The Stoic And The Beast

The Day They Left Her

Alicia's POV

Hey Tyler, what's up?

Alicia, oh thank God! Where are you? I've been calling all morning. Didn't you get my messages? You need to come home now. Somethings happened.

Tyler didn't give me a chance to answer any of his questions. His voice was shaking while he blurted out sentence after sentence. He was deeply upset about something.

Tyler, what's wrong?

Just come home. I'll be waiting for you when you get here.

Tyler... You are scaring me. What's happened? Is it your mom? Is she okay? My eyes began to water.

What? My mom? Alicia... There was a long silent pause. It's your parents. Something bad has happened. Just get here.

Umm.. okay... My voice was barely a whisper and the phone slipped out of my hands.

My parents? What's wrong with my parents? My vision blurred as my eyes began filling with tears. I brushed my hands blindly across the countertop looking for my car keys. What has happened to my parents? My mind went blank momentarily. I forgot what I was looking for. Oh yeah. Car keys. I need to get home. To my parents. My parents need me. They're sick or something. They're just sick. I need to go take care of them. Calm down, Alicia. They're fine. I thought to myself.

Just as I found the keys Luke and Jake walked through the front door. They were smiling and Laughing. Luke had a paper bag in his hand and Jake was carrying a coffee carrier. They both froze in their steps at the sight of me. They both ran to the counter and put down the items then rushed to my side. I was crying and frantically shoving my arms into my jacket. I began fumbling to pick my phone up from the floor but failed because I was shaking too much.

"Alicia! What's wrong are you okay? Is everything okay?" Luke asked anxiously.

"I... I have to go home."

"What?" Jake and Luke asked in unison.

"Tyler... Tyler called me like a hundred times! He said something is wrong with my parents." I sobbed.

"Alicia... What are you talking about?"

"I have to go home! Something has happened. I have to go home" I screamed.

"Okay, okay. Please calm down sweetheart. I'll drive. Jake, you sit in the back with her. Keep her calm. She doesn't need to have another panic attack." Luke began barking orders.

"Woah, no way dude, I think you should sit with her. I've seen one of those attacks she has. I can't help her with those. You're better at it." Jake argued.

"I need to go right fucking now! Stop arguing. My parents need me." I screamed again.

"Okay, we're going."

Luke held my hand as we walked to the car. My knees were jello. My lungs began to burn and I felt myself beginning to wheeze again. I climbed into the back seat of the Equinox. Jake climbed into the front seat and started the car. Luke was trying to keep me focused on my breathing. I was trying to tell myself that it wasn't as bad as Tyler made it sound. I was thinking of a hundred reasons why it was so important that I needed to go home to my parents.

Maybe that old tree finally fell on the roof. My mom and dad are just sick with the flu. The plumbing backed up. The house got broken into. There was a fire while they were at work. My parents are fine.

"My parents are fine," I mumbled to myself out loud.

"What did you just say, sweetheart?" Luke asked as he leaned me into his body.