwiches."

    They became best friends that day.