The only way

I look back on summer break and I never noticed how bad my life go so fast. I love my friends dearly and they truely love me. I know that now more than ever, lying here in a hospital bed while they lay in jail. How they could result to death is beyond me. My friends were never violent people, they did not have anger problems, and they were such wonderful people. If you went and asked anyone in town
they'd tell you no different. The untimely event got horrid, and we all knew it did, there was no escaping the truth. If I could take it all back now, at this very moment, I would. I'll start at the beginning...

Going out with Destin was a life-threatening mistake, that I stupidly made. We met my sophomore year, his senior year. The two of us were only a year, apart and my mom was okay with it. Once he looked at me and said ,with his big brown eyes, that I was the most beautiful woman he had ever met, I was hooked. He told me that he loved my long, dark hair and my bright blue eyes. He said that everything about me made him fall in love with me. I was stupid and nieve then. My friends and family liked him... at first anyways.
I fell for him... I fell for him so hard it hurt. People advised me at times, "Don't fall to hard or you might not be able to get back up again. You need to know when to save yourself before you hit rock bottom. If you do not save yourself then no one can help you from digging your way out of the huge hole you dug." I did not listen, and for that I felt like I had jumped off a cliff into my own destruction. It was just that he loved me for who I was. Well that is what I thought at first. He cheated on me, and I found out.

Summer break had just started, and I was already off to a rocky start. My misery was getting the best of me, and all I could do was lie in bed crying. I let misery take over my life for a short time. I had just broken up with my so called boy friend. We'd been dating for so long, I didn't think I could make it
without him. Two years was quite some time to take on a dead end relationship. Thinking he was my only one and we were meant for each other, I did anything and everything for him. Once he told me that he did not see marriage in his future, and I cried for weeks. Eventually I got over it. Supposedly I saw the error of
my ways. Well that is what he claimed; I know that I saw the error of his ways. Why else would I break up with the man I thought would be my forever? For a while I stopped listening to my trustworthy friends and ate up every word he said to me. I believed him like a little dumb puppy. Court, Maggie, and Devine knew from the start what he was. Destin was a woman abuser; he liked to control the many women that revolved
around him. He didn't care what it took to do so; if he had to step on a few people, it didn't matter. They told me he was terrible trouble, but I didn't listen when I should have. These people where my dearest and closest friends. I felt like I had betrayed them in some, godawful way.

On their own, each of them decided that it would be good to throw me a party. They saw the misery in my eyes everyday we were together, not one of them liked the feeling. Hating when I was sad and lonely, My sweet friends decided to throw a happy party would be good for me. So the party was going great, then everybody stopped. Destin had just walked right in like he owned the place with a devious grin on his face. Anywhere he went, he acted like he owned it. He had one of those walks that you know he thinks he's the man. "Hey I thought we were having a party!" Destin exclaimed.
"We were, now if you don't mind there is the door. Don't let it hit you on your way out, jerk," Court came to my rescue, like always.
"You can not tell me what to do; afterall it is not your house. Leaving would be left up to my little lady, right Hope. Hope, baby, I know you love me. Is it your friends who made you ditch me? I can't stand to be with out you, I'm alone," his charm was about to do its magic when Devine and a few other friends of his grabbed Destin and were about to hurdle him out the door when he yelled, "Hey get your filthy hands off me!" They then pushed him out the door.
Matt exclaimed, "The trash has been taken out for the last time. So lets get this party started old school!" He always had to be the joker in the bunch. You know how they say there is one in every croud. Matt would be that one. He was elected class clown every year since he moved here.

Devine came over to me and held me so close I could hear his heart racing. I knew something was wrong or he wouldn't do that. "Hope I am deeply sorry that he ruined the party for you. I never meant for him to come, it's just... I left the door to go fetch your present and when I returned he was there..." He started to ramble on and on about it. I told him not to apologize he had made no mistake. It was not his fault that Destin cam, but he was gone now so it was all right now. I'd thought the party would be the last time I'd ever see Destin again, boy was I off by a long shot. I started to notice someone following my every move. When I was walking somebody would be hiding, when I was driving someone would be behind me,and when I was swimming someone would be on the beach looking at me. This person was everywhere, I was and I had no clue why. What motivated this mysterious person to track me? Finding a note in my mail box was just the beginning of the worst. To my surprise it was from Destin, and he'd stated that he knew my
every move, my every mistake, and no matter what I did he'd be watching. He also said that he still loved me and that if he could not have me, then no one would. No matter what it took we'd be together. Scared stiff I showed the threatening note to my friends. They said he was all talk so it did not really matter waht he tried to say to me. Not one of them was shocked that he had been stalking me.
"Stalking happens everywhere Hope, even in L.A.," Maggie explained to me. She was not the
smartest out of the bunch but I loved her anyways.

