Nifty

"On the ground now!" the police officer screamed as Jeremy and Dee turned to see what all the commotion was about.

They'd heard the police car screech to a halt behind them, but until that moment they'd never dreamed they were the reason they had done so.

"I SAID ON THE GROUND, NOW! both of you, and keep your hands where I can see them."

Another officer had emerged from the car and was talking quietly into his shoulder mounted mic. He looked less threatening than the other officer, and seemed to be listening to something in his headset and frowning.

"But what's this all about?" Jeremy said sounding frightened and a little indignant.

He and Dee had been out for a quiet dinner, and though Isaac had dropped them off and offered to pick them up when they were ready, they had decided to walk the short distance to Jeremy's house and enjoy the fresh air.

"I SAID ON THE GROUND, NOW!" the officer repeated waving what looked like a gun at the two.

"I'm Jeremy Green, my dad runs the Dick's out by the Mall. I'll show you my ID." he said reaching for his wallet to prove his identity.

"He's going for a weapon!" the officer screamed and the other officer looked up just as the first officer fired his weapon.

Instead of a loud bang and a bullet tearing into Jeremy's body there was a sort of reeling sound as the metal leads of the stun gun flew out attaching themselves to Jeremy's body, and then a zapping noise as Jeremy was hit by almost a half million volts of electricity.

Jeremy dropped like a sack of rocks and began writhing around on the ground, screaming in pain as Dee watched on in horror. Then finding her senses she rushed toward him, only to be knocked back onto her butt as the current traveled through her as well.

"Why are you doing this?" Dee cried, "you're killing my boyfriend. We didn't do anything, we just left the restaurant a few minutes ago. Oh God, help him someone please," she cried out looking around at the small crowd that had gathered.

Fortunately several of the passerbys had pulled out their smart phones and had recorded the whole incident, one of them even going so far as to stream it on Facebook live.

Another cop car had arrived by then and a man in a suit and tie emerged from the car, took one look at the teenage boy on the ground and groaned.

"What the hell? We caught the perp two blocks away, who's this kid?" Lt. Danford said shaking his head. He was quite sure he wasn't going to like the answers he got, and his head began to pound when he thought about facing the police chief later to explain why one of his officers had tasered an innocent black kid.

"Well, he fit the description," the officer who had tasered Jeremy said, "and I thought he was reaching for a weapon so I stunned him, that's all."

"He was reaching for his wallet," Dee cried, "to show you who he is. He's not a criminal, he's a musician and my boyfriend," she said dissolving into tears as she touched Jeremy gently, "You killed him," she said looking up with fire in her eyes.

"He's not dead miss, he's just stunned. The ambulance is on the way," the second officer said.

The sound of approaching sirens signaled the arrival of the ambulance and two MT's jumped out and headed their way.

"What happened here?" One of the MT's asked, and even as he was listening to the answer he was busy checking Jeremy's vitals and preparing him for transport.

"Hey isn't this that kid from that band?" the other MT said looking Jeremy over.

"He's my boyfriend," Dee sobbed, "and yes...he's in Alternate Love."

"I thought so," the MT said, then suddenly he cried out, "Oh shit, we're losing him," and he began performing CPR on Jeremy as Dee sobbed even louder.

There was a sigh of relief when Jeremy began breathing on his own again and his heart resumed a thready but constant beat.

"We need to get him to the hospital NOW!" the first MT barked out to the cops, "do we need an escort or what? Is he under arrest?"

"No, but I'll escort you, I want to make sure he's going to be all right. As for you two, I want you back at the station and I want a full report written up and waiting on my desk when I get there. Oh, and per department policy you are both on leave pending a complete investigation."

Dee insisted on riding with Jeremy and no one had the heart to suggest anything different. Somehow she managed to pull herself together to text Aidan and filled him in as best as she could and asked him to notify Jeremy's folks, her mom, and anyone else he could think of.

Aidan was almost as shocked as Dee was, but he quickly began spreading the news, calling the Wilson house first. In a matter of minutes the calls had been made and everyone was on their way to the hospital, including Mrs. Reynolds who was chauffeuring the boys.

The Wilson's arrived first and after checking in at the desk Mrs. Wilson went back to check on her son while Mr. Wilson dealt with the paperwork.

He was just finishing up when Mrs. Reynolds and the twins and Zak burst in with Isaac hot on their tails.  Jimmy had been out shopping with his mom, but they promised they would be there shortly.

"How could this happen?" Isaac said in shock as he hugged his father, "Jeremy is no criminal," then with anger he added, "It's because he's black. I'd hoped it would be different here dad, but it's the same no matter where we are, because we're black the cops suspect us of being criminals."

"Son, we don't know all the details yet. Your mother is back there with them and we need to wait till we hear the whole story before we start making judgments."

"I think  you need to see this," Jaden said turning his smart phone toward Mr. Wilson, "there were some people there who witnessed the whole thing and made videos, they're already posted all over the net. This one is on FB and was shown on FB live as it was happening."

Mr. Wilson watched the video in horror, his stomach lurching, and it was all he could do to keep down his supper. When the video ended his face was bright red with rage and he shook his head in disgust, "I'm going to call the Police Chief, excuse me for a few minutes," he said sounding in complete control despite what he'd just seen. He had met the Chief of Police during store opening, and again at a Chamber of Commerce meeting, and the two were casual friends. It didn't hurt that the Chief was also black, and although he ran a tight ship, Mr. Wilson assumed there was always at least one rogue cop.

Despite the fact that Police Chief Green was busy talking with Lt. Danford he put him on hold to take Mr. Wilson's call and assured him that he was investigating the incident and promised to call him as soon as he had any concrete information. Mr. Wilson was not so easily put off however.

"John," he said using the man's first name out of habit, "videos of what your officers did to my son are all over the internet and someone even streamed it live. There is no doubt in my mind that your officers stopped my son  simply because of racial profiling. He was black and that was all your officers saw. Didn't it strike them as odd that someone running from an armed robbery had his girlfriend on his arm and was leisurely strolling down the street?"

"I know you're upset Frank, and I agree that there was a problem, but I can't act till I have all the facts. The videos will be reviewed as well as the officers' personal cams and the dash cam. I promise you I will get to the bottom of this and handle things appropriately."

"Appropriately? What does that even mean? All you have to do is look at the evening news to see some black kid shot down and the officers are always justified because they felt threatened. Well, I'll tell you this Mr. Chief of Police, your officers are not going to get off that easy this time. I will take this case to the public and you will be hearing from my lawyer. Right now I need to be with my son, and John, if my son dies or there is any permanent damage, there will be hell to pay."

"I don't blame you for being upset Frank. I'm on your side here, but I have to do my job. Just take care of Jeremy and let me take care of this. I promise I'll do the right thing."

"I certainly hope so," Frank Wilson muttered, "I have to go, my wife is looking for me. Hopefully she has good news. Keep me informed and I'll do the same. Goodbye," and with that he ended the call and started toward his wife.

