"Aline?" I hear a familiar voice call me, as I turn around in my bed, pulling my covers until my forehead, hoping that this will help against the noises and the voice.
"What the fuck?" I mumble, not being able to really understand what's happening, as well as what I am saying. Covering my ears with my hands, I cringe, keeping my eyes closed. This isn't a very good morning, as I expected it to be.
"Wake up," I hear him say it and then somebody shakes me, making me really angry. My eyes shoot open and I jerk upwards, literally ready to fight anyone. As it turns out, Daniel was trying to get me out of bed, because we have to get our plan to find Chris get going today.
I quickly run to my bathroom, not noticing Daniel, staring at my sleeping outfit awkwardly. Brushing my teeth, as well as combing my hair at the same time is extremely hard, but I manage to do everything in less than five minutes. I dart back and pick out my outfit for today, comfortable and a bit pretty - skinny jeans and a black, Martin Garrix t-shirt, which I purchased quite a long time ago. I didn't take it with me for Martin's tour and left it at home.
Running back, I put on my running shoes, black and white Nikes and grab my phone from the bedside table. Although I have barely slept for five hours, energy is rushing through me madly and I want to do it. I guess, it's adrenaline. I can feel Daniel's gaze literally burning me from my back, while I head into the corridor. He also steps out, following me out of the house.
Cold wind blows at my face, as I shut the door behind Daniel's back, just a moment after he steps outside. Dense, dark clouds cover most of the sky and the sun, not letting any warm rays pass through. Rubbing my hands against each other, I exhale loudly and we head to the nearest subway. My feet step silently on the dark-gray pavement, as we quickly walk through the empty, but loud streets.
Most of the noise comes from the larger avenues, with more cars driving around and people hurrying around to get to their desired destinations. The closer we get to an underground, the more people appear around it. Trying to get past the old people and the younger, rushing, we elbow and stumble down the crowded staircase, to the foul smelling subway.
We are silent as we walk, getting tickets separately from each other and then, not even bothering to chat about something. I personally don't think it's necessary, Daniel probably thinks that it's to worrying and nerve-wrecking for me, considering that I will be dong most of our plan.
This subway is quite dirty, with all of the homeless sitting on the floor, asking people for money. There are also thieves here. They are probably everywhere in big cities, especially in New York, because there are many rich people and many easy victims to get money from. I remember having nearly all o my money stolen, when we were using the underground white often. Sydney, Lynn, Marcus and I.
Chris has always lived further away from us. I don't even understand how Marcus has met him, Chris goes to a different school and lives about 40 minutes from my house, by the subway and even further away from Marcus'. Marcus lives quite close to me, unlike Sydney and Lynn. Both of them live about a twenty minute walk from my house.
All three of us went to the same school in Brooklyn, even though I've only started being friends with Marcus and Lynn on our junior year. Most of the time, I hung out with Daniel or by myself, considering I was a pretty lonely and unsociable kid back then. After starting to take part in parties with Sydney and Lynn, I started being a bit more social.
Who am I kidding? I became social than ever and extremely popular. People wanted to hang out with us and many random guys hit on me, but Marcus turned out to soon become my boyfriend, although nobody has expected that. I became a social bitch - mean to everyone and very arrogant, like I was the queen. Well, our group considered ourselves the best...
Getting inside the train, I sit down on the hard, dirty seat, glancing at Daniel, who decided to stand. The train quickly fills up with different people and when the doors finally close, I can't even exhale from relief - there are too many crammed up in here.
"So, did you miss New York subway?" I ask Daniel, who is looking around, trying not too much or elbow somebody around him.
"No," he replies, turning his head to me. "At least I have a car in LA and I can go everywhere without relying on the cost of the subway and its position."
"True," I comment, staring at the people around me, trying to sound normal and not nervous at all, but the worry can't go, it overfills me from the inside, gradually spilling outwards.
"New York underground is so dirty and full of people."
"Yeah, bit it's comfortable if you don't want to drive," I say, deciding to end our awkward talk here. Taking out headphones from my pocket, I put them on and put some music on my phone, isolating myself from the outer world and everything that happens there.
When I listen to music, I feel like I am in a bubble, all by myself. In a small world, where nobody can get to me and where I am not that vulnerable. A tiny, unknown substance fills my body, as I hear the beats pump through the white wires into my ears like a drug through a syringe, into the the person's veins, carrying positive emotions and crazy thoughts.
Music is my drug and it means the world to me. This is probably the reason for me meeting Martin at a music festival. It could have been anywhere else, if this was meant to happen, but it happened exactly at a music festival, which I've wanted to go to for quite a long time.
Going to Ultra was the last breath of life I could take and it filled my lungs fully, letting me live longer. After finally letting go of Marcus, I was feeling happy back then. When I've met Martin, my happiness multiplied by a thousand times, making me the happiest person on the whole planet, or even universe.
It's a shame we don't text each other anymore. It's such a big shame, but I am not going to let it slip. Unlocking my phone, I text him and I decide to take this chance to actually text him a proper, long message, not a stupid, one-word, not-even-a-text message.
I send him this:
Hey, Martin. Hopefully, you're having fun at all of the beautiful places and awesome raves. Just want to say a "hi", because I really miss you. By the way, we are soon going to get Chris and everything is going to be fine. Please reply xxx
After a long and a very boring ride, of continuous stopping at stations and people getting in and out of the train, we got to our destination. Heading outside, to the daylight and fresh air, I exhale and inhale vigourously.
Staring at the cafe, in which we are supposed to meet, a quick thought rushes through my mind. The part of our plan is for Daniel to wait for me and if something happens to me, he is going to call the police. However, what if we have nothing to back us up? I unnoticeably take out my phone and press record in the recorder. Whatever Chris says, the police will find out.
