Anaïs
I knew I had a test to study for but not once did Vincent ever take a no for an answer.
To be honest I did not know how Mandine kept up with him but how he got me outside on a freezing night it was probably going to snow anyways.
Mandine wa holding on to Vincent as they walked and Pable along with Jay walked behind as me and Malia walked in the middle.
We were from a restaurant where we took dinner and finished our money on cheap alcohol to see who would get wasted first and since we were just college students trying to make money and our way through we didnt even buy enough beer to get our asses drunk before the money got finished.
The only good thing was that we were full and we knew we were safe in this dimly lit alley filled with garbage and cats since we had two boys behind and infront.
We were loud may I add and as we walked we talked even more but at some point when one of us ran out of jokes or stories we would shut up for a minute until one of us comes up with another dry joke to keep us laughing until atleast we reach one of our places
We continued walking by until the meowing of cats started to sound more like baby cries in my ears.
I knew I was tipsy so probably my ears might have been betraying me.
So I continued walking.
But something definetly something inside me told me to stop and I did and Jay asked why I stopped and I mention him to keep quiet.
There it is.
I heard it again.
About three feet away there were garbage cans and atleast two stray cats bawled themselves there trying to keep themselves warm.
"Shit!" I exclaimed quickly moving back until I reached where those garbage cans were.
"One of you come help me remove these" I shouted for the five people who stood away from me watching me like I was mad.
Vincent turned and asked me what I was doing.
I responded telling him to come help me and him with pablo came.
I heard the cry again.
There was definetly a baby in here.
"Is that an infant I hear!?" Vincent said and tears welled up in my eyes
If we dont get to the bay fast it might die
"Faster!" I mentioned for the boy who were helping me and there it was.
Behind two huge garbage cans and three garbage bags.
A baby.
"Shit shit shit" vincent said removing his fur coat then kept it around the baby as I held it in my hands.
"Oh my goodness.
Who the hell would do this in their right mind" Pablo said looking at the infant who was now struggling to cry
It was cold.
"Someone order an uber.
He or she needs to go to the hospital!" I exclaimed looking at the boys.
Who would throw away a baby.
Especially when its freezing.
In fucking November.
Anger rose in me and for the first time I stared in the face of the tiny human being in my hands.
His face was so pale.
He looked sick and to be exact I still had no idea if this was a boy or a girl.
"It's two minutes away.
Litsen I know a short cut to get to the main road where I set the location pin
If we hurry we will be ontime" Malia said as we started approaching them
We did that.
We followed her directions and in two minutes of almost running we were there.
My heart was hammering and when they told me Malia and Mandine to go in the cab they would take a taxi and meet us there I didnt even try to argue.
My whole mission was to get this baby in the hospital.
The whole time it was whimpering and everytime he or she gasped out of no where my heart would skip a beat or two and the whole time I held her or him onto my chest trying to provide as much warmth as possible I kept sending a prayer to keep this baby safe and alive.
I couldn't handle the baby dying in my hands.
None of us talked.
And I had a feeling both Malia and Mandine matched my emotions and developed an intolerable hate for whoever thought that they could just throw away a live baby like garbage.
We finally reached and to say that I had never been relieved to see a nurse in my whole life like I saw her that time I wouldn't be lying.
"Please help the baby.
We found her outside in the cold and we don't know how long it has been there.
Please help us" when the nurse heard that she paled and called for the energy room to spare and prepare a bed.
After a minute or two after the baby carried away they boys arrived and asked us what went on and if we got news to tell them.
Malia told them that they just took the baby away and told us to wait.
I on the other hand was too scared to talk.
What if questions started running in my mind.
What if the baby dies.
Whay if the baby survives.
What if I was too late to save the baby.
What ifs and what ifs flooded my mind and I didnt know what to do.
"Give yourself a break for a minute will ya?" Mandine said looking at me as she dropped a hand on my shoulder.
"That baby is mine" I said looking at her in a defensive way.
I was just twenty one.
"Definetly" she said after seeing the look in my eyes.
I really didnt know how I was going to provide for a baby at this state but I wasn't going to let the baby get away from me.
Was the mother going to come for him or her.
Would I have to go to court if the mother or the family wanted the child back.
Many questions ran in my head and the coming nurse is the one who saved me after sitting for almost an hour outside in the waiting room lost in my own thoughts.
She stood infront of us with a smile on her face and we all stood.
Gathering all around her we waited for the news she would tell us.
"The baby is fine.
Thank goodness you brought him just in time before any of his delicate organs could get affected by the cold and he is only one week old according to our tests" she said looking at us.
"It looks like you are life savers after all" she said and turned to walk away but not before telling us that we could go to see the baby.
Another nurse came along and guided us to the room the small baby was in after the first thing I noticed was the peaceful look on the sleeping baby.
My heart melted right away and I knew from that moment on that this young man stole my heart.
He got it wrapped around his tiny fingers.
One week old and already someone trying to kill you.
That day I called my mother.
Told her everything and she asked a thousand of questions.
She volunteered to be coming at my place to pick him up every time I would go to school or even babysit him there.
She also volunteered to buy all the necessities of a baby but not before everything is settled.
Not before any lawyer starts coming to me saying that I stole a child and whatever bullshit humans accuse someone who is innocent just to get them to give and also not until a week was over.
Because that was how long the hospital gave me and if no one would claim to have lost a baby in that amount of time then I would keep the baby.