"How is he Sally?" Mr. Wilson said, steeling himself for the worst.

"He's fine. The doctors said the fact that he was missing a leg caused the voltage to do more harm than it would have an ordinary person. Since he's missing his leg that makes his body mass much less than an average teen his age and size. They lost him once before they transported him, but Dr. Bradley says there doesn't seem to be any lasting damage and Jeremy should be able to go  home tomorrow."

Mr. Wilson felt ready to collapse, even though the news was good, his heart still ached for his son because of what he had gone through.

"I want to go see him," he said softly.

"Of course, you go on, I want to tell the others the good news," she said giving her  husband a peck on the lips, "It will be fine Frank, the worst is over."

Mr. Wilson doubted that, but it was the city and the police department who would be the ones suffering from now on.

"Hey son, how you doin'?" Mr. Wilson said softly as he entered the curtained cubicle. 

Dee sat at Jeremy's side holding his hand, her tear-stained face showing concern, but for the most part she was in control now. They had tried to separate the two once they were admitted, but she had refused to leave Jeremy's side and eventually the staff gave in to avoid causing her further distress. Her injuries were superficial, some minor burns on her fingers and a bruise on her cute rear end, but the real injuries couldn't be seen, those injuries were deep inside and her whole world had changed in that moment when Jeremy had been brutally attacked by the police.

"Fine dad," Jeremy said welcoming his father's warm hug, "I'm too tough to kill."

"Dee honey are you all right? We finally reached your mom and she's on the way," he said offering her a hug as well.

Dee melted into the burly black man that she thought of as a father and began to sob quietly, "Oh Mr. Wilson, why did they do this? We were just walking along, holding hands and enjoying the fresh air. We weren't hurting anyone. Was it...was it because they didn't like seeing a black boy with a white girl?"

"No honey, that wasn't it at all," Mr. Wilson said, hoping he was right, "apparently someone fitting Jeremy's description had just committed an armed robbery a few blocks away. It was just a case of mistaken identity."

"But we tried to explain and they wouldn't listen..."

"I know, I'm not going to lie, the whole thing was fucked up," he said letting his anger show a little.

Dee looked up at the use of the F word and wiped at her eyes, "That policeman should be fired or arrested for what he did."

"I'm going to see that he gets what's coming to him," Mr. Wilson said, then releasing Dee he turned to his son, "but right now we just need to concentrate on getting you two well and back home."

"I'm okay dad," Jeremy assured him, "I'm ready to go home now."

"The doc wants you to stay overnight, just in case, but tomorrow you can come home for sure."

"Dang, I hate hospitals," Jeremy said, remembering the times he had been in and out of the hospital after his leg was amputated.

"Just one night, they'll be moving you to a room shortly and then Isaac and your buddies can come see you. Everyone is here, the whole band and then some," he chuckled, "those boys really love you too. You're very lucky to have friends like that."

"I know dad, they're like brothers to me now," the boy said as a few tears ran down his face.

Dee rose and kissed his tears away and laid her head on his chest. The steady beat of his heart and the heat of his body comforted her, and she felt some better, but she was a long way from being over what had happened.

Eventually Mr. Wilson went back out to join the others and when Jeremy was finally moved to his room upstairs, the group migrated to the waiting room up there. Jimmy and his mom arrived shortly thereafter and Jimmy clung to Jaden while they waited. 

They had finally managed to talk Dee into leaving Jeremy's side long enough for him to be moved, and when the others saw her headed their way they swarmed her and formed a group hug all around her. This brought on more tears, but these were tears of happiness knowing she had such great friends. Dee's mom came rushing in a few minutes later and Dee ran to her and  hugged her tight.

"OH mom, it was awful. They tazered Jeremy and he died for a minute, but he's going to be okay now."

"Oh my God," Dee's mom said in horror, "Why? What happened?"

While Dee filled her mom in on all that had happened the others sat waiting impatiently for Jeremy to get settled in his room so they could see for themselves the he was really okay.

Presently Mrs. Wilson came up the hall and the boys rose as one to meet her.

"It's room 421, usually they only allow four visitors at a time, but they're willing to turn their head this one time, so all of you can go see Jeremy now."

The boys gathered up Dee and headed down the hall toward Jeremy's room and as soon as they stepped inside Isaac practically ran to his brother and hugged him fiercely.

"Bro, are you okay?"

"Fine, calm down bro. Just a little zap with a taser. I'm tougher than that," Jeremy joked.

"Bro, this is so messed up and I guarantee that dad is going to make some waves over this one. Not to mention the record company and our fans."

"I never thought of that," Jeremy said looking thoughtful.

"Yeah, after I posted what had happened on our FB and YouTube accounts our fans went crazy. They're out for blood," Aidan said, "and I don't blame them. This is so...so wrong."

"I just felt so helpless," Jeremy said in a small voice, "I couldn't protect my girl because all that officer saw was a black kid and he was sure I was guilty of something."

"You did fine," Dee said stroking Jeremy's face gently, "it just happened so fast and they wouldn't listen to us. It was awful."

"A couple of the people who were there recorded the whole thing on their phones and one even streamed it live on FB. There's no doubt what happened and the news and videos are spreading like wildfire. A few minutes ago it hit MSN and I'm sure it will be all over the news by 9 o'clock."

"OH man, that's bad. I mean I wanted to be famous, but not like this. What if some of them believe I deserved what I got or something?"

"Don't be silly bro, you didn't do anything wrong. It was the cops who messed up, racial profiling, that's what it was, and someone is gonna pay big time for what happened," Jaden said angrily.

"I just want to forget about what happened for now. Can we not talk about it?" Jeremy said sounding agitated.

"Sure bro, can I bring you anything. Books, your mp3 player, a cheeseburger?" Jaden said grinning.

"The cheeseburger sounds good, but I doubt the doc would let me  have it."

"What he don't know won't hurt him."

"You really okay dude?" Jimmy asked, speaking for the first time. Despite being a former bully and bad-ass he was terrified of the police and had always feared something like what had happened to Jeremy, would happen to him.

"Yeah, I'm good. Don't worry, okay?"

"Yeah, okay...can I give you a hug anyway?"

"Sure bro, I love hugs and I never turn them down."

Zak needed some reassurance as well, and after his hug the boys stood around Jeremy's bed and talked softly about everything but what was most on their minds. It would be hard to forget what had happened today, but with time they hoped they could put it behind them.  Meanwhile they were sure there would be plenty of drama as the investigation went forward and those responsible for the whole mess were brought to justice, if that was possible. All of them knew from watching the news that often police officers got off Scott free, even when their actions were recorded and deemed to be inappropriate.

They stayed way past visiting hours, but since Jeremy was the only patient in the room the nurses let them stay until around 9, insisting that Jeremy needed to get some rest. Reluctantly the boys agreed, and after hugging Jeremy goodbye they finally made their way to the waiting room. 

