Can We Find A Way Out?

4. Skylar's POV

Nonetheless, Jack was released from the hospital the following morning. I finally had someone who held as much pain as me and it felt a lot less lonely now that my best friend was by my side. But he wasn't his usual self. He walked with a gloomy posture, his head hung low all the time, and his back was as if he had aged 30 years over night. He looked... almost lifeless. It's like he needed Alex in order to smile. Like it was because of Alex that he told all those perverted jokes at inappropriate times. As if Alex was the reason behind his goofy, heartwarming laugh.

But then again, we all needed Alex. He was a huge part of all our lives and I think that's why it hurt way more, why we didn't want to believe what we already knew was the truth.

"Hey, Jack, you wanna go grab something to eat?" I asked him as we sat quietly in Alex's home studio with nothing in mind.

He shrugged, not even bothering to look over at me. He had been looking at Alex's favorite acoustic guitar and I could tell he wanted to go over and... just hold it.... hold him. How silly, right? To think that holding on to someone's personal item could possibly connect you to that person.

"He's not coming back." I snapped. I didn't mean to, I was having just as much trouble coping with this and he was making it harder.

He looked over and glared at me, at me! I was practically his little sister and yet, he had looked at me like I was his worst enemy. I had never seen such look in Jack's eyes.

I sighed. "I'm... I'm sorry, Jack. I'm so sorry."

I tried walking over to him and putting a hand on his shoulder... you know? For moral support. But he got up and walked away, pushing me to the side in the process.
I sighed, putting my head in my hands. Nothing would ever be the same without him. But we would have to come to terms with it eventually, we had to. Even if it involved the band finding a new lead singer, or the band breaking up. Or even me... moving on? With Patrick?

I sighed and stood up, following behind Jack that had managed to disappear within seconds. The house was empty. I mean, it was practically filled with furniture and the guys' stuff but it was... lonely. It seemed hard to explain but I knew this feeling all too well.

I walked up the stairs and over to Alex's room, where I knew Jack would be. He was sitting on the bed, Alex's lyric book in his hands and tears ran down his cheeks as he read it.

It broke me to see him like that and I trembled as I walked over and sat beside him. He sniffled when I put my hand on his knee and smiled.

"He was working on new music..." he whispered, not allowing his voice to crack.

"Yeah? What's that song you're reading?" I asked though I could see the sheet very clearly.

He laughed a little and his goofy smile made my heart melt. "He uh... he mentioned he was working on the new album but... but he never told me he had already written most of the songs."

He sighed and put the notebook down, finally looking up at me. "I miss him." he wiped away his tears almost as quickly as they came. "You know, Alex was completely broken when they told us you had died. It took him 3 years to move on and he still wasn't exactly over you. But you... you seem so fine, like you haven't just lost the most important thing in your life. How?"

I furrowed my eyebrows at him, insulted at what he had just said. How could I not be hurting?! I was completely devastated. I could barely eat, sleep, even breathe but I kept that to myself because none of that would bring Alex back. I had promised myself to get to the bottom of his murder and I would not rest until I knew all the truth. A truth which that shitty excuse of a cop had denied to us!