Destin started to get out of hand and we knew his behavior would only get worse. That devious man left notes in my small house, followed me everywhere, and took pictures of me so I noticed. I never, in all my life thought that he'd go to extreme measures just to win me back. Someone should have told him that women
do not like it when guys threatened their entire existence. Court told me to get a restraining order so I did. I mean what could be the harm at least he'd quit following me right? For about a week I was serene and calm. I was relaxed and happy for once in two months. Being gald that I was not paranoid, I let my gard down. It was good to do that sometimes wasn't it? Out of nowhere stocker boy stopped me. He forced me against an alley wall and started to yell, "I told you that I'd do anything to be with you! You think one little restraining order will keep me away from you Hope? I know you're a lot smarter than that. I love you and I will stop at nothing to have you with me agian. If I must kill us both to be together then that is what I'll do. You know me Hope and you know I am not kidding around!" Destin had no idea that I was texting Devine. Devine called
the police and saved me from what I thought was a dangerous man... But no he was only a scared little boy trapped in a man's body. Police showed up and took him away from me. They could not hold him because he immediately paid the set bail of $2000. So he did not even enter the jail cell. The police advised me to be careful because they could not hold him if he paid the set bail. After my painful experience I stopped going outside.

Never wanting to leave the house got to my friends. This is where my beloved friends took matters into their own hands and started to plan. "Okay, this has gone on long enough don't you think guys?" Court asked,she was never a follower. It was in her nature to do hwat she needed ot do and if people did not like it then to bad. "We must do something, because sooner or later Destin will kill her! I don't want that and I know the two of you don't want that either." she was demanding but firm. "Hope is so scared she won't come out of the house. She has turned into a monk, practically," she continued, "This is all happening because of that pompus jerk, Destin. If he had just left her alone when she asked him to then none of this would be happening. If we can just
stop him long enough we can protect Hope from him." "What can we do Court? You want us to kill the guy? Because we all know that is the only way that any of us will stop him," Devine stated sarcastically. "I am not saying that we have to kill him... But if that is what it takes to stop him from hurting Hope then, yes. We can not just sit here and watch him control her life," she said. Had Court really said that? Would she kill that fool Destin for Hope, her life long friend? "Wait a minute here we can't just off the guy. People would be suspicious of our motives. We need to make a plan if that is what we are going to do," Devine did not want to kill anyone. "So exactly what are we doing here guys? Are we making a death plan for someone? If we are I do not want any part. I love Hope like a sister, but killing someone is not something I am just going to do. I want to fullfill my life. Now I can't do that behind bars and nither can you guys," Maggie stuttered. She was never a drastically violent person, but they weren't either. If an animal was maimed at the side of the road she would
stop to save it and start crying. This is where the plan all started to take shape. In the form of a gun that is.

I know Devine had a crush on me since he moved in next door. He had told me one day when we were playing. It was still true to this day, probably. I was never led to think that he would do what ever it took to save me. That was until they started to plan. None of them should have done anything to save me; I am a smart girl. In all probability I can take care of myself. "So here is the plan I can find an object to scare him with. All I have to do is search on eBay. They sell everything there." Maggie stepped up to the plate with a grand slam!
"All right Magster! Try looking for a quiet gun," Devine said excitedly. "Mean while we should try to figure out a plan to scare him without the gun. I was thinking we could all talk to him separatly and see what happens. If the three of us could just threaten him to where he'll stop then there will be no need for a stupid gun," Court stated in that leader sort of way. A few hours went by and Maggie had finnaly found a gun. Devine and Court were mapping out an ingenous plan. The plan was just in case the threates didn't work."Hey you two get over here! Look what I found, its a brand new sniper. The gun comes with a silencer. This is what we were looking for right?" Maggie said proudly. "Yea that is what we've been looking for all this time. Does it come with bullets or do we have to buy them separatly? More importantly, how much is it?" Court questioned.
"Well there is one little problem... It's $1524.50. On the bright side bullets are included in the package. I think it says that there are about ten," she replied. "If you can order it me and Court could find some money. I have a savings account and she has money hidden all over the place. About when do you think it'll come in?" Devine asked remorsefully. "In two weeks, which will be two days before Halloween. I had this idea that if we do have to kill him then we should do it on Halloween. There will be wild sprees going on in all parts of town. People will be running amuck all over," Maggie suggested. They decided to pull the job on Halloween.