Mrs. Wilson was spending the night and Dee had wanted to, but Mrs. Wilson had convinced her that she needed to go home and get some rest and that she could come visit Jeremy at home tomorrow.

Jimmy and Zak were going home with the twins and after Jimmy said goodbye to his mom they were on their way. Zak was already staying over and now it would be the four of them, but they were a somber bunch as they sat in gloomy silence in the back of the van.

At the twin's house the boys hurried upstairs to their bedroom and Aidan turned on the TV just in time to see the 10 o'clock news, and sure enough the top headline was the incident involving Jeremy.

The report was concise and even included snippets of one of the videos, but the police officers involved were not named although Jeremy's name was mentioned twice, as well as his affiliation with the band Alternate Love.

"Wow, the whole country must know about this by now," Jaden said, "I wonder if Mr. Miller and the guys at the record company have heard the news?"

Indeed they had, and after several phone calls Brad Turner suggested that Henry Miller fly out to see about things first hand and to offer the Wilson's the use of their own attorneys if they should decide to pursue the matter in court.

Henry called the Wilson's and Isaac answered dreading the worst and thinking it might be his mom calling to say that Jeremy's condition had worsened.

"Oh, hello Mr. Miller. I guess you heard huh?"

"It's all over the news. Why didn't you guys call me?"

"I guess we just forgot. I mean he's gonna be okay so it's not a big deal as far as the band is concerned."

"I'm happy to hear that, but have you thought about how this will affect your fans? They are going crazy and some of them are demanding blood from the policemen who did this."

"I saw some of the posts, so yeah, I know they're taking it pretty seriously, but most of them just wanted to wish him well and send their love."

"Well, I'm flying out tomorrow morning and I was wondering if you or your parents could meet me at the airport?"

"Yeah, one of us will be there. What flight?" 

By the time Isaac had all the information his dad had appeared looking curious and Isaac waved him over.

"It's Mr. Miller. He's flying out tomorrow, here talk to him."

After the two adults had hammered things out Mr. Wilson called to Jeremy and handed him the phone back, "Someone wants to talk to you," he said grinning.

"Uh, hello," Isaac said, pretty sure he knew who that someone was.

"Hi. I'm so sorry to hear about Jeremy. I've been following the news on FB and I sent you guys a message, but I guess you didn't see it."

"Sorry man, there are so many..." Isaac apologized, "I would have called you but...well, you know?"

"I thought we were gonna stay friends?" Greg said sounding hurt.

"OH yeah, we are. It's just...I don't know, awkward I guess."

"So, how's your new...um, friend?"

"Cool, really cool. He's off on a trip with his folks right now, but I'm gonna call him later and fill him in on what's happening. How's it with your movie star surfer dude?"

"Oh, well...unfortunately he and his family moved to New York and I haven't heard from him in a while."

"No way, oh man I'm sorry."

"It's no big deal. You know, this probably isn't the best time to bring this up, but I think I was just infatuated with Bret and his good looks. Once I got to know him he didn't seem quite as personable as I'd thought. In fact he was self centered and shallow. I think his dad's fame went to his head or something."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Isaac said. He was truly sorry that Greg had been hurt, but deep inside he was glad they'd broke up.

"You must think I'm a real air head, and shallow to boot. I had the best boy in the world and I let him slip away because of a passing infatuation.

"It was mutual, don't beat yourself up over it," Isaac said, "Besides we both knew it would be hard to maintain a relationship long distance."

"Yeah, but what we had was special," Greg sighed, "Of course it wouldn't have made any difference in the end. I mean, you fell for Mark and was going to end it anyway..."

"Yeah, that was my intention, but the truth is I'm not sure what would have happened if you hadn't tipped me off that you'd found someone else too."

"I guess we'll never know," Greg sighed, "but I can tell you one thing, I still think about you, and I still care a lot about you, maybe even love you."

"Aww...I love you too, but I guess it just wasn't meant to be."

"Yeah, well, um, there's something else I wanted to say. Um, I was wondering if it would be all right if I came with dad? I mean we don't have to spend time together or anything, I just wanted to see all the gang and, well if it's too weird..."

"No, it's not weird. We'd all love to see you. Heck that's a great idea. I bet that would really cheer Jeremy up. Yeah, definitely come on and see us."

"Well, okay," Greg said cheerfully, "I guess I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Yeah, I'll go with dad to pick you guys up and we can talk some more."

"Oh, okay. Well, goodnight. It was really nice talking to you again."

"Yeah, you too. Goodnight, and till tomorrow, think happy thoughts," Isaac chuckled.

If only he knew what those happy thoughts were, Greg thought as he ended the call. Those happy thoughts would be of kissing the sexy black boy and ravaging his body all night long. But alas, those days were gone and all he could look forward to was a platonic relationship. Well, at least Isaac's new boyfriend wouldn't be around to rub his nose in it so at least he was saved that agony.

Later after a hot shower Isaac went in to say goodnight to his dad and they talked about all that happened and somehow the subject of Greg came up.

"Is this going to be uncomfortable for you son, having your old boyfriend visiting us?"

"Naw, I like to think we're both mature enough to handle it. I'm glad Mark is out of town though, he might not understand."

"Yes, and while we're on the subject, how are you and Mark getting along?'

"Oh fine, just fine. Why do you ask?"

"Well, it just seems like he's not around as much lately and when he announced that he was going on this trip you didn't seem all that upset."

Isaac sighed, it was pointless to lie. His and Mark's relationship had been cooling off as of lately, and both were relieved when Mark announced the trip. They were both hoping it would take the pressure off of them and things would be better once Mark returned.

"Well, I mean it's not like we need to see each other every minute of the day..."

"Um huh, but when you two first got together it seemed that way."

"Okay, okay...I'm busted," Isaac said holding up his hands, "We've been having some...issues lately. I don't know how to explain it, but it's just not as good as it used to be."

"The sex or the relationship?" Mr. Wilson asked with a serious look causing Isaac to blush.

"The sex is fine, it's just that...well, I'm not sure we love each other, that's all."

"That's all?" Mr. Wilson snorted, "Son, without love sex is just glorified masturbation. I thought you knew that."

"I mean it's not like we don't like each other, we do, we're friends, but neither of us feel the same way we did when we met."

"I see, well...what do you suppose you should do about that?" Mr. Wilson asked raising an eyebrow. Are you just going to go through the motions or try to figure things out and move on if that's what needs to be done?"

"I don't know dad, we've agreed to talk about it once Mark is back. There's not much I can do until then."

Mr. Wilson nodded, "And what about Greg? Do you still have feelings for him?"

Isaac looked away, but not before his father saw the tender look in his eyes. Knowing he was caught he simply nodded.

"I thought so. In a way Greg was your first love and first loves are very powerful. Sometimes they last and sometimes they don't, but you'll find yourself comparing all future loves to that first one."

