What Remains

Chapter 17

Justin

A creaky door awakens me from my much needed nap.
The room is dark and dreary, the only light that shines is the moon in the window. My eyes blur for a moment as I blink the sleep away. I scan the room for the source of the noise. It is Kenny. He is standing in the doorway. His face is completely hidden, leaving me clueless as to what his intentions are. I sit up uncomfortably, backing against the wall behind me. I assume he realises my stance, as his strides towards me are slow and calculated; he knows he intimidates me. Bile rises in my throat, further and further up each time the floor creaks beneath his body. Go away. Please. Kenny pulls up the rocking chair from in front of the mirror and sets it beside my bed. I watch him as he sits down, and as he clasps his hands in his lap meekly. "Quinn." Kenny starts, giving a small huff. I fix my eyes on him with a nervous and bitter glare."I apologize for earlier, I didn't mean it."
"Didn't mean what?" I press in a low voice. I want to hear him say it.
He pauses. "Didn't mean to hurt you. I'm sorry." Kenny holds my cheek with a single hand.
I find myself leaning away before I can process it. "I don't forgive you." I utter.
"I'm not asking for forgiveness." He shakes his head gently. "I'm giving you an apology. Two different things."
I stare through him, processing his words carefully. "Can I still trust you?" I ask.
He thinks for a moment, "Course you can. Absolutely. I didn't mean it." Kenny insists, making me give a low sigh. I nod. He loosens his tense posture at this.
He is... satisfied.
I avert my gaze from him, staring at the table lamp as a distraction.
Why do you do this, Kenny? How do you do this? Why do you make me feel this way?
I want to ask him more than anything. I wouldn't get a straight answer knowing him. Hell, he probably knows even less than I do.
"We must leave. We can get this over and done with.. quick and easy." Kenny huffs.
"Then what? What happens after all of this?" I ask with pleading eyes. I just want to go back to normal... Is that too much to ask? You could even let me leave and I wouldn't say a word. I just want to feel at peace. I want to feel happy.
Kenny thinks for a moment, reading my expression like a book. "Back to normal. We'll just be together, okay? Just the two of us." He says reassuringly.
I nod in reply, letting out a tense sigh. "Okay... Okay. Let's just get this done. And please.." I stop him before he could pull me up, "Don't do the same thing as, um.." I trail off. I don't need to finish my sentence, clearly, as Kenny reluctantly nods.
You better listen to me, or I swear to god.

The drive there, much like the one to Danielle's house, is long and drawn.
Justin's house is the biggest out of all five of us, so it'll stand out like a beacon. I always harboured a sort of jealousy for Justin. He is perfect, and has a lot going for him— parents who loved him, a great big beautiful house...
It is clear it wasn't just me, though.
Danny was the most envious out of everyone. He always saw Justin as competition, and once Danielle started talking about him too much... It went to shit. That night, the one where they left me, that was the first time I saw them speak to each other the least bit after three months. Three months that Danny held a grudge.
I was the first person Danny went to about that stuff. He always went to me for his issues, but I didn't much mind. I always had an answer.
It started off with a "Hey Quinn?" and ended with an "I don't care what you say, I hate him." It was awful. Awful in the most pathetic way. Despite how he seemed to ignore my advice, he always ended up using it.
As we pull up just shy of the driveway, a pang of something washes over me. Something like dread and a cruel relief.
Something like what I first felt when we pulled up to May's house.
Before Kenny could, I reach into the back to grab my knife, but hesitate once I see the whole arsenal he has.
Hatchets, bear traps, axes, knives, crowbars, a lockpicking kit.. you name it, it'll be there.
What more could I expect from him? He always has something up his sleeve.
"Jesus, Kenny..." I mutter to him, reaching for my knife. His eyes burn into my back at my words. I turn and shrug, blade in hand. Kenny lightly pushes me away and reaches behind the seat.
This time, once he straightens up from his reaching posture, he holds three small hatchets and his axe.
I stare at him wordlessly, expecting an answer.
"Just in case. You're going it alone, y'know. We're splitting up because of how large the house is" Kenny mutters, giving me a small nonchalant shrug.
"Hell no... Hell no. I'm not going on my own!" I spit.
"I warned you. Told you that, at some point, you'd have to fight alone." Kenny says. I scoff at his matter-of-factly tone.
My expression falls flat, unimpressed. "I hope I die." I grumble, turning to open the door. Some part of me in the back of my mind starts laughing hysterically.
"Don't." Kenny scolds back, opening his door.
We step out and, habitually, trail to the back door of Justin's large house.
Justin tends to sleep around 9:00 like the goody-two-shoes he's always been, so all visible lights are off.
"He is most likely asleep." I stop Kenny, who has just taken a breath to speak.
I gesture to the door and Kenny drops, making quick work of the lock.
I didn't tell him, but Justin lives with his family. His father and mother are in the house with him. Justin's dad was in the military, and I know he passed on some of that to Justin. Justin is three inches short of Kenny's height, and nearly the same body type— I know he can fight him.
I'm going to fix this. I'm going to make this better.
"Okay, Quinn..." Kenny turns me towards him by my shoulders, "I assume you know where his room is, so I'd like it if you took the responsibility of baiting him out for me."
"I'm trusting you on this. Please be there." With that, I turn away and stalk off into the dark house.