CHAPTER ONE: BACKGROUND
There are moments in life you will never forget. Where were you on 9/11/2001? Where were you when John F. Kennedy was assassinated? Where were you when Madonna lost her virginity onstage at the Video Music Awards? For a small Texas town, there was an unthinkable event that occurred. A tragic, controversial event occurred and nobody who was in the room would ever forget it. Everyone in town was forced to take one side or another. Everyone who was actually in the room to witness it was constantly being asked by friends and relatives to recount what occurred in that room. The actual events that occurred would be subject to interpretation for years to come, especially because everyone saw what happened completely differently. Rumors spread, and there was no objective version of events because everyone swore what they saw happen was the 100% honest truth. The only thing everyone could agree upon was that what happened was tragic. On the very first day of school, when high school seniors woke up knowing that they would rule the school, that they would have the best outfit that day, that their crush would notice them that day, that they would rebel against their parents that day, that they would start an amazing senior year and get into their dream college, everything changed. Nobody who lived through those horrifying events would ever be the same.
It all started several years ago. Adam turned off his alarm and hopped into the shower. As he looked at his body, he was filled with the same self-loathing as always. Why wasn't he muscular like the other guys in school? Why was his dick so small? What woman would ever love him? When would he get out of this suffocating town and really be able to make something of himself? He was losing hope that he would ever be anything. He turned off the water and walked to his room to put his clothes on. Cheap clothes from Wal-Mart. All that could be afforded. Adam had to be quiet and tiptoe around the house to avoid waking his father up. Once again, Dad had spent all night drinking and was not going to be in a good mood when he woke up. As for mom, she had fled years ago, and not had the compassion to bring her kids with her. But as Adam finished getting dressed, he hit the floor as his father took a baseball bat to his head.
Adam would think back a lot to when his mother had left. "I am trapped," she had sobbed. "I am trapped," she said, covering her bruised eyes. Even at 7 years old, Adam felt no sympathy for her. She had chosen to marry his father. She had chosen to have kids with him. Now she was all of a sudden unhappy in her marriage, and how dare she burden her own kids with that? They hadn't chosen this. He didn't like hearing them fight every night. His hitting her and her sobbing about it. Why didn't she just learn how not to make him so angry? When she sent the Christmas cards she shouldn't have signed her own name so big that it crowded out space for him to write his message. She was so selfish. She married a bad man and then got surprised he was a bad man. Meanwhile, Adam had never asked to be born.
Then there were sirens. So many police sirens. Somebody shouting about corrupt police officers. Somebody shouting about bribery. Somebody saying, "Don't take my babies." And shovels and dirt. Adam has blocked out the rest of that night but knows that it never would have happened if not for his mother marrying a man she knew was angry and then repeatedly provoking him. Since she abandoned them, Adam's father got deeper and deeper into religion. Adam did as well. He was taking his confirmation classes when it happened. When the priest touched him.
"Adam," said Mr. Weiss. Mr. Weiss was Adam's favorite teacher. AP European History was Adam's favorite class. They were learning about Napoleon and his Hundred Days after returning from Elba when Mr. Weiss asked to see Adam after class. "Adam, I am concerned about your performance lately. Your last few test grades are not to your normal standard. Is everything alright?" Adam was overjoyed. Somebody to rescue him finally. So many adults had surely noticed his sad faces. People must have known he had no mother. So many people must have seen the bruises of his dad beating him. But nobody ever asked him or said anything. The world had totally betrayed him over and over. And here was Mr. Weiss to rescue him.