The Boy Next Door

forty one

OWENS POV
I opened my eyes and I was in Amelia's bed, but no Amelia. It was Saturday so we didn't have school. I got up and walked downstairs and she was pacing the kitchen and her mom, Derek, and Liz were sitting at the counter.
"Can you try to talk to her?" Her mom asked.
"She won't say a word," Derek said. I stepped in front of Amelia and she looked up at me.
"Is something wrong? What's wrong?" I asked. She didn't say anything and looked at me blankly and then back to her family.
"Amelia, honey what's going on?" I asked again, "you can tell us." She shook her head no and went back to pacing the kitchen.
"Amelia," Derek said. She looked like she was stressing out about something, like she was super worried.
"Amelia," her mother said. Amelia stopped pacing and looked at the four of us and started crying, not a few tears, she started sobbing.
"Okay, shhh it's okay," I said and held her closely, "whatever it is it's okay." Her mom came over and rubbed her back.
"Amelia you're okay," Her mom said. Amelia tightened her arms around my waist and sobbed harder. I kissed her head and held her as close to me as possible, I was so worried about her.
"Oh my god," Liz said.
"What?" Derek said. Liz froze and looked at Amelia.
"Amelia is it about Ryan?" Liz said, obviously knowing something the rest of us didn't. Amelia looked over at her and nodded.
"Okay, do you want to talk about it?" Liz asked. Amelia shook her head no, still unable to speak.
"Okay," Liz said.
"What's going on?" Her mom asked.
"Amelia why don't we go upstairs?" Liz said and hugged her and gave me her phone. They went upstairs and I looked at her phone and it was a news article: Seattle Teen found dead in car overnight from suspected overdose.
"Oh my god," I said.
"What is it?" Derek said and took the phone and him and his mom looked at the article.
"Oh my god," Carolyn said, "oh that's horrible."
"We're they that close?" Derek said.
"I have no idea," I said. My phone rang and it was my mom, I excused myself and walked to the bathroom.
"Hey," I said.
"Did you see about Ryan? Isn't he the boy Amelia is friends with?" She said.
"Yeah," I nodded, "I just saw."
"Is she okay?" My mom said.
"She isn't speaking, she's freaked out," I said.
"Oh my god poor thing," my mom said, "they think it was intentional."
"I feel bad about every bad thing I ever said about him," I said.
"Should I come over? How's everyone?" She asked.
"I'm worried about Amelia," I said, "can you come over?"
"Yes," She said, "I'll be right over." I walked back out into the kitchen and everyone was silent. The doorbell rang and her mom opened it for my mom and they hugged.
"Is she okay?" My mom asked.
"She isn't talking," Carolyn sighed, "I wish I knew what she was thinking."
AMELIAS POV
Ryan overdosed in his car last night, the cops think it was suicide. I think it was suicide. Late last night he texted me when I was asleep, he texted me how much he loved me, and how much I meant to him, and all these things he loved about me, it was cute, and I could have stopped him. If I was awake I would have seen the message and stopped him. His mom must have seen he texted me last night because she left me a voicemail this morning that he was dead. He wasn't my best friend, but he was a good friend, he was always there, and he was gone, and it was my fault, I could have talked him out of it. I was sitting on my bed staring out the window and Liz was sitting in front of me.
"Hey," Liz said. I drew my gaze back over to her and she looked at me.
"Do you want to talk?" Liz asked. I shook my head no.
"Okay," Liz said, "are you hungry?" I shook my head no again.
"Do you want Owen?" She asked.
"Get out," I said.
"Amelia," she said sadly.
"GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY ROOM," I yelled. She got up and ran out and I pulled the covers over me and started sobbing.
OWENS POV
We heard Amelia yell at Liz and moments later Liz came down the stairs.
"Well she talked," Liz said.
"We can't leave her alone," her mom said.
"Fine I'll go," Derek said.
"Are you worried she'll do something?" Liz said.
"You're not?" Carolyn said.
"I will go clean the bathroom," Liz said and walked upstairs. My mom went over and hugged Carolyn.
"She'll talk eventually," my mom said.
"She gets like this sometimes, and it's so scary, I have no idea what she's thinking," Carolyn said.
"I could try to talk to her," I offered. Carolyn nodded.
"Yeah," Carolyn said.
"SHUT THE FUCK UP YOURE SO FUCKING ANNOYING DEREK," Amelia screamed. Carolyn sighed and put her head in her hands.
"Is there anything we can do?" Evelyn asked.
"I'll figure something out," carolyn sighed.