"It's too late for us, isn't it?" Isaac asked hoping he didn't sound as desperate as he felt.

"I don't  know son. That's something the three of you will have to work out."

"The three of us? Oh, Mark too...I see."

"This visit might be a good thing. Maybe you can resolve some issues, or at least gain some closure. I assume Greg is still attached to that new boy back in California."

Isaac quickly explained what Greg had told him and Mr. Wilson sighed, "That complicates things some, or...it might make things easier. Only time will tell. When is Mark getting back?"

"Day after tomorrow and we're supposed to go out to dinner and talk that evening."

"Well, I guess we'll just have to wait and see how things turn out, won't we?"

"I suppose," Isaac said looking beaten, "I'm gonna turn in dad, I'm so tired I can't think straight right now."

"Yeah, me too. Your brother will be coming home tomorrow and then we'll have to go pick up the Millers."

"Goodnight dad, and thanks."

"I didn't do much but listen, but you're welcome. Sometimes that's all a person needs. Goodnight son. I love you very much and I hope and pray that things work out for all of you."

The house seemed too quiet without Jeremy and his mom there and Isaac lay in bed a long time trying to will himself to sleep. Instead he kept thinking about all that had happened with Jeremy and suddenly he realized just how close to losing his brother he had come. The thought sent cold chills down his spine, but his sadness was soon replaced by a new emotion, anger. Anger at the policeman who had tazered Jeremy, anger to a society the looked upon blacks as criminals and inferiors despite decades of change, and anger at a system that often allowed officers to face no punishment for their actions against blacks.

He felt guilty too, for thinking about his problems with Mark and now the issue of Greg, but he had no control over his thoughts and soon he was off on a tangent again. What if he and Mark split up? He wondered, Could he and Greg give it another try? Would it work any better this time around or would they simply find themselves seeking someone else's company again? No, one thing he was sure of, he loved Greg, and if they did get together again he would do everything he could to make sure their relationship lasted this time. He'd been a fool to take up with Mark and he realized now that it was more of a sexual thing than a romantic one. What he felt for Greg was so much different, so much more intense, the real thing, and if he got the chance he was going to make sure Greg knew that and hope that he felt the same way too.

By the time Jeremy was released from the hospital word of the incident had spread from one corner of the globe to the other. Even in places as far away as South Africa the images of the young black boy being tazered were flashing on every TV screen and on social media.

Police Chief Green had spent a grueling hour with the mayor the day before and had been told in no uncertain terms that he was to get to the bottom of this incident, and if it was warranted that those responsible be punished to the full extent of the law.

After a full and thorough investigation The Chief came to one conclusion, the officer involved, Mark Powell, had used excessive force and bad judgment and he turned the case over to the DA for review.

"It looks like charges will be filed against the officer who administered the tazing, but the other officer will only suffer a short suspension without pay," Mr. Wilson said as he sat at the table with his family and Henry and Greg Miller.

"I...don't want that officer to go to jail," Jeremy said suddenly, "and the other one didn't do anything, it's not fair that he loose his salary because of all this."

"Son, what are you saying? Officer Powell could have very well killed you. If the stun gun hadn't stopped you he might very well have used his revolver and shot you," Mr. Wilson said, "we don't need reckless men like that on our police force. As for the other officer, I guess I can agree that his losing his pay is a bit harsh."

"Who do I need to talk to about this?" Jeremy said, not letting it drop.

"Bro, are you serious?" Isaac said, feeling a bit perturbed.

"Yeah, I'm serious. I mean I know he didn't exactly do things the right way, but I don't want him to go to jail. Isn't it enough that he lose his job or something?"

"That's up to the DA," Mr. Wilson said, "There is a lot of pressure from the public to put this bad cop away, and the DA is not going to ignore it and risk bad publicity for the police department or the city."

"I'll take to social media then," Jeremy said sounding determined, "I'll explain how I feel and hope people will understand and back off."

"Bro, why are you defending this jerk? He could have killed you, hell he did. You died on the ground there, but thank God the EMT's brought you back."

"Maybe it's because I did die," Jeremy said, the look in his eyes distant and haunting, "I know this is crazy, but I saw myself laying there. It was like I was flying above the ground and I could see everything that was going on. Then suddenly I was back in my body, coughing and breathing again. It was weird."

The hair was standing up on everyone's neck by then and it was Mrs. Wilson who said what they were all thinking, "You saw something, I mean you saw officer Powell doing something, didn't you?"

Jeremy nodded, "He was praying for me. It was like I could read his thoughts, and mom, he was so sad. He didn't mean to hurt me, it was just how he was raised and I guess no amount of training in the Police Academy could fix that."

The group was stunned into silence by Jeremy's statement but when Jeremy sat back down Mr. Wilson spoke. I'll see what I can do, but if the DA wants to press charges there's nothing we can do about it."

Jeremy nodded, "Thanks dad, may I be excused? I want to go upstairs and start making some posts."

Jeremy's job wasn't made easier by the fact that their fans were all up in arms and ready to march on the street if it became necessary. Jeremy began by dispelling the rumors that he had any lasting effects of the tazing, assuring his fans and well wishers that he was fine and anxious to put all this behind him.

He was having the hardest time with his black followers however, some said Jeremy was selling out and defending the cops because he was an Oreo, black on the outside and white inside. Those comments angered and hurt Jeremy, but he was determined to take his case to the people and try to calm them down some.

The DA meanwhile, under pressure from the Mayor's office, and the general public, was preparing charges against Officer Powell and debating how best to make sure he didn't appear weak without reeking too much havoc on the police force and Officer Powell.

"Simple assault, seems best," he told the Police Chief later, "he can plead guilty and get a suspended sentence, maybe some community service, but he's done on the force. How does that work for you?"

"I'm not sure the public will go for it, but at least the family isn't pressing us to nail him to a tree or anything. In fact from his new posts, it appears that the young man involved is actually trying to calm the public down and save Officer Powell from doing jail time."

"That's different, usually the victim is screaming for justice and asking for a six figure settlement."

"These people aren't like that," PC Green said, feeling his anger rise a little. Prejudice wasn't confined to the officers on the street, the DA had some preconceived notions of his own. The DA assumed that because the Wilsons were black that they saw this as an opportunity to make some easy money, but PC Green knew that was far from the truth. Mr. Wilson was a hard working, educated man, who ran a huge sporting goods store and wasn't about to take advantage of the situation. All he wanted was justice and to make sure no other black kid suffered the same fate as his son.

"I think that's the least of our worries George, right now the public is where we need to direct our concerns. We need to reassure them that this type of thing is not typical of our police force and to make sure that those responsible are punished and removed from positions of power. I'll talk to the Mayor and get back to you. I'm not sure we can agree to let Officer Powell off so easy, but I don't think anything can be served by ruining his life by sending him to prison."

"Okay, no hurry. Maybe we should let things settle down a bit before we announce anything anyway. It can wait till next week, maybe by then things will have calmed down a bit."

