Forward: After Omori [DISCONTINUED]

Searching

*The Next Day*

Aubrey groaned and buried her face under her pillow as another rock hit her window. She knew the Hooligans were worried about her since she hasn't exited her room in almost three days, but if one more rock hit her window she was throwing it back down, and she didn't care who it hit.

Of course, the rock throwing wasn't the only thing ticking her off. There was also the constant phone calls, plus them knocking on the door every hour or so, as if her mom was going to get up from the couch and open it for them.

Something thumped against the window three more times. "For God's sake, somebody's about to get stoned to death," Aubrey mumbled, then got up from the bed. She turned to the window and took a surprised step back.

Kim was sitting on the roof underneath Aubrey's window, adjusting her glasses so she could look in. Aubrey walked to the window angrily. "What are you doing here?"

"Hi. It's nice to see you too," Kim said casually. When Aubrey didn't respond, she sighed. "I'm here to figure out why you've been acting so weird. We're worried about you."

"You shouldn't be. Nothing's wrong."

"You haven't come out of your room. You haven't answered our texts or calls," Kim listed. "You've been weird ever since we left the hospital. We were planning on letting you tell us what's wrong on your own, but it's been three days, and we don't want you to turn into a shut-in like Knife Boy."

Aubrey gritted her teeth at the words Knife Boy. "Seriously, I'm fine. I just found out I'm allergic to sunlight and social interaction." She turned her back to Kim, heading back to her bed. "I'm going to sleep."

Kim banged on the window with the palm of her hand. "Girl, if you don't open this window right now, I swear I'm gonna break the damn thing and drag you out. And you know I can do it."

Kim probably could do it, but still Aubrey kept her back to the window. She heard Kim sigh.

"Okay. Well, when you decide you want to talk, we'll be right here to listen. We've got your back." Kim smiled at Aubrey, though the pink-haired girl couldn't see it, then began to climb down from the window. 

"Kim," Aubrey said so softly it barely left her lips. Kim stopped and turned to her, almost falling off the roof as she did so.

"Yeah?"

"I --" Aubrey started, then hesitated. " ... Not right now. I need to figure things out first, get my thoughts in order."

"So, later?"

"I don't know. Maybe. I just can't right now."

"Well, okay. If that's what you want." 

" ... Thanks, Kim."

Aubrey smiled weakly at her friend, then turned her back to the window again. Kim bit her lip, trying to decide what to say.

"We're all here for you, you know. Me, Vance, Angel, Mikhael, everyone. We're all worried about you. Everyone's in chaos. We need our Boss back."

Aubrey didn't turn around, but her shoulders began to shake softly. Kim put a hand on the window's glass, wanting to comfort her. She stood like that for a bit, trying to figure out what to do or say before finally giving up. Casting one last glance at Aubrey, she climbed down from the window and walked away, determined to help her friend.

.

.

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"Let's go! We finally found it!" Kel yelled as the rest of the Dreamworld gang sighed with relief. They had been searching for a whole day, but finally they located the tree stump: the entrance to Neighbor's Room and from there, White Space.