So this is it, the final chapter! It's actually the first fan fiction I've finished so I'm actually so proud of myself. I've enjoyed writing it so much and I'm really excited to start posting the sequel :D
Thank you guys soooooooooooooooo much for all the reads and the votes and comments! I probably wouldn't have ever finished it if it wasn't for you guys, even though you're probably going to hate me for ending it on a cliff hanger, haha! But the sequel is coming very soon :)
Aaaaaand, thank you to Charlotte because she's been helping me since I first told her I was thinking of writing it and I couldn't have done it without her! :D
Please vote and comment, tell me what you think! And again, thank you<3
**
Nothing happened for ages.
As soon as my call had ended with Zacky, Ronnie had dragged me all the way out to his car that was parked in the garage, forcing me into the passenger seat. I’d expected him to drive off somewhere with me, but it wasn’t long before it became evident that that wasn’t going to happen, as the engine stayed off, and we stayed firmly sat in the car, the doors locked, and our surroundings only slightly lit from the dim garage light.
It appeared to be some sort of hiding game for him, but it seemed like a ridiculous place to hide. I knew he’d locked both garage doors, but if Zacky really was sending the police this way—and I had no doubt in my mind that he was—then we couldn’t have much time before they found us.
The clock in the car told me that it was just coming up to three PM when Ronnie locked us inside. He didn’t say a single word to me, and didn’t even seem angry at all. Though, his calm side actually intimidated me more than his furious side. It was times like these that he could randomly flip out without me expecting it.
I knew not to speak, either. Despite the fact that there was honestly no point in silently sitting in a locked car inside a locked garage, I was sensible enough to know that now was not the time or situation to complain about boredom. My gaze seemed to repeatedly wander over to the clock, and even though it felt like hours had passed, it always turned out to only be five minutes at the most.
I must have dozed off at some point. Nothing had changed when I woke up. My eyes slowly opened and I shifted in the seat, wincing at the sudden movement of my stiff body. The first thing I did was look back at the lock, and I found that at least two hours had passed. It was quarter past five, and it seemed we were going absolutely nowhere.
Ronnie noticed my movement, sending me a slight glance and also moving so that he was facing me. Even the thought of making eye contact with him was making me feel sick.
“Doesn’t look like your Baker is sending the cops after all.” He said somewhat cockily, though completely straight-faced. “See? Didn’t I tell you he doesn’t love you?”
“Oh, they’ll be here. Trust me.” I spat back, narrowing my eyes. Ronnie’s confidence in the situation only seemed to make me more determined to challenge him.
A scoff left his lips, and he ripped his gaze from me, going back to staring forward again. I, however, kept my stare fully on him, my eyes wandering over his face as I studied his expression. Part of me knew that keeping on Ronnie’s good side was probably my best bet, and I decided that from then on, I was going to bite my tongue.
Obviously feeling my gaze on him, Ronnie turned to face me again, cocking an eyebrow. Just the look on his face made me want to hurl insults his way and kick up a fuss, but I suppressed the urge, simply smiling.
“What?” He asked me, suspicion coating his tone. “Why are you staring at me?”
“Just am.” I quickly shrugged, keeping the smile pulling at my lips. “You’re nice to look at.”
His other eyebrow rose to match the cocked one. “...Right.”
Just from his tone irritating me, it became harder to the keep the smile on my face, but I somehow managed to do so. Ronnie studied my expression uneasily for a second, his face dropping into a frown, and he eventually stared forward again.
“I’m not stupid, you know.” He said, shaking his head ever so slightly. “I know what you’re doing. And no matter how sweet you act, nothing’s going to stop me from doing this.”
I gulped, dropping my smile. “Doing what?”
In response to my question, I expected somewhat of a sickening and malicious smile to tug as his lips, but he simply laughed, shaking his head.
“I’m not going to kill you, silly.” He continued to laugh. “Jeez, Midge. The look on your face.”
“Then what do you want from me?!”
His serious expression returned, and he narrowed his eyes ever so slightly, staring forward and tilting his head. The sudden bout of fear that began to wash over me made me want to cry. I was weakening and losing confidence, and I knew I absolutely couldn’t do that. If I wanted to get out of this situation, I had to keep positive.
“You.” He quietly answered, his eyes flickering to me for a split second. “That’s exactly what I want. I want you to myself.”
I should have expected him to say something like that, considering he’d been giving out those types of signals for months and he’d practically confessed it before, but it still somehow managed to shock me a little. I’d probably have felt less awkward if he’d said he wanted to kill me.
“But, Ronnie...” I sighed, staring down at my hands. “I don’t want you. As harsh as that sounds, I—‘’
“What is it about him, huh?” He cut my words off, sharply turning his face to glare at me. “Zacky Baker? What’s so fucking great about him?”
“I—‘’
“Is it because he plays guitar?” He interrupted me again. “Because I can sing...”
“You can?” I raised my eyebrows, at which he nodded. “Well, maybe you should start a band.”
