Break Free

Chapter Twenty Seven

(IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE: Out of respect, Scott will no longer be in this story but it will go on. This chapter is also quite short.]

"Mr. Aoki?!" Chester gasped and tore his arm away from his uncle's grip and ran up to him, hugging him tightly. They were all gathered in the music room and Chester was so happy to see a familiar face but he was confused. Normally Scott was around watching his every move. "Where's Scott?" 

"He left." Mr. Aoki simply replied and Chester let go of him.

"Where'd he go?"

"Away."

"Stop holding this from me. I have a right to know." Chester said seriously and Steve sighed.

"Look, he liked you. He told you that before." Aoki began, immediately confusing Chester on how he knew this. "He liked your personality and voice, he felt guilty for all the things he did to you to hurt Mike. It was all just to hurt him, not you. He just felt completely guilty and he left."

"...Why are you here? Where's Mike?" Chester asked softly and Steve looked into Chester's big, brown eyes.

"He just felt completely guilty and he left... Leaving me to take his place." 

~

Steve and Chester entered the house, Chester as white as a ghost. Toby immediately ran towards him and hugged him tightly but he did nothing. She pulled away and looked at him uncertainly.

"Chaz...?" She said softly but even his eyes wouldn't look up at her. She wondered what happened but didn't have time to ask when everyone came rushing down the stairs. They all hugged him tightly but he just remained still. The guys all pulled away just as Mike came down the stairs. The two stared at each other. Chester's heart was aching at the sight of him. He wanted to run forward and hug him with all his might but Mike felt nothing and didn't move towards him. Instead, he turned and left the room.

"Chester... Are you alright?" Brad asked and Chester just looked at the spot where Mike had been standing. He felt tears in his eyes but let none drop. They all looked to Steve. "What happened to him?"

"Don't know." He said shortly but Chester knew it was a lie. 

"He isn't talking." Phoenix noted and Steve nodded.

"Neither was Mike."

"Steve... is Chester okay?" Rob asked uncertainly, noticing the unusual extra paleness of Chester's skin. "He looks terrified."

"He probably is. It's tough adjusting back."

"Why do you sound so suspicious?" Brad dared to ask and Mr. Aoki rolled his eyes. 

"Guys, leave Steve alone. He went through who knows what kind of trouble to get Chester back!" Toby defended him and wrapped Chester in her arms again. He loved having her familiar warmth but he was scared. He didn't know what was going to happen if he spoke. He was afraid of getting Mike hurt. Steve scared him and had already hurt him more than Scott ever did. Between the time Chester left and arrived back at the house, he knew he was in a brand new hell that was even worse than the last.

Tribute to Scott Weiland:

[Alright, guys, I just want to say some things about Scott so please skip or read on, whatever you'd like to do.]

I've been a huge fan of Stone Temple Pilots for such a long time now. I remember when I first heard Vasoline on Sing Star and thought it was so interesting and unique. I hadn't known even about Chester's love for STP at the time and ended up digging into them. I discovered later on that Chester loved STP as well so I felt yet another bond with Chester over this band and Scott.

I read quite a bit about Scott Weiland. He was best known for abusing substances and his music, both of which something I became highly aware of when it came to him. He didn't seem like a bad person though. I always try to dig for the reason why someone is acting out, rather than curse them for their mistakes but then somethings changed.

Scott was kicked out of STP and Chester joined them in 2013. I remember when everything happened. At first, Scott seemed really cool about it, he and Chester were still on great terms and considered each other friends but then Scott dissed their new music and tried getting people to promote his band at their concerts. He would basically stab his old band in the back and I lost respect for him but I couldn't help but still like him. He made great music and made people really happy. That was enough for me. I've vented and praised Scott in the past and either way, I'm still going to miss him no matter what. He was a brilliant musician and it's just hard to believe he's actually gone. 

The night he died, I had this awful feeling. I ended up rearranging my entire room to try and distract myself, all while wearing my STP shirt. I was actually about to change into something else before I went to bed but something made me keep it on. When I woke up the next morning, I hoped it was all a hoax but I knew it wasn't. Scott was declared dead in Bloomington, Minnesota. I don't live far from there, about an hour away. I felt shook up all day and tried not to cry throughout school, only to majorly break down after. I also had this feeling during one of my hours at school that Chester had found out and when I checked his twitter, he had posted about it the same time I felt something.

Although Scott tends to be a felon in my stories, I loved him. He made people happy and that's huge in my book. He took an early passage that he shouldn't have taken and it breaks my heart when STP comes on shuffle on my phone now or on the radio. I just hope he's happy now. He brought joy into so many people's lives, I hope he now gets a slice of that for himself.

Rest easy, Scott.

~BSkyeSoldier