Into My Heart

XVIII

Two weeks have passed since that walk in the forest with Christen, but the memories were so vivid that I could've swore it was yesterday.

For two weeks, I have been looking around - every day I'd work at the Press' with Mallory, I would look for her ; every corner of the streets, I was hoping to see her appear ; every second of the day, I was staring at my phone in the hope of getting some news from her somehow. I even managed to get her number from her mother 'in case of an emergency with Mallory', and texted her with the hope of getting any news from her. My behavior those past two weeks has been erratic, on the edge, and drastically changing from my usual one - and I did not get why it had that much effect on me, not seeing her, not knowing where she was.

Some people began to notice it: each time I'd get coffee where Alex works, she would worry about the dark circles under my eyes, and the constant confused expression camping on my face. She would try to talk it through, but I wouldn't let her: I wasn't one to express my emotions that easily, let alone... feelings? Was it what it was? This infinite void in my thoughts and in my heart? So Alex just understood that I wouldn't talk to her, and she and her friends tried to get my mind off the things that were worrying me ; I even met a very nice and funny girl, Kelley, who is one of Alex's close friends, and then I met Alex's boyfriend, Servando, who was extra sweet and truly in love with her. 

Kristie and Sam, on the other hand, adopted another posture: after two weeks, they wouldn't stand it any longer. Tonight, as we would do our weekly Chinese Night (don't even ask what it is, it was Sam's idea) just the three of us, they both sat one side and the other of me, tricking me into not being able to just stand and leave.

"Alright, Queen of Secrets" Kristie frontally starts, under Sam's careful yet worried watch. I look toward her, as she immediately goes on: "Since Sammy and I aren't blind, we have noticed your strange and detached behavior those past weeks - and although 'strange' and 'detached' would rather perfectly describe you, we know there is more to it. So, would you like to share something with us, sissy?"

Sam rolls her eyes, before saying:

"What Kristie (she throws her sister a death stare) and I wanted to say was that we are worried about you, because you seem... absent, and even more than that, it's like something is eating you from the inside. So, as your sisters, we would like you to know that you should really talk to us since we are your only friends here in Orange."

"Hey, I have met people here!" I react, raising my arms dramatically.

"That's why she said friends and not acquaintances, dummy" Kristie lets out, rather amused.

This time, I am the one rolling my eyes.

"Guys" I start, pretty furious and bored about their questions already, "I told you: I'm fine."

"Do you think we are stupid?" Kristie insists, staring right into my soul it seems. "Do you genuinely believe that you and I aren't the same smart asses, hiding toxic behaviors and thoughts inside ourselves and running away from anybody getting to close to the truth?"

I sigh: she has one point.

"Okay, I will admit that something is on my mind" I say, thinking to myself: something or rather somebody, but they don't need to know that, right? The great question now being, do I tell them about their father being a gang leader and destroy the good memories they have of him?, I take a moment to respond: "It's just getting harder and harder for me to spy on the Press."

Sam frowns.

"But Mrs and Mr Press haven't been in Orange for two weeks" she points out, shrugging. Then, after observing me a moment, she adds: "Is it about the wheelchair kid?"

"Her name's Mallory" I immediately say, not willing for them to be insensitive about the young girl, since she now seems to be the most clever and nice person in the whole county. They obviously wait on me to keep talking, so I add: "And I don't feel very professional being her nurse while also trying to uncover shady businesses her family is involved in."

This time, Sam seems to relax a bit - which is not Kristie's case, because she says:

"Well, you don't want our help, so..."

"Kristie, we talked about this" I immediately cut her, shaking my head slowly. She seems irritated all at once, as I continue: "You don't want to even stand in the same room than Rachel, so that's gonna be complicated. Besides, you guys really shouldn't get involved with these people: they are dangerous."

Obviously, my remark about Rachel did not please Kristie, because she stares at me in silence, which isn't a good sign at all from her.

Hopefully, Sam picks up the conversation and adds her thoughts to it:

"It therefore is dangerous for you, Abby. See, I talked to Alex and Kelley the other day, at the coffee shop, and they seemed concerned for you: you barely eat, seem on the edge all the time, looking for something, or rather, someone? Help us make sense of what's going on with you so we can help you..."

I impatiently get up, shaking my head in disbelief.

"I ain't looking for nobody, and nothing is wrong with me other than some freakingly rich and powerful family is involved in our father's death and I feel like I am not doing enough to uncover the truth!" I blurt out, pretty angry.

They also get up, as I am walking toward the entrance door, putting my jacket on.

"Abby, don't leave..." Sam urges me, staring at me with her sad puppy eyes.

"I need some air" I only say, before opening the door and leaving, just like that. 

I hear Kristie's voice raising, before the door closes - maybe she restrained her younger sister to go after me or something. When I get to the cold streets of Orange, I start walking without any real purpose, only to end up in my apartment somehow.

Everything seemed normal, up to the moment when I lighted the bathroom up, and that something was written in my mirror in a red-ish substance I could not identify - rather, I was praying for being wrong about it.

STOP SEARCHING

I shiver: there is no sign of trespassing, as the shower's curtain was closed on the bathtub. Slowly, and rather shakily, I turn around, my breath becoming somewhat erratic, on the verge of breaking. 

When I open the curtain, I gasp loudly and take a few steps back, before immediately calling the police, and then Kristie and Sam: there is a corpse in my bathtub, drained of blood.