“If I did, would I have a chance to win you over?”
A sigh escaped my lips and my gaze dropped back down to my hands again. It was clear that it was going to be hard for me to get my point across.
“What do you think this is, Ronnie?” I calmly asked, fidgeting in my seat. “Some sort of game?”
He said nothing, and simply stared at me. Obviously, it was a game to him, and that only seemed to irritate me.
“I’m not with Zacky because he impressed me with his guitar or because he’s in a band...” I shook my head slowly. “Sure, those are cool things, but I’d still be with him if he didn’t do either of those things. It’s got nothing to do with that. I’m with him because he makes me feel secure. He makes me smile and laugh and he always knows the right things to say, and...” I trailed off then, realising I was getting a little carried away. “And I love him.”
At that, Ronnie grimaced and diverted his gaze forward again. Obviously, there was going to be no explanation that was enough to make him see how the situation really was. That only had me losing even more confidence.
Silence fell between us again, this time, a more intimidating kind. As I stared at him and studied his face, it was almost like I could see him thinking. That made my thoughts flicker to when I was growing up; my mother would watch me and tell me she could “see the cogs turning” in my head. However, I was sure my mother had never sat and watched me think with the worry that she could possibly be killed within a matter of minutes.
I’d seen Ronnie like this before. All it took was the tiniest provocation to set him off. And then there was no stopping him.
“You know you’re insane, right?” He suddenly said, his voice still completely calm.
His ridiculous words caused a scoff to leave my lips, but the way he vigorously shook his head prevented the sarcastic laugh that was about to follow.
“I mean it, Midge.” He continued, turning his body to face me again. “I’m not saying this to insult you or be nasty. I genuinely think you have a screw loose or something.”
“Right.” I chuckled humourlessly. “And where did you come up with that wonderful leap of logic?”
He studied my face seriously, before he spoke. “Throughout my life, I’ve seen so many people come and go. I’ve met so many different types of people. You were of a more unique kind, which immediately made me attracted to you. But...sometimes you come across completely normal. You know...like any other eighteen year old girl. And then other times...you can be completely psychotic. To the point where it actually scares me. And I don’t get scared easily.”
He certainly wasn’t the first person to say that to me, but that didn’t make me any feel any less annoyed or insulted. Especially after hearing that coming from him.
“Look...I’m not going to sit here and discuss whether you think I’m psychotic or not. Quite frankly, I don’t give a shit. But I’m getting bored and tired of sitting in this God damn car with you and having bullshit conversations as an attempt to make the time pass faster so you can work your plan without me noticing. I’m not stupid.” I snapped. “And I’m getting to the point where I’m giving up. I don’t care what you do with me anymore...just get on with it.”
He blinked at my sudden outburst, shrugging as he stared at me with innocent, wide eyes. I scowled, tearing my gaze from him before I grew really annoyed, but a little part of me was still willing to beg.
“I don’t expect you to let me go, Ronnie.” I murmured, calmer and quieter this time. “I know that you’re stubborn. You’ve made up your mind that you’re going to do whatever you want with me and no amount of pleading I can do will make you change your mind. But considering I’m very near to agreeing to just...go along with it without a fight...could you at least give me one thing in return?”
He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye. “...What is it?”
“Let me ring Zacky.” My voice cracked as the words left my mouth. “Just once. Just to...to say goodbye...I guess.”
There was no immediate answer; just silence. He seemed to contemplate it for way longer than he needed to, as he slowly tilted his head from side to side and chewed thoughtfully on his lip. The length of time he was taking to make his decision made it pretty clear to be that the answer was going to be a resounding no, but he suddenly turned to me, giving the tiniest nod of his head—so slight that I almost didn’t see it.
“You keep it on loudspeaker at all times so that I can hear everything that’s being said, got it?” He firmly stated, giving me no choice but to vigorously nod. “And two minutes only.”
It only took that for me to reach into my pocket and pull out my phone. I’d been forced by Ronnie to turn it off, so I was sure I’d have even more missed calls and texts than I had done before. I pressed down on the button at the top, waiting impatiently as the screen slowly lit up and the phone came on. It wasn’t even a minute before it began violently vibrating in my hand with numerous texts and voicemail alerts. I ignored them all and went straight to my contacts.
Just as I was scrolling down to Zacky’s contact name, the screen of my phone lit up with a call from him, and I wasted no time in accepting it and raising the phone to my ear.
“Zacky?” I quickly said, glancing at Ronnie as he very obviously mouthed “loudspeaker” at me. I quickly clicked the icon.
“Midge!” Zacky’s voice echoed through the car, very clearly cracking as if he’d been crying. “Don’t worry, baby. We’re on our way and the cops are too. We’re coming to get you.”
As the words he spoke echoed through the car, I worriedly glanced at Ronnie, who by now, looked completely on-edge.
“...Who’s we?” I nervously questioned.
