I still hang on every word
In the world of faded memories
Where you�re still in love with me
I can see it in your eyes
You look as if your major Tom has lost control � Cold �Happens All The Time�
Sarah
�Let me recap this,� I looked Zac in the eyes as he was telling me everything, �Your birthday was ruined because you had to keep being interviewed by cops�and a killer has been caught?�
�Yeah�a serial killer,� Zac�s head hung low. I was determined to keep my cool during this whole process and listen to every word he was telling me. I didn�t want to take my Counseling classes too seriously as an undergraduate student and just�start counseling my friends. That would be very wrong.
�Okay�� I had my apprehensions at this point of even listening to him considering he was trying to steal me away from Isaac, but the tears in his eyes were a dead give-away that this was not about us, �So�re-cap for me. I�m having a little trouble dealing with this all at once.�
�Ike said he went to this chick�s house that he met while you guys were not speaking to each other,� I knew he was hiding something saying this alone but I decided not to question it; he would tell me what was important, �Just like, a week and a half ago. She had this strange apartment around here and he was really suspicious by how the apartment looked. I mean, this place was a mess. I�ve seen it. It�s like, the dream crime scene. Well, he found some stuff that Amber has been looking for.�
�Amber? His best friend Amber?� Why did this feel like d�j� vu?
�Yes, Amber was leading this investigation about this young woman who has been missing for 3 years now. Isaac was always suspicious about her. He found out a lot that day.�
�Like what?� I asked.
�This is hard, okay? Don�t patronize me like that,� he snapped at me and I hugged him. He was resisting my hug, but that�s what I was good for. Hugging�and a shoulder to cry on.
�I�m just here for your venting pleasure, okay? It�ll be a lot easier for me to listen if you�ll talk,� it was late at night, I had Bio in the morning and I couldn�t just leave Zac. He had taken me to the House of Colors just to listen to him. I knew this was big, I just didn�t know how big.
�Well�Ike has told you about his ex, Val, right?�
�Yeah.�
�Well�this sick fuck killed her�� his breath caught, �She killed my ex girlfriend Lydia�my girlfriend right before Cecily�and,� he was choking on his words, �She killed her too�she�she killed Cecily in the middle of the psych ward.�
�Have you found out why?�
�Drugs�or something dealing with it,� he finally accepted my hug as he told me and leaned back in his chair, kind of taking me with him, �She had partners�.she was a drug dealer. Turns out Cecily�s brother was a dealer and he owed this girl�so Cecily was the victim.�
�But I thought Cec-�
�Yeah, she smoked it, that doesn�t mean she dealt,� Zac sighed a heaving sigh and I leaned back in my chair, feeling hopeless to help, �But now she�s dead, so what does that matter?�
�What did they need you for?�
�I knew Cecily�they wondered if I could be help, but they figured out that it was a murder, so they kind of blew me off. Isaac�s the big hero. She was going to kill Amber too. Don�t worry, you weren�t on �the list�.�
�She had a list?� I was appalled. I didn�t know how to console anybody in this; this may have even been bigger than I could ever dream of handling.
�Yeah�a list as big as my arm,� he held out his arm, free of suicide cuts, unlike Isaac�s, and looked at me, his eyes all teary, �We are such idiots.�
�Why?�
�Cause her nickname was �Pip�.�
�What does that have to do with anything?�
�We hired a girl named Pip to be on our crew�that was her.�
And I looked outside in fear�and saw the snow.
Isaac
The investigations were over. It was all finally over. We found the killer.
It was crazy ironic, like almost a novel-ending. Turns out the girl was bipolar and very much in her manic phase when she killed. She confessed everything. Amber was the one that interviewed her and everything�from behind the glass. She was terrified to be near her.
They used to be friends in high school and everything.
