CHAPTER FIFTEEN

      EVERYDAY HUMANS make a decision. Left or right, yes or no, black or white, save her or leave her, a decision is made and it changes the course of one's life forever. Every moment of everyday humans stand at a fork, a decision in their mind and uncertainty in their hearts. Decisions that taint their pasts, affect their present and form their futures. Decisions like the one Lily Tran made that night when she decided to enter the spider web Venus Wilson had constructed so delicately, made of her enemies and her sins. Decisions that will haunt her forever. Decisions she found herself regretting nightmare after nightmare.

"Oh my God, what do I do?!"

Leave her, please leave her.

"Someone help me!"

Don't scream. Don't scream. Don't scream.

"Listen to me Lily, I need you to breathe for me."

Run, Lily.

"Lily?"

Venus?

"What's that on your hands, Lily?"

Red, liquid, blood?

"Lily, you killed her, oh my God, you killed her!"

     "—No!" Lily's shrill voice bounced from wall to wall.

     Her chest rose and dropped with each intake of air and her hand rose to wipe away the excess of sweat around the back of her neck and forehead. Lily looked around the dark room, her eyes becoming accustomed to the absence of light before a feeling on guilt and nausea settled within her stomach. Her hand dropped from her neck only to latch onto the fabric that was draped over her stomach not wanting to make a trip to the bathroom so late at night.

Once her breathing had leveled off her hand automatically reached out for her phone that was thrown on the bed lost in the sea of blankets and pillows. A groan slipped past her lips as she failed at locating her phone, only wanting to hear one voice at that moment. The same voice she'd been avoiding after the scene she had witnessed, the same voice that she had grown used to. The same voice that reminded her of that dream, the same voice that led her to find Venus' lifeless body.

Just at the mention of her name, Lily's phone shone in the pitch black that mirrored the view outside of her window. Her sense of hearing had picked up the thunder and light rain that splattered against her window. But that was not what alarmed her, the sound of the familiar ringtone that belonged to a lost lover was what haunted her mind with memories that threatened to break past the walls she had built in order to forget anything and anyone that had to deal with Venus.

Yet her hands had a mind of their own as she watched her thumb slide across the phone screen in order to accept the call. It was almost second nature for her to receive a call from him at this hour, a routine that seemed so ancient though only having started a couple of months prior. Words were not exchanged as she pressed her phone against her ear, she only listened to his erratic breathing and from that, she knew he'd had a nightmare. Although this Lily did not rush to reassure him that it was only a bad dream instead she listened to him breakdown little by little not speaking until he was ready to listen to her.

     "I need you right now," he whispered almost as if he were afraid of his own voice.

"I need you right now."

"Tyler, are you crazy? It's one in the morning!"

"C' mon, Tran, live a little! I'm outside your house."

     She remained quiet as the memories of yesterday flooded in not wanting to fall prey to the man on the other side of the line. Though she couldn't ignore the pull on her heart the moment his voice kissed her ears even through the phone it was if he was there beside her. A shiver ran down her spine when she heard him take a sharp inhale as if he were circling her in an embrace. The hold on her phone loosened as she heard him break down not knowing what to do. It did not alarm her when the phone slipped past her grip and onto the lap as she stared ahead in the dark abyss that had swallowed her bedroom and her innocence.

Despite the thunder that rumbled outside his muffled cries from the phone were all that drowned  her ears. Her eyes threatened to produce tears but it was her heart that was numb. The panic settled in her as if a mother cuddling her child, unnoticed. The feeling of adrenaline was enough for her to realize what was to ensue in the following moments. Her phone may have been on her lap but his cries could be heard loud and clear, enough to give her a migraine. She winced at her own thoughts.

     "I'm sorry," she murmured out in a monotone voice.

Once the call was declined her back touched the foam mattress once more but her eyes did not shut to invite the slumber her body craved. Instead, she wondered what the unfamiliar feeling of numbness was that blanketed her whole. Her eyes, wide, remained on the ceiling until she could make out shapes that had never been there before. The lightning provided enough for her eyes to make out shadows of her lamp and dresser.

"I'm going to tell her everything!"

Silly Lily.

"Venus?"

Had no one ever told you?

"—Oh my God!"

A closed mouth catches no flies.

"She's dying someone help me!"

     "Take me away," Lily said to no one in particular.

     Her arm created waves in the ocean of darkness as she waited for the exhaustion to settle within her and take her away to experience a new set of nightmares she was not ready to face. But anything was better than the nightmare she was living, anything. The moment she thought that the phone vibrated under her foot earning a surprised gasp from her. She clutched the tee she had adorned as if she had experienced a heart attack. Her fingers scrambled to find the phone that had stopped vibrating the moment she sat up cursing herself under her breath at how absentminded she was.

