shadows • stand by me •

chapter five

Ever since Eyeball showed up Ace and him have left Agnes third wheeling. They're always striking up conversations without her and disappearing leaving her alone to bask in her sadness.
Agnes still stays in this institution, all because of Ace might she add, and no one is trying to help her get out anymore.
It's just like school all over again, and Agnes absolutely hates it, everyone is friends with her until someone better comes along. Just like what Ace did when Eyeball showed up.
So just like most days of this week in February, Agnes sits on her bed, still locked away in the depressing room.
She stuck close to the wall, her body was still wary of any other presences. The pistol still sat on her bedside table.

"Hello?"

When she began to speak her voice was hoarse and she felt as though her words wouldn't be heard, "Hi? Who are you, and why are you in my room?" She whispered, carefully avoiding eye contact.

"Hi, I didn't mean to come into your room like this, I just kind of appeared here." A blonde kid, attractive, but still younger than her by maybe a year or two spoke. "My name is Chris Chambers, I don't really know where I am right now.."

Agnes's hand ghosted to the back of her neck and she scratched it gently. "You said Chambers huh?" She asked and the boy nodded, he thought she knew all about him and his reputation. Little did he know it wasn't 1959 anymore.

"Is your brother Eyeball?"
"Yeah.. I know what your thinking, I'm just another one of those lowlife Chambers kids."
"What? What are you talking about?"
"Huh, weren't you asking about my brother? I figured you knew about my repu- you know what just forget it."

Agnes smiled at the boy and shook her head patting the spot next to her on the bed.
"I know you are confused right now, so we're Ace and Eyeball when they first came into my life too, I'll explain it to you."
Chris sat next to Agnes on the bed hesitantly.

"What are you talking about, came into your life?"
"Chris, you aren't in 1959 anymore, this is 2017. I know this may be a bit confusing now, but you 'n Ace 'n Eyeball are all ghosts.. Sort of."
"So we are some apparitions who are haunting you?"

Agnes nodded scared to see what he would say, he just started beyond her for a bit and she took in his appearance. He wore a battered white shirt with his sleeves sloppily rolled up. His blue jeans had also been rolled up at the bottom to display his tattered white converse.
Agnes wondered why Eyeball never mentioned he had a brother before, but she sensed bad blood.

"So if Ace and Eyeball haunt you too, where are they?"
"You see that's the thing, I don't know, they always leave me alone and when they are here I'm always third wheeling." Agnes sighed looking down at the dirty gray floor.
"It wasn't always that way, for the past year it had been just me 'n Ace, Eyeball wasn't in the picture until about a week and a half ago."

Chris looked over at the girl softly, "you had to deal with Ace by yourself for a full year?"

Agnes busted out in laughter, she was taking a liking to this Chambers kid. He was kind unlike the other two and more empathetic. "Tell me about it."

What the fuck do you know about this, Eyeball.
"My little brother?"

Agnes and Chris's head both shot up quickly to the window and glanced at the two towering teens. Chris's expression held worry but Agnes's was more annoyed.

"Where have you shits been all day!" Agnes stood up in anger.

Woah woah, chill out toots, since when do you monitor everywhere we go huh?

Agnes rolled her eyes and pivoted on her heels sitting back down, "whatever Ace."

Just as Ace was about to shoot a nasty remark back at the girl a nurse walked in claiming that her psychiatrist, Dr. Fletcher who she had knocked out only weeks prior, would like to see her.
Neither Eyeball, nor Chris knew about the paper weight incident.

Agnes sucked in a breath and looked hesitantly toward Ace, he just nodded for her to follow the nurse.
The four teens followed the nurse down the familiar corridors until she came to a stop at the wooden door once again.
The nurse walked away and Agnes stared longingly at it.

Well the door isn't going to open itself!
"Shut the fuck up Ace."

Agnes twisted the knob as Chris snickered at her remark. "Dr. Fletcher?" Agnes was now fully in the room, the boys still close behind.
This would be the first time either of the Chambers kids saw Dr. Fletcher.

The psychiatrist smiled at her, and Agnes wondered why, he pointed to the seat in front of his desk.
"Hello Agnes, I didn't expect you to show up."

"I didn't have a choice," Agnes muttered under her breath as the boys sat by the window sill, Ace watching her intently.

"Now I know we've had a rough start," the psychiatrist began. "And I understand that you're going through a lot right now, and that might be messing with your mind, with your thoughts. But you have to realise, this will all go away in time."

No one said anything, not Eyeball not Ace and not Chris, they all had wondered the same thing. We're they going to one day just disappear, weren't they with Agnes for a reason?

"What if I don't want it to go away? What if this is who I am, forever." Agnes asked carefully and Ace sat back, happy with her response.

"Is that what Ace told you?"

"Wha-what?" Agnes asked flustered, Dr Fletcher still had not known about the appearance of the brothers.

Agnes if you say anything I swear to god!

"I won't!" Agnes answered back abruptly, she was mad that Ace just got to leave with Eyeball whenever he wanted and when he came back he was suddenly the boss of her. Maybe she was just jealous that she was third wheeling all the time, although now she had Chris.

The paper weight, he moved it, he doesn't trust you.
"I wouldn't trust me either."
"Wait, what happened with the paper weight?"
Agnes knocked the doc out with the paper weight and tried to run away.
"All because of you!"
"You really did that Agnes?"

Chris was disappointed in Agnes, he thought she had been different than that. Although he had only known her for a few hours he could already picture them becoming best friends.
He was weirdly protective of the girl, and was so upset to hear that she harmed her psychiatrist that it hurt his chest a little bit.

"Look Chris, it wasn't my idea, if you're gonna be mad at anyone be mad at Ace!"
Woah hold up, you're the one who did it, not me toots.
"You are so fucking annoying kid, anyone ever tell you that?"

Ace really wished he could punch Eyeball straight in his mouth for that ballsy statement, but he couldn't, because than Agnes would know he cared and he couldn't have that.
Chris however was quick to action, cursing out his own brother and the psychiatrist was completely oblivious to the whole thing. He just observed Agnes talking and sat silent.

"Now Agnes, Don't listen those voices. Try and shut them out. They're not real." Dr Fletcher cut in.

How could they not be real, Agnes thought, they are right in front of me.