I sat down on the bed, tears falling down my eyes. I couldn't sleep that night as I laid in my old bedroom. There were just thoughts running through my head like crazy as I just imagined Frank shooting Andy over and over again. Maybe I didn't know Frank as well as I thought I did. Maybe he wasn't as much of a sweet savior as I thought. He was lying to me, everything was all just a lie. How does that make him much different from Andy?

When I did sleep, it was all full of nightmares. I kept imagining Andy climbing out of the ground like a zombie. I stood up, pacing around my room. My knick knacks were all still here from my childhood. It was weird seeing everything exactly in the same place when I felt like a completely different person.

I had my phone turned off, I didn't want anyone to bother me. I did get a call from Frank before, though. I picked up my device and replayed the voicemail for the fifth time.

"Hey, Gee," Frank muttered. "I am so, so sorry for everything and I just want you to know that I care about you and I can't justify what I did. I know you can't forgive me but just let me make it up to you. I'll help you get a place in New York. I can set you up and then you can live a life away from me. I understand why you want to."

I sighed and set my phone down. I watched the sun rise over the roofs of every house, creating a soft and hopeful glow that didn't match my mood at all. I wish that I could just make it rain so that way at least everything would match my mood. My mom offered to make me breakfast before she left for work but I wasn't hungry, I don't think I could stomach anything at the moment.

Lindsey texted me later that day asking why I wasn't in class and if everything was alright but I didn't answer. I just couldn't be bothered. There was so much that was needing to be done but I didn't know if I even felt like doing any of it. I had to officially drop out of my school, move all my belongings out of my dorm and what's at Frank's house. I would probably need my brother to help me with that. And then I need to fully sit down and make a plan out of what I need to do to get out of this city as fast as possible.

Matcha was asleep on my carpet in a little sun spot she had found. She looked so peaceful and happy laying there. I sat next to her and just watched. I pretended that I could be her and that I could have a peaceful life that didn't include murder where I could just lay down and sleep in sun spots all day and run around in the garden.

Life wasn't like that, though.

I eventually ate home alone just for the sole purpose of needing some sustenance to survive. I began gathering boxes, texting Mikey and asking him to use the car to clear out my dorm. I packed up things I would need before picking up my phone, hesitantly calling Jamia.

"Hi," she said.

"Hey," I muttered.

I could hear soft crying in the background.

"I need a favor, I need my stuff from Frank's house," I said.

"Yeah," she said, the crying fading away as I assumed she was walking away. "I can pack it up and me and my uncle can use his truck in order to bring it to your house today if you give me the address."

"Okay, but I don't want Frank coming to my house," I said.

"I understand," Jamia replied.

It was quiet for a moment and I sighed.

"Did you know he was going to kill Andy?" I asked.

"No, I only found out after," she said.

"After?" I asked. "How soon after?"

Jamia paused. "I helped hide the evidence."

I bit my lip as I hung up, tears rolling down my cheeks. I texted her my address but didn't say anything else. I wasn't sad that Andy was dead. I mean, maybe a little bit but I've just known him for so long and was so close to him. It was the fact that Frank was capable of murder and Jamia was capable of helping him to cover it up. They hid his body together. Jamia learned of the murder and didn't even tell me. I thought she was one of my best friends, I thought she'd tell me everything. Apparently I was wrong, nobody has ever been a true friend and no one will.

I spent all day moping around the house with Matcha as she kept finding new and comfier spots to sleep. Eventually I saw a car in the driveway and realized it was Mikey. I stepped outside, seeing his roommate Pete step out and Ray's car pull up behind them. I gave Mikey and Ray hugs, sniffling as I brushed my hair back.

"What happened?" Mikey asked, pulling me aside as the other two began stacking the boxes that filled the two cars into the garage.

"I don't wanna talk about it," I muttered. "I just want to get away like I always talked about. I want to go to New York already. I want to live the dream life that I've always wanted. You know me, I've always hated this place and I just don't want to stay here anymore."

"What about Frank?" He asked. "What happened?"

I bit my lip. For some reason, I didn't want to report Frank. I felt guilty, like I was an accomplice to the murder. Andy didn't deserve to die, but I didn't want Frank to get in trouble either. I had no clue what to do other than leave.

"It's not important but I'm not talking to him anymore," I said. "I just want to get out of here, that's all."

Mikey looked at me doubtfully but didn't say anything more. I heard a truck pulling up and saw it pulling a small moving trailer. Jamia was in the front seat with another man. They went to help her uncle as Jamia walked up to me.

"Here," she said.

She handed me an envelope and I found it to be full of hundred dollar bills.

"I can't take this," I said.

"Take it, get out of here," she said. "Run away to New York. There's nothing we want more than for you to get out of here and live a happy life."

I knew the "we" that she was talking about were her and Frank.

"Seriously, this is the very, very least we could do," she said.

I sighed, putting the envelope in my back pocket.

"It's to help you get a place, put down security and first month," she said. "Get out of here as soon as you can and live a good and happy life, okay?"

I nodded, watching them carry boxes inside. Jamia gave me a small, sad smile before going over to help. Tears were welling in my eyes as I tried to bat them away. That only seemed to make it worse, though, as I sat on my front step. Eventually they all left and I mustered up enough energy to walk back in and flop back onto the bed.

Matcha woke me up from a sudden sleep I didn't even realize I was in. I woke up and fed her before looking at my phone. I could see it was eleven at night. The trees outside my window didn't look menacing in the darkness. The dancing shadows on my walls didn't bother me either. I thought that it might be terrifying because someone I knew was a killer. What if they were to come after me? But I wasn't scared, not too much. Part of me was relieved that this was the first night I wasn't worried about Andy coming back to town.

I walked downstairs to the garage, turning on the small light. The house was dark so my parents must've already been asleep. I opened the boxes, finding some pictures of me and Frank together. I felt my heart race but I couldn't tell if it was fear or not. I dug through until I found a small pale yellow throw blanket, a small comfort item from my childhood.

With a snack and a drink later, I was back up in bed with Matcha browsing apartments in New York. I didn't have a specific location I was wanting to go to, so I just kept a broad look over the entire city at a cheap price. There were places that looked cute, but they all turned out to be way over budget. The only ones really in budget are these run-down little studios. The only way I would be able to afford anything fairly decent was if I used some of the money in the envelope from Frank. With his, I could probably get a one bedroom without any mold.

But that just got me thinking to Frank again and how confusing this situation was. I was mad at him, mad and scared and confused. But he's not like the rest of them. But maybe I'm just wrong. I'm usually wrong about most things anyways, especially when it comes to relationships. I mean, look how Andy turned out and I once thought he was perfect. Maybe I'm wrong about Frank, too.

The best thing would just be to stay by myself for a while. Get to New York, get a job, focus on some hobbies. I needed to take care of myself for a little bit longer. I needed to just take care of myself and be single for a while. Even with thinking this, I reached for my phone to call Frank.

~~

What does Gerard say to Frank?

What do you want to happen next?