A smile found its way to her face once the phone was located again and her slender fingers pulled it towards her. The phone flashed with a notification causing her to scrunch her eyebrows trying to rid the blur of words. She scrolled through the tweets that had been sent to her by fellow classmates, shocked, many people had quoted the original tweet with derogatory messages. But that was not what made the blood rushing through her veins turn to ice. That was not the reason her smile that was there so briefly was replaced with her jaw on the ground.

In an instant, she was out of her bed stumbling around the darkroom in an effort to locate her jacket. Once her hands felt for something that remotely felt like the raincoat she was aiming for she ran out of the room making sure to shut the door as quietly as possible. Her eyes shot to her older brother's room, his lights still on, probably gaming with his friends. She sighed in relief when she turned to see her father's room dark, gone for the night for work.

+ + +

      Lily's fists banged against the door desperate for the person on the other side to open it. Her breaths had grown shallow with every step she had taken and the clothes that clung to her body drenched with rainwater didn't help the fact that she was already cold. With one last knock, she fell to the ground unable to keep herself standing after walking fifteen minutes in the freezing rain. Her soft cries resembled a kitten begging to be let in in this weather.

She wondered if her cellphone was okay in her back pocket before the door opened to reveal Trevor who was more invested in rubbing the sleep away from his eyes. The heat of the house made her gasp in shock as she inched closer inside until two hands grabbed her by the shoulders, forcing her to stand straight. The moment the two made eye contact her walls came down and her feet were once again too weak to hold her up as she sobbed unable to think properly.

     "Lily!" He shouted over the roaring thunder, although that was not enough to get her attention.

     She looked desperately at him wanting him to take her inside where the warmth was all while cursing herself for thinking it would be a good idea to walk in the rain to his house. Lily stood out in the rain on his porch for what felt like years before he pulled her inside and the heat finally embraced her earning a sigh of relief. Only briefly did he let go of her afraid she would fall down from exhaustion and the cold in order to shut the door that flew open from the winds outside. She watched as he examined the minor dent in the wall due to the door hitting it at such a velocity before he shifted his attention to her.

    Trevor guided her down the narrow hallway making sure to walk as slow as possible for the girl that clung onto him as her source of heat. He racked his brain wondering what time it was but more importantly as to why the girl that had been ignoring him for days had magically appeared on his doorsteps drenched in rain. His eyes shifted from left to right looking for any sign of his mother before it dawned on him that it was a Friday night and she was working the night shift at the local hospital.

Trevor let out a sigh of relief knowing he would not have to explain to his mother as to why there was a girl ruining her carpets with rainwater clearly hyperventilating with each sob that escaped her mouth. Just as they entered his bedroom her hold on his hand strengthened.

     "Sorry," he murmured as his hand reached out to flick the switch. 

     In an instant, the once dark room was flooded with a weak fluorescent light that flickered once in a while. A feeling of embarrassment settled in his stomach looking at the state of his room but more importantly due to the boxers on his bed. He left her side to hide the boxers only to hear a thud behind him. Trevor, quick to hide the boxers yet slow to turn around found the girl on the ground. A gasp left his mouth as he rushed to her side.

     "Lily?" His voice was as urgent as his actions.

      He reached down to lift her up again only for him to be pulled down with her. Trevor watched her with hesitation clear in his actions. Her eyes were planted on the stained carpet on the ground and her shoulders shook occasionally from the cries she let out. It was almost second nature for his hands to rise and cup her cold, rosy cheeks forcing her to meet his gaze.

Although what he was not expecting despite her continuous cries were eyes so bloodshot and lost. A piece of his heart ached and the frown on his face deepened. The two held their locked gaze for moments, seconds, minutes, maybe even hours before her head leaned onto his chest and her arms circled around his waist. Her embrace was weak and loose but ever so often her hands twitched indicating that to her it was strong.

At that moment nothing truly mattered. His arms wrapped around her despite the uncomfortable feeling of her wet clothes against his pajamas, his embrace was tighter and stronger than hers. If someone had been looking at them Lily would be completely hidden due to his towering figure. Trevor found himself resting his chin on her head as she wept into his chest, each time a sob racked through her body he felt it as if it were coming out of his, and with each cry, his hold on her got tighter as if to protect her from herself.

     "Shh," he hushed.

      He patted her damp hair as she cried out thoughts and emotions she had held in for so long. Despite the reason she was there tonight he was glad that he could see her, a piece of him had always yearned to hold her in an embrace as such although under different circumstances. But to be able to be there, to be able to hold her at that moment was enough.

