PERFECT│s.m

NINETEEN

They let her go. The police knew it wasn't her fault in the first place, but couldn't overlook her muttering "This is my fault" in a loop, with a crazed look in her eyes as she stared at the dead body.

Andrea didn't know why they'd let her go. She basically committed murder, and they just set her free.

On the way home, Simon tried to shake her awake, as she was trapped in a daze from everything that happened.

Josh sped home, more than worrying about his little sister. He didn't like seeing her like this, in fact it was making him sick to his stomach.

"Don't touch me," Andrea growled as Simon's hand pressed on her knee. Simon fell back in his seat, confused.

"I'm just trying to help," he muttered.

Something in Andrea snapped, like a twig. She whipped her raging eyes toward Simon, screaming at him that all of this was her fault and he was blind to not see it.

Josh's heart broke as he heard his sister sob in the back of his car. She even screeched in pain, saying her stomach hurt so bad from all of this guilt.

When the car stopped, the two boys watched in horror as she refused to move from the back seat unless they brought her back to the police station.

"I deserve to be locked up!" Andrea shouted. Neighbors came outside to watch the scene unfold, Josh glancing around. He yelled at them to return to their houses, saying this was none of their business.

"But it is!" Andrea retorted. Everyone turned back around, staring at the car. She hopped out, walking around to the back of the car. "It is your business!"

"What are you doing?" Simon muttered as he continued to watch the love of his light lose all of her sanity right in front of his very own eyes.

"I'm a fucking murderer!" she proclaimed. Simon had enough with her self accusations, picking her up bridal style and carrying her into the Sidemen house.

"Stop that!" he screamed after hearing her continuously say it was her fault Joanna was no longer alive. He threw her onto the couch, shaking his head. "It's her own damn fault."

Andrea shook her head, pulling up the texts on her phone. "It's my fault," she spoke as she handed her phone to him. He read over the messages between Joanna and Andrea, the last words Joanna would ever type.

"It's not your fault," Simon muttered. He felt his blood boil as Joanna pinned the fault of her unhappiness on Andrea. "I swear on my life, on your life, on my dog's life," he spoke as he knelt down to her height, "none of this is your fault."

He put his finger under her chin, lifting her head up so she had to face him. Their eyes met, a sparkle lighting in both of their pupils, their hearts fluttering.

Andrea wanted to kiss Simon in this moment. It was just the way his eyes falling on hers made her feel, a fire igniting in her entire body. She wanted to burst out an "I love you" but knew she couldn't as it would wreck the friendship they were currently building on.

Simon wished she would kiss him. Even if he was told to forget about it again, he would agree that he would, but, like the last one, think about at night before he fell asleep. He wanted their lips to touch once more, something going to soon overcome him and he would do it himself.

He leaned forward, Andrea leaning forward too. But they were stopped, and they didn't know by what. They just... pulled back. Both figured it was the ghost of Joanna, who didn't want them kissing on her death day. It was her day, and she was not letting them ruin it. She knew where things would lead to if both fires connected, and couldn't bare the thought of their bodies against each other while she lay dead in a trash bag. It wasn't fair.