The police said the same thing and for that period of time I only hopped for the best.
No one came asking for the baby and therefore the birth certificate for the baby boy I picked up on 20th november was filled by me and Pablo.
We decided to name that baby boy Cyril Ademar Mayer.
Present time...
I sat in the chair alone in the empty house as tears flowed freely from my sore and red eyes.
A bottle of gin sat infront of me untouched but it was definetly open and my phone laid next to me with the flight mode notification on.
Today I told my boss that I wasn't going to work and because I probably knew that Ethan told him about the death of one of my best friend he let me down easy.
It was ten in the morning and looking at my pitiful self on the black screen of my phone I chocked down on a sob.
Today I wasn't even able to wake up and take my son to school.
My mother had to come and do it for me then left me alone.
She left me alone to mourn.
She knew what I was going through so she left me alone to mourn.
I was a mess.
Extending my hand to take a swing from the bottle of gin the door swung open.
I really didnt care neither did I bother to check.
The liquid burned my throat a little as it went down my throat.
I kept it back.
"Why are you here?" I asked without looking at whoever was in my house.
"I came to see how you are doing." Lucas replied looking at me.
He was leaning on the wall with a pitiful look on his face.
"Not good so please get out of my... house" I said in between sobs.
I was breaking slowly.
Why did they have to kill them in pain.
Wiping the tears with the back of my hand I rose my head to look at the person who refused to budge.
"I said leave" I said with a hiccup at the end as I stood to wash my face.
Losing my balance a little his hands caught me midway before I could stumble backwards.
How he got behind me so fast I didnt know.
Just right there I broke down again.
"He promised he would be there as Cyril grows" I said shaking my head to remove back the bitter sweet memories.
I was breaking inside.
"He promised" I said this time whispering as i shook in his hold.
My face somehow got right in his chest and I sobbed even more.
"She was supposed to tell me that she was pregnant.
Lucas I was going to be an aunt" I said between sobs again.
He didnt say anything but held me to him.
Exactly what I needed.
Then in that moment I realised that I still loved this man.
I loved this man and I was fucked.
I cried even more.
We stayed there for minutes.
Him holding me in his hands while I cried myself into agony.
My heart broke each time a memory that we shared crossed my mind.
She was the most appreciative person I knew and in addition to that she was always the one who would encourage each one of us to step out of our comfort zone.
I was devastated to the point of where I refused to see their bodies.
I was supposed to go there today and see them.
I wanted to go alone and have my last memories with them alone.
But looking at the state I was in right now I didnt think I had the strength to.
After two a whole hour of me crying he finally spoke.
"Malia told me that you were supposed to go to the morgue at one" he said and I didnt reply.
What point was he heading to.
"Look I can take you and if you need support I can be by your side since she told me that they would perform autopsy from the evening after the clean up" he said looking at me.
I just nodded my head then detangled myself from his hold to go and atleast try take a shower before leaving.
Thirty minutes later I was done and came out of the room to an arranged sitting room with the bottle of alcohol gone somewhere that I didnt know and the rest of the place arranged.
He was seated using his phone as he spoke through it and when he saw me he gave me a tight lipped smile then cut the call after saying that they would talk later.
I really didnt care about who he was talking to at the moment so I just ignored it.
Looking at the weather outside I sighed grabbing a jacket from the hanger next to the door then kept it over the black long sleeve turtle neck bodysuit with blue Jeans and black boots.
Grabbing my phone along with lipgloss I exited after him so that I could close the door.
The drive took forever and when we reached there Mandine's parents along with Vincent's parents were talking to two police officers and when they saw us they stopped us.
An all work face edged between them when they saw who I came in with.
"Miss mayer Mr Regonzili " they greeted us with handshakes and when I was done with them I went to hug my bestfriends'parents whose faces lacked all the light in the world and I was sure if it wasnt for my sunglasses I would have looked the same.
I saw the men discussing and for a moment it looked like there was a disagreement about to happen so I kept on my bitchy face then stepped in.
"Everything alright gentlemen?" I asked looking between the three men.
There was a moment of silence until I rose a brow.
"Everything is fine we were just trying to get you for interrogations but this gentleman over here doesn't seem to agree with us" one of the police officer answered and I looked at Lucas.
I was not in the mood of talking because I didnt even trust myself to talk long enough and not break down.
"I was telling them to give you time and atleast get you to talk after the burial which would be better and I'm sure you don't want to have an interview in a moment like this" he said looking at me through thick lanced glasses and I felt like he was trying to make an eye contact.
I breathed out.
He was right.
"Exactly what he said.
I'm sure you dont think I am a suspect so the burial is in three days and I'll be free to talk after that for just two days" I said looking at them then proceeded to walk to the doctor who was now escorting the parents to the morgue.
I followed right behind them mentally preparing myself to see the beat up bodies of my friends.
When we reached there the bodies were already out of the refrigerator fully covered with a white sheet and Lucas stood behind me holding my shoulders with his palms.
I took in a big breath and nodded my head when the doctor asked us if we were ready.
On a count of three he removed the sheets and infront of me laid the lifeless bodies of my bestfriends.
They looked bad.
Almost unrecognisable.
I took in another breath and a sob escaped me.
I breathed in.
I breathed out.
I was getting lightheaded and slowly my vision became blurry until all I saw was black.
Finally sleep.