D U S K ✔

Chapter Thirty-Nine

{UNEDITED}

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Going back to Adam's hospital room was like going back to a war zone, I was thrown right into the deep end over and over again, from the moment I walked in all I could feel was a punch in the gut. 

  Slowly, Adam's bruises were fading, the one his face had lost it's purple glow, and was now just darker than his natural skin colour. 

  Theresa had warned me on the last visit that Adam's parents would be visiting. It had been a few days since I last saw him, so I was pretty sure they were in town. 

  "What are you gonna do tonight, Gabby? Got any plans?" Rob asked as we walked outside of school, looking for where he parked his car.

  I shook my head, "Nothing really, I have a lot of homework to do." 

  It had been different since Adam wasn't up and about anymore, I didn't have anything to on Fridays, no illegal fights to watch, or trips down to his house, or hospitals to go to, since it would risk seeing his parents. 

  It was as if my life had completely gone back to what it was before, only now I was seeing how incredibly boring it was. Only it was going to get so much worse with the church being demolished, every day was a day closer to the due date. I didn't know what was going to happen next, where we were going to get money from. 

  I had already started searching for a job myself. 

  Life had decided to throw me onto the ground face first, it was nice to have Rob back with me. After the hospital, when I heard the news of the demolition, Rob was the first person I called. We spent that Sunday in my room watching Disney films and I couldn't have asked for anything better. 

  If anything, Rob was glad that Adam wasn't in my life anymore, or physically couldn't be, as harsh as it was to say. He had become more involved and we started hanging out more, just like we used to, which was the only good thing that had come out of Adam's situation. 

  It didn't make any of the situation better, though. 

  "How incredibly boring." 

  "Yeah," I admitted.

  "Do you want me to come over and spice up your life a little bit?" He laughed, jokingly as we reached his car.

  I laughed too, not with as much effort as him, though. "I think I'll manage." I was about to reach for the door handle when a figure blurred past us in the corner of my eye. 

  It had been a while since I heard from Andrea, she had been very successful in avoiding me at all costs. I couldn't say her disappearance from our everyday lives was a major change, it was as though she went from being a friend to an acquaintance in the span of days. She would rush off to lessons before I could talk, or run out of them before I could even catch up to her.

  At first I left her to her own devices, thinking she needed some space, or was going through some things. And I may not be the most observant person ever, but I was very much able to see it wasn't about that at all, it was more to do with me. 

  She began hanging about with other people, making new friends, and rushing out any door she could get at just the sight of me. 

  I couldn't help but feel it was something about Adam. Seeing her rush past Rob and I once more, I knew I'd had enough. I'd never been much of a  confrontational person before, yet just the sight of her running away from me again, not looking me in the eyes was enough to need an answer.

  Everything had changed so quickly, gone downhill at a speed I certainly couldn't chase and somewhere along the way I had lost Andrea along with it. I didn't need her to be my friend if she didn't want to be, I just needed an answer to what actually happened to make her cower away and sprint for help every time I was near.

  It was very unsettling.  

  "Andrea!" I called, rushing after her. Her black hair was tied up into a short ponytail, swishing as she continued running. 

  "Wait!" I tried again, even if she had heard me-- which I was sure she did-- she obviously didn't want to talk to me. Not right now at least. She dodged her way through the plethora of people, vanishing behind a surge of trees by the end of the car park.

  I sighed, quite vocally, and climbed into the passenger side of Rob's car. He was silent on the way back to my house, something I was very grateful for. I didn't know if I would be able to speak or form a coherent sentence without the whole world collapsing on itself. 

  I couldn't bring myself to think about it. Instead, I rolled down the window and allowed the icy breeze to slap against my outstretched hand.

  That was all I needed in that moment. 

  At some point in the ride I must have fallen asleep, despite it being only a short journey, because when I woke up, I wasn't in Rob's car anymore, nor was it the beginning  nighttime.

  I was still in the same clothes as the day before, laid on my bed-- which was untouched from the day before-- the only thing missing from myself were my shoes. Which upon further inspection were placed the the side of my bedside dresser. 

  Groaning, I went into the bathroom and got myself ready, had a shower of course, and made breakfast. Noticing that my father was nowhere to be seen.

  It had been difficult, more so with the certainty of the demolition of the church growing closer with each passing day, so he would usually be gone for nights at a time, I would barely see him anymore. He said that people were more focused than ever on telling him their sins, or something like that.

  We did more charity events, which I was glad he seemed to enjoy and he was making plans for after the demolition, but nothing was certain. 

  I rushed to the window, on hearing an engine roar and a part of me believed it would be Adam. But sat in the driveway was Rob's car, and stood next to it was the man himself. 

  Rob dropped me off after a few songs from a band I had never heard of, and we separated for our lessons.

  It was only when I rounded a corner for lunch that thing got interesting. 

  "Andrea! What's up with you? You've been ignoring us both for days. You might think that Gabby will let it slip but I won't. It's unfair! Do you realise what's been going on? It's been so hard for her-"

  "Just leave me alone, please." A voice said, more noticeably, Andrea's voice. It was monotonous, and sounded uncaring. Or maybe it was just my biased outlook.

  I tiptoed around the side of the corner so they wouldn't notice me. I couldn't see them, but I was close enough to hear.

  "Are you even listening to me? Andrea. Stop." He demanded, I knew first hand that Rob had suddenly grown a temper within the span of six months, more specifically the time I had known Adam.

  "I'm not listening, I don't even want to."

  I heard him scoff, "How can you change so much, so quickly. What happened to you? What did we do?" 

  "You didn't do anything. Just leave me alone." 

  So it was about Adam. I had obviously done something to upset her. I was about to turn away and forget I'd even heard anything, but then she said it.

  "I did something bad."