In the Basement

Chapter Four

A/N: Trigger warning mention of suicide. And mental struggle.

We all were fairly silent for the first half of the walk, following the path Ashley usually takes home from school.

"What do you think happened to her?" Brin asked to no one in particular. Everyone stared ahead, no one really wanted to talk about this, Ashley wasn't dead, as far as they knew, but it was like she was to them.

These were the people that were closest to her, her bother, boyfriend, and practically second family.

And Alex.

Alex and Ashley used to be best friends, but after this. Alex didn't think they would still be friends after this.

You should tell them, tell them that you're responsible for the kidnapping of Ashley.

Shut up, I didn't know.

Like that'll hold up against the police, against all of these peoples opinions.

Just stop!!

Why? Is the guilt to much for you?

...

Why don't you just end it? Get home and go into the bathroom and end it. You know how, just do it. No one will miss you. These people will hate you after they find out the truth.

Tears started falling down Alex's face. Jacob noticed this and put his arm around her shoulders. "You okay Alex? I know she was close to you."

She looked up and wiped her face. "Yeah, sorry, my mind is just, somewhere else." She said and looked back down, Jacob moved his arm and went over to Matt.

What am I supposed to tell him?

'Nothing.' I flinched, my fathers voice echoed through my head.

I continued walking trying to ignore the thoughts in my head.

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Ashley

Cold, that was the only thing I could feel, the numbness my body made in reaction to the cold. I couldn't feel anything, but I could still feel the cold.

I was sitting against the wall away from the door, Michael was sitting on the wall parallel from me. We were still stuck in this basment/garage thing Alex's dad had put us in.

"Made a new escape plan yet?" I asked Michael, he breathlessly laughed.

"None, that don't envolve Tom Cruise." He joked back, we both laughed at that.

"I don't think I got to see the most recent movie." I said when we finished laughing.

"I'll take you to go see it when we get out, although your boyfriend might not like that." He said, I smiled then looked down, what's happening outside the walls, we haven't seen anyone in what feels like days, but was probably only 1 day at the most.

"When or do you think we'll get out of here? Speaking for real, like do you think people are looking for us?" I said, I looked back to him, he looked sad.

"You gotta hope right? That you're worth enough for people to take notice that you're missing, and for someone to take charge and look for you." He responded, I don't know if he was trying to convince me, or himself.

I was about to say something more but the door swung open.

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Brinnley

I didn't want to leave, no one did, at least not empty handed. But, we couldn't find anything, no one saw anything, there was no clues as to where she went missing along the route.

We walked onto the Montgomery's driveway and all stopped, no one saying anything, no one wanting it to be true. The fact that, there were no clues as to where Ashley disappeared.

"You all are welcome to come inside." Jacob said, his head hung down in defeat, he still couldn't find his little sister.

"Thanks Jacob." Matt said, we were all slightly shocked, he hadn't said anything since we left the school. We all moved towards the house, everyone sitting in the living room on the couches or by the fire.

"So is anyone else hungry?" Lucas asked, "or is it just me?" We all laughed and agreed that pizza should be made or ordered, the boys thinking with their stomachs decided to do both.

"So that," Jacob announced pointing to the oven, "will be ready in 25 minutes, and the delivery will be here in 30ish minutes."

"So the question rises, what do we do for the next 20 to 30 minutes?" I ask everyone, we look around, Matt gets an evil look on his face.

"Let's play cards against humanity." We all pause trying not to laugh.

"Do you have cards against humanity?" Lucas asked Jacob, glee dancing in his eyes.

"How am I supposed to know I got back today." He declared.

"You do." Matt said smirking, probably remembering the time Ashley, him, and me all came over to play that a few weeks ago.

"Bet." Jacob said, Matt jumped up and ran towards the blanket closet, throwing the door open and reaching towards the top shelf and feeling around for a second before pulling out a black box with white font.

"B e t." Matt says holding up the box reading, cards against humanity, Jacob shakes his head in defeat.

"I was more just hoping my little sister didn't have that game." He tells us laughing, we sit down at the table and deal the cards.

"Studies show that lab rats navigate mazes 50% faster after being exsposed to," Lucas flipped over a card, "another gosh darn vampire movie; helping a beggar find a job with a Facebook post; the plot of a Michael bay movie; or an ugly face." We all laugh at the options. "Uhh, I think I have to go with a vampire movie." We all continue laughing as Matt slowly reached for the black card to add to his growing pile.

We all slowly stop, then the door bell goes rings and Jacob gets up to answer, "uh, one cheese and one meat lovers?" The delivery guy asks, Jacob nods, "uh $25.87 please." He gives him the money and takes the pizza.

We all go into the kitchen and place the pizza boxes down and get out some paper plates, the oven started beeping at the same time, Matt grabbed a towel and pulled out the pepperoni pizza.

We sat down and started eating, Matt started humming a tune, we all looked at him questioningly, and he got a big smile on his face.

"Eveytime I sit at the breakfast table, I seem to be getting a little bit thinner." We all start laughing then join in and sing with him.

"It's not easy now be-cauusee, my whole family thinks I'm gay maybe it's cause of the way that I walk makes them think I like, boys."

"Bo Burnham is my spirit animal." Lucas says still laughing.

We all sit and continue eating, sharing jokes and stories with each other, forgetting about the heavy subject weighing over us all.