cared about me. Like for real. I began to open up to her more. I told her that I didn't even know who my dad was, and that if it wasn't for me selling drugs we'd be out on the street. She like gave me money and told me that I didn't have to sell drugs. I still did. She kept after me, telling me to stay in school, I'd already dropped out, and telling me that she cared and God loved me. It was the first time in my life that anyone besides my mom had really cared about me. I began to look forward to her visits, and my mom began to love her too. Then..." Zane took a deep breath and closed his eyes then opened them and continued. "One day my mom and I were walking to the store to get some groceries. We had nothing at home. I had thousands stashed, but I wanted to use it for emergencies. A car was driving by slowly. Ice filled my chest and I knew what was coming. My life seemed to go in slow motion. The window rolled down and a hand with a 9 mm stuck out. I hit the floor, but my mom didn't make it. The car speed off and she fell with a thud. I didn't know what to say right then. All I remember is being so angry that I picked my mom up and ran back home. I laid her on the bed and called 911. I knew they wouldn't come to my neighborhood, but I wanted to try. When they told me they couldn't come I slammed the phone down and ran to my mom. She was gone. I wept then, like a baby, and pleaded with this unknown God to bring her back. He didn't. I used the thousands that I had to pay for a funeral. All her family came, but none of them wanted me. Hate was my motivation for living. I swore I would kill the guy that had killed my mom. I ran from Amanda, never wanted to see her again. A couple months passed. I walked around in a haze of hate. I hated the world. One day I was home in my apartment, well the one I used to share with my mom, and I heard a knock at the door. I was particularly mad that day. I was sure that it was someone to come and mess me up so I went to the door with my 9 mm just waiting to lay someone out. I yanked open the door open intending on shooting the person behind it. But to my surprise, there was Amanda, smiling away. I didn't know she even knew where I lived. I found out later that she had asked around. I sat there with my mouth open, not really knowing what to say. I dropped the gun, and I really don't know what happened, but I just broke down into tears and cried my eyes out. She just stood there repeating, "God loves you, and I do too". I cried harder. When I stopped crying she asked me if my mom had really died. I said yes. Then she asked me if I wanted to come home with her to her parents. I looked at her like she had completely lost her mind, but she was serious. I don't know what possessed me to do it, but I did. I packed my bags, climbed into her car, and she drove me out of the bad part and away in