A White Room

Chapter 16

Chandler started to shake slightly again, he knew Jimmy was just outside Chris' house and it scared him. "Chandler, calm down, I won't let him get to you unless you want to see him."

"I don't want to," Chandler said quickly. 

"How about you go sit in my room, that way you'll be even farther away from Jimmy," Chris offered. Chandler nodded and Chris led Chandler there before going to the front door. As Chris walked towards the front door he could hear Jimmy knocking. 

Chris opened the front door, "Hey Jimmy."

"Is Chandler here?" Jimmy asked. 

"He's asleep, why?"

"Chris, I have to talk with him."

Chris rolled his eyes, "After dead-naming him and threatening to out him to me?"

"You know that?" Jimmy asked.

"It's none of your business Jimmy. You have to go though," Chris said.

"Let me see Chandler."

"No," Chris said, "He's freaking out and needs to be alone right now Jimmy."

"I can calm him down," Jimmy said.

"So can I," Chris replied, "You have to go. Now." 

Jimmy was hesitant, he didn't want to leave Chandler there with Chris. Chris was certain if Chandler had come to the door Jimmy would be persuading Chandler to leave. Chris wouldn't allow that. "Let me speak to him, please."

"He'll call when he is ready to talk with you Jimmy," Chris said, "He needs to calm down right now before he starts to hallucinate. You need to leave. Now." Jimmy huffed, unhappy with the situation, but he did leave. Speeding off in his car back in the direction of the warehouse. Chris shut and locked his front door and let out a sigh. That situation is all too familiar to him. Except Chris never had Jimmy looking for him, Chris had his ex-girlfriend, Katie, always searching for him. 

Chris began to walk to his bedroom to get Chandler and thought about all the times he had woken up to her banging on his front door and all the letters he got about her finding him. All the fake accounts he had to block from her trying to message him. Chris opened his bedroom door and saw Chandler looking around the room some. Chris had more than a few decorations in his room, some anime posters, a few figurines, and other knick-knacks around. It really told a lot about Chris' personality. 

"Do you like Death Note?" Chandler asked quietly.

"Yeah, it's a good anime. Netflix's movie of it though was complete shit."

"Yeah," Chandler said smiling. "What did Jimmy want?"

"You," Chris said gently, "He wanted to talk."

"Chris... I think... I think Jimmy might have manipulated me," Chandler said. Chris sat down beside Chandler.

"What's making you think that?" Chris said, making sure he didn't sound like he was doubting Chandler. 

"Ever since I started living with Jimmy... My memories have been off. I've always thought my family hated me... but you said Zach misses me... From what I remember, he actively supported my parents kicking me out," Chandler said.

"Zach always told me you actively chose to move out to work on youtube with Jimmy," Chris said. 

"That's the thing though... I remember being kicked out due to being trans and bi... and then Jimmy offering to let me move in with him... but now I'm realizing.. that doesn't make sense. My parents started me on T when I was 13... why would they kick me out at 18?"

"Yeah that is a bit... strange," Chris answered.

"And then... I lived with Jimmy for a while... Hell, I even dated Jimmy for a while there."

Chris froze. That knowledge affected him in more than one way all at once, a wave of jealousy hit him first, and then it was concern. Jimmy was acting like Katie. "He's your ex?"

"Yeah, why?" Chandler asked, "You look worried."

"Because Chandler... I have an ex that does... something similar."

"You do?" Chandler seemed confused, "What do you mean similar?"

"That second day I met you, you remember me mentioning how my girlfriend broke up with me... which pushed me to self harm and drugs...?" Chris said.

Chandler nodded, "Yeah of course I remember."

"That girlfriend... of course I recovered from all those and started doing better for myself. Got out of the apartment I used to share with her and bought this place and got a good job and all that.. She found out. And suddenly she wanted to get back with me."

"She's a gold digger?" Chandler said.

Chris nodded, "but it gets worse. I, of course, rejected her. But that didn't mean she was done. She shows up at my house randomly and knocks and tries to get me to let her in or listen to her, she'll send letters begging and pleading for me to forgive her, but what's worse are the social media accounts. I blocked her original account and she makes fake accounts to stalk my instagram and other accounts."

"Jeez, I'm sorry that happens Chris... wait.. you think Jimmy is like that?"

"Well," Chris started, "showing up here and trying to use any excuse to get in to see you definitely reminds me of her. And the fact he's your ex makes it even more unnerving. I want you safe Chan, and even if he isn't as bad as her now, he could get there."

"He's still my friend..." Chandler said softly.

"I know. The situations are similar, not the same. In the end, it's going to be your choice on what to do. I told Jimmy you'll call him when you're ready to talk with him," Chris said.

"Okay," Chandler said while nodding gently, "we left our phones downstairs."

"Do you want yours?" Chris said. 

"I want to read what he has texted me for myself," Chandler said.

"I'll go grab our phones then." Chris walked out of the bedroom to grab his and Chandler's phones. Chris noticed that they both had more text messages from Jimmy.  Chris handed Chandler his phone and he heard Chandler's breathing change looking at Jimmy's name on his phone.

Chris sat beside Chandler, "Want to look at them together?"

"Yeah," Chandler said, "Maybe that'll be easier." Chandler opened his phone, and then opened text messages, Chris leaned over Chandler's shoulder to look at the messages.