In LA Brad Turner sat looking at his computer and thinking about what had happened to Jeremy, and he suddenly had a brilliant idea. Picking up the phone he called Henry Miller and quickly filled him in.

That night over dinner Henry Miller shared Brad's idea with the Wilsons, as well as the rest of the group who were staying over to boost Jeremy's morale.

"Brad wants us to put on a concert, here in the city."

"Now?" Mr. Wilson said looking as if he'd bit into a lemon, "My son was nearly killed a few days ago..."

"That's why we need to do this now. First of all I want you to understand that Brad is not trying to capitalize on Jeremy's horrific experience at all. In fact what he has in mind is this, he wants this to be a benefit concert, the proceeds going to The Innocence Project, a nonprofit organization that looks into cases of people wrongly accused of crimes and working on getting them exonerated."

"Why that particular organization?" Mrs. Wilson asked.

"Because a good number of those incarcerated for crimes they didn't commit are black. Many of them victims of racial profiling and Police abuse during their arrest and more abuse by the system that is supposed to protect them from being wrongly convicted of a crime."

"I see, go on..."

"Brad seems to think we can bring healing to the community while at the same time raising awareness of the problem of wrongful incarceration. What I had in mind was an outside venue, maybe Hall Stadium, and a low ticket price, say 20 dollars for all seats. Now the only question is, how do you boys feel about it?"

"I'm in," Aidan said quickly, "I mean if Jeremy is."

"I think it's a great idea," Jeremy said excitedly, "We can accomplish a lot this way. First of all the fans will see that I'm really okay and not out for blood, and we can help a great cause."

"Then I guess I'm in," Jaden said, and the others quickly added their support.

"Great, tomorrow I'll start making all the arrangements. I'm thinking Friday or Saturday of next week, how does that sound?"

"Great," Jeremy said, "That will give us time to put together some special songs for the benefit. I already have some ideas. After dinner maybe we can go down to the basement and throw some ideas around."

"Yeah, but first...I'm starved," Isaac said.

So was everyone else and soon they were busy enjoying their dinner as each thought their own thoughts.

Isaac and Greg hadn't had much time to be alone, and Greg worried that once Mark came back he would feel like a third wheel. He was due back tomorrow and he and Isaac were supposed to go out for dinner and talk. Greg wondered what that was about, were they having problems too? Did he stand a chance with Isaac, or had he lost his first love for good?

The following day after Mark was due back, Greg was surprised to receive a call from Isaac as he was finishing up breakfast at the motel where he and his dad were staying.

"It's Isaac," Greg explained to his father who looked curious, "I'm going to step outside for a minute."

"Okay son," Henry Miller said smiling knowingly. Even a fool could see that his son was still in love with Isaac, but he just hoped that he wasn't in for more heartache.

"Hi, what's up?" Greg said trying not to sound as nervous and excited as he felt.

"I was wondering if you'd like to come over later and hang out. We're going to do some rehearsing later, but I  have some free time...if you're not busy."

"No, not busy at all,"  Greg said happily, "What time?'

"Umm, how about one o'clock, we can have lunch and maybe go for a drive or something."

"Yeah, one is good," Greg said trying not to sound giddy, "I'll have dad drop me off."

"Or...I could pick you up," Isaac offered.

"Well, if it's not too much trouble..."

"Naw, it's not that far. Hey, what if we went out for lunch?"

"Okay, my treat then since you're driving."

"You're on," Isaac said, a huge smile filling his face.

"Uh, I was wondering..." Greg said, hoping he wasn't ruining things with what he was about to ask, "What about Mark? I thought he was supposed to be back by now."

"Yeah, well...that's one thing I want to talk to you about," Isaac said quietly, "I really don't want to get into it on the phone."

"Oh, sure...I understand. Anyway, I'll be ready. Uh, how should I dress?"

"Casual dude, we're not going anywhere fancy. Just some fast food and a drive."

"Great, see you at one then," Greg practically giggled.

Back at the table with his dad Isaac dug back into his breakfast.

"Well?"

"Well what?" Greg said, acting innocent.

"What did Isaac want? Is it about the concert?"

"Uh, no, we're having lunch. He's picking me up at one. Is that okay?"

"That's fine son, but I can't help but wonder what's going on with you two."

"I wish I knew," Greg admitted, then he filled his dad in on as much as he knew.

"Do you think that maybe he and this other boy might have called it quits?"

"I don't know dad. Honestly, I'm clueless, but Isaac promised to fill me in over lunch."

"Well, I'll certainly be interested in seeing how things turn out," Henry Miller chuckled.

"So will I dad, so will I," Greg laughed.

At 12:30 Greg sat gazing out the window of his motel room, wishing the clock to move faster. He'd changed twice before finally settling on black jeans and a form fitting tee. His matching black Vans and low cut black socks finished off his outfit and beneath it all, out of sight, he wore black silk boxers.

His father had an appointment with the promoters at the stadium and was already gone, promising to check in with Greg later to see what his plans for dinner were.

At 12:45 Greg spotted Isaac's car creeping through the parking lot and he went out to meet him. As Isaac came to a halt Greg pulled open the door and slid into the front passenger seat.

"Hi, you're early," Greg said happily.

"Not too early I hope, looks like you were all ready for me," Isaac chuckled.

"Yeah, you know me, I hate being late."

"Yeah, I remember," Isaac said fondly, "just one of the many things I love about you."

"Thanks," Greg said blushing, "so...where are we going? Uh, for lunch I mean?"

"Well, I was thinking about the little burger place we used to go to. How does that sound?"

"Burger Station? I love that place. I remember it was the first place we had dinner...alone," he chuckled.

"Yeah, it's a favorite place of mine, I mean it used to be. I...I haven't been there since you went back to Cally though."

"OH, well...so, you never took Mark there?"

Isaac shook his head, "Mark prefers pizza or Chinese," he chuckled.

Greg couldn't help but smile. Was that really the reason he never took Mark there, or was it because Isaac thought of Burger Station as their place?"

"Well, you know me, I love meat," Greg said, then blushed at the implied meaning.

Isaac laughed, "Yeah, me too."

"So, have you guys figured out what songs you're doing?" Greg said, changing the subject.

"What? Oh yeah, pretty much," Isaac said frowning, "We're going to go over everything tonight and there might be some last minute changes, but we're pretty much set."

"Nice," Greg said, but he sounded as if his head was somewhere else.

"Let's not talk about that, okay? I want this to be just the two of us having a nice time."

"OH, sure. Sorry," Greg said, "So what shall we talk about?"

"Well, seen any good movies lately?" Isaac laughed, and Greg soon joined in.

The tension between them seemed to float away after that and they seemed to pick up right where they had left off before Greg returned to California. Soon they arrived at the burger place and inside Isaac steered Isaac toward a booth near the back and away from the other diners.

