Baby || Zach Dempsey

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"There is a thats only a mother can see a mother always sees the little boy inside the man so there is a...a Bryce I wish you all had known he was capable of hurtful things and he was capable of deep love he has a souls that...wanted to be good and a heart that didn't always know how... but he..he was growing...and getting better and there were moments in these last months where I saw not only the little boy but the good man he might become" Mrs.Walker spoke i kept my head down knowing if I looked at her or the picture of Bryce I would begin to cry so I avoided it

||flashback||
"Where's you mom?" I ask looking around Bryces living room "uh upstairs painting" he said "oh what color?" I ask making my way up the stairs he shrugged we walk into the room together looking at the walls "need a hand?" Bryce asked Mrs.Walker turned to face us

"oh! No thank you I hired the painters for next week but I got a bee in my bonnet we'll see how far I get" she said as she painted the white walls a pretty green color "well here let us help" Bryce said as he picked up two brushes handing me one as he opened the tin of paint "god how bored are you guys?" She asked laughing "we're fine just wanted to help" Bryce said as he was stirring the paint

"this is a very enthusiastic color" I complimented "it was very fashionable in the 70s" Mrs.Walker said "well that decade was on all kids of drugs hey maybe after this you could paint grandpas room magenta " Bryce said making us laugh "and then we could do my prison cell in like tangerine" Bryce spoke pouring the paint in a plastic bin

"your prison cell? You feel like you're serving your sentence" Mrs.Walked said Bryce shot up looking at her "no I didn't- I didn't mean that" he stuttered out setting the tin down and scoffing the plastic bin in between us both

"I asked your grandfather to paint these walls when I was a kid I wanted lime green base with dark green circles" she spoke as me and Bryce began painting

"I begged and he was remodeling tok I thought it'd be easy but no" She said from behind us "I came home on day walked in and he painted the walls that" Mrs.Walker said as we both turn to her and look where she was pointing "the sweet revenge of lime green" I say making Bryce chuckle

"his interior designer who'd become step-monster number three Donna she said green was 'trés gauche' and what daddy wanted daddy got so Donna got her walls" she explained Bryce leaned down to get more paint on his brush as he turned

"now you get yours" he said and paint dripped off his paint brush and onto the floor "oh shit!" He exclaimed Mrs.Walker looked over and then looked at Bryce sighing he looked down disappointed in himself

"um do you have..-" Bryce strayed Mrs.Walker cleared her throat as she splashed paint on the floor where he did "what are you- what are you doing?" He asked confused at his mother's actions "well we'll 0/8't the Floors too" she said shrugging

"what?" I ask "and the ceiling no no the ceiling we paint sky blue" she said point to the ceiling and smiling at the two of us "are you being serious right now?" Bryce asked looking over at me then back to his mom "yeah" she nods

"all right are sure that a 31-flavor color palettes what you want to go with?" He asked she flicked paint at him he flinched back looking at his white shirt

"oh need more?" She asked "jeez no!" He said getting paint on his brush I laugh as the two fight but stop once I fell the cold feeling of a paste I look down at my arms to see them covered in green paint I look up at Bryce to see him laughing

"oh it's on Walker!" I say getting paint on my brush flicking it at him and his mom we were all covered in paint I was chasing Bryce and he slipped on the spot where the two dropped paint on the floor taking me down with him

we both laugh as Mrs.Walker stood over us cracking up she took her roller and rubbed the paint all over us ||end flashback||

"I loved him we loved him" Mrs Walkers voice cracked I can only imagine that pain she is going through even though Bryce did horrible things to people he was her son and she saw the good in him when nobody else could

"Bryce Walker was a rapist!" A girl from Jessica's club stood up shouting causing other girls to stand up

"believe survivors!" "Mourn the victim not the rapist!" They at the top of the stairs and dropped down a white sheet that had red paint on it saying 'mourn the victim not the rapist' "get that sign down! Stop it!" Mr.Walker angrily shouted at the girls "Bryce Walker should burn in hell!" A blonde girl in front of the Jensens yell

"shut up!" Mr.Walker yelled at her tears streamed down my face as so many emotions rushed through my body

"justice for Hannah!" The first girl shouted

"take down that damn sign!" Mr.Walker continued to shout

"justice for Jessica!" A couple girls yell Mr.Walker Walker around yelling at the girls

"justice for Kensley!" Half the girls shout I let out a breath

all the memories flooding back Bryce pinning me down his weight crushing me as he roughly kissed me their yells and bickering played in the background

I repeated the two nights over and over thinking about the pain and what he said to me those nights and how helpless I was my breathing became hard to keep up with

I quickly stood up out of my seat walking out the door and outside running my hands through my hair my hands shaking as I lean up against the brick building

I heard the door open and close meaning someone followed me out I felt a warm hand grab my arm I flinch and back up still shocked I look up at the person and see....

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