It was a chilly spring day, probably closer to winter, with snow still on the ground melting leaving all the asphalt in town wet. There were ten, maybe twelve of kids in downtown Nyack that day. Approaching mid-afternoon they had been sitting around John’s pizza all day, and decided it was time to migrate down to a pier on the Hudson River. The pier had been the place to go when there was no where else to hold such a large group of young, barely Highschool kids. It was at the bottom of long beaten parking lot with more potholes than flat ground. The pier was built to load small boats and kayaks into the river but was rarely used for its designed purpose, and became a Nyack landmark of sorts for kids. The dock itself extended about 20 feet into the Hudson River. Around a half a football field off land was a sunken mostly concrete freighter that the town left for “decoration purposes”. The boat was filled with rust and barnacles, and had grown into quite the eyesore. A couple of the kids that were tired of winter and had wanted spring to come already had taken our shoes and socks off and put our feet in the water. With that came splashing which soon escalated to a couple of kids trying to throw each other in the water. Eventually Scott, the only one with a job and liked to flaunt it, put up a wager “I'll give 5 bucks to anyone who jumps in.” With multiple people volunteering the boy knew he had to up the ante. “Okay, okay relax… 20 bucks to whoever swims to the boat.” A silence came over the group when one of the boys, Jake, who accepted the first wager stepped up and said he'd do it. He stripped down to his underwear, the girls in the group let out a small giggle. He lowered himself slowly into the water, when the water got to his thigh he stopped and debated with the boy who put up the bet whether he should do it or not, he called out “Come on do it don't be a [baby].” While all this was happening another boy, Brad, saw an opportunity to be a big shot. While all the attention was on the boy with half his legs in the water Brad stripped down, similar to Jake, and proceeded to dive head first in the water, Jake, not being one to be shown up, let go of the pier and proceeded to chase Brad. Jake was on the swim team however, Brad had a lead. The boys race to boat ultimately ended in a tie. They both climbed up the boat and posed for the other kids taking pictures back on the land. Eventually Scott yells out to the to boys “Who won?” wanting to know who to pay. The boys then look at eachother, Brad offers double or nothing, Jake accepts. Scott yells again “guess nobody is getting paid” the next thing anyone sees Brad pushes Jake off the other side of the boat and dives in. Brad, still thinking it is a race, has his face in the water and is swimming for his life. Brad eventually reaches the pier to a crowd full of shocked faces. “Okay it was kind of a cheap move,” Brad says while lifting himself up out of the water, “but he is a swimmer I needed an edge.” With no one acknowledging him Brad turns around to see what the big fuss is and realizes Jake is nowhere to be found. “Alright, where is he?” Brad asks playfully, “we can’t find him” some one answers “what do you mean?” Brad asks getting nervous. “You pushed him off and know can find him.” Brad starts laughing “Alright it was a dick move but don’t joke about that.” “BRAD HE’S NOT THERE” says one of the girls. Brad now convinced they are being serious dives back in the water and swims out. He gets to the boat then swims around the other side and there is no sign of Jake.

* 2 Months Later *

“Are your ready hunny?” asks Brads mom as she walks into his room to find him in his pajamas still in bed, “Brad!” his mom yells, “school starts in 20 minutes you have to go today you promised.” Brad rolls over “I don’t want to,” his mom was not having anymore of this behavior, after already missing the the last two weeks of school, lost her temper. “I’m tired of this shit, all this poor me crap has got to end, eventually you’re going to have to move past it.” Brad snapped back “Ya mom what do you know about killing your friend!” “Brad you heard the judge you are innocent!” Brad, now yelling “that’s not the point!” “Brad get dressed and go to school!” Brad conceded the fight and started getting ready. He pulled in to his spot and walked in the building. Nobody talked to him or even looked at him, it was like a scene out of a movie. He walked into his first class and the teacher had to do a double take but quickly recovered “Good to see you Mr. Charleston see me after class for the work you have to make up.”  He sat down and kept as low a profile as he could. The rest of the day went pretty similarly, he spoke only to teachers and decided to try and make up school work at lunch so he didn’t have to face his friends at the lunch table.

While this day wasn’t so bad the coming days would come to nearly break him, while no one would dare say anything to his face he couldn’t help but hear comments like “I heard he’s only not in jail because his parents got him that fancy lawyer” and “Do you think he’s going to hell, isn’t that what happens when you kill someone?” He even heard one kid talking to his friend from another school bragging “we have actual killers at our school that’s how tough we are” The comments combined with the therapy his mom made him go to were breaking him down there was no escape no where he can hide from what happend, he started spending time in his basement, a lot of time in the basement. Eventually he stumbled across his father's liquor cabinet, looking for anything to escape the world he was living in he started drinking, everyday. It helped for a while, he still didn’t talk to anyone but the booze helped ignore the comments and dirty looks, but eventually it was less of a coping mechanism and more of a crutch. Not soon after Brads drinking became a problem his parents threw all the alcohol out and he was no longer aloud to leave the house except for school and therapy, where he was soon diagnosed with clinical depression. Brad was in a terrible place. Every day dragged on and was never ending, until, one day while Brad was walking down the halls with his head down he bumped into someone knocking them down, it was a girl, he didn’t recognize her and realized she was probably new. He helped her up and she thanked him, Brad didn't answer her and just put his ear phones in kept walking. The next day while at his locker the girl came up to him, “you know it’s rude to ignore people, especially the ones you knock to the ground.” Brad sensing there was no easy way to get out of this he answers “you’re right I’m sorry. My name is Brad, hope we can be friends.” Startled by his response she responds “I‘m going to ignore the sarcasm, my name is Sue…” Brad could handle the peppy upbeat tone in her voice and decided to just walk away. Everyday for the rest of the week were filled with similar encounters, Sue extending her kindness and Brad just rejecting it, until one day Sue had had enough, “You know what you are an incredible ass, I’ve done nothing to you for you to treat me this way, all I've tried to do was be your friend because I’m new here and have know one and i don't know if you've noticed but you don't either. So if you want to keep doing this loner I'm too cool for friends thing you got going on be my guest I'm done trying.” Brad not even acknowledging her, closes his locker finishes stuffing his backpack and turns to her  “Fine.” Disgustedly she responds “Fine? Fine what?” “Fine we can be friends.” he answers. “It doesn’t work like that you closed that door, your chances are done. Do you even know my name?” Brad smiles for the first time in a long time and answers “I do to Sue Michaels”

*13 Years Later*

Brad opens the door and has 3 kids yelling “Daddy’s home!” Sue is in the kitchen whipping up dinner for the family. Brad sits down in front of the TV puts the football game on with a cold water. He is ten years sober, and has never been happier.