After ordering, they sipped their drinks as the tension seemed to return once more. Isaac sat his glass down and wiped his mouth on a napkin.

"So, I guess you're wondering what's going on with me and Mark?"

"A little."

Isaac sighed, "Well...the truth is, Mark and I have been having some problems. Nothing serious, I mean we're not like fighting or anything, but..."

"But?" Greg coaxed.

Isaac sighed again, "Well, the truth is Mark and I have come to the conclusion that maybe we rushed into things and that, well...maybe we aren't meant to be together after all."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Greg said, trying to sound sympathetic and not jump up and dance around for joy.

"It's okay. We're good. I mean we're not enemies or anything. We just both agreed that we aren't soul mates or anything. I'm not going to sit here and bash Mark, because he's really a nice guy. He's just not the guy for me and apparently I'm not the guy for him. We broke up yesterday."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Greg said once again, and this time he meant it. He knew how hard it must be for Isaac to lose yet another love.

"So, I was wondering..." Isaac said sounding small and insecure, "if there was any interest in...well, you know? Trying to make things work between us?"

"Well, I think that might be something I'd be interested in," Greg said trying not to sound needy or too anxious, "Oh hell. Who am I trying to kid here? I've never stopped loving you Isaac, and when Bret moved away I hated myself for being so stupid and letting you slip away. Then when all this happened with Jeremy and I found out Dad was coming out to see about him I just had to come along...if only to see you one last time. If you're really sure about this...then I say, yes, yes, yes. And this time I promise I'll do everything I can to make things work."

Isaac was smiling, "I hoped you'd say that. In fact I was so sure you'd say yes that I sort of jumped the gun and got you something, well both of us actually," he said blushing.

Then reaching into his jean pocket he pulled out a small brown envelope no bigger than a pack of gum and shook something out into his hand. At first Greg was confused, but when he saw what was laying in Isaac's hand he gasped out loud and felt near tears.

"I know it's sort of lame, but I got us friendship rings," Isaac said blushing.

"It's not lame," Greg said near tears, "It's the most romantic thing ever."

"Really, I'm glad you think so, cause that was what I was going for," Isaac said, "so...can I put it on ya'?"

"Yes, yes, yes," Greg said holding out his hand, "Oh my God, my hand is shaking, I'm so nervous."

Isaac slipped the simple gold band on Greg's hand and Greg pulled his hand back and admired it, "How did you know what size to get?"

"I really didn't, but I remembered that your hand was smaller than mine and your fingers were slim, so...I just guessed you'd wear a size or two smaller than me."

"It's perfect. Oh Isaac, this is so wonderful. Oh wait, let me slip yours on your finger."

Isaac handed over the ring then held his hand out for Greg to hold. Slipping the ring on Isaac's finger he smiled, "Perfect fit, so I guess that makes it official," Greg said smiling. 

"Not yet," Isaac said leaning across the table and pulling Greg's face to his. Then placing his lips on Greg's he kissed him deeply and passionately.

For a few moments they were suspended in time and space and nothing else but them existed. Then they pulled apart and returned to the present to the sound of catcalls and applause.

"Way to go guys!" Someone hooted, as the two lovers blushed.

The crowd settled down after a few minutes and when their food came there was another surprise. Someone had paid their check and scribbled, Good luck you two, at the bottom.

"No fair," Isaac teased, "you got out of paying for dinner."

"Next time for sure," Greg laughed, "but now I'm to excited to eat."

"Eat, you'll need your strength. Mom and dad are going out for the evening and we'll have some time alone before the band gets there."

"Oh, well...then we should eat fast," Greg laughed.

The benefit show was scheduled for Saturday night at Hall Stadium, a multi-use facility with seating for around 5,000 and by the second day of the announced concert it was sold out. 

By Friday the boys had the numbers all worked out and they were confident they could put on a show that they could be proud of. Donations were pouring in for The Innocence Project from those who couldn't attend the concert, some from as far away as Canada, and the folks at the non profit were very appreciative and had sent a representative to speak at the concert.

Jeremy, despite his ordeal seemed to be holding up well, but those who knew him best couldn't help but wonder if there would come a time when the reality of what had happened would kick in and Jeremy would begin to suffer some side effects.

Dee was most concerned. After all she was there and felt traumatized herself, so much so that she still had nightmares about the incident. She had tried to talk to Jeremy about his feelings a few times, but he stubbornly insisted that he was fine and that he had suffered no ill effects from the incident.

The Wilsons were concerned as well. They knew their son best of all, and though they knew he was strong, what he had gone through had to have some lasting effects. Even Isaac, who wasn't even there at the time, seemed to be suffering because of the brutal attack on his brother and girlfriend.

The day of the concert the boys met early at the Wilsons and went over a few of the numbers and had a light lunch. There would be a party after the concert and plenty of food there, but they didn't want to fill up before the concert and risk becoming lethargic.

Dee, Greg, and Jimmy were there to encourage the group, most notably their boyfriends, and Henry Miller and the Wilsons stood in the background listening and marveling at how good the boys sounded.

 After the rehearsal it was time to start getting ready for the concert and emotions ran high as they always did before performing. This time however things seemed different, this concert wasn't about them, it was about helping a good cause and bringing attention to the problem with racial profiling and the police.

Since the concert was local the boys split up and rode to the stadium with their respective parents, or boyfriends in some cases. Isaac and Greg sat in the back of Mr. Wilson's SUV and held hands and talked quietly as Greg tried to calm his boyfriend down.

In front of them Jeremy and Dee sat holding hands as well, but neither felt much like talking at the moment. Dee was still concerned about Jeremy and worried that once he was on stage and in front of 5,000 screaming fans he might finally break down.

Up front the Wilsons chatted quietly and tried to maintain a calm outer appearance, but inside they were worried about their son and wondered if this concert was such a good idea after all. 

It was still early, but when they arrived at the stadium they were surprised to see that hundreds of fans had already arrived and that the Police and security personnel were already in place and handling traffic.

When they pulled up to the gate a security guard stopped them, then after checking ID's he allowed the two vehicles to pass before closing the gate behind them. Several of the fans had wandered over to the fence and were shouting and waving at the boys who waved back enthusiastically.

"Wow, there must be five or six  hundred people out there already," Aidan said turning to the others once they were past the crowd.

"Yeah, well...getting in here was probably a lot easier than getting out will be," Mr. Reynolds groaned, "Maybe  we should have hired a limo and all came together."

"We'll just wait till the crowd is all gone before we leave," Jaden said, "or spend the night," he chuckled.

"The concert will be over by nine, I hope we can be home by 11 at least," Mrs. Reynolds sighed, "I need my beauty sleep."

"You must sleep a lot then," Zak said grinning, "Cause you're already beautiful."

"Why thank you Zak, you little charmer," Mrs. Reynolds said smiling.

"Zak stop hitting on our mom," Jaden laughed and everyone joined in.

