Boxes towered in the living room of Lizzie’s new house, some sat scattered around the room.

“Alright” Bradley said setting a few more boxes down.

“I think that’s it” he said “I think so” Lizzie said “here” she said handing him a drink.

“Thanks” he said.

“Hey, how about a quick game of poker?” she asked tapping his knee “I’ll try and go easy on you” she said as they went into the kitchen.

“You’re on” Bradley said as the phone rang.

"Hello" she said answering "Oh hi” she said smiling “Oh we’re just taking a quick poker break… everything alright?" she asked “Oh yeah he’s right here…Bradley honey, it’s your dad" Lizzie said handing him the phone.

“What’s up padre?” Bradley asked.

"Hey, I've been trying to call you is your phone off?" Brian asked.

“No, I don’t think so” he said confused as he pulled it from his back pocket "Oh yeah, I guess my battery died” Bradley said.

“Oh, hey look I need you to come home alright?” Brian said.

“Oh, okay, now?” Bradley asked.

“Yeah…it’s important” Brian said glancing behind him.

"Yeah okay, I'll be right there" Bradley said.

“Good, I’m at your mom’s office at the hospital” Brian said “So just try to get here as soon as you can okay?” he said.

“Yeah, okay” Bradley said confused as he hung up.

"Everything okay?" Lizzie asked as he hung up.

"I don't know" Bradley said to her "I got to go."

"Oh of course, let me know what's happening" she said.

"Bye grandma" Bradley said to her.

"Bye sweetheart" Lizzie said as he left the house.

"He coming?" Vicki asked as she approached Brian.

"He's on his way" Brian said sadly.

"How do we tell him?" she asked.

The elevator dinged as he came to Vicki's floor, he walked down a long stretch of hallway and knocking on the door to Vicki's office "Mom?" he asked.

"Hi sweetheart" Vicki said wiping tears away and standing up from her desk.

“Hey buddy” Brian said getting up and hugging Bradley.

"So…what's going on?” he asked as he looked between them.

“How about you have a seat?” Vicki asked.

“Uh…thanks, but I’m okay just tell me what's wrong" Bradley said confused.

"Come on" Brian said setting him in the chair.

"Okay…" Bradley said as he reluctantly sat down.

Vicki turned the other chair to face him and sat down and held his hand tightly “Honey…I really don’t know how to tell you this…” she said sniffling.

“It’s about Neilson” Brian said.

“Wh…what about Neilson, is he alright?" Bradley asked.

“We were at the studio tonight and uh...when we got home..." Brian said as his voice broke "We found Neilson..."

"Bradley... I'm so sorry honey…” Vicki said to him.

“Wh…” Bradley said.

“Neilson is gone” Vicki said sadly.

Bradley's face became blank as he stared at them disbelief "What are you talking about?" he asked “What do you mean gone?” he asked.

“Bradley…he’s dead” Brian said to him.

“What are you talking about dead? How?" he asked.

"Bradley..." Vicki said.

"You don't want to know" Brian said to him.

"You're telling me my best friend is dead, the least you can do is tell me how it happened” Bradley said irritated.

"He overdosed” Brian said.

"Wh...what?" Bradley asked confused “No, no..Neilson doesn’t do drugs” he said.

“Honey…it was deliberate” Vicki said to him.

“You’re wrong, okay? He’s not…he’s not dead okay? He can’t be…he can’t be dead…he can’t be” Bradley said “Come on, this is Neilson we’re talking about here, he wouldn’t…he wouldn’t do that to himself, there has to be some kind of mistake” he said.

“There’s no mistake” Brian said.

“Oh yeah then where is he? I want to see him for myself” Bradley said.

“Bradley…” she said “You don’t want to see him like this” Vicki said.

“This…this is a joke, this is obviously just one of his stupid setups right? I mean he’s not…he can’t be” Bradley said nervously.

Brian approached him slowly, shaking his head in a negative gesture “This isn’t a joke, I’m sorry Bradley…he’s gone” he said grasping Bradley’s shoulders.

The realization finally hit him, crashing into him like a wrecking ball, shattering him “This can’t…this can’t be happening… no…no” he repeated to himself.

“I’m so sorry honey, I’m so so sorry” Vicki said as came up behind him, putting her hands on his shoulders.

“I can't do this, I got to go, I can't do this" he said. running from the room.

“Bradley!” Vicki called out after him.

“Just…give him some time by himself” Brian said to her.

“He’s not going to be okay is he?” she asked.

“I don’t know” Brian shaking his head, he felt his pocket vibrate, he pulled his phone out and saw the text message “She’s here” it read “Sash is back” he said to Vicki.

A table lamp set a dim glow to the room as Nick sat on the couch “Hey, what are you doing here?” she asked.

“You get any of my messages?” he asked sniffling.

“Oh yeah, I was just going to call you” she said “What’s going on? You look like you’ve been crying” she said concerned.

“We have to talk” he said whimpering “It’s about Neilson” he said.

“What happened? Is Neilson okay? Where is he?” she asked nervously “Nick! What happened?” she asked.

“I’m so sorry Sash” he said tearfully.

“No” she said quietly.

“He’s gone Sash…our boy is gone” he sobbed.

“Why would you say something like that?” she asked horrified “He’s not…he’s okay, I know he is” he shook his head “If Neilson were…if something were wrong would know okay? I’m his mother” she said nervously.

