"What is going on?" Mr. Dalton asked looking at the group of teenagers. At first, everyone just looked at each other. Then Adam spoke up.

"We just had a little accident with the wheelchair and then a small misunderstanding," he said softly. He did not want to stir anymore trouble for anyone. Jason and Chuck looked at him like he was insane. Alyssa almost spoke up herself, but then she noticed that Jason motioned for her not to say a word. Taking the hint, Robert reached out to shake Adam's hand. "Sorry about that, we didn't see you stop."

Mr. Dalton looked over at the boy that Alyssa punched. He was still gasping for air from the hit.

"So what happened to him?" Mrs. Tripp asked. She did not seem to be convinced by the explanations.

"Alyssa's wheelchair knocked in to him when I fell into Adam pushing her," Robert chimed in. He did not want to risk getting expelled so he was going to push the cover up scam as far as he could.

"It sound like to me that some people need to watch where they are going!" Mr. Dalton said, not really wanting to take any more of his time trying to get to the bottom of things. Mrs. Tripp at first frowned at his lack of interest, but then also let it go too.

"Well, if everyone is fine, then I think you all need to get going to class," she muttered. Soon the group went their separate ways. They also exchanged glances that made it understood that things were not over between them. Adam and Jason both kissed their girlfriends' good-bye and promised to talk to them sometime after they heard what was going on. Chuck and Craig also promised to keep in touch.

After the small group disappeared onto the school elevator with Alyssa, Adam and Jason walked towards the van. Jason saw Adam hold his head as they entered the parking lot area.

"Are you all right?" Jason asked him as he unlocked the passenger side door.

"Yeah, I will be fine," Adam answered softly.

Jason turned to face his brother. "Why did you let him hit you like that?"

"I don't know. I just did not feel like fighting at all," Adam said with no emotion. He had that same stone face.

"Adam, you do not deserve to be beaten up. You did not do anything," Jason pleaded. "It has been proven that you did not mess the car up. Someone else did."

"I should have caught it Jason. I should have checked the fluid lines and levels," Adam said as he started to get into the van. But Jason stopped him by putting his hand on his younger brother's shoulder and turning Adam to face him.

"Adam, you are innocent. The charges have been totally dropped."

Adam paused for a minute and looked to the ground. He then took a deep breath and looked at Jason. "I might be innocent to the law, but I still have to stand trial in the court of public opinion."

"What do you think?"

"Think about what?"

"Do you think that you killed him? I mean do you really believe that you are responsible for Randall's death?" Jason asked. He really wanted to know what his brother thought. It was hard to read his thoughts at this time and he did not talk too overly much. "I want the truth."

Adam paused at first like he really did not want to answer the question, but then he looked into his brother's eyes. Jason wanted an answer and he promised to never hide anything from him ever since the incident with Bill.

"Jason, I am sorry. I know what you are trying to do. You want to prove my innocence and you very well may have. But nothing is going to change the fact that I was the last person to see Randall alive. I gave him the keys to that death trap. If someone tinkered with it, then I could have caught it if I was up on my toes," Adam said. He was starting to tear up as he told his brother how he felt. "I may not be the murderer, but I am an accessory. Not to mention, this town is never going to forgive me. They all think that I am stupid because I am the only person in town with a brain injury. And they are right in that sense, I am not too smart like you and I should not be working on things that are so important like brakes. Things are not going to be the same."

Jason was taken back by Adam's answer, but knew that he was speaking from the heart.

"Adam, you are not stupid. You have came so far. Don't let them stop you now," Jason replied. He knew that Adam was hurting deep inside, but there was nothing he could do but be there for him. And that was exactly what he was going to do.

"Hey Adam!" they heard a voice shout behind them

Both boys turned to see Alyssa wheeling across the parking lot to them. She had a big smile on her face and her hair gleamed in the sunlight.

"I have the next two periods free. Would you like to go somewhere with me?" She asked. It was evident that she was clearly excited. "I have to be back for eighth period because we are having lab."

"I am supposed to come straight back home though," Adam replied.

"Yes, but I think that everything will be fine. We have someone watching the house for us and you need to get out. It might make you feel better," Jason said. He thought that maybe Alyssa could get through to him. "Do you have your cell phone with you?"

"You bet," She said. "It is in the Cherokee."

"You can call me when you get ready to come back to school and I can meet you here to pick him up," Jason said without really giving Adam a chance to back out of the deal. He knew that Adam needed something and maybe Alyssa was the answer. His brother deeply loved her.

"Then it is set. Come on we do not have time to waste. I think I know where I will take you," Alyssa said turning her wheelchair towards her Cherokee. Adam glanced over at Jason and then walked behind her.

