Never Giving Up (Sequel to The Broken Generation)

Chapter 8

Kellin's POV

I sighed and looked at Alan who was laying next to me. He had called me to come over to his apartment so here I was, laying on the floor of the living room next to him.

"What?" He asked, opening an eye to look at me.

"Vic's still being weird, I just want you to know that," I told him, closing my eyes. Vic seemed so very jumpy and he was working all kinds of weird hours lately and at first, I understood considering it was his mom's birthday, but everything after that, he just seemed weird.

"What was his excuse last time again?"

"He was covering someone else's shift in the clinic."

"Right, right. I mean he could just be helping and covering people's shifts for them."

"I know. But he's never really done that," I muttered.

"Well maybe he does now?" 

I opened my eyes again and looked at him. "He's hiding something, Al. I don't know what it is but he's hiding something. And I want to go see something and I want you to go with me because I don't want to seem crazy."

"Where are we going to go exactly?" 

"The cemetery," I said simply and sat up.

"What? Why?" 

"I don't think it was really his mom's birthday," I said with a huff.

"Why don't you believe him?"

"Because he just seems sketchy lately."

He shrugged, "Let's go then, but you have to help me up from the floor." 

"I can do that."

"You're the best."

I smiled at my best friend and took his hands and helped him off the floor. "Come on," I told him just as we heard a loud crash and a shout from the floor above us and I shook my head. "I can't wait for you to move out of this damn apartment."

"Tell me about it and it doesn't help that Chad's our neighbor now." 

"Jesus Christ, do I need to have my father in law go over there and kill him?" I asked him.

He shook his head, "No." 

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"If you say so," I hummed and grabbed my car keys. "I'm just warning you, I have a painting in the back seat so if the paint fumes get to you, just let me know and I'll throw the picture away."

"Why would the fumes get to me?"

"I don't know, you nearly died when you came to my house after I painted," I said with a shrug.

"Well that was mostly fresh paint."

"This is sorta fresh paint. But, it's the painting I did last week at that art class I touched it up yesterday and got to bring it home today but some of it is still sorta wet."

"I'll manage."

"Alright, just let me know if it gets to be too much," I told him as we started out of his apartment and headed to my car.

"You guys are still friends?"

Alan froze and looked at me with wide eyes. 

I looked past him at Chad and gave him a smile. "Well of course," I said without batting an eye. Sure, Alan was intimidated by Chad and he had every right but, this was the asshole who tried to destroy my husband's life when we were younger and I wasn't ever going to let him think he had any affect on me. Especially considering he didn't. And while I was with Alan, I wasn't going to let him have any power over my best friend either. "Turns out, when you're not a shitty person, your friends happen to stick around. Although, I heard when you got locked up, all your friends and family ditched you so you wouldn't understand."