They were allowed to drive right up to the stadium and park inside a small fenced in area reserved for celebrities. As they climbed out Henry Miller joined them. He had been there for hours, working with the production team and promoters and making sure everything was ready for the boys.

"Hi dad," Greg said giving his dad a brief hug.

"Hello Greg, hello everyone. Everything is ready to go and ready for you guys to try out your instruments and set the levels and such."

"Great, let's go guys," Aidan said, "this might not be the biggest crowd we've played for, but it's one of the most important."

"Let's do this guys," Jeremy said heading toward the stadium.

The others quickly followed and eventually they made it to the huge stage that had been set up at the end of the stadium field. The field had no seating, except for a few seats roped off for VIPs and such and the rest of the field would be filled by standing concert goers. The bleachers were assigned seating, but the field was first come first served and fans had paid 5 dollars extra for the right to be on the field.

The lighting was in place, the lasers, the boards, and their instruments, and as they took them up the excitement almost overwhelmed them. This was something very special and they all knew it. This wasn't about them, but yet they were responsible for making the whole thing work. A lot of people were depending on them, some for their very freedom, and it was a sobering thought to know that what they were doing was so important.

"One, two, three..." Aidan counted off and Zak led the way with a tap tap of his drum sticks.

The song was one they had never performed before and very different from their usual repertoire. This one was a Linkin Park song, Breaking the Habit, and much darker than the songs they had performed thus far.

As Jeremy began playing background on the keyboard, Isaac and Aidan played guitar and bass while Jaden led off the vocals.

"Memories consume, like opening the wound, I'm picking me apart again. 

You all assume I'm safe here in my room, unless I try to start again.

I don't want to be the one the battles always choose.

'Cause inside I realize I'm the one confused.

I don't know what's worth fighting for, or why I have to scream.

I don't know why I instigate or say what I don't mean.

I don't know how I got this way, I know it's not all right.

So I'm breaking the habit, breaking the habit tonight."

Jaden's voice as well as Aidan's had been steadily changing as they got further into puberty, but both still had a wide range, but this song actually fit Jaden's new lower voice perfectly.

When the last note of the song sounded the adults and Greg began applauding loudly.

"Well, boys if there was ever any doubt that this boy band could survive I think you just dispelled it. It's amazing the vocal range and the range of material you boys are capable of. As a big Linkin Park fan I can tell you that you did a great job of covering that number. Have you considered some other similar songs for the act?" Henry Miller said.

"Yeah, in fact there are several other songs in the line up tonight that aren't our usual stuff. We're trying to grow with the music and not get left behind. We don't want to be buttonholed into doing one kind of music. Tonight we're even going to do some classic rock, but I'm not gonna' tell you what song we've chosen. I want it to be a surprise," Aidan said grinning.

"Well, I'm sure whatever it is, you will do it justice," Henry said, "I will tell you this, and it's not just because I'm your agent that I'm saying it, but you boys are some of the most talented lads I have ever come across."

"I agree," Greg said smiling, "I think you guys are amazing. The West Coast chapter of your fan club has close to 10,000 members and growing. And it's not just teenage girls, you have a following among teen boys as well, and not all of them are gay. With these new songs you will pick up even more of them."

"Yeah, but so far all we've done is cover other bands songs, what we really need is some original material," Jeremy said looking thoughtful, "I've been working on some lyrics, but I need some help getting the music part right."

"Awesome," Jaden said, "when this is over maybe we can take a look at them and see what we can come up with."

"Yeah, well...there are other ways to get original material," Henry said, "I'll see what I can find for you boys. There are dozens of song writers who can't perform their own stuff and they're always looking for someone who can."

They continued to rehearse a bit, and make some adjustments, but eventually they decided they'd done as much as they could and they went back to the stadium dressing rooms to wait for the big moment.

By 6:30 the stadium was almost full and the noise of the crowd filtered into the dressing room where the boys waited. The concert was scheduled to begin at 7 and including an encore they figured it would last two hours. There were six of their regular numbers, four new ones, and the opening number was the classic rock song Aidan had mentioned. There would be a break half way through and Jeremy had a brief speech prepared to deliver before he introduced the representative from the non profit.

Jeremy was more nervous about the speech than the music, but he felt what he had to say was important and he hoped it would give everyone involved some closure. He hated to admit it to himself, but he wasn't really as okay as he led everyone to agree.

He had been having trouble sleeping and was reluctant to leave the house alone these days, and made it a point of always being aware of his surroundings when he was out. He didn't want to worry his folks or Dee, but he still had flashbacks from that day, and every time he saw a uniformed officer he broke out in a cold sweat.

Even here at the concert where he knew the police were there to protect them, he still felt a certain sense of dread when he saw them. As he sat sipping a sports drink with Dee curled up beside him he thought about that day when his whole world had been turned upside down.

He'd always been taught that if you did the right thing and obeyed the law that the law would protect you. He'd seen the videos of his black brothers being taken down, beaten, shot, dragged away, kicking and screaming, but until now he'd always thought it couldn't happen to him or anyone he knew. Surely those other black brothers and sisters deserved what they got, they were criminals after all, but he knew that wasn't always the case, and truthfully he knew even criminals deserved to be treated humanely.

"You okay babe?"

"Huh, yeah. Fine, just resting my brain," Jeremy said giving Dee's hand a gentle squeeze.

"I worry about you, but I know you'll do just fine. You always do. You're so strong, but I want you to know that if you ever need to talk...or anything, I'm here for you."

"I know, I'm fine, really," he said leaning in to give her a kiss, "I love you so much," he said with great emotion.

"I love you too, and I am so, so proud of you."

"Ten minutes," someone called from the other side of the door.

"Hear that guys? Anyone need to pee you better do it now," Aidan teased, "It's gonna be a while before we have a bathroom break."

At five minutes till 7 the boys joined hands and Jeremy said a prayer and they hugged one another then headed out the door. The night air was muggy, but there was a slight breeze blowing that helped to cool down the sweating teens.

As they filed onto the field some of the crowd caught sight of them and the roar that followed echoed throughout the stadium. When they finally reached the stage the roar increased until it was almost deafening.

The boys held their hands high and threw kisses to the audience before taking their places. Aidan took center stage where a single mic stood on a stand. He pulled the mic to him and waited a second for the crowd to calm down. It took a while but eventually the noise abated and Aidan spoke.

"Hello everyone. Thanks for coming. Usually at about this time I say something like, who wants to have fun or something? And there's nothing wrong with us having fun, but tonight this concert is about something very important and very serious. I'm sure you've all heard by now what happened to my bro Jeremy over there, and I'll let him tell you about that, but I will say a few words about why we're here tonight.

We're here to help a great cause, The Innocence Project and a little later we're gonna hear from Mark Derring who is gonna tell you all about the important work they are doing there. But right now we just wanna' play some music and have that good time I talked about.

