AS GOOD AS DEAD (a good girl's guide to murder) OPEN ENDING :)

part 2

Pip drove back to Little Kilton, she was nervous. Over her last few years of being at Cambridge, she had ignored most of her parents calls and had made up excuses, trying to separate herself from them.

But now, it was different. She didn't have to worry about them being disappointed, talking to her through a glass window. Never seeing Josh again, he would be traumatized and probably wouldn't understand. She didn't have to worry that everyone would forget about her, throw her out of her minds like she was a piece of paper with mistakes all over it.

She didn't tell her parents that she was coming back to visit, she was just going to waltz into their house. Her house. Maybe.

Pip pulled up to the house and knocked on the door. Three times. It almost reminded her of Ravi's knock, long-short-long.

Nobody answered.

She knocked again.

There was no car in the driveway, but then again her family had always kept the car in the garage the last time she remembered, so she didn't know. Maybe they had moved and didn't tell her? Or maybe they just weren't home.

Yeah, they probably just weren't-

"Pip!"

She turned around quickly, and saw Cara walking a dog.

"Pip, is that you?"

"Cara!"

Her best friend since childhood ran to her, engulfing her in a big hug. From what Pip remembered, Cara had decided to go to one of the colleges nearby so that she could stay near their hometown.

"You're back. Why did you never text or call? Where's Ravi? What even happened to you guys? I never talked to him, but I saw him outside a few times and he always looked like he was depressed. Like he had gone emo. Are you staying here now, did you get kicked from Cambridge? Oh, and did you hear? Apparently they decided that Max actually killed Jason Bell. Like, can you believe it? Sorry, am I talking too much?"

Pip grinned, her smile stretching from ear to ear. She didn't know the last time that she had smiled that big. "No, Cara, you're fine. And no, I didn't get kicked, I'm just visiting. But can we catch up later, or tomorrow? I need to find my family- and Ravi."

"Yeah sure, I get it. I'm just trying to walk the new dog we got," she said, looking down at the dog who was dancing around their legs. "I'll see you later, though. Text me?"

"I'll text you, Cara." Pip gave her one last quick hug, and then waved as she watched her walk the opposite direction.

Now where was her family? Should she text or call one of her parents? Pip hesitated before pulling her phone out of her pocket. No, she wanted it to be a surprise. So she sat on the porch, thinking, waiting until someone got home. She had no idea what their schedule was these days. And her and Ravi hadn't planned to meet until later around 3 PM and it was 11 AM, so she had time. Time.

Around 11:45, their car pulled up to the driveway. Pip stood up and stretched, she had had a good amount of time to think. Think about her and Ravi, what she was going to say to her parents and the rest of her friends.

Her dad got out of the car first, staring at her in disbelief. "Pip."

Then her mom came out next, running to her to hug her. "Pip! You didn't tell us you were visiting!"

Her dad and Josh came out to join in the big hug-fest, and Pip was so happy. She would never take them for granted ever again. Or complain about them. Well, she would try not to. But she was so happy that they were here, hugging her, that they hadn't forgotten about her.

After that, Pip had settled back into her old room for just a bit. She was only planning to be there for the weekend anyways. Her room was just the way she had left it, neat enough.

They all had lunch together, laughing as Josh and her dad told horrible jokes and they were a normal family. Lucky for Pip, her parents never asked why she had barely been able to call them, they had probably just assumed she was busy with schoolwork.

Around 2:50 PM, Pip yelled, "I'm going out to visit my friends. Love you all!"

And by friends, she meant Ravi.

Hopefully more than just friends.

Pip got in the car and drove to Ravi's house. Her hands were shaking, she wasn't sure on what she would do when she saw him. Run to him? Hug him? Maybe he looked different, maybe he was taller. Maybe he had a mustache.

But whether he was super tall or had somehow gotten super short, whether he looked like an old man (not possible) or a baby (also not possible), she didn't care about his looks. She loved him. Her old partner in crime.

She stopped her car right next to the sidewalk, pulling out her phone to text him.

'I'm here.'

Before Pip even had a chance to fully get out of her car, the door to his house opened. And there he was.

And he hadn't changed a bit.

He ran to her and hugged her so tight, even picking her up a little bit and swinging her around. She squealed and laughed, an even bigger smile on her face than earlier. He was her home. And they could be safe again.

"You look so pretty, Sarge."

Wow. Butterflies.

"You look the exact same, to be honest."

He laughed, his laugh filling her with a feeling that she had forgotten even existed. "Still handsome as always, right? Oh, you're so handsome, Ravi! Kiss me! Mwah mwah mwah," he said, using another one of his dumb imitations. She then realized how much she had really missed him and his cringy jokes.

Pip laughed again, she couldn't stop laughing because of him. "Sure, if he wants to kiss her back."

Ravi suddenly grew serious, pressing his forehead against hers like it always had for the millionth time. "He's waited so long for this day. Of course he wants to kiss her back." he whispered, bringing his hands to her cheeks and pressing his lips against hers. She stood up on her tippy toes to reach his height as much as she could, so she could wrap her arms around his neck with her hands in his hair. "I love you," he whispered as he pulled away for a bit to say it. "I love you," she said back, leaning in again.

And they didn't care. Ravi's parents could have been watching through the windows, cars could have been driving by, people walking by with their dogs. But they didn't care.

Because they had been waiting for this, for almost two years. Nothing else had occupied their minds except for thoughts of each other, pretending like the other was there the whole time.

And there they were again, team Ravi and Pip. And hopefully, they would never have to say goodbye again.