"Call him," Daniel says, as we slowly walk to another cafe. "He should be in the cafe."
"Shouldn't we just go straight in?" I ask, heading inside. Daniel grabs my wrist, not letting me go.
"If he starts going too extreme, call me," Daniel explains and I nod. "You won't need calling anyway, I'll be watching you two anyway."
"Thanks."
"Good luck."
After letting me go, he nods at me and I push the heavy, glass door to go inside. I instantly see him sitting in the farthest corner, smirking at me evilly, making all of my insides turn from worry. His eyes are piercing mine, so intimidating and sly. Slowly, I head to his table and sit at the chair opposite of him.
I feel the atmosphere in the room become much colder, than it was. My knees start shaking and tapping on the table from the bottom, as my toes raise. My knees covered in jeans make some loud thumps, until I've finally decided to contain myself.
Chris observes me silently, his long fingers around his mug of coffee. He looks different - tired and annoyed. He's probably grieving, Marcus is dead. I can't see his old self present in him, in his movements, in his eyes.
"Well, I have been waiting for this meeting," he breaks the silence, his powerful cutting through it like a sharp razor or a blade, soon to hit somebody in the weak spot, giving pain. Of course, that somebody is me.
"You are that person," I hiss through my teeth, trying to keep calm, even though the rage inside me is storming like a thunderstorm during a dark night or like boiling water in a pot. Any way, I still can't keep it inside myself.
"Yes, that's me."
"Why?" My hands clench into fists, as I stare into his dark and sly eyes, which are gazing at me from something like an invisible wall, blocking something off. Like a fog, they don't let me see.
He is the stalker.
He is the one.
"Isn't it obvious? I have always though that you are a smart slut, looks like Sydney and Lynn have proven me wrong..."
"What happened to them?" I cut him off, making an even bigger smirk appear in his face. Looks like he thinks this is all a stupid game.
"After Marcus died, which he did because of you, stupid, little..."
"Back to the point!" I yell at him, not wanting to hear anything from his filthy mouth, except for the raw truth.
"They are in a rehab. They got caught by their parents, smoking some Mary Jane together and yeah, well..."
In a rehab.
Sydney and Lynn are in a rehab.
They got caught.
Something rushes through my mind. It feels like happiness, mixed with relief, which come to a person after a long period of hopelessness. It feels like a bright spark, appearing in the darkness, lighting just a tiny fraction of a room, but still giving light.
"Why did you do it?" I ask again, hoping to sound powerful and demanding.
"Because you killed Marcus. You are a stupid bitch, which though that she can play with Marcus' feelings. You killed him and you deserve to die as well. It was fun breaking you."
I take a breath, but then stop breathing, feeling everything inside my body literally stop, all of my cells dying out from his words. Every blood cell inside my veins and arteries stops, making me slowly choke. Or so I am feeling right now.
"I was sending you these notes, through random people, who you probably wouldn't have notice or known to be guessing that it was them. All the boxes you got were obviously sent by me, whenever you were in New York. I also had to sometimes break into your house, luckily your cleaner gave me the spare key, what a dumbass."
I stare at him in shock, really unable to say anything to him. My throat starts making random, but luckily quiet noises. I quickly get up and run to the counter, asking for some water. They pour me a glass from the tap and I gulp it down in one go, letting it spread at least some moisture around my throat. Sitting back, I put the glass on the table with a click. Chris is following me with his eyes, smirking unstoppably.
"When you were at that hotel in Los Angeles, I asked one of my friends, who was there, to help. Remember that model, who wanted to do a photoshoot with you? She's such a good actress. While you were talking, her boyfriend raided your pockets and handbags and slipped out your room card. How unfortunate."
"And then somebody broke into my room," I continue, remembering this event in my head. The bangs and thumps coming from the living room, the dark figures and the fright. It all comes crashing down on me in this right moment.
"Nope," Chris replies, popping the p, "firstly, your boyfriend had to let you in, because if not, we wouldn't be able to break in. So, my friend told the receptionist to let you in, telling her that your boyfriend gave the key."
Finally.
I know the truth.
I know who did it.
It all ended.
Everything is going to end.
But, wait!
Why is he telling me this? Why would he tell me this, if he might get in trouble. Does he know, that he is going to get in trouble? That I am recording this and I probably will give this to the police...
"Why are you telling me this?" I ask, not intentionally, even though I still want to know the answer to this question.
"The thing is, I am pretty close to getting fucked up, as well. My parents know, so they are sending em to a rehab for a long time. Longer than you think. I've got nothing to loose, I am fucked up."
"Well done," I spit out, getting up from the chair loudly and scraping it against the floor.
"For what?"
"I have the recording of you telling me this. You telling me everything."
"You never deserved Marcus, you are a bitch, Aline."
"Go tell your fucking friends about it!" I shout and head straight to the exit, not even understanding what has just happened. This means, that Chris will finally leave me alone, without even the police, without any efforts. Without doing anything.
After all this time, I finally feel safe, happy and relieved. Everything has ended, he will be gone soon. All of the struggle will end, the best is yet to come...
____
OMG! Thank you so so much for nearly 1K! I love you guys so much and I literally appreciate every single read and vote. Don't forget to comment, comments are appreciated as well. Tell me what do you think and yes, I know this is not the best ending...
I have started this story in order to have some fun and just improve my writing skills and to be honest, I am really happy. I didn't quite make a plan, so there are some plot holes, which I tried to cover up and without this ending, it couldn't have been possible. If you still know any, comment them...
...here (plot holes.)
Thank you for being with me, even if you haven't been there since the beginning of it all. I am really happy for the way Tell Your Friends turned out and I don't regret anything. If you want any questions answered, comment them...
...here (Q&A.)