His Reflection

Chapter Three • The House

MARIE

I stared down at the blanket, kind of in shock, and for some reason that shock turned to anger. I knew they were apparently close, so it wasn't completely crazy that it would be here. But, it kind of irritated me.

"Why do you have this?" I asked after a few deep breaths.

"We used to do lots of like road trips and camping and stuff, he must've left it here from the last time." Harry said, not much expression to his face or voice at all.

I was surprised, Niall used to hate camping. I was learning more and more about his life that I had no clue about. "Oh.... okay. Is it okay if I keep this?"

"Yeah, yeah of course!" Edward said with a smile. I liked him, he made me feel the most comfortable out of them all.

"Thanks," I offered a small nod of appreciation.

"Yeah, course." He replied casually, buckling up while everyone else piled into the van.

I glanced back at everybody, and noticed that Marcel was gently nudging Louis to wake him. "Grabbed this for you baby," he whispered, handing him a meal replacement shake he'd gotten inside the store.

I watched as he opened the cap for him, and handed it over, before looking up at me. I half smiled awkwardly, and quickly turned around.

Marcel was so sweet and gentle with him. I couldn't help but wonder if there was something wrong with Louis. He was probably just high like some of the others. I was reading wayyy too much into everything, I needed to calm down.

I looked out the front windshield, curling up into the blanket. It smelled just like Niall, mixed with a woody smell, like the forest. I closed my eyes, trying to find some comfort as Edward pulled out of the parking lot and onto the road.

I was nearly asleep again when it started to rain. The sound of the water made me shiver as I remembered how they found him. It had been raining that morning when I woke up to the news. When I finally called my mother back and heard that he was discovered face down in the lake, wrists and neck slit, too many pills in his system. I felt sick.

"Hey, you alright?" Edward asked, reaching over and putting his hand on my shoulder, which I quickly shrugged off. We only just met, I didn't want his hand on my shoulder even though I knew he meant well.

"Yep, I'm fine." I replied shortly, wrapping the blanket tighter around myself.

"Alright... well uh, get cozy. We've still got about 2 hours." He said quietly.

I got myself comfortable again, but this time I couldn't fall asleep, no matter how hard I tried. I gave up after about 30 minutes. Everyone else aside from Edward seemed to be asleep again already, and he was the chattiest, so I decided to try and talk to him.

EDWARD

"So um..." Marie said awkwardly, "are you all seniors?"

"Yep," I replied. I hated lying, but I didn't have much of a choice. "Well, I guess except Louis. He never started university."

"Oh, why?" She asked, her voice a bit raspy, probably from all the crying.

"I.. well," I paused, feeling a slight bit of guilt. But if things went to plan she'd probably be spending a lot of time with us and find out anyway. "He's abused at home, he can't leave. He lives right near campus, but his parents won't let him go."

She was quiet for a moment, I could tell she was processing this. "Isn't he an adult? Is it possible for him to leave? I know these things are complicated and I don't know his situation... sorry" she rambled, "Oh gosh, I shouldn't have said that. That was so insensitive, I didn't mean it in a bad way, it just makes me so sad that someone is trapped like that."