How To Stay Afloat (BxB)

Chapter 146: curious faces

Tuesday is the same busy, but not busy day. I go to the hospital, visit Austin and Harry, I talk to Carla on the phone and in the evening comes the time to tell Alan all about what the fuck happened and how it's affecting me. Frankly, Austin and I are both way too chill about what happened and it feels like the calm before the storm and I need to stop that uncomming storm before it hits.

"Oh no. What happened to you?" Alan asks as soon as he sees me over the camera.

"Yeah, well, uhm, it will probably sound like I'm telling lies." I say.

"Don't keep me waiting! You know I'm dying for exciting stories." Alan says.

I chuckle.

"Sorry, exciting is the wrong word." He says and puts on a more professional expression. "What happened?"

"Noah wasn't dead."

He gasps loudly. "No way!"

"Yeah. Turns out he faked it all." I say.

"I'm gonna say it. I called it. Remember?" He says. "I called it!"

But then he told me what I saw was a hallucination.

"Yeah, yeah, you mentioned your theory." I say.

"Wait. Are you screwing with me?" He asks.

"I wish I was." I say.

"So he was still alive all this time? Please tell me he got arrested!"

"Nope. He got shot and is now dead for real." I answer.

"He got shot by?" He asks hesitantly.

"Police." I answer.

"Of course." He says with a relieved sigh.

"You totally thought I killed him." I point out.

"I did." He says. "Both times."

"And you didn't tell the police your suspicion?" I ask him shocked.

"It was just a suspicion. And you don't seem like a killer, while he seems like one." He explains.

I nod my head. Obviously. He only knew my perspective.

"Okay. Just trauma dump me. Tell me everything." He suggests and moves his hands in a motion towards himself.

And I do. I tell him about searching for Austin, about getting the text, driving there.

"You should have called the police." He points out.

"I know." I breathe out.

Next I tell him all about Noah trying to force Harry to shoot me.

"And then he pulled the trigger." I say.

He gasps. "Shit. Did you die?" He jokes.

He could be professional, but seems like he noticed how his joking makes me much more relaxed and so he kept it up. And I think he doesn't act, that's just how he is. It is irritating, but it makes me feel a lot more relaxed.

"It was a pretty real looking toy gun." I say.

"Plot twist!" He comments.

I continue the story, telling him about using Harry's phone, Austin appearing, Noah faking my execution and lastly his sick games for Austin and me.

Alan doesn't say a lot, mostly listening and reacting with his facial expressions, occasionally joking. He also says a few comforting things obviously.

"Then I got taken to the hospital, but left early to see how the others are doing. My brother wasn't hurt, he just got arrested." I explain. "Austin had to get surgery and Harry was pretty much in a state of shock all day. And turns out I got pneumonia from getting vomit in my lungs."