“Sash…he’s dead” Nick said to her, tears spilling down his cheeks.

“Don’t say that! Don’t you ever say that to me!” she said angrily “You’re wrong okay? You’re wrong, you made a mistake” she said.

“It’s not a mistake!” he said.

“Then where is he? I want to see him” she said.

“No you don’t” he said.

“I’m his mother!” she said “I have a right to see my child and that’s what I’m going to do” she said grabbing her purse and leaving the house.

“Sash!” he called out after her.

“First daddy, now Neilson” Natalie sobbed “Why does everyone I love keep disappearing?” she sobbed.

Jodi held her closer and kissed her head “I don’t know honey, I don’t know” she said when the doorbell began to ring, she let Natalie go and went to the front door.

“Hey Ms. Cappel” Bradley said to her sniffling, his face tear stained.

Natalie turned to look at him. Their faces both crumbled in sorrow as she ran into his arms, they glommed onto each other and wept mournfully on each other’s shoulder.

“That is not Neilson in there and I will prove it to you, Vicki, open it” she said as they stood outside the morgue.

“Sash…” Vicki said to her.

“Vicki…please” she said desperately.

Vicki nodded and opened the door, she charged inside. A lonely stretcher sat in the middle of the room, Sasha cautiously approached it and pulled the sheet away, revealing Neilson’s face. She finally crumbled to the floor, Nick rushed to her side and bent down to her level.

"Why?" she in between sobs "Why?" she cried again as he held her closely “Not our boy” she wailed “Why our son?” she asked.

Earlier that day, Neilson sat on the window seat, looking forlornly outside, watching a flock of birds fly from one tree to another. The sun was shining and the sky was a clear blue, Neilson held back the tears that were fighting their way out.

“Hey” Bradley said coming into the room.

“Hey, what’s up?” Neilson asked sullenly.

“I’m going to help my grandma move her stuff in, want to come?” Bradley asked.

“Uh…no, thanks though” Neilson said.

“You okay?” Bradley asked.

“Yeah, why?” Neilson asked.

“I don’t know you haven’t seemed like yourself lately” Bradley said sitting in a desk chair “Something wrong?” he asked.

“No…just something personal, you can’t really help me with this anyways” Neilson said.

“I can try” Bradley said shrugging.

“No, I’ll be alright” Neilson said smiling sadly.

“Sure you don’t want to come? We can really use the extra help” Bradley said.

“Uh…no, I have something I have to do” Neilson said sadly.

“Alright, I’ll be back later tonight maybe we can do something then” Bradley said.

“Yeah…sure” Neilson said smiling sadly.

“Later” Bradley said leaving the room.

“Goodbye Bradley” Neilson said as tears formed in his eyes.

Natalie sat down next to him.

“Why'd he have to go and do this to himself?" he whimpered.

"I don't know" Natalie said whimpering "I can't believe he couldn't realize how much we loved him" she said.

The doorbell rang, Natalie stood up and opened the door to see Kyle, Harry, and Adam standing there “Hey” she said sniffling.

“Hey” Kyle said hugging her “I’m so sorry Nat” he said tearfully.

“Me too” she said sniffling once more.

“Hey” Kyle said to Bradley.

Bradley’s eyes shifted upwards “What are you doing here?” he asked.

“Nat called, told me you were here” he said “We thought you could use a few more friends” he said.

“I don’t get it…I leave for a few hours, I come back and all of a sudden my best friend is dead?” Bradley asked "What happened?" he asked Kyle “Do you know?” he asked,

Kyle shook his head “No uh…Adam and I were at Gavin’s and…Harry was at the library” he said “And uh…when we pulled up the paramedics and stuff were here but…” he said shaking his head in a negative gesture “Bradley it was too late he was already gone” Kyle said, his voice warbling, tears trickled down Harry and Adam’s cheeks.

“I knew there was something…” Bradley said as tears began to form in his eyes “There was something off about him lately” he said tearfully “He wasn’t his usual self” he said “I should’ve done something, I should’ve seen that he was hurting or something…” he said as tears fell down his cheeks “I could’ve helped him” he whined “Why didn’t I help him?” he asked weeping.

Natalie pulled him close, pressing his head to her chest as she let him fall apart.

“Hello! Anyone home?!” he bellowed as he stepped into the upstairs hallway “Neilson?” he asked knocking on his door and going inside “You asleep?” he asked “Come on sleepy head, time to wake up” Neilson stayed still “Neilson...Neilson come on, get up” he said nervously his eyes finally fell on the glass of water and empty bottle on the nightstand. “Neilson! Neilson wake up! Someone get some help!”

Brian could hear him desperately pleading from upstairs, he quickly ran up the stairs and into Neilson’s room “What’s going on?” he asked.

“Call 911!” Nick yelled frantically “Neilson please!” he said holding his lifeless body in his arms.

“Yeah I need an ambulance” Brian said on the phone, he spied the empty bottle on the nightstand “There’s been a suicide attempt” he said.

“Please! Please, Neilson just wake up for me!” Nick begged helplessly “Neilson wake up please!”.

"I kept trying to wake him up but he wouldn’t…” Nick said holding her in his arms as they held each other tightly, weeping openly.

“Why would he do this? Why would he want to do this to himself?” Sasha asked

“I wish I knew…I really wish I knew” Nick said, they held each other tightly.