The Stolen and The Gone

Five

Cameron hadn't been thinking clearly. Of course she could not go home, so instead of giving Tyler directions to her own house, she pointed out Jess' apartment.

"If you don't mind me asking," Tyler began. "Why exactly did you change your mind about going back to your house?" He sounded strangely disappointed.

For a moment Cameron just sat there, looking out of the passenger window with her finger to her mouth particularly thinking of nothing. She figured the only way to get rid of her headache was to blank her mind and think of nothing. And maybe that was impossible, but monsters with torn up faces were impossible too, right?

She surprised herself by answering. "Repugnant reasons. That's all you need to know."

Tyler just nodded as if to say, eh, I can go with that.

"Ty, do you feel... strange. Like somethings wrong. I mean- I didn't mean that to come out sounding weird, but..."

Tyler pulled up in front of the condo where Jess stayed and motioned for her to get out of the SUV, all the while dodging her question.

"You know her room number, right?" Tyler asked.

She nodded.

"Then I'll see you soon."

Cameron looked at him, perplexed.

Abruptly, he slapped his hips and jumped back into his car. Half way out of the driveway he popped his head out of the window and said, "If you need me, just call."

"But I don't have your numb-" she shouted after him, but he was already down the road so far she could not see him any more.

She made her way up the stairs and directly to Jess' little room. The white paint on the walls were chipping in the hallways, brown varnished doors appeared at random intervals with numbers painted on them. Jess' room was number was 12. Cameron wrapped on the door twice and stood holding her duffel bag with all her belongings.

The door swung open and a tall red headed girl stood with her hand on the threshold. "Hey there, Camy." She gave a warm smile and embraced Cameron in her arms for the second time that day.

"Jess, hi, again."

Jess held her at arms length and frowned. "What's up?" She beckoned Cam to enter her cozy apartment, and Cam stepped right into Jess' living room which only had a couch, a HD tv, and a dark oak coffee table already covered in mug stains. The walls here were the same as in the hall, chipped and the colour of a sheet. Jess threw herself onto the couch in front of the television and looked up at her.

"A lot, I guess. More than I can handle." Cameron sighed and fell harder than Jess did onto the couch next to her.

"Do tell."

Cameron scrunched up her nose and rubbed her hands together.

Jess nodded and looked sullen. "We've all been a little...heartbroken lately."

"That, amongst other things," said Cameron.

"Hey-hey are you okay?" Jess took Cameron's head into her hands and looked into her blue ones with her own green ones. Cameron hadn't realised that she was crying until she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the older girl's green eyes. Red nose, swelled up lips and tears tumbling down her cheeks.

Crying had became a mannerism for Cameron, and she hated it. Hated being alone and angry and grieving. She did not want to face it, but she had to speak about what has been happening to someone, before she goes completely mad. "I-i think I'm..."