“Me and Brian.” He quickly said. “I told him everything. He’s helping me find you.”
I paused, half at the fact that I was so in shock that Brian knew about Zacky and I, and also at the fact that he must have been somewhat okay with it. The way Ronnie clenched his jaw next to me had me snapping out of my thoughts and back into the situation.
“You don’t need to do that.” I replied, a sob mixing in with my words. “Ronnie’s not gonna let this go. It’s either you or me and I’d much rather it be me. Just...tell my dad that—‘’
“It doesn’t have to be either of us! Don’t you dare start saying goodbyes like that! We’re in Long Beach and we just need to find Victory Avenue!” He cut in, the way he’d increased the volume of his voice making me jump. “Just...stay there. We won’t be long.”
Of course, telling me to stay here was no use, because that was all it took for Ronnie to quickly rev the engine, getting out of the car to rip the garage door open and pull out of the garage at a frightening speed. Zacky must have heard the car from the other end of the phone, as there was no mistaking the way he sucked in a deep breath.
“...Midge...please don’t tell me you’re with him right now.” He said, his voice absolutely pleading. “Where are you guys going? Are you giving up on me?!”
“I have to.” I sobbed harder, covering my face with my hand. “I’m so sorry!”
As I sobbed, Ronnie was so focused on breaking the speed limit that he’d not even noticed my call had gone past two minutes. It soon became clear that Zacky was crying just as hard as I was.
“You don’t have to!” He yelled back at me, his words mixing into each other. “Midge, you don’t! I’m going to find you and get you and we’re going to be happy. I just need you to tell me what car Ronnie’s driving!”
“I—‘’
“Don’t you dare, Midge!” Ronnie spat.
I ignored him, past the point of caring. “I...I don’t know. It’s a black pickup truck...I...I didn’t pay much attention to it!”
“You know what? It doesn’t even matter if he knows. He’s never gonna find us.” Ronnie continued to taunt both of us. “It’s a Toyota, Baker. Not that it’s going to be much use to you.”
“Fuck you, Radke.” Zacky yelled, the sound of it making it clear that his teeth were clenched. “The cops are after you. They have been for a while now, haven’t they?! But Midge didn’t fucking know that. Well she does now. It won’t be long until you’re locked up again and we can get on with our lives in peace!”
Ronnie paused, his body stiffening as he sped up more. “...You’ll be getting on with your life alone if Midge is dead!”
My eyes widened, and there was a complete silence on the other end of the phone. That pretty much told me that neither of us had expected him to say such a thing, but just by studying the expression on his face, I could tell he meant it.
Within the last few seconds, Ronnie had made the decision that it was best to just kill me.
“You fucking bastard!” Zacky practically screamed.
Ronnie ignored him and abruptly turned a corner, causing my body to be thrown to the side and my head to harshly collide with the window. I didn’t have a chance to worry about that though, as that was when I heard the sirens.
As if they’d come out of nowhere, they were echoing loud and clear from right behind us. Ronnie glanced worriedly through the rear-view mirror, swearing under his breath and speeding up even more. While he tried to decide want stunt to pull next, a little hope settled inside of me. The cops had almost caught up with us.
“I can hear those sirens!” Zacky exclaimed, calming ever so slightly. “You’re gonna be okay, Midge. I know it.”
“Cut the phone off, Midge.” Ronnie demanded, not giving me a chance to reply.
“Midge, don’t. Don’t listen to—‘’
“Give me the damn phone!” Ronnie then ripped the phone out of my hand, ending the call and throwing it right into the back seat.
A sob was just about to creep up my throat again, but that was when Ronnie turned another corner, driving forward and pulling onto completely the wrong side of the road. Cars were coming towards us, and even worse, we were driving right next to a canal. There was no way this could end well.
It was as I screamed and stared forward with wide eyes that I realised the car we looked like we were about to crash right into was Brian’s car. Through my tears, I could just about see the way Zacky noticed it was us, and he looked like he wanted to throw himself out of the car and come running over to us.
But with Brian coming right towards us, a police car about to overtake him and another police car—the same one that had been following us just then—turning the corner we had, began to head towards us. It looked like there was no way out, but Ronnie found a way, cutting onto the grass right next to the canal.
The other cars quickly followed his route, and began to corner him on the grass, all of them coming to a stop as they got out of the cars. Zacky came practically sprinting towards Ronnie’s car with the cops, but it was just as he approached us that Ronnie stepped down on the pedal and the car went surging forward.
It just about clipped Zacky’s hip and knocked him onto the ground, but there was no chance to do anything about that.
The car went forward and forward for what seemed like forever.
There was a sensation of falling and a loud splash. I could see water and immediately felt some sort of suffocating sensation, like a pillow was being pressed onto my face. It didn’t seem all that long until I could no longer breathe properly.
And then there was a thud, and blackness.
Nothing came after it. Just...complete dark. I couldn’t see anything, or feel anything. There was nothing around me.
I was pretty sure I was dead.