Beautiful Apparation (Tony Perry FF)

fifty-five

I wake up, not in a hospital room, but in my own bedroom. I get up from bed, removing a wet towel from my forehead. What the hell happened?

"Hello?" I call out.

I hear footsteps quickly coming through the hallway. Jaime emerges and smiles. "You're awake."

"Why didn't you take me to a hospital?"

"You just fainted, no biggie."

I raise an eyebrow. "So you've handled an unconscious person before?"

He sighs before explaining, "Tony used to faint all the time. Sometimes from heat, most of the time from panic attacks. Why do you think he lived so close to Vic?"

Another reason for Danielle to hate Tony. I can imagine her cringing as he moved in next door. He was probably distracting Vic from her. Knowing Vic, he must've spent a lot of time with Tony. I wonder why I never knew about his panic attacks or fainting. It made me question how truthful he really has been with me.

"I want to see Vic," I demand.

"Be my guest." He gestures to the door and I exit the house without a second thought.

By now, the buzz outside has calmed down. I guess I was out for quite awhile. At first I feel hesitant to knock, but remember that Vic is a friend. I knock and wait. Jaime doesn't bother coming with me, I see his car leaving.

Suddenly, the door swings open and Vic stands there. He looks so drained, broken, fragile. That doesn't stop me from giving him a hug. He hugs back, giving me some type of response. I remember what he had said the first time this almost happened.

I'm just glad I heard her making noise that night otherwise I probably would've went down with her.

I'm glad I found her, and he didn't.

>>>

I worried about Vic all night. Sure, he said he'd be okay, but I know that's bullshit. I just hope he doesn't think of doing anything stupid. I won't forgive myself for leaving that house.

The clock reads 3:00 AM.

I don't want to be near Kyle or Tony at this point. They both fuck with my mind. Kyle couldn't have done it, she helped him after all. He always took but never gave, and what he did get, he'd appreciate.

Tony on the other hand, he's lying to me, again. Him and Danielle hate each other, I know it. Even when trying to get along with each other for me, I know it isn't possible. All that hate led up to this. Tony thought I was still pissed at her and I'd be lying if I said he was wrong. I didn't know what I was going to do when I saw her, but it wasn't going to be pretty. That still doesn't give him the right to murder her.

What am I doing with my life? I turned it into a nightmare. It's all my fault, I let Tony and Kyle in. Anytime I'm near either one of them, I feel like such a mess. I've had enough, I'm getting sick of it.

The next time I see either Tony or Kyle, that would be the last.

>>>

"Are you okay?" Lynn asks again.

We sit in the food court. I can't eat though. That image of Danielle keeps popping into my head. In a way I feel like I have to avenge her, but how?

"No, I feel like shit. Lynn, I'm so confused. Being alone makes it so much worse."

"I can stay with you if you'd like," She offers.

No matter how much I do want someone there with me, I can't drag Lynn deeper into the situation than she already is. She could end up like Danielle, and I don't want that. I don't know how I'd live with myself.