"I can't believe this! What are you talking about?! You don't understand!" Angela's shrill voice thundered through the empty house. Johnny leaned his head against the dim hallway wall, trying to make out the conversation on the other side of the door. His was face tense and worried, straining to hear. Father's voice was a low growl, slurred into one long, angry sound. A higher voice, Angela's, rose and fell, suddenly bursting into enraged screams.

Johnny sighed and slowly sat down, sliding his back against the wall. He looked haggard and despondent. Slowly, Johnny ran his hands over his dark curls and put his face in his hands. He had been upset but he knew Angela would not take it as well. He had just shut up and choked it down, as he always did. Always. As if it were a way of life, something he lived with everyday. A silent demon, laying dormant, ready to raise its ugly head at any moment.

Angela stormed out of the room, slamming the door with an violent crash. Johnny looked up at her in surprise, studying her tear-streaked face and red eyes. Angela was not one to cry very often. She stared at her brother briefly, a frightened look on her face. She started to take a shaky breath but her lip began to quaver and she erupted into sobs. Johnny stood up to comfort her, his forehead wrinkled with concern. "Oh, Ange..." he said sadly. Angela gasped and shook her head, backing away from him. Her face was red and contorted, her breathing short gasps. She bit her lip, still shaking her head, she turned and ran down the hall.

The tears keep coming and I can't make them stop. There's no point in even trying anymore. I feel numb. This isn't real. This isn't happening. It can't happen. I keep telling myself it's impossible. I keep telling myself...

Everything feels hazy, like a dream. But my worst fears are coming true and I can't wake up from the nightmare. I can't make myself wake up. But it's really happening. It's real. I feel sick. Violently sick. I was happy here. Happy. I was really and truly happy. But not anymore. How could this happen? I feel cold and empty. Alone. So alone. God, help me. What am I going to do?

I want to help her. Desperately. But I don't know how. She's there, just our of my reach. It's like I can't quite touch her...

She's like a time bomb and I've never seen her so emotional. Maybe I should have warned her. Perhaps that just would have made things worse. She was so happy here. Jack, everyone, they meant a lot her. They meant a lot to me. This place, this city, New York, it felt like home. For the first time, it felt like...home.