Amber�s face was stained with tears as she stared at Andrea with a possessed look on her own face, �Why did you do it?�
�You want the truth?� Andrea got up against the glass and made Amber jump back into my arms, �I was never after this punk.�
�Then who were you after and why?�
�Do you remember Ray?� Andrea�s eyes went wide, �Do ya?�
�Raymond McBride?� Amber nodded, �Yeah I remember him, why?�
�He introduced me to a new life�and he didn�t love me. He didn�t fucking love me. He loved that slut, Yvonne. HE LOVED HER!� she was ripping her hair off as the officers tried to restrain her, �He raped me�he said he cared. He had to pay. Everybody had to pay for what they put me through.�
�But what about your friends? They never did anything to you.�
�You were all against me. You all copied me. All those tattoos on your wrists�I cut, who the fuck cares? I was depressed, okay? I can get better.�
�That doesn�t change anything,� Amber looked at her bitterly, �We wanted to stop it.�
�You wanted to stop what? You guys didn�t know where I was. A couple deals gone awry�that�s why I kept killing. I was very low key looking for you�at least I tried to be.�
�She needs her medication,� one of the officers went up to the window and shook a pill bottle in his hand. Andrea�s face suddenly settled, like a dog being taunted with a treat.
�Looks like this girl hasn�t touched her meds for a couple years,� another officer looked at the date on the bottle: �August 27, 2002�, �This girl is laced with weed too. Everywhere.�
After that, we never saw Holly/Pip/Andrea ever again. Regardless, we knew that she was sentenced to life and even more. I can�t believe it actually happened. I found her. I found out who that bitch was. We finally did it. I felt accomplished. Scarred, yes, but accomplished. This was a lot to deal with at the age of 24, but I was willing to cope with everything right now. It was in the past�it was forgotten. It was done.
�Amber,� I was sitting on the edge of my bed, getting ready to pack. I was eager to get out. God�it�s October 25, it�s almost time to get out of here. Believe it or not�I felt much more changed. It was like Jeneca said, however, �this can never be cured�you can�t be cured of alcoholism, this is all for your own good�.
�What do you want me to say? That I�m fucking okay with everything?� Amber�s tears were still heavy, �Andrea was after me. She was after all my friends�and now most of them are dead. What am I supposed to say?�
�Nothing,� I looked at her firmly, holding my best friend in my arms, �I don�t know what I can do for you.�
�You�re the one that found all that evidence�and her,� Amber looked up, �I should be the one sucking your dick, in appreciation of course.�
I laughed for the first time in weeks, �I�ll take that as a thank you.�
�So�let�s get off this, I�m sick of thinking about it,� she almost read my mind as she sat down, straightening out the area of the sheet that she wrinkled with her body, �What are you going to do when you get out?�
�Good question,� I replied, leaning back against the pillow and she rolled her eyes at me. God, she hasn�t changed at all, �Well�go visit family, go out��
�Hopefully not to drink,� she smirked at me.
�That has yet to be determined,� I replied.
�Oh come on, you spent how long? Almost 4 months in this place and you�re still going to have the balls and go and drink as soon as you get out? Have you learned anything while you were here or were you looking for a free hotel room? Cause you ain�t getting that either. This is going on the insurance, pal.�
I should know better than to fuck with Amber.
�I�m not going to, or at least I�m going to try not to,� I replied once again, sighing.
�You going to see Steps?�
�Sarah?� I had almost forgotten about her. My god has it been that long since I�ve seen her? �I�m going to buy her a bunch of candy for Halloween, some nice flowers�take her out��
�Make up with her?� Amber questioned, her eyebrow raising.
�There�s nothing wrong with us,� I lied. I remembered the conversation. Knowing her, she really did throw that necklace out of the window, �Besides, she would never give up on me.�
�Well then�you have competition,� Amber looked at me firmly, �Your brother is trying to steal her from you.�
Sarah
I heard him humming �Just the Girl� towards me. I loved that song. I loved the way he was always there for me. I loved how we could goof off like lifelong pals. I loved how he encouraged me to be slutty. I love how he found the necklace hidden in the bushes below my room window.
I, however, did not love that it wasn�t Isaac doing this.
