Quiet

Chapter Eight: Wake Up, Wake up, Wake up!

"Come on kid, get in. It's not like Ry is going to school anyway." He laughed at me and honked his horn on accident.

I made a split second decision to climb in the car as Ryleigh looked ready to get out and pull me in the car with her. I climbed in and the male told me to get a blanket from the back. I leaned over the seat as he started to drive again. I hit my head on the roof of the car letting out a gasp for air.

"You okay?" He asked. I nodded my head back.

"Yeah, she's okay Ty," Ryleigh said helping wrap the blanket around me.

"So miss thing why are you missing school?" Ty asked me.

I shrugged from the back seats as I buckled myself in not wanting to force him to get a ticket because of my recklessness. Ty drove for a while before stopping at an apartment complex. A man I knew all too familiarly ran down the steps with a baseball cap on and all black clothing. I couldn't help but smile softly. My suspension had been true.

"Hey, Tyler, Ryleigh, and new person!" He said giving me a dorky smile and sitting in the passenger seat and buckling up.

"Good morning Jishwa," Tyler said and proceeded to back up out of the complex and headed down the road the school set on again.

"So who is the girl in the back?" Josh asked Tyler.

"Ryleigh's friend Logan." Tyler answer back to Josh.

Ryleigh tried to make small talk with me which didn't go over well. I was shaking so hard from being cold it was making it hard to make my signs clear.

"Logan you gotta slow down!" Ryleigh said to me and smiled the same smile her brother had.

"Hey, Ry do you remember that girl who used to be your best friend when you were younger. Her name was Logan to right?" Josh asked and I began to sign.

'Yes! I am that girl!' I signed with so much excitement.

I was the girl who lived 4 houses down from the Duns in Ohio. Tyler and Josh grew up being friends while Ryleigh and I were friends. Then my life came crashing down. My uncle David needed a loan but didn't have the credit for the loan. He asked my dad for it. Needless to say, deal gone wrong. My dad ended up being murdered in the house. I was in our pantry with the door shut and I heard the gunshot go off. My mom was never really in my life always too much of a drunk to care. She said children had ruined her life. I had an older brother, no one knew what happened to him. He was probably Josh and Tyler's age. Jedidiah, He had dark brown hair and such deep dimples, bright blue eye to match. Something I did not get from my family. I always was the outcast. I remember his love though. How his eyes would sparkle and he could read people like it was nothing. He always knew when I was upset or just what to do.

We pulled up to my house. I was so lost and confused. Why are we here? How did they know to drop me off here?

"Come on Logan lets go meet my good friends, Panic! At the disco." Ryleigh cheered.

I tried to stop her by standing in the doorway. Josh had already called Brendon to announce they were outside. Tyler was getting his ukulele out of the car. I did the only thing I could think of. I dropped my bag right as Brendon opened the door. I started to run.

"Logan!" Everyone seemed to yell at me.

I felt a strong pair of arms stop me. I panicked in the arms and started to cry. The tightness in my chest was unbearable.

"Hey, Hey look at me." I was passed from the person to Brendon, I smelt his cologne.

"Logan you gotta breath sweetheart." A familiar voice said in my ears.

I was desperately trying but nothing was working. I couldn't stop it.

"Logan, what are five things you can see right now?" Brendon asked me and I pointed to the people around me; Brendon, Ryleigh, Josh, Tyler, Sarah

"Logan, what are four things you can feel right now?" Josh asked me. I pointed to my sweatshirt, Brendon, My eyes, My nose.

"What are three things you can hear right now?" Ryleigh asked me sitting in front of Brendon who held me close to his chest.

I pointed to Brendon who furrowed his eyebrows together, I could hear his heartbeat, I could also hear his panicked breathing. I pointed upwards to the sky confusing everyone, I heard the birds chirping. I pointed to Tyler. He had strummed a few chords on his ukulele.

"Two things you can smell?" Brendon asked me and brushed some hair out of my face.

I pointed to him. I could smell his cologne and cigarettes. I pointed to the flower pots beside the door. They were just starting to bloom giving on this sickly sweet scent of sweetness and death.

"Now name one good thing about yourself." Tyler finally spoke up.

I stopped answering everyone. The tears just kept flowing freely down my face unstoppable. I closed my eyes tightly fighting back the urge to vomit from all the snot I was producing and swallowing. I was not a pretty crier by any means. I felt terrible ruining Brendon's shirt.

"Just one that's all we need Log. You were doing so good. I am so proud of you. I love you so much." Brendon said whispering in my ear as Sarah sat beside him kissing the back of my head.

"Come on baby girl one thing," Sarah said looking at me with her beautiful blue eyes.

I signed 'I'm afraid.'

"No that is not good, one good thing," Josh said taking a spot beside a now squatting Tyler and sitting Ryleigh.

I signed 'Piano' Causing Tyler to smile and Brendon to inhale a deep breath he had been waiting to take in. Sarah rubbed my arms with her hand and Brendon kept me close to his chest as the tears slowly started to stop. It was hard to get them to stop though. It was hard to make my mind stop. My mind never stopped and that's where he laid. In my brain ready to pounce. The icy blues never stopped it was a cold June and I was not ready. The deep wild smile etched into my memory with this deep icy blues. In my head, he seemed so close when I knew, in reality, he was so far away. But, how far was far enough away?