Have a Banana

(11) There is no Anne

I couldn't sleep that night. I remembered trying to comfort Anne. And I told her that we should call the police if we ever find a phone. But she wasn't in need of comforting. If anything, she seemed seething with anger.

We hid ourselves a floor below my own inside a recently vacated apartment. I didn't even question how suspiscious that was, at the time. I was just glad to get away from the nutcase who killed my professor. But then again, Anne was a nutcase too. Heck, I'm starting to think I'm a nutcase as well.

"They found you so soon," she said but I wasn't sure if she was talking to me.

"What are you talking about, Anne?" I asked. "Do you mean me? They found me? Or my professor?"

"It doesn't matter much now, does it," she said sitting herself down on the carpeted floor.

"Look, we have to call the police."

"No!" she yelled getting up, suddenly.

"Why not? There's a dead body and the killer is out there. Why the hell shouldn't I call the police?"

"Because they'll think you're crazy!"

"What? Look, I'm sure they've handled these kinds of things before."

"Michael, stop! Just let me take care of this."

"I'm not letting you go out there alone."

"You're gonna have to. I was about to walk out that door anyway, if you remember?" she said looking at me with a decided look on her face.

"What is wrong with you?" I asked her. This was such a sudden shift in her personality I'm sure it's just an episode, perhaps her defense mechanism to cope with the stress. Wasn't it just a few moments ago when she was weeping? And before that we were just laughing at Star City. Yup, she must have snapped at some point.

"I did not snap!" she said.

I frowned. Had I said those words aloud? I'm pretty sure, I did not. "I didn't say anything."

She rubbed her temples and exhaled. "Sorry." Then she took another breath and looked at me. "Go back to your dorm room and try to sleep, okay?"

"And what exactly are you going to do?"

She grabbed something from the table, it's yellow skin looking eerie in the dark apartment. "I'm gonna take care of things."

She didn't leave me any choice. She ran away, out the door with nothing but a banana in her hand. I felt an emptiness inside me. And I also felt lost. I'm sure I would never see her again, unless it would be on the news that a dead girl was found.

For some reason, I followed her orders and went back to my apartment. The blood trailing on the floor was gone and a note was attached to my door.

M,

Thought you'd sleep better without the blood on your floor. Sweet dreams.

-A

I crumpled the piece of paper and threw it over my shoulder not caring if I was littering in the hall. She forced her way in then pushed her way out of my life. I was gonna do the same. As far as I know, there is no Anne, there never was.

---

The next day I found myself in the awkward position of high-fiving Gerard. Shortly after I had returned to my dorm room, the lights went back on and I can't help but feel stupid I had thought the killer was impersonating Gerard's voice. As for the dead body, well, I just prayed they find it soon and not ask any questions. Maybe Anne wiping the blood off the corridor was a blessing. Now the police won't have to question me about a psycho who was roaming around the halls.