His gaze changed from the girl that hugged him ever so softly to the analog clock on the wall. He squinted his eyes as he attempted to read the time without his glasses or contacts in and failed miserably. Trevor let out a sigh as he looked over at his glasses case on the nightstand by his bed and then down at Lily. Even in her state, she managed to look pretty. Stop, his mind urged.

     "Cold," she whimpered out, her hold on him tightening.

     Trevor looked down at her only to realize that she was still wearing the clothes she arrived in. He cursed at himself internally having forgotten to give her a change of clothes. As he became aware of her state the realization that his clothes were damp as well allowed the sensation of coldness settle within him. Perhaps it was the adrenaline that rushed through his veins that made him so warm. But when she detached herself slightly from him the air touched his body goosebumps arose. He pulled away completely from her embrace and she looked up at him as if he had taken away something that was hers. Her eyes had dried probably having cried out as much as she could as she looked up at him, almost offended he had broken their hug.

     Lily watched as he rose from the spot he was in across from her then to the closet adjacent to the two. Her eyes followed him around the room as he hurriedly cleaned everything as nonchalantly as possible and for a moment she felt normal. She felt something. He reached down for her to latch onto his hand and she gladly obliged placing her hand in his. Sitting on the ground had made her backside numb and had put her right leg to sleep. The moment he pulled her up she found herself stumbling into his chest once again. The two spilled out apologies as if they were mere strangers than friends. Although she could not see it she felt her cheeks flush, partly embarrassed about the events that led up to the moment where she stood in front of him staring up into his eyes.

     "I'm sorry," she found herself saying. "I shouldn't have come here so late."

      The moment she said that the weight in her back pocket made her take a step back. She was not here because she needed him tonight, nor was she here to be held in an embrace for such a prolonged amount of time. She was there to tell him something, something so important that she had managed to forget it the moment his warm hands cupped her cheeks as if an invitation to forget her worries, for the time being, to break down the walls she had built in order to not break down in front of her family.

     "Come." He ushered her to sit on the foot of the bed as he pulled out a tee and basketball shorts to wear in exchange for her spoiled clothes she had adorned at the moment.

     It was as if one touch of his was enough for her to forget what she was thinking and what she was about to say next, left mute, following each of his commands. She watched as he looked around for another set of clothes possibly for himself and once he found it he turned around, a proud smile on his face, only to drop when he took in her state. A piece of her hurt watching his smile drop and she couldn't figure out why.

     "You change in here, I'll go to the bathroom outside," he said.

      Lily watched as he left before her gaze settled on the clothes she held in her hands. The aroma of his cologne was strong and she couldn't help lean in and smell the scent. She begrudgingly peeled off her tee that seemed to stick to her body as if it were another layer of skin and then her jeans that made an unpleasant sound as they rolled off her legs. The feeling of the heating on her bare skin was enough for her to let out a moan of satisfaction. Her skin finally being able to breathe.

       "Are you done in there?" Trevor called out from the other side.

      "Umm... yeah!" Lily exclaimed as she pulled up the sweatpants around her waist.

     "Woah," he said.

     Trevor looked at Lily who'd been swallowed by clothes far too big for her petite frame as he stifled a chuckle at her appearance.

     "Trevor," she began looking through her wet clothes for her phone to show him.

      Trevor grabbed her wrist away from the clothes holding it up and away from her clothes. Her gaze was averted to him a visible blanket of confusion on her face as he led her over to the bed. He watched as her frown deepened almost afraid of his next actions and he wondered if she was remembering what others had accused him of. A wave of sadness threatened to wash over him although that did not divert his attention from the girl who was too frail to handle her strong emotions.

"Trevor whenever bad things happen and you feel as if you can't breathe."

"—breathe in one breathe out two, I know, Mom."

Once she settled on the bed he crouched down so that they were at the same level.

     "Lily, you have to take care of yourself," He started. "Don't become your biggest enemy, I've been down that hole many times before this. Don't blame yourself for things you didn't do." His advice echoed his mother's.

    
"I-I can't, Trevor," she whispered as her hand moved around until it found his. She watched as it took him by surprise but that was not what mattered. "Her autopsy report..."she said only for him to freeze up. The tears stung her eyes but still, she continued, "it was leaked online."

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hey y'all! i hoped you enjoyed this chapter! I truly enjoy writing interactions between tyler, lily, and trevor it's so complex given that they are teenagers! Remember to comment any feedback and vote! How do y'all like Trevor and Lily? is it a ship or... hehehe