Jason could not help but smile at the sight of seeing them together. It was funny to think that he used to be the one that Adam opened up to and now there was someone else that he could count on too. He could not have chosen anyone better than Alyssa. After calling his mother and letting her know of the change in plans, he turned the van towards home.

"So, do you like my thinking?" Alyssa asked as she parked the Cherokee to the cliff that overlooked the ocean. It was a secluded spot just outside of town that many people came to view the ocean, think and to share special times with that special someone.

"It is great Alyssa," Adam replied. He got out of the vehicle and helped her into her chair and wheeled it to the overlook. They both sat there and talked about regular things that any couple would talk about at that age. Just then Alyssa jumped and looked over at Adam.

"I almost forgot. Get me my little CD player from the back and the bag next to it please," She said with a grin. Adam immediately went to get it for her and placed everything beside her.

"I have a surprise for you. I saw a CD the other day and I got it because there is a song that made me think of you," Alyssa said as she rummaged through the backpack. She pulled out the CD, being careful to hide it from Adam's sight.

The song started to play as they both sat there overlooking the great Pacific Ocean and the very edge of town by the docks. Adam knew the song the minute he heard the first few bars of music. It was Nelson's "I Can't Live Without Your Love and Affection". Alyssa and Adam had very different musical tastes and normally Adam cringed at the thought of listening to two "hot babes", as Alyssa would put it. But he had to smile when he listened to the words to the song as Alyssa sang them to him. For a moment, all of his thoughts left his mind and all he could think about was how lucky he was to have Alyssa in his life. He then looked down at the ocean's surf and the beach, his favorite things in the whole world. He smiled for one of the first times in days. Alyssa saw the smile and it made her even more happy. Things are going to be fine. But then, Adam spotted a family on the beach. A man playing with two little children in the sand. The man appeared to be a father as he chased them around and hugged them each. Adam remembered his father doing the same with them when they were little. He could still remember the feeling of flying through the air as their father would swing them around and around. Adam also recalled the first time that his father cried in front of him, when his paternal grandmother died. Adam was devastated by the sudden death since she had a stroke. He was the one who found her as he rushed in on Easter Sunday to greet her at the age of fourteen. Adam clearly recalled the smell of his father's cologne as Mr. Kramer held Adam as they loaded her body into the hearse. Nothing was like that warm feeling of a father or a mother's hug. He also remembered the last time that his father cried. They were alone when he was in the hospital for the second time after his accident and Ashita was put away for good. His father thought that he was asleep, but the touch of his father's hands made him wake up. His father was thanking God for Adam's life and he spoke of how much Adam and Jason both meant to him. Adam could remember also feeling of the tears dropping from his father's face and onto his own hand. All those things flooded Adam's mind and it was then that he thought of Rachel and Jonathan. They would not have that again. Never in their life will they hear their father's voice or feel his touch. Rachel will have to have someone else walk her down the aisle on her wedding day and Jonathan will have to finish restoring his own Charger by himself.

"All because I did not check that fluid," Adam muttered. He was totally overloading emotionally and Alyssa quickly shut off the music and touched the top of his head since he was sitting next to her. Adam jumped up at the touch of her hand.

"What is wrong Adam?" Alyssa asked with a concerned look on her face. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No, it is me. I just need to get away," Adam said as he leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. He was shaking uncontrollably and tears were starting to stream down his face. He took one last glance at her face and ran into the woods next to the overlook. He could hear Alyssa call out for him, but he just needed to get away. He did not want Alyssa to see him totally fall apart like a little boy. So he went deep into the woods to the point that he could not hear anyone or anything.

Jason was just nearing the driveway to the Kramer house when he saw the mailbox. He grimaced at the sight of the mailbox covered with ketchup and a sign that read, "Retarded Murderer". Getting out of the van to take the sign down, he thought to himself how glad he was that Adam had not seen it. He knew that Adam was very unstable and something like this would take him over the edge. That thought scared him since he did not know what Adam was capable of doing since he would not defend himself against Robert's attack. He stared at the sign and felt a rage stir from within.

"My brother is not a murderer. He is a survivor," He said as he ripped the sign into pieces. Getting paper towels from the van to clean the mess, he heard the cell phone ring.

Before he could even say anything, he heard the desperate voice of Alyssa.

"Jason, you have to come out to Miner's Bluff. Adam just ran off from me. He was extremely upset and I think he might do something stupid," She cried.

At first Jason could not breathe, but then he took in a gulp of air and tried to calm himself.

"Are you there?" Alyssa cried back.