Tonight we have some surprises for you, we're gonna be doing some new stuff tonight, stuff that's sort of different for us and I think you're gonna like it. We're gonna start off with a song that was made famous by a guy who used to be in a little band from England, you may have heard of them, the Beatles," he chuckled and the crowd laughed as well. "And our newest band member is gonna do the vocals. So everyone give our drummer Zacky Boy a big hand, and if you feel like it join in and sing along."

Jeremy started the piano rift and Zak's soft sweet voice filled the stadium as he began to sing.

Imagine there's no Heaven, it's easy if you try.

No hell below us, above us only sky.

Imagine all the people..living for today...I hiiii

Imagine there's no country, it isn't hard to do

Nothing to kill or die for

And no religion too

Imagine all the people...living life in peace 

You hooo you may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only

I hope someday you join us and the world will be as one.

The crowd was stunned. Who knew the cute red-haired drummer had the voice of an angel? It had been Aidan who had first discovered his bf was more than just a drummer. He had caught him singing in the shower and had confronted him as soon as he'd finished.

He'd put up quite a fuss, saying he wasn't that good, but Aidan had finally got him to agree to let the others hear him sing and see what they thought. Aidan was confident of the outcome and though it had taken them a while the band had finally convinced Zak to sing vocals on at least one song. There was never really any doubt which song Zak would choose, it was the same song he had been singing in the shower when Aidan caught him, and the song that he was now pouring his heart and soul into on stage in front of 5,000 mesmerized fans.

As the song continued Zak left the drums and walked to center stage raising his voice and his hands and encouraging the crowd to sing along. Critics later would say it was the defining moment of the concert, when the cute red-headed boy with the voice of an angel had the crowd in complete control.

Zak's picture appeared on the cover of several local papers and some national ones as the word spread of the benefit concert.

And the world will live as one.....

The final note rang out, dying away as the crowd was on their feet and roaring their approval. Zak took a quick bow, but he was blushing and quickly hurried back to his perch on the drums as they launched into one of their trademark numbers.

"Oh my God," Mrs. Reynolds said wiping tears from her eyes, "I never knew our little Zacky was so talented. I know his mom and brother will be very proud."

Zak's mom and Jason and Tommy were sitting in the VIP area at the base of the stage and all three had tears in their eyes when Zak finally finished the number. Jason had long ago gotten over his jealousy where his brother's fame was concerned and had become one of his biggest supporters. He'd known about Zak getting to sing the lead on this song, but he'd promised to keep it a secret and even he was surprised at how good his little brother was.

"Mom, don't cry," Jason said wiping at his own eyes, "Who knew he had it in him?" he chuckled.

"There's a lot about your brother that we didn't know," she said smiling, "both my boys are amazing though."

"Yeah, well...so far I ain't done much to prove that."

"Sure you have," Tommy interjected, "You've been the best boyfriend any gay boy could have, " and they all laughed at that.

Midway through, just after the Linkin Park song, which the crowd met with a roar of approval, Jeremy walked to center stage, and after the noise had died down, he spoke.

Hi everyone, thanks for coming out and for all your support over this last week, and for showing up to help a great cause like The Innocence Project. In a minute I will turn this over to Mark Derring who will tell you all about that, but for now I want to talk about my experience.

By now you've all heard about or seen the video that sort of caused all this to happen. Well, first of all let me tell you, I'm fine. There are no lasting effects and I feel great. Dee, my girlfriend is fine too," he looked over at Dee and said, "Hello babe, how ya' doing?"

Dee nodded and waved and  Jeremy went on.

"I know a lot of you guys out there think I'm crazy for not wanting to sue the city or send the officer to jail who tazed me that night, but you have to understand that this isn't about money or punishment, this is about education and forgiveness, and trying to make things better for anyone else who might run into the same sort of situation. I don't think Officer Powell wanted to hurt me. There was a low rumbling from some of the crowd, but for the most part the crowd was receptive to what Jeremy had to say.

I know, I know...you're mad, a lot of people are, but we gotta' get over the mad and do something about the problem. Ruining one officer won't stop all the other officers out there who don't know any better or who haven't been trained in how to handle themselves in a situation like this. Sure, I was innocent and I did nothing wrong other than reach for my wallet, but even that was sort of stupid on my part. I've watched enough news to know that when confronted by an officer you must comply within reason, and make sure you aren't making any threatening moves.

I guess in a way I was sort of naive, I mean I never really thought about this sort of thing happening to me. I'm not saying I'm anyone special and that my black brothers deserve this or anything, what I'm saying is, I let myself become complacent. I thought this could never happen to me because I'm just an ordinary kid who goes to school and likes video games and  hangs out at the mall. Oh sure I'm in a little band," the crowd laughed at that and then Jeremy went on, "I know I've got it better than some kids , but I don't flaunt it or expect any special privileges. I'm just a kid who was out taking a walk with my girlfriend, minding my own business and not expecting any trouble.

Unfortunately when you're black, that's a big mistake. Now, I'm not saying that everyone is out to get us cause we're black and I'm not saying that every officer out there is gunning, pardon my expression, for black people, but we do need to be a bit more careful. The bad thing is, it shouldn't be that way. Why is it that way? Well, some of it is our own fault. We get stereotyped because a lot of black kids behave a certain way and many of them don't respect authority of any kind. That makes it tough for the rest of us, but it is what it is. So we all have to do what we have to do to survive in a situation like this. We could place the blame on a lot of people, but the truth is it's no one person's fault that things are like they are." 

There was a nervous tittering among the audience, but Jeremy ignored it and pressed on, "So, it's up to us, everyone of us, black, white, and every other ethnicity to put pressure on those in power to make sure that officers are trained to deal with situations like this, and to weed out those that might be too prejudiced to be in that position. But it doesn't stop there, we have to educate kids too. Respecting authority doesn't mean cowing down to it and losing our dignity. There are a lot of good cops out there, in fact there are some of them all around you right now." Jeremy waved at a couple of uniformed officers, and they saluted him, causing him to smile, "That's what I'm talkin' bout'. We couldn't put on a concert without the cooperation and help of the city and the police department. And you know what? Wherever we go, from LA to New York the police force is always friendly and helpful. They protect us and the fans and keep us safe, and without them we couldn't do what we do. 

I know you all came here to hear some music and have some fun, but I just wanted you to know where I stand on this matter. I want to thank everyone of you who have offered your prayers and support and for rallying around us through this thing. On behalf of myself and the whole band I gotta say, we have the greatest fans on the planet."

The crowd erupted into a roar that lasted for a good five minutes as Jeremy stood facing them, hands held high, and then there was the crack of a rifle, and suddenly a red spot appeared on Jeremy's chest.

As blood oozed from the hole the bullet had made, Jeremy clutched at  his chest and looked up imploringly at the audience before collapsing onto the stage.

 

End Chapter 33

Is this the end of Jeremy and the Boy Band? Has the whole world gone crazy? Are you saying WTF is going on? I guess you'll have to wait till next chapter to find out what's really happening.