Death and Destruction (Jeff the Killer Fanfic)

12. Reunion

"You guys have been on the run so long, haven't had a chance to trim it, have you?"

"No, it's honestly the last thing on your mind when you're running from the police," I chuckled under my breath, "Jeff made a visit to Mama Kitty and she snipped his. It was like, three inches longer two days ago."

"I can cut yours if you want, I did take cosmetology classes for a while before I landed on coffee," she offered and my ears burned but I nodded after a moment. "Hey Del I'm going to borrow a stool, give the gremlin a haircut!"

"Please do, it looks like a mop!"

I groaned to myself as Jeff cackled in the kitchen, following Chelsea back to the bathroom as she grabbed a towel and set it on the floor, making me sit on the stool so I was short enough for her to see. I watched her in the mirror as she moved around, collecting scissors and a trimmer before she tilted my head the way she wanted it.

"Jeff's hair is simple, since he likes it long," she chuckled, "yours is definitely a little trickier but I'm always up for a challenge."

"As long as you don't make me bald I'll take it."

"I don't know, might make you suffer for a while as payback."

I groaned but the sparkle in her gaze kept a smile on my face. "If that's what it takes then so be it."

She grinned as she started, her fingers light while they pulled my curls straight and snipped away at the dead ends. I felt a light brush and realized she found the scars from Kitty, a thoughtful look on her face as she continued.

"I was in the hospital for almost a month," she said quietly and my stomach twisted while bile bubbled in the back of my throat, "Kitty's mom visited me every day when she wasn't the one checking in on me. They did a cosmetic surgery a few months back and I barely even notice my cheeks anymore."

"Can...can I see this one?" I pointed to my neck and she paused, pulling her choker down to reveal a thick pink line across her throat. Tears swelled in my sockets as I grimaced. "I can't believe I actually went through with that stupid fucking plan..."

"What exactly was the plan?"

"I...thought that I could frame Jeff for killing you, make Kitty hate him. Everything fell apart though because I was in the trenches in my own head, I was so scared about losing everything I'd known. First Jules, then the Affliction got worse and then— then Kitty was fucking some murderer and I felt like it was the only thing I could do."

Her gaze remained contemplative but she tilted her head while she snipped away. "I knew it on the beach you weren't doing so hot," she admitted, "started yelling and screaming. Even I wanted to tell you that you were right, I could see it was eatin' you up."

"I can admit I felt like I was being gaslighted."

"Well, you were," she chuckled and I fought back my own. "He came in one night and Kitty was handling him up front, I came out and saw his sketch on the TV. They explained everything and I figured as long as it didn't end up in my neighborhood, wasn't my business."

"Weren't worried about becoming an accessory to murder?"

"Nah, I wasn't exactly thinking straight either. Everything that happened after Jules was...messy, to say the least."

"Messy," I laughed to myself, humorless and wry, "that's what that whole plan was, some messy, cobbled-together, last-ditch effort to save someone who was never interested in the first place. I'm so sorry, Chelsea. Out of everyone involved in this, it never should have been you.

"It definitely took some getting used to, but like you said, I'm still alive." She moved suddenly and wrapped her arms around my shoulders as she leaned her head against mine. "I'm happy you're back. Not just here, but back to you. I missed all of you so much."