�C�mon, you did it once already,� he slowly clicked the necklace back on my neck, the gold dangling delicately across the skin, �Wouldn�t it be fun to do again? You could go trick-or-treating with the kids.�
�Zac I can�t do that,� I let my hair fall back on my shoulders as my hands fell to my sides, contemplating and looking at the picture on my computer, �Not again. It�s overplayed.�
�But it�s such an awesome costume. It looks like you had fun playing Magenta, that would be awesome if you would do it again.�
�I know it would be�but I�ll look like a total slut.�
�Halloween�s the time to be slutty and no one will yell at you about it,� Zac laughed, �Hey�I�m going as Rocky, you better go as Magenta.�
�So that�s who you�re going as!� I yelled. He was refusing to tell me who he was going as for Halloween and he just let it slip out, �AH! I�ll totally go as Magenta�can Isaac come with us?�
�You want him to be Riff-Raff?� Zac looked sort of down now.
I giggled to myself, �Hey�you�ll look sexy all greased up and in gold short-shorts.�
�Just gotta flatten out the hair,� he mocked putting his hair down, �Or maybe I should go as Eddie. Eddie�s cool.�
�I think Taylor should go as Rocky and Natalie should be Columbia,� I commented lightly.
�They have nothing to do with each other,� he sneered a fake sneer and smiled afterwards.
�Oh yeah,� I laughed, �I haven�t seen Rocky Horror Picture Show in so long.�
�Taylor should be Eddie, Eddie and Columbia love each other�I�m Rocky,� he flexed his muscles playfully.
�Okay, you win�you can be Rocky, as long as I can be Magenta and not like�Janet,� I laughed at him, sticking my tongue out.
�Hey�are you excited that Ike is coming back?�
�Heck yeah�� I remembered the conversation we had. Things were changing and it was getting crazy. I was glad that we were going to get the chance to start over again. First date, first kiss, first impression, first nervous butterflies�I knew it wouldn�t be the same, but we were going to try to make it work.
�So�things are going to be brand new�just like this time last year?�
�Yeah,� I smiled softly.
�I�m glad you�re giving him a second chance, he doesn�t deserve it considering what he�s done to you.�
�I�m forgiving�and I love him.�
�Do you really love him?�
�Argh, please don�t fight with me about this anymore. Pretty please?�
�We always want what we can�t have,� he leaned over and left a swift kiss on my lips. It was brief, but it was much more forceful than what I remembered of Isaac�s kisses. Isaac fed his soul into the kiss. You had to interpret the kiss, really look into it. Zac fed it to you straight up. I looked into his chocolate-colored eyes when he pulled back. The maid dress was still laid on my lap and he began to walk out of the room.
�I better get going anyways�need to get ready,� he smiled with that cheeky little grin he gets, �Besides�Riff-Raff and Magenta win in the end.�
And with a click of the door shutting, he was gone. But the hope lingered within my head.
Isaac
11:59. God this is the longest minute of my life.
As I watched the minute hand tick round and round the clock, hearing the menacing noise, I was surrounded by the nurses and doctors. I was surprised they were waiting for me for so long. The guys were there for me and everything. Taylor still wasn�t speaking to me, but at least Natalie was there to comfort him. Zac was there as well. Sarah was not. She was in bed. Sleeping surely. I need to see her. I need to see her badly.
God�15 seconds? That�s IT?
�I�m proud of you, man,� Zac patted my shoulder.
�How about you, Tex?� I turned around to face Taylor.
His face lightened ever-so slightly and smiled, not speaking, but his expression read everything. I could tell how his type was now after this experience. Strong, silent, solemn. He was denying there was anything wrong. He just wanted to get the old Isaac back in his life. He wasn�t one to make girlfriends quickly either. This is him on a normal basis. When he knows you, he knows you. He still isn�t familiar with this side of me�so he�s warming.
�Can I get a BOOYAH!� the clock finally ticked to the midnight position and we all shouted and hollered. Balloons were strewn along my stark white hospital room and streamers and noise makers were going strong. Some of the patients were also at the party and hollering.
�Thanks guys,� I looked at everybody and smiled, �It�s been hard�and it isn�t over.�
�Good,� Dr. Johnson looked at me, �And I still expect to see you once a week, mister.�
�You will,� I replied softly and smiled as I wished this part of my life goodbye and started the new chapter.