They each on their own went to Destin in an attempt to scare him. You can guess by now that he did not scare easily. Hoping that he would listen; if he listened then great if not... He told them off and walked away. The gun arrived right on time. If it took all ten bullets he would be going down. Before they killed him reasoning was put into play. He didn't listen and then that is when Devine pulled the trigger. He missed but Destin had not moved an inch. Maggie was known in town by never missing her target. She went hunting alot. She aimed for his heart and hit him. Then they each took a shot till he was dead. I had known something was going on. When they were planning they never hung out with me. I was frightened for some reason. It was like
I could feel that a terrible event was taking place. That Halloween I got very sick, and every time I got sick like that it meant an accident would take place. When the police showed up at my door two weeks from then; I knew
that my gut was right. The police said that I wasn't a suspect. For one I passed the lie detector test. For another I did not know how to shoot a gun and I did not own one at that.

An investigation took place after my questioning. All of my friends were asked about that night and they all passed. When the detective got to Devine, Court, and Maggie he became suspicous. Detectives brought in
forensic scientist to look for more clues. Unexpectedly they found DNA samples. Each was a different sample. Coincidently, there happend to be three different people involved in the killing of Destin P. Sampson. Head lines to the newspapers said that they had found DNA at the scene of the crime. That is when the trio freaked out. They did not know what to do. If they told the police that they did not give permission to take a blood sample... Police would definantly question why, and take one any way. There was no escaping the cold hard truth. With in seconds of the testing of who's DNA was who's, police showed up at each individual's door. They were taken to the station and booked. The trial would not be for a while. Each would be charged with man slaughter in the second degree. They would spend five to ten years in prison with a chance of little or no parole.

For what felt like forever I couldn't stop crying. My doctor then called and told me the most drastically, sorrowful news. "Hope, I must talk to you but it has to be in person. What I have to say to you...I can't tell you on the phone. The news I have for you is terrible but true," he was crying so I could tell that
it was bad. He'd been a friend of the family since I can't remember. I drove down there in state of shock. I was shaking uncontrolingly, for some reason I couldn't stop.
"Hi, I'm here to see Doctor Saliba," I studdered.
"Dr.Saliba, Miss Hope is here to see you. The doctor will be right with you," she replied. I could see sorrow in her eyes. Had it been so terrible for him to tell me on the phone then I was probably dying with my luck.
"Hope please step into my office, sweetheart," he was still crying. I sat in the chair and he sat across from me.
"Can you hurry up and tell me please. I do not like the outdoors much these days. I'd like to go home as soon as possible," I was so strait forward it scared me for once.
"Fine, fine. Hope, my dear... You have cancer. When we ran those tests for your check up, I found something. When I went into further; study on it I found out that it was cancer. The cancer has spread to much and we can't stop it. You could go into radiation, but there would be no purpose. It would only give you a couple more days," He said as clear as he could. He was holding back tears.
"So how long do I have to live Dr. Saliba?" I questioned not really wanting to know the answer. You know how there are questions that shouldn't be answered? Well this is one of those.

"Two to three days at best," he answered in tears. He did not want to say it, but he had to.My friends are rotting away in jail now because I had to get with a mad man. Their there and I am out here waiting for death to take its toll. So the trouble they went through for me; now was meaningless to have done.
How could I have cancer anyways? Well... I found a letter from Destin. He had some how found out about their plans, and he wanted me to die with him. He slipped me a new germ some time. Now I was going to die, alone in a cold hospital room. I would be waiting for eternity for those three. I just want them to know that I loved them more than they will ever know. I was free, even if it was for a second, from the madness of Destin. I recall running into him on the street and we had a quarel. He pricked me with something in my arm but I ignored it. That was probably when he inserted the germ. I am running short of breath now. I don't think I can go on any more. I just want to say thank you Court, Devine, and Maggie, I won't forget you. I would also like to leave the rest of my money and life insurence to them. Everything I own, they can have. I love you guys...

Hope Ann Walther Last will and testiment/confession
of not knowing about the murder plan.

Dr. Saliba witnessed by