After having lunch at the Rock Café, Hanson did several more TV interviews. It was 6:30 when they finally returned to their suite at the hotel. They were all tired and decided to forego a last minute dinner invitation from the HIT101 station manager and order from Domino's instead. The three brothers sat around the coffee table munching away, waiting for their father to return from yet another meeting with Chris.
The brothers were playing silent treatment again. Isaac was still angry about the lunchtime incident and wasn't talking. Taylor was angry because Ike was still angry. And Zac was angry with both of them because they were being so stupid. If one of them didn't talk soon, he was gonna go crazy.
"For crying out loud, guys," he shouted. "Talk!"
Still no one said a word.
"I'm going nuts, you guys!" Zac screamed.
Taylor spoke first. "Look, Ike, I'm sorry about the restaurant thing, okay?"
Isaac sighed and finished chewing his pizza. "I know you are, Taylor. I'm sorry, too."
"There, now don't the both of you feel a lot better?" Zac asked with a goofy smile.
"Taylor?" asked Isaac.
"Yeah, Ike?"
"Get him!"
Taylor and Isaac lunged at Zac, knocking him over. He begged for mercy as his two older brothers maniacally tickled him.
Marcie Barnes was greeted by the smell of spaghetti as she walked through the front door. She smiled as she hung her coat up and set her briefcase down next to the stairs. The smell grew stronger as she walked to the kitchen. Jennifer was standing over the stove stirring the sauce.
"Hey, hon," she said. "Where's Monica?"
Jennifer jumped. "Oh, gee! You scared me, mom!"
"Sorry, sweetie," Marcie said, giving here daughter a hug. "That smells good, Jen. So, where's Monica?"
Her daughter sighed heavily and put down the wooden spoon. "Monica left, mom."
"She left?"
"Noah woke up…"
"He what? He spoke?"
Marcie turned and began to walk out of the kitchen.
"Wait, mom!" Jennifer raced over to her mother. "He won't talk to you."
"Why? What happened?"
They sat down at the table while Jennifer relayed the story. She started with Noah throwing things around in his room and ended when he'd thrown Monica out. Tears filled Marcie's eyes as she listened intently. "Oh, dear God, help us."
Noah Barnes sat quietly at his desk, his hands trembling. He was reading over the note he'd just written while tears streamed down his face.
Dear Mom and Jennifer, I'm so sorry that it had to come to this. Lord knows I don't want to be responsible for causing anyone anymore pain. But I can't deal with MY pain anymore. It hurts to know that everything I've loved is gone. I'm sorry if that seems selfish - I suppose it does. Please understand and don't hate me for doing what I've done. I love you both dearly. Maybe your lives will be better without me in them. Take care of each other. Love, Noah
He placed the note on his desk and picked up his father's prized possession, a Walther PPK; the type of gun James Bond used in the movies. It looked ominous as he moved it back and forth between his two hands.
Noah set the gun on his desk and picked up the clip. He slowly and methodically began to load the bullets, just like his father had shown him. When he was done, he retrieved the gun from his desk and pushed the clip into the handle. Making sure that the safety lock was on, he laid the gun on the desk and buried his head in his hands and wept.
Chapter Nine
Chapter Seven
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