“I ran home with a rose in my hand, but apparently it was cheap because the petals kept falling off. By the time I got to my boy friend’s house the sight I saw made me wish I didn’t come at all.
That was it.
The last petal came off and splashed in a puddle of red, leaving me with a thin, thorny stem…
Happy Birthday Love!
Well…that’s what I was supposed to say.”




I yawn, “Was that all you had to say grandma?”



“It is not ‘is that all you had to say’! That was the first act of murder between these two companies, between the Kenneth and the Richmond Company. We were both alliances at one point you know…before we became enemies back 30 years ago,” My grandma sighs.

She was probably thinking about when she was a child…and that was a long, may I remind you, long time ago. Though I’m guessing you’re probably lost. The Kenneth Company, my family Company has been going on since 1834…that’s almost 200 years. We have history of success and I must say the same goes for the Richmond Company. We are both in the business factory, dealing anything with law and political matters. Even though this has nothing to do with business in particular, the point is when you’re rich and have a high status in society you basically get away with anything. For example, the murder of my grandma’s boyfriend, back when they were 16, was covered up. They just said that he committed suicide and put drugs in his drawers.

I laugh to myself; this is why you should never listen to the media. People, like us, control everything behind the scenes; but hey, I’m only 17, I only know so much. I’m guessing we are probably hiding more skeletons in our closet. I, being the only child, get to inherit the Kenneth Company, but to be honest I really don’t want to. The quarrels between the Richmond and the Kenneth Company have been going on for so long that we don’t even know why they hate each other so much.

“Kendra?” My grandmother calls my name.

“Yes,” I reply, tilting my head up to look her in the eyes.

“Why don’t you be a darling and bring your Grandma some tea, please. You know what I like. “

I look at my grandmother dumbfounded. “There are many things you like.”
“Hmm. Guess,” My grandmother says, with a playful smirk hiding behind the cream scarf she is wearing.

I sigh. Sometimes, I swear my grandmother never grows up, even after 65 years.

“Gyokuro or Tieguanyin tea?”

“Let’s see, Tieguanyin.”

Gyokuro is a very expensive Japanese green tea, also known as “The King of Teas” and then there’s Tieguanyin another famous green tea or tea in general, but Chinese. This tea is actually the most expensive in the world; it’s 1,700 Yuan or $3,000 per kilogram. Of course, these are imported to America. What can I say; my grandmother has a taste for fine things, but on tea? The money could have been used much wiser.


I walk downstairs and find the tea. Afraid to ruin it, I hand it to one of the chefs to make. I chew on my lip as I wait for them to be finished. What I dread the most, with a burning passion, is having time to think about the future, which for me isn’t so bright. No need to worry though, I don’t actually plan on following my destiny.

“It’s done.”

The voice that calls out to me separates me and my thoughts.

I take the tea from her hands and go upstairs through the big double doors to hand my grandmother some tea and once I do I head straight to my room.

Sighing, I pull out a humorous book; I love comedy, despite, my cold attitude. I laugh a bit to myself, while texting one of my best friends (Yeah, that’s right, I got friends too). Her name is Kathy; she is nice, smart, funny, and a great friend. She always knows how to make me feel better like, now. Today my guy friend told me some bad news…that he is moving and leaving me here in Cincinnati, all alone. But I have Kathy, if she left me I would murder her because she and Briana are all I really got. Kathy and I were now chatting on yahoo messenger, I was the pink and she was the blue.
He told me today
Aw, he told you what?
That he’s leaving, He’s gone …
Wait…what do you mean by gone?
Richard, he told me that he’s moving to Maryland…he was my best friend
Yeah…Mine too…
Did you hear what happened on the news today?
Yeah, there was another murder …a lady; she got shot while walking down an alley
…Yeah…it was an “accident”…
Kathy takes the hint.
Being my friend is so risky, but I don’t tell you that much to put you in danger, that would be very selfish of me…because I care about you… lol XD
Ahahaha you’re so stupid sometimes….
I know…I need humor in my serious life
Speaking of serious life, let’s have some fun at my house …maybe we can order pizza and rent a movie or something
YEAH! That sounds like so much fun! ^_^ I’ll be right over
Logging out, I hurry over to my dresser to grab my car keys and drive over to Kathy’s house.
Groaning, while I am driving, I realize I am stuck in traffic. Exasperated, I sigh and look out through the side mirror of my car to see if there is an accident. I don’t know why, but I have a sick feeling in my stomach. Out of instinct, I run out of the car and rush to where the incident took place.
And goodness, I wish I never came.
“Richard…” I try to say, but it comes out in a whisper.
“Move aside!” One of the cops growls and pushes me. I don’t budge. I am staying right here. I look in the car and see Richard’s family too…they got in the accident also. I pull out my cell phone to call Kathy and Briana, my buddies.
“He’s dead.”
“WHAT?!” They both reply in unison.
“Who?” Kathy asks curiously, breaking the silence.
“Richard…he got in a car accident.”
“Wait…what… Are you sure he’s just not injured? You can’t just assume that he’s dead…”
“So, are you sure that a wrist that’s hanging loose from his arm…which is about to fall off anytime and his skull is cracked open so bad…his eyes are barely staying in his sockets…isn’t dead?”
“This is bad,” Kathy says through the phone.
“Yeah, I’ll pick up Kathy, we’re coming over…”Briana says frantically.
“OK Be sure to be at NIH, I think I overheard them saying that he’s going to be there.”
Groaning, I rush back to my car, start it up and head towards the hospital.
Once I arrive at NIH (National Institute of Health), I walk straight to the emergency door and apparently Briana and Kathy have already arrived there before me because they are waiting with a worried look on their face.
“I want him back,” Kathy whispers to herself, but Briana and I hear it.
“I want him back…I want him back…I WANT HIM BACK,” Kathy screams.
“Please, quiet down ma’am or we’re going to have to ask you to leave,” one of the nurses speaks to Kathy.
“He didn’t make it, did he?” I ask Briana.
All Briana can do is nod.
I clench my fist in anger…this wasn’t fair.
“How did this happen?”
“A car ran into them…and his parents died along with him,” Briana replies, “and here’s what makes it worse. Apparently the man wasn’t drunk nor conflicted with any drugs…”
“No.” I say.
“This only means—“
“My parents,” I finish.
But why?
Why harm innocent Richard?
I just want to fall on the floor and cry, unable to control the emotions flooding within me. I don’t want to do this anymore, I just want to give up…I just want to stop time itself and go back to how it used to be. I grab my car keys, ready to leave. I am not in a good state to see Richard right now, but before I leave, I say one last thing